If you have ever witnessed the birth of a cat, you surely know what we mean when we say that it is one of the most tender and beautiful events in the world. Cats are born small, adorable, and soft. They seem so delicate that it's scary to touch and pick them up. At that moment, your head is probably filled with questions, such as one of the most common ones our team hears from our parents: when do cats open their eyes?
Newborn "aristocats" are remarkably weak creatures. Even crawling a few inches means the world to them at that moment, as they begin to explore their surroundings, always staying close to their ARISTOCAT mother.
According to experts, the time we have to wait until newborn cats open their eyes depends on the length of their fur. While short-haired cats generally open their eyes for the first time between 5 and 8 days, long-haired cats can sometimes take up to 14 days. It's worth noting that in mixed litters, these deadlines may not be fully observed, so if this is your case, it may take longer or shorter than the period we mentioned.
However, when newborn cats open their eyes for the first time, their vision is dramatically underdeveloped, and it will be several weeks before they are able to enjoy the "eagle eye" for which cats are known.
And the other senses?
However, underdeveloped eyesight does not mean their other senses are also underdeveloped. In fact, since they cannot rely on sight to guide them, it is their sense of smell that allows them to grope their way around despite seeing absolutely nothing. All their recognition of the outside world during the first few weeks of life is due to this incredible sense of smell, which allows them to identify their mother, familiar humans, and cat siblings almost immediately after birth.
On the other hand, at birth, they cannot hear anything at all (a self-protective characteristic they are born with because their hearing is extremely sensitive). In their first few weeks of life, "aristocats" suffer from this type of genetic deafness, which prevents loud noises from hurting their ears. This deafness gradually decreases over a period of 16 weeks, until they finally achieve the acute hearing that cats are known for.
Finally, keep in mind when adopting a cat that for kittens to develop healthier, stronger, and more emotionally stable, they should remain with their mother for the first twelve weeks, because it is at this time that the mother begins to ignore her kittens, allowing them to experience their surroundings for themselves to prepare for the outside world.
