Mary Allen
By four weeks, kittens need to focus on where to put their paws. Two months later they are already perfect hunters, albeit still in mini format.
It comes to the first small fisticuffs. Luckily, little brothers and sisters can retract their claws and show them again if necessary. So far, the tiny weapons have always stood out far. From the fourth week of life, there are social games while the little ones are taught cat manners. They train eagerly with their patient mother and siblings. At first, they paw very hesitantly with their counterparts, but then they soon give out targeted paws and try to use their pointed milk teeth, which, however, are only complete at the age of six weeks. Brother and sister still have a lot of focus to do with where to put their paws, but by four weeks of age they rarely fall over, which boosts their confidence. The balance organ in the ear is so well developed that the siblings can sneak up on and chase after them – and of course, that too on small, moving objects. For another week or two, the tail has to be erected steeply when balancing, after which it can walk like an adult without the rudder. The whole group of children is already romping through the apartment and garden, where the mother cat took them for the first time four weeks after their birth.
A Meow From The Prodigal Son
The little ones tirelessly practice catching, tumble and tussle around on the ground and hop around like rubber balls. At first, the kittens stay close on their mother’s heels when they go exploring, but in the hustle and bustle, it can happen that one of the high-spirited siblings loses touch with the family. But all it has to do is meow, and the concerned mother rushes to the aid of her prodigal son or daughter. In this development phase – when the kittens taste the first bites at four or five weeks – the free-roaming mother cat already begins her hunting lessons. She brings home freshly killed prey and lets them sniff it before eating it herself. She obviously wants to familiarize the youth with the future menu. A short time later she even drags in live mice and organizes a kind of competition with her offspring to catch the mouse again. During this competitive situation, the little brother plucks up courage and sets the killing bite. Done, the first mouse is defeated! Although like all kittens, they are born with many patterns of hunting behavior, experience with their mother’s prey helps hone their skills. After all, prey animals can not only escape, but they can also be quite snappy.
The Sense Of Balance Will Soon Be Perfect
At six weeks, kittens have a better sense of balance than humans. Now they are no longer absolutely dependent on mother’s milk but continue to be suckled. They feel safe with their mother, who is still cleaning their behinds. And if something frightens them, like the neighbor’s old hen or the vacuum cleaner, they continue to look to her for protection. At the age of seven weeks, interests change. The games with the siblings fade into the background, the kittens concentrate on their surroundings. They are captivated by all small objects that roll, wobble or run on their own or that can be moved with the help of the cat’s paws, regardless of whether they are intended as toys or not. Feathers, balls of wool, leaves, bottle corks, or bare toes attract attention. Alternatively, imaginary flies are chased or shadows are shooed away on the wall. Even your own little tail sometimes works as a toy that is always ready to hand. These environmental games are very different from games with social partners, regardless of whether they are with fellow kittens or humans: When a kitten deals with inanimate things in its environment, it repeats certain movement sequences over and over again. In parlor games it never does. So much daily child play makes a lot of sense, researchers have found: Aside from the necessary bodybuilding and skill training, the playful gimmicks are vital for healthy and rapid development. They stimulate brain growth and develop the motor and cognition skills that every kitten needs to explore and interact with others.
All The Qualities Of A Skilled Hunter
At the age of ten weeks, the siblings easily master all types of locomotion that they need to survive: climbing, running, jumping. Even at the top of a branch, the mini tigers can confidently walk along without the risk of falling. And should one of them accidentally slip off, it will land on all four paws as dexterously and softly as an adult. Two more weeks of game training and they’ve made it: Towards the end of the third month of life, the little brother and sister have all the qualities of a skilled hunter, albeit in a greatly reduced version.