kitten development – Michael Broad

Is the kitten healthy? Check list infographic.

September 6, 2023 by Michael Broad

Click the infographic below for a larger version. It covers the essential basics in order to assess your chosen kitten for health which is the number one criteria when adopting a kitten and assessing the breeder’s integrity whether they are professionals or informal breeders.

P.S. There is a counterargument for adopting an unhealthy kitten! The objective is to save the kitten and dramatically improve their lives. The effort driven by altruism and a desire to help the less fortunate will be rewarded in a closer than normal bond which adds to the pleasure that the relationship brings.

Comments are welcome! Personal stories of kitten adoption are instructional. Please share.

What are the games that cats play?

April 21, 2023 by Michael Broad

4 fundamental types of domestic cat play

There are four fundamental types of domestic cat play: Play-fighting – practice for defending against predators and subduing prey. The mouse-pounce – practice in stalking small prey animals. The bird-swat – practice in attacking escaping birds by taking flight. The fish-scoop – practice in catching fish. You’ll see them during play either between kittens …

At what age does a cat lose its baby teeth? Assessing kitten age.

April 5, 2023April 5, 2023 by Michael Broad

Discarded baby canine tooth of a young cat at the age of 6 months as her permanent teeth come through

A cat owner on the Reddit.com website (user u/maifoothurts) asked whether young cats lose their baby teeth. The question was accompanied by a pretty stark photograph which you can see below of a canine tooth which had snapped off and come to rest on the living room floor. The answer is yes. See the …

Development of the senses and other critical events in the life of a young kitten

October 17, 2021 by Michael Broad

This is a chart showing the key stages in development of a kitten before they are born and up to around 10 weeks of age. I think it’s quite interesting and I hope you agree. This is a good opportunity to remind ourselves that the personalities of cats are affected strongly by what they …

Kitten Senses and Milestones Chart

April 18, 2014 by Michael Broad

This is a chart showing milestones in a kitten’s development before and after birth over the first weeks. It is based on John Bradshaw’s Cat Sense: The Feline Enigma Revealed. If you click on it you go to my Flickr photostream where you can use it, if you want to, by grabbing Flickr’s code …