The first six weeks of your kitten's life are filled with constant growth and discovery. How a kitten learns to interact with his world in these first few weeks has a large impact on how he will function as an adult cat. More than just his personality is being formed; a kitten's body grows and changes rapidly during this time.

Week 1: Tiny and Helpless
A newborn kitten easily fits into the palm of your hand and is genuinely as helpless as he looks. Eyes and ear canals are closed at birth, leaving the newborn kitten totally defenseless.

The mother cat will take care of her kitten's every need for the first few weeks. She will keep them warm in their nest, feeding them and bathing them with her tongue. The kitten actually needs the grooming for more than just bathing; the licking stimulates the kittens digestive system, helping them to urinate and defecate. Mama will be very protective in these early days. Too much attention from humans or other pets and she'll move the kittens to a more secretive location.

Kitten will receive some immunity from diseases from the mother's milk. This immunity will protect them for a few weeks until they can get their first kitten shots. Average weight for newborn kittens is between 3 and 4 ounces. Under the careful watch of their mothers, they should double in weight in this first week.

Week 2: Growing and Developing
Your kitten will seem to be growing by leaps and bounds during this week. He's still receiving milk only from Mom, and you may even be able to notice the changes from day to day.

The kitten’s eyes will start to open and will be completely open at 9 to 14 days old. Every kitten has blue eyes at first, and they will stay blue for several weeks. Your kitten eye's will be very sensitive at first, so no bright lights please!

During this week, your kitten is noticing scents and an awareness of his other senses. Occasionally, you'll catch your tiny kitten actually hissing at a littermate who invades his space.

Week 3: Discovering the World
Ear canals will be completely open and his sense of hearing is still developing. Your kitten may hiss and startle at loud noises. Most kitten's ears will be fully erect by this week.

Your kitten is becoming slightly more independent both in personality and basic bodily functions. The kitten's digestive system is working on it's own now, and Mom no longer needs to stimulate it. Mom is still teaching them the necessary grooming skills that they will need. She's not letting them stray far from their safe space near her, but the more adventurous kittens will be trying!

Toward the end of the week, the kitten's first teeth appear and you may notice the mother starting to be reluctant to nurse the kitten. Weaning is close at hand. You may even hear a tiny little purr from that little fur ball this week.

Week 4: Standing,Wobbling and Exploring
Kittens will start to stand sometime between the third and fourth weeks and will try to walk although their first movements will be very wobbly. They won't have the grace that cats are famous for, that comes with practice. The kitten's body will still seem to be out of proportion, and they can be very amusing to watch at their first attempts to walk. Little tails are very short and "stick-like" and their heads are disproportionately large for their bodies and legs. Their first steps, like any toddler, are awkward, tentative and they are apt to land face down on the floor.

Even the shyest kittens should be climbing out of the nest by now, and trying to explore the world. Now they begin to play with their littermates and develop friendships with some littermates and be less interested in others.

Kittens will continue to nurse regularly. It is important to continue feeding the mother a good quality kitten food as long as she is nursing kittens. It's tempting at this stage to get the mom back to adult food, but both mom and kitten really need the nutritional support right now.

Week 5: Starting the Weaning Process
Kittens will be scrambling around freely at this time and playing with their siblings. They will be developing a new sense of independence. They are still not confident in themselves yet and will usually not stray far from their mother or their littermates.

It's time now to begin socializing your kitten! At last, the "hands off" rule of them can be relaxed. Start with feeding canned food. Select a quality brand of kitten food, ideally the same kitten food given the mother cat. The kittens will quickly learn to eat mom's food.

Use a shallow plate and expect their first experiences to be messy. Although the mother cat will try to wean the kittens they still need the nursing experience to satisfy their suckling needs at least until they are eight or ten weeks old by which time the mother cat will have gradually weaned them.

Your kitten is also ready to learn litter box basics now. Start with a very shallow box, suited to the kitten's size. Don't expect your tiny kitten to climb into the adult size litter box. A shallow plastic storage box or lid to a shoe box might work for the first litter box. Use only an inch or 2 of litter, and keep it scrupulously clean. Place the kitten in the litter box immediately after eating or waking up from a nap, and at 2 hour intervals until he begins to use it on his own. You may have to teach her to dig in the kitty litter, by moving her paws. Cats usually catch on to this extremely quickly.

Week 6: Socialization in Full Swing
Socialization skills continue and there is no doubt that these are lively active kittens! They can run pounce and leap and can entertain themselves and their humans endlessly. Just as quickly they can fall asleep at the drop of a hat, literally! Its' not unusuall for a kitten to be playing a full speed and in the next minute, be totally, deeply asleep. Continue to play gently with them, and keep all toys with string attached out of their reach when playtime is over.

Kittens should learn at this age that hands are not for playing - hands are for holding petting and feeding. One of the best "toys" for teaching this lesson is a plastic drinking straw. You can drag it across the floor and watch the kitten chase it then wiggle it a bit and allow him to pounce on it and "capture" it. The baby may proudly strut with his prize before settling down to bite on it. A little biting is OK, but don't let your kitten actually consume the plastic.

Kittens will follow their mother's lead in how to interact with humans. If she has a comfortable relationship with the humans in her life, so will her kittens. However if kittens are not accustomed to human handling by six weeks it will be a long slow process to train them later and such a cat may never be a cuddler.