When the kittens open their eyes and how to properly care for them?

Perhaps, cats are now the most popular pets. This is understandable - they are more self-sufficient than dogs, require less attention, and care for them is as simple as possible. And what else is needed for a person spending the whole day at work? But for all their unpretentiousness, after all, the basics of cat physiology and the fineness of the kitten's growth should be known to every responsible owner. What can we say about the peculiarities of caring for your pet - this knowledge is absolutely necessary. And then sometimes beginners plant breeders even puzzled even such an elementary question: "When will the kittens open their eyes?"

Like many other mammals, representatives of the Cat family are born with tightly closed eyelids. For the first time the cubs are blind and are oriented solely to the vibration of the mother's purring, the warmth coming from the mother, and her smell. Gradually, the kids gain strength, grow up, on the 5th day of life they have an ear canal, and the next stage is, in fact, opening the eyes of the kittens.

It turns out that not all rocks have this process at the same time. It is usually considered that the days when the kittens open their eyes - from the 7th to the 12th from the moment of birth. But, according to felinologists, it also depends on the duration of the mother's pregnancy, as well as on what breed the offspring is related to. Typically, the duration of the litter in the representatives of Félis silvéstris cátus - namely as they are called in biology - is 55 to 70 days. In this case, if the cat gave birth after the 68th day, the time when the kittens will open their eyes, will come earlier than if the birth occurred on days 55-67.

Another feature of this phenomenon is related to the genetic characteristics of different breeds. So, for example, in short-haired animals, the eyes open earlier than the owners of a long fluffy fur coat. Separately, it should be noted that "bald" breeds, such as sphinxes and individuals with very short hair (Cornish Rex, Devon Rex), are even more rapid development. Wait, when the kittens open their eyes, in their case it will take only 3-5 days.

But the joyous day has come, and the litter has opened the eyelids. This process does not happen immediately. It can take several days - from the appearance of the first crack to the full opening of both eyes. Usually the first time their color is all without exception - light blue, and the view is completely meaningless. This, in general, is typical for newborns of many species of mammals. How to look after the eyes of a kitten at such a tender age? To begin with, you must ensure that you stay in a dark place. A bright light is harmful to kittens who have only opened their eyes. If the eyelids of the baby by the 14th day of life are not completely revealed, they should be gently processed with a swab dipped in a weak tea brew or infusion of chamomile. If it does not help, you should ask the veterinarian for help. In the rest, special care for the eyes is not required, except for rocks in which the tear ducts are located close to the nose (Persians, exotic shorthair cats, British and Scottish). For them, you should immediately purchase special eye care lotions that have the property of leaking.