During their early months, your kitten will grow and change very quickly - but how do you know when they have become a cat, and what can you do to help support their growth?    

The steps to your kitten becoming a cat  
At one week, your kitten will have opened their eyes and be suckling on their mother. They will also be gaining 10g to 30g of weight a day, so daily weighing is essential to keep an eye on their health. At two weeks, their milk teeth come through and they make their first attempts to stand.  

After a month, your kitten will be actively playing. It is part of their socialisation and is important as they grow into an adult cat and you can begin to wean them onto nutritionally-appropriate solid foods like Royal Canin Mother and Baby. Once two months have passed, they should finish weaning and be fully independent of their mother for their nutrition.  

Between three to six months, your kitten will be growing and developing strong muscles, bones, and social skills. They need an energy-dense food as they have three times the energy requirement of adult cats, but their milk teeth have yet to be replaced by adult teeth, so it needs to be easy for them to eat. 

Check out Royal Canin Kitten Range tailored to meet the needs of kittens this age. They will be sleeping like an adult cat, for 13 to 16 hours each day.    

The final stages of your kitten becoming a cat  
After one year, your kitten will have become an adult cat. In this young adult stage, they will be playful and fully socialised, healthy with a glossy coat, a strong skeleton, and muscles with excellent hunting reflexes.  

Understanding the process by which your kitten develops into an adult cat means you will be able to give them the right support they need in their diet, behaviour, and home life. If you have any concerns that your kitten is not progressing in the right way, consult your vet.