The kitten timeline

Your kitten's first year, stage by stage

Kittens change faster than any other time in their lives. Pick your kitten’s age to see what’s normal, what to feed and what to plan for next. Not sure how old your kitten is? Our kitten age calculator estimates it from teeth, eyes and weight, and the kitten weight chart shows whether they’re growing on track.

Not sure of your kitten’s sex? See how to tell if a kitten is a boy or girl. Wondering about food at each stage? Read what kittens eat at each age.

Reviewed October 2026

0–4 weeks

Newborn

Milk only: nursing or bottle-feeding, warmth, daily weigh-ins and helping kittens toilet.

4–8 weeks

Weaning

Gruel, then soft food, then kibble. Plus the first litter box, water bowl and vet visit.

2–6 months

Growing fast

Peak growth and calorie needs, 3–4 meals a day, vaccines, teething and spay/neuter.

6–12 months

Teen kitten

Fewer meals, portion changes after spay/neuter, and switching to adult food around 12 months.

The whole year at a glance

Kitten feeding and milestones by age

Age	Food	Meals	Key milestones
0–4 weeks	Mom’s milk or kitten milk replacer	Every 2–4 hours	Eyes open (10–14 days), first steps (3 weeks)
4–8 weeks	Gruel → soft kitten food → kibble	4 a day	Baby teeth, litter box, first vet visit
2–4 months	Kitten food (~2.5× resting energy)	4, then 3	Vaccine boosters, rapid growth
4–6 months	Kitten food (~2× resting energy)	3	Adult teeth, spay/neuter by ~5 months
6–12 months	Kitten food (~2× resting energy)	2–3	Growth slows, plan the switch
12 months+	Adult food (large breeds: up to 18 months on kitten food)	2	Gradual 7–10 day switch

Get a plan for your kitten's exact age

Daily calories, portions and a dated timeline of the stages ahead.