When do kittens open their eyes?

Why are kittens born with eyes closed? or when do kittens open their eyes? - Such questions always baffle a young mind. It puzzled me in the same manner, and in my expedition to uncover the truth. I not only stumbled upon the rightful reasons but few interesting stories.

One such story was when a kitten is born, the mommy cat has to change seven homes with their babies. An illogical story but an intriguing one for a little one’s mind. But this wonderful tale of mommy cat venturing around seven homes, meeting new people and encountering different circumstances might be nice tale but a tale that lacks the truth and a proper explanation.

“When do kittens open their eyes? - Kitten eyes” is a blog that helps you answer the questions correctly while adding a touch of facts in the old intriguing stories.

Why are kittens born with eyes closed?

Kittens are born with eyes closed as they are undeveloped, their optic nerves and retinas are not fully mature at birth. Closed eyelids shield their eyes from bright light, dust, and infections.

Cat age chart

Kitten development by week

WEEK	KITTEN WEEK BY WEEK MILESTONES
1	Closed eye
2	Eyes start to open
3	Eyes fully open

Kittens eyes open between 7 and 14 days. In the beginning, their vision is blurry but over several weeks their sight sharpens.

How baby cat open their eyes?

This is a gradual and gentle process that doesn’t happen all at once.

Within 5-7 days, their eyelids become loose and a thin slit opens at the corner of their eyes.
In 7 to 10 days, their eyes begin to open wider though they have blurry vision and are sensitive to light.
By 2 weeks, both eyes are fully open.

Do cats eyes change color?

Yes, it is normal for kittens eyes to change color but an adult cat eye color remains the same. If it changes color in adult stage, then it is sign of eye disease, injury or health issues.

Common Kitten / Cat eye colors

Blue
Green
Gold/Yellow
Amber/Copper
Hazel
Aqua

When does kitten eye color change?

Kittens usually have temporary blue eyes in the beginning. The true color of their newborn cats appear around 6 to 7 weeks. The change occurs because melanin develops in the iris. The shade of their eyes depend upon the amount of melanin - the more melanin, the deeper the kitten eye color.

Kitten eye color predictor

If kitten is Pure White: It can develop odd eyes or keep the same blue tones.
If kitten has colorpoint pattern: Kittens with colorpont pattern like Siamese, their eyes almost always stays blue.
If kitten has dark or tabby coat: Their eye color usually shifts to green, gold or amber.
If parents have strong eye color: In such cases, there are high chances kitten inherit the same color.

Why do cats eyes change color?

Other than melanin, there are other factors that affects the change in kitten eye color:

1. Melanin

This is the pigment that determines the eye color, low melanin results in blue or green color and high melanin changes the shade to yellow, amber or copper eyes. The levels of melanin develop after birth that cause eye color change.

2. Cat Breeds

The breeds of cats are also responsible for the change in cat eye color for instance, Siamese, Ragdoll, Himalayan have blue eye color. While other cats carry genes that result in blue or odd eye colors.

3. Age & Development

Kittens eye color begins to change around 6-8 weeks old and this change settles by 3-4 months. Though in some cars, the shade continues to change in first year.

4. Health

Any eye disease or injury can alter the eye color or dull the shade of their eyes. Other than this, nutritional deficiencies can also affect pigment production. The health factors are not common but it is an important cause that requires proper care.