July 10^th may very well be one of the most adorable days of the year: it’s National Kitten Day! There are few things that can melt our hearts and make us smile and the way these charming, mischievous balls of fur can. A local Meyerland, TX vet goes over a few fun facts about little Fluffy in this article.

Basic Definition

When you hear (or see) the word kitten, you probably think of a very young cat, one that is still in that adorable furry toddler stage. However, Fluffy is technically a kitten through that whole first year of her life.

New Arrivals

If you’ve ever seen a newborn kitten, you’ve probably noticed how tiny and helpless they are. Fluffy’s eyes and ears won’t open for at least a week. She won’t be able to regulate her own temperature at first, and will completely rely on her mama to feed her and keep her warm. However, that adorable growth spurt starts right away. Baby cats typically gain about a pound a month for those first six months.

What’s In A Name?

The word kitten is derived from French 14th century language. The original term was likely chitoun or cheton, which means ‘little cat.’ Alternative spellings include kitoun, ketoun, and kyton. 

Magic Purrs

One of Fluffy’s most adorable—and remarkable—traits is the fact that she literally vibrates with happiness. Our feline buddies may have learned to purr as a way for mothers and offspring to communicate. Cats can’t meow while they’re nursing, so they apparently decided to just let Momma know they’re okay by vibrating. As far as we’re concerned, kitten purrs are some of the best things ever.

Socialization

Socialization is crucial for helping little Fluffy grow into a polite and friendly adult cat. However, you don’t want to overdo it during those critical first two weeks. Handle your tiny pals minimally at first. Once the little ones are big enough to start scampering around, you can pet and hold them much more.

Who’s The Daddy?

Here’s an interesting fact about our feline friends. Not all of the kittens in a litter necessarily have the same father. If a queen has mated several times, different toms could have fertilized different eggs.

Have you recently adopted a kitten? Contact us, your Meyerland, TX animal hospital, for all of your feline pal’s veterinary care needs. We’re always here to help!