In 16 weeks a kitten goes from about 100 g with closed eyes to 1.5 to 2 kg with a full set of baby teeth, 2 or 3 vaccines and a working litter habit. The schedule is predictable enough to plan around, and the useful part is knowing which week carries which check.
Weeks 0 to 2: eyes, ears, grams
Birth weight runs 90 to 110 g. A healthy newborn gains 10 to 15 g a day and doubles birth weight by day 14. Weigh daily on a 1 g kitchen scale at the same time; a kitten that gains 0 g in 24 hours is a vet call, not a wait-and-see.
Eyes open between day 7 and day 14, usually around day 10, and stay blue until 8 to 10 weeks, when the true color settles. Ear canals open around day 7 to 14. Until week 3 the kitten cannot control its own temperature, so the nest stays at 26 to 28 C in week 1 and 24 to 26 C in week 2, with a heat pad under half the bedding only. Handle the litter 3 to 5 minutes a day, and put them back the moment they fuss.
Call the vet for eyes glued shut with pus, a swollen umbilical stump, diarrhea, or a kitten that feels cool to the touch.
Weeks 3 to 4: walking, first teeth, litter box
Walking is stable by day 21. The first teeth erupt at 3 to 4 weeks: incisors, then canines, then premolars by 6 weeks, for 26 baby teeth in total. That is also when nursing starts to hurt the mother, which is how weaning begins on its own.
Put down a litter tray at 3.5 weeks: 3 to 4 cm of unscented clumping or pellet litter, sides under 5 cm so a wobbly kitten can climb in, and one tray per kitten plus one. Most kittens use it within 3 days without being shown. Deworm at 2 and 4 weeks, then every 2 weeks to 8 weeks, because roundworms pass through the placenta and the milk.
Weight at 4 weeks is roughly 350 to 450 g, and the play-fighting that shapes adult bite control starts here.
Weeks 5 to 6: weaning and the first real meals
Gruel starts at 4 to 5 weeks: 1 part kitten milk replacer to 3 parts wet kitten food, warmed to 37 C, offered 4 to 5 times a day in a shallow dish. By 6 weeks the ratio moves to full wet food, 4 meals a day, and the kitten should be eating 60 to 80 g of wet food daily while still nursing 2 or 3 times. The full sequence is in weaning and solid food.
Weight at 6 weeks is about 450 to 650 g. The 6-week deworming dose goes in now, and a stool sample is worth checking for coccidia if there is any diarrhea, since it is common in litters and needs a different drug.
Weeks 7 to 8: first exam, first vaccine
Book the first vet visit at 7 to 8 weeks, before the vaccine, so the kitten is examined while well: heart murmur check, umbilical hernia, retained testicle, ear mites, fleas, weight. The first FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia) goes at 8 weeks, and a FeLV test if the mother's status is unknown.
Expect 700 to 900 g at 8 weeks. This is also the week to kitten-proof the house: lilies, antifreeze, blind cords, and any string. Run the room against a hazard list before the kitten gets access, starting with the plant and food list in the toxic substance checker.
Weeks 9 to 12: second vaccine, growth spurt
The second FVRCP is due at 12 weeks, 3 to 4 weeks after the first. Rabies timing depends on local law and is usually 12 to 16 weeks. Weight at 12 weeks is 1.2 to 1.5 kg, and the kitten now eats 3 to 4 meals a day of about 55 g dry or 260 g wet in total.
Baby teeth are all in by 8 weeks and the adult incisors start pushing through at 3 to 4 months, so chewing on hands, cables and furniture peaks here. Offer 2 or 3 safe chew items and freeze a damp washcloth for gum pain. Persistent drooling or a double canine tooth means a vet check.
Alone time matters too: a kitten that has had no separation practice screams at 20 minutes. Leave the room for 5, 10 and then 20 minutes, 3 times a day, and return only when the kitten is quiet.
Weeks 13 to 16: final booster, first outings
The third FVRCP at 16 weeks closes the kitten series, because maternal antibodies are gone by then and an earlier dose may have been blocked. Weight is 1.5 to 2.0 kg, and the meal count drops to 3 with portions recalculated at the 6-month mark.
Harness and carrier training fit here, 5 minutes at a time, with the first walk outside 14 days after the last vaccine. Book the spay or neuter discussion for 5 to 6 months, and ask about microchipping if it was not done at the first visit. A kitten raised alone needs the extra play structure described in single kitten syndrome, because there is no littermate to do it.
The 16-week table
| Weeks | Weight | Food | Vet task | New behaviour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | 90 to 200 g | Nursing every 2 to 3 hours | Daily weigh-in | Eyes and ears open |
| 3 to 4 | 300 to 450 g | Milk plus first gruel | Deworm at 2 and 4 weeks | Walking, litter use |
| 5 to 6 | 450 to 650 g | 4 meals of wet food | Deworm at 6 weeks | Play-fighting begins |
| 7 to 8 | 650 to 900 g | 4 meals, 60 to 90 g wet | First exam, FVRCP 1 | Bite inhibition |
| 9 to 12 | 0.9 to 1.5 kg | 3 to 4 meals | FVRCP 2 at 12 weeks | Climbing, adult teeth start |
| 13 to 16 | 1.5 to 2.0 kg | 3 meals | FVRCP 3 at 16 weeks | Confident exploration |
Small-breed cats sit at the bottom of every range and males at the top; the trend matters more than the exact number. A kitten that tracks along its own curve at 10 to 15 g a day is doing fine even if it is 100 g behind a sibling.
When to call the vet today
Rectal temperature below 37.5 C or above 39.5 C, no food for 12 hours in a kitten under 12 weeks, diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours or containing blood, breathing over 60 breaths a minute at rest, no urine for 12 hours, or a kitten that stops playing and hides. In kittens under 8 weeks, 12 hours without eating can drop blood sugar fast enough to cause seizures, so do not wait for the next appointment.
Five habits that carry the 16 weeks
- Weigh daily for the first 4 weeks, then twice a week to 16 weeks.
- Keep a written vaccine and deworming card; the dates decide the next dose.
- Handle paws, ears and mouth for 30 seconds a day so the vet visit is not the first time.
- Photograph the kitten beside a ruler every 2 weeks; the scale can stall while the frame grows.
- Feed measured meals from 5 weeks on, so a drop in appetite shows up in grams, not guesses.
Frequently asked
Why does the kitten series need a shot at 16 weeks?
Antibodies from the mother block vaccines for a variable number of weeks, and by 16 weeks they are reliably gone. A dose at 12 weeks may still be neutralized in some kittens, so the 16-week booster is what makes the series dependable.
How fast should a kitten gain weight?
About 10 to 15 g a day, or 100 to 150 g a week, through the first 16 weeks, with birth weight doubling by day 14. Flat weight for 2 days or any loss in a kitten under 12 weeks is a reason to see a vet the same day.
Can I take a 10-week-old kitten outside?
Only in a carrier or in your arms, and not to places other cats use. The kitten is not protected until 14 days after the final vaccine at 16 weeks. Before that, patio time in a carrier, or a harness session indoors, carries far less risk of panleukopenia.