A new bundle of kittens is a magical experience. With their flat little faces, sweet cone heads, and tiny bodies that barely resemble their future cat forms, kittens are one of the most precious gifts life has to offer. Their innate cuteness is intoxicating to many. Kittens have a sweet innocence that eventually disrupts the entire home with antics that can only be described as wonderfully mischievous. There will be many milestones in their first year.
As kittens grow from their tiny, barely-there selves into the strong, agile cats they are destined to be, they will learn to climb, see, hear, and walk. When do kittens start walking? Like other milestones, there are only approximations. Not all kittens will follow the same developmental timetable. Some may be significantly delayed in achieving these milestones, which may warrant a visit to the veterinarian. After all, kittens need lots of tender loving care and a watchful eye during those first few months to ensure nothing goes awry as they perform their crazy antics—or try to.
The Timing of Milestones: When Do Kittens Start Walking?
In reality, kittens start walking when their little legs are strong enough and they develop the coordination to get all four paws moving in the right direction at the right time. This varies, but for most kittens, walking begins between the third and fourth week. By this time, their eyes have opened, their hearing has improved, and their basic coordination and strength have allowed them to take a few shaky practice steps. Many litter owners will watch closely during the second and third weeks as their kittens gear up to walk. Their initial locomotion often mirrors that of human children. Inching and crawling are usually preceded by squirming and wiggling movements, allowing the kittens to jockey for position during feedings and seek out the warmth and comfort offered by their mother and littermates.
Once your kitten has answered the question, “When do kittens start walking?”, there will be a chaotic period that follows, especially during weeks five and six. After mastering the art of walking, kittens tend to stay relatively close to the whelping box, but their intention is clear: they want to conquer their environment. They begin exploring new places and discover what happens when they crawl onto the couch or find new spots to start scratching their little kitten claws. This can be quite nerve-racking for the humans nearby.
By weeks five and six, most kittens have established enough balance and are confident enough in their survival instincts to leave the whelping box and spend the majority of their time exploring their new world. This is a crazy time for both the mother cat and the humans of the household. Cats with particularly large litters may start to look to their human companions for help and relief, as they chase down their brood one by one and drag them back to safety. Just like human children, kittens often believe they know better and may refuse to stay put, despite their mother’s insistence. It’s common for cats at this stage, especially first-time mothers who are relatively young, to drop kittens into their human’s lap for help. Have patience—she’s doing the best she can. Not all cats are naturally great mothers, and some need a little practice.
Most kittens can begin nibbling at some watered-down cat food around the same time they develop their walking abilities. This can be both a positive and negative development for the humans involved. Kittens are often very hungry in the early morning hours. If they are in the weaning process and unable to get enough milk from their mother, many kittens may start associating the human who feeds them as their food source. Thus, a kitten who has found its climbing legs may very well attack a human’s head or toes in the pre-dawn hours—usually as a plea for food, though they seem to enjoy themselves thoroughly.
The most important factors in determining when kittens start walking usually revolve around their developmental timing. If your entire litter is walking by four weeks of age, it’s a good sign they are healthy and thriving. However, if one kitten lags behind, it could be a sign of a developmental or health issue. If most of the litter is walking and starting to play in full force between four and five weeks, and one kitten hasn’t yet caught up, it’s time to consider a visit to the veterinarian.
