Kitten Age Progression

Meet Our Cats in Sanctuary At Whis-Purr

Whis-Purr Rescue's Sanctuary Cats!

Whis-Purr Rescue has a heart for the homeless, abandoned adult cat population. We have adult pairs and at times singles that need to find their new forever homes. You can view our adult cats available for adoption here.

We also have an established sanctuary for 21 adults, ranging in age from 5 to 16 years old. These cats were late rescues, older, and they currently live in community at our Whis-Purr location. Our sanctuary cats have sweet stories of how they have come to be with us.

Whis-Purr Rescue was one of a few Shelters that received Jackson Galaxy's CAT PAWSITIVE grant for 2020. We have been training our Sanctuary Cats. You can see them pictured here. Our trainers have made huge strides as they continue training with the kitties. Check them out on our Facebook page. We have a group that you can join and view their videos and see their success stories. We work with our adults every day, providing loving care and fun playtimes. We encourage others to engage with them as well. This year in 2024, we have had more challenges with one of the cats diagnosed with diabetes and one of his kids, small cell lymphoma. We realize as the sanctuary cats continue to age, there will be others that may become ill and require special care. We are prepared for whatever it takes to care for these precious ones and provide the best quality of life for each of these little lives.

There are a few of the sanctuary cats that have become quite friendly and as you look at their pictures, you wonder why can't these cats get homes? We are open to placing our sanctuary cats in a home, but because of the nature of their long time here at Whis-Purr and the fact that they have serious bonds with their family members, and others, it is more difficult to make that happen. The small population of friendly cats in the group are the ones that help the others to have a more engaged life. These cats all seem to be content in their spaces and get much love and attention by many volunteers.

We are always looking for, and welcome people who would like to spend time at Whis-Purr Rescue. We would train you in our clicker training techniques and introduce you to the sanctuary cats so that you too can be involved in enriching their lives. You can reach out to us by email volunteer@whis-purr.org or leave a message for us at (877) 307-2847.

If you would like to sponsor our cats in sanctuary, you can do so by going to our Whis-Purr's Network for Good Sponsorship Page

Whis-Purr Rescue is open by appointment ONLY!

1 Day Old
Eyes closed, can not stand. Ears folded. When they are 1-3 days old the umbilical cord is still attached.

3 Days Old
Eyes closed, can not stand and their ears are starting to unfold.

6 Days Old
Their eyes are starting to open, and they are starting to crawl around.

1 Week Old
Their eyes are almost completely open and blue.

8 Days Old
When they are around 8 days old, they are becoming more aware.

12 Days Old
They are starting to crawl away from their mother more, and starting look very alert. And they are starting to walk.

2 Weeks Old
Both eyes and ears should be beginning to open completely until the 3rd week.

3 Weeks Old
Their ears and eyes should be completely open.

4 Weeks Old
The kittens begin to start play and exploring their surroundings.

5 Weeks Old
By now they should be pretty confident on their feet.

6 Weeks Old
Being active!

7 Weeks Old

8 Weeks Old
All baby teeth should have come in by now.

9 weeks Old

10 Weeks Old
By now they should be weighing 2 lbs (0,9kg)

12 Weeks Old
Their eye color should change to their adult color and it’s the best time to adopt a kitten.

20 Weeks Old
The kitten’s suckling reflex begins to subside.

24 Weeks Old
Kittens begin to experience a decrease in growth rate!

32 Weeks Old
Depending on the breed, they should reach their adult size, and by 36 weeks they have reached their sexual maturity. When they are 52 weeks old, they should be their full adult size!

More Tips!

Showing off his baby teeth!

Teeth

Baby teeth:
2 weeks – Deciduous incisors (the small teeth at the front) begin to come in.
3 – 4 weeks – Deciduous canines (the long, pointy teeth next to the front teeth) begin to come in.
4 – 6 weeks – Deciduous pre-molars (also known biscupids, these are the teeth located between the canine and molar teeth) begin to come in.
8 weeks – All baby teeth have come in.

Adult teeth:
12 – 16 weeks – Incisors come in.
4 – 6 months – Canines, pre-molars & molars come in.
7 months – All adult teeth should be fully developed.

Eyes
Kittens are born blind, but after a week their eyes begin to open and after ten days their days should be completely opened. Kittens are all born with blue eyes, which will gradually change color as they mature. The eyes will usually change and settle 7 weeks after birth. If the orphaned kitten still has blue eyes, it is probably under 7 weeks of age.

Litterboxing
Very young kittens — under the age of 3 weeks — will not be litterbox/toilet trained and will need to be stimulated to pass a bowel movement along with urine. (Observe the kitten to see if it’s trying to use the litter tray. If not, use a moist paper towel or a wet flannel, which will resemble the mother’s tongue, and massage it over the kitten’s bottom until the kitten has passed a bowel movement or urine.)

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Whis-Purr Rescue, Inc.