National Kitten Day: 13 Facts About Kittens You May Not Know

 

Graphic created by Ann of Zoolatry.

Kittens. Tiny, adorable fuzzballs. Their big, innocent eyes, tiny pink toes, and sweet mews make them irresistible. 

Today, July 10th, is National Kitten Day. Colleen Paige, pet lover, animal behaviorist, pet and lifestyle expert, and author created National Kitten Day in 2012 to celebrate the joy kittens bring to our lives and to raise awareness of all the kittens who need rescuing. 

In celebration of the adorable little fuzzballs kittens are, here are some interesting facts you may not know about them. 

Giovanni when he was approximately 12 weeks old, laying on the cat quilt on my bed.

13 Facts About Kittens

Kittens Are Born with Their Eyes and Ears Closed: Kittens are born deaf and blind. A kitten's eyes and ears open between two and 15 days of age. A kitten's eyes may not open at the same rate. Even after their eyes open, a kitten's vision is initially poor and improves in the first few weeks of life. 

All Kittens Have Blue Eyes: All kittens are born with blue eyes because the melanin that gives the eyes their color is absent at birth. Once a kitten's eyes are open, melanin production increases and the eyes begin to darken into their true color. Their true eye color appears at approximately eight weeks of age. A kitten's eyes may continue to darken until they reach six to 18 months of age.