A cat owner from Houston, Texas, recently went viral after sharing how much her kitten’s face changed as he grew into adulthood. Curious about why this happens, Newsweek spoke with veterinarians to explain the transformation and what to expect when raising a kitten.
In a popular TikTok video posted in March under the username @thesundaye, the owner says, “One thing they don’t prepare you for as a cat parent is when your cat loses their kitten face and gets their grown-up face.”
Her calico cat, Pluto, looks away as she continues, “Who is this grown man right here? I swear he had his kitten face this morning, and now I don’t know where the grown man face came from.”
She adds that Pluto is about to turn three and says, “I feel like the kitten face is officially gone. He literally looks like a grown cat.”
Nita Vasudevan, a veterinarian at Embrace Pet Insurance, told Newsweek that kittens’ faces do change as they mature.
“When kittens are young, their heads are rounder with bigger eyes and shorter noses compared to their bodies,” Vasudevan explained. “As they grow, their skulls elongate, facial features become more defined, and their proportions shift to match their adult breed.”
She also said muscle development and changes in fur patterns and colors can alter their appearance slightly. Their behavior changes too.
Preston Turano, a vet and spokesperson for Felix Cat Insurance, said most of these changes happen in the first eight weeks.
He told Newsweek, “Kittens go from being newborns completely dependent on their mother to curious, playful, and almost independent by two months old.”
“Newborn kittens have no teeth and their eyes are closed. Their eyes open around day 10 and are usually blue at first but may change color by eight weeks,” Turano said.
He added that full vision and hearing develop around six weeks. “By seven weeks, kittens have all their baby teeth and are typically fully weaned by eight weeks. At that point, they are playful, energetic, and exploring.”
The TikTok video quickly went viral, gaining over 2.9 million views and 667,500 likes.
One user, Pretzel, commented, “Teen phase is real. My cat was a cuddly baby, then ignored me for half a year, and then suddenly became a cuddle bug again.”
Nathaniel wrote, “They grow up so fast, like stooooop, that’s my baby.”
MrHelenHunt added, “Oh, don’t worry, their kitten face always comes back when they want food or treats.”
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