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Kittens can't properly see or hear until they're 2-3 weeks old.
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Kittens typicallysleep around 18 hours a day. The growth hormone is only released when kittens are sleeping, which means that they have to sleep to grow.
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Newborn kittens purr, especially when they're nursing or being cleaned by their mother.
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During the first 12 weeks of their lives, it's important for kittens to be around other cats. This is when they learn how to behave, and how to respect older cats and their territories.
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Kittens can't regulate their own body temperature for the first 3 weeks after being born. That's why it's important for their mother warm them with her body heat. Snuggling with a sibling or human is the next best option.
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By 4 weeks old, kittens reach their full ability to smell. Kittens have an acute sense of smelland rely on this before their eyes and ears work properly.
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When kittens play and play fight, they're actually practicing their hunting skills for later on. It also keeps them from getting overweight.
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Raising two kittenstogether is a good idea because they will entertain each other, and two are less likely to get into mischief than one kitten.
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Most kittens are actually lactose intolerant, and a saucer of milk won't be good for their stomachs. Give them water instead.
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Kittens weigh as much as a lemon when they are born.
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Kittens that are raised by humans are much more likely to be affectionate towards humans, but they are also more likely to have mood swings.
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Kittens' noses are the equivalent of a human's fingerprint - no two are the same.
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Kittens are born with5 toes on their front paws and 4 toes on their back paws, unless they're polydactyl cats - which can have up to 8 toes on each paw.
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Unlike dogs, cats can't taste sweet things.
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Male and female cats use different dominant paws. Most female kittens prefer to use their right paw, while many male kittens prefer to use their left paw.
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All kittens are born with blue eyes. Their true eye color will develop around 8 weeks old.
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Kittens can fit anywhere their heads can fit. Their whiskers are the same width as their bodies, so if their whiskers don't fit into a space, they won't dare going in there.
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If a kitten is introduced to a puppy before they are both 6 months old, it's more likely that they'll get along. If they're introduced after, it might be harder for them to be friends.
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Kittens enjoy being warm, so that's why they sit on laptops so often.
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Kittens can actually be very fussy. If they're not drinking water from a bowl, the problem may not be the water itself, but the shape of the bowl.
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Purring isn't only a sign of comfort or satisfaction. Purring actually improves bone density and promotes healing, and can also lower the heart rate of humans.
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Kittens can't go to the toilet on their ownuntil they're around 3 or 4 weeks old. Their mother will lick their lower stomachs to help them do their business in the first few weeks of their lives because they don't have enough nerve control to go on their own.
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Kittens are able to stand up at 10 days old, and start playing around 4 weeks after being born.
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Kittens have 26 teeth, which will all fall out around the age of 6 months. After this, 30 adult teeth will grow in.
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A group of kittens is called a 'kindle'.
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Kittens from the same litter don't necessarily have the same father. If the female cat mates with multiple partners over a few days, it is possible that different males fertilized different eggs in the female cat.
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Kittens and cats love to hide, sit and sleep inside boxes or enclosed spaces. This comes from a natural instinct to hide from prey and predators.
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A 1 year old kitten is developmentally at the equivalent of a 15-year-old human.
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Kittens actually need to scratch things- it develops muscles in their arms and shoulders that otherwise wouldn't be developed. It is important to train them to know where they should and shouldn't scratch from a young age - getting a scratching pole saves your furniture!
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Once kittens can go to the toilet without their mother's assistance, they instinctively know how to use the kitty litter. In the wild, cats cover up their pee and poop in soft dirt or sand to protect themselves from being tracked by predators.
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Kittens don't meow to other cats, they only meow to humans. They can communicate with other cats in different ways.
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Some kittens are born with curly hair. They are part of the relatively new Selkirk Rex breed, which was announced a breed in 2012.
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