When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes?

The timeline for a kitten's eyes

Kittens are born with their eyelids sealed shut, which protects eyes that are still developing. The Merck Veterinary Manual puts eye opening at about 7 to 10 days, and VCA Animal Hospitals says most kittens open their eyes between 7 and 14 days. One eye may open a day or so before the other, and that is normal.

The opening usually happens gradually, from the inner corner outward, over two or three days. Litters vary too: a kitten in the same litter may be a few days behind its siblings without anything being wrong, especially if it was smaller at birth. If you are setting up a warm nest box for a new litter, our kitten essentials cover the basic supplies.

What newly opened eyes look like

Almost all kittens have blue eyes when they first open them. The final eye color develops over the following weeks and is usually settled by a few months old. In the first days the eyes can look cloudy and a little unfocused, and kittens are sensitive to bright light.

Vision is not sharp at first. Kittens begin to focus and track movement over the next week or two, and by around three weeks most are wobbling around the nest box and noticing you. By four weeks most can walk, run and play, which is also when weaning onto solid food can begin.

Why you should never open a kitten's eyes

It is tempting to help, but pulling the lids apart can tear delicate tissue and damage the eye itself. The lids separate naturally when the eye underneath is ready. Gently wiping the area with a soft cloth or cotton ball dampened with warm water is fine if there is crust on the lashes.

Keep the nest out of direct, bright light during the first weeks. A warm, dim, draft-free box is ideal. VCA recommends keeping the nest around 89°F to 93°F for the first few days and lowering it gradually to about 80°F by days 7 to 10, which matters most for orphaned kittens with no mother to keep them warm.

Signs of an eye problem

See a vet if the eyes have not opened by 14 days, or sooner if the closed lids look swollen or bulging, or if yellow or green discharge seeps from the corners. That can mean infection building up behind the lids, which needs prompt treatment to protect the eye. Your vet may open the lids carefully and clean them.

Once the eyes are open, watch for redness, squinting, heavy tearing, crusting that glues the lids back together, or a cloudy film. Upper respiratory infections are common in young kittens and often affect the eyes, sometimes alongside sneezing or a runny nose. Do not use human eye drops or any leftover pet medicine.

Other milestones in the first month

Week one: kittens mostly sleep and nurse, and should roughly double their birth weight in about a week. Weigh them daily on a kitchen scale in ounces, since steady gain is the best sign that a kitten is thriving. Ears are folded and closed at birth and begin to open around the second week.

Week two: eyes open, kittens become more alert and start trying to stand. Week three: they try to climb out of the box and start to explore. Week four: walking, running and play. Between about 2 and 7 weeks kittens are in their sensitive period for socialization, when gentle handling makes friendlier adult cats. Once kittens are walking and playing, kitten toys such as a small seesaw toy give that play somewhere to go.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.