When Do Kittens Open Their Eyes?

Posted by Darlene Cheek Feb 4, 2008

Most kittens open their eyes somewhere between a week and ten days old. Some wait as long as a couple of weeks, especially with breeds that are slow to mature, but anything longer than ten days should be closely monitored. For most kittens, their eyes will simply begin to peek at you at around a week old. Within a day or two of that, their eyes will open completely.

There are times when a kitten’s eyes aren’t opening properly, and you will need to intervene. If the kitten’s eyes aren’t open by ten days old, simply take a warm, wet rag and place it on the kitten’s eyes for a moment, but be very gentle. Do this three or four times a day. If the kitten doesn’t have some type of infection, this will normally allow their eyes to open within a couple of days.

If, however, you see signs of crustiness, oozing, puss, or swelling, you should contact your veterinarian right away. Or, if it takes longer than 2 weeks and the kitten’s eyes simply haven’t opened. It is very important to never try to force the kitten’s eyes open, as you can do a lot of damage. Also, never apply ointment or any type of antibiotic to the eye of a young kitten without veterinarian consent.

If you have any questions about your kitten, please feel free to stop by Kitten Question and Answer!