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How long until kittens open their eyes and how to tell their gender?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 5 lbs

Ok so I have a couple of questions regarding my 3 kittens. My 1st question is how long before they open their eyes and are able to move around? 2nd question is when will I beable to tell if they are male or female? Thanks.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 17th, 2017

Your kittens should open their eyes when they are between 7-14 days old. You should be able to determine the sex of your kittens around 8 weeks of age. See the following link for help on how to do so: https://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/outreach/Pet-Health-Topics/categories/procedures/cats/determining-gender-(sex)-of-a-kitten . Also see http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=576 for information on how to care for your kittens if their mother is not able to produce adequate milk. Kitten Milk Replacer can be used if you need to supplement their feedings, and there is also a recipe for emergency kitten formula included in the link if needed.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Congratulations on your kittens! The eyes usually begin to open by the second week of life, so be patient! Their vision is still pretty limited and blurry when they first open but will improve over the next few weeks. Telling the gender of kittens can be tough even for experienced owners. It can help if the kittens are different genders so you can compare one to the other. At this young age, the easiest way to tell is the look at the distance between the anus and the vagina or prepuce (skin covering penis). In females, the two holes will be very close together and in males they will be further apart. Also,, the hole for the vagina is more of a line/slit, whereas the hole for the prepuce is more of a circle/dot. It is usually easier to do once they are about 8 weeks old.

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