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When a kitten is born, they will not have the same eye color that they will have as an adult. Instead, their eyes are a beautiful blue color. The definitive eye color, or iris color, will start to appear when the kitten is approximately 7 weeks old, typically around the same age when they are weaned.
The kittens’ blue eyes will then develop into a range of greens, browns, oranges, yellows, and amber—all equally beautiful! Keep reading to learn when and how kittens’ eyes change color.
Do Kittens’ Eyes Change Color?
Kittens are not born with their final eye color. Instead, all kittens are born with gray-blue eyes, which change as they mature. This initial blue color is due to the lack of pigment in the iris; as the kitten grows, melanocytes in the iris start producing different amounts of melanin, which determines the final eye color based on the amount and distribution of this pigment. The blue iris appearance is a consequence of light scattering, where shorter wavelengths of light, like blue, are scattered and reflected out.
When Do Kittens’ Eyes Change Color?
A kitten’s iris will mature as they grow. By the end of their seventh week of life, this change is visible in their eye color. Newborn kittens have their eyelids closed, so you will not be able to see their eye color until they are 10–14 days old.
Once the eyes begin to open, your kitten is in a developmental stage where their sight is also developing gradually. As explained, their eyes will appear blue for the first 6 to 7 weeks of age, and after that, they will start to develop their adult eye color. Even if they have blue eyes during adulthood, this color will evolve from a grayish blue to a light blue. You could start to see the adult eye color in your kitten’s iris a bit earlier, and sometimes, it may take longer than 7 weeks for the mature eye color to form.
What Determines a Kitten’s Eye Color?
The amount of melanin, the pigment that gives color to the eyes, skin, and hair, produced by the melanocytes will determine your kitten’s eye color. You can expect the eye color to match their parents, but it is not uncommon for a kitten to have an entirely different eye color than their parents or siblings.
Kittens are born with melanocytes in their irises, but these cells are initially inactive. The adult eye color depends on the amount of melanin that the melanocytes produce. Light green means that the kitten’s iris has produced a small amount of melanin, whereas kittens with brown eyes have produced the most.
There are some exceptions to the rule, as some kittens will keep the blue eye color. This is mainly due to the kitten’s melanin production, which occurs little to none in blue-eyed cats.
Colorpoint cat breeds are those that are more likely to keep their blue eyes, such as the Siamese and their genetic contributors, the Balinese and Ragdoll.
Interestingly, kittens who have partial albinism will have no eye pigmentation due to limited amounts of melanin. This will also be seen on their fur, which is usually white. However, not all white-furred cats will have blue eyes since genetics are much more complicated than that. True albino cats are very rare, and they will always have white fur with blue eyes. They may also have a red eye reflection since the lack of pigment in the back of the eyes makes their blood vessels visible.
Final Thoughts
Once your kitten’s final eye color has developed, the color should stay that way throughout their lifetime and will rarely change unless they develop an eye condition which, should it occur, will require an immediate veterinary appointment.
It is fascinating to learn about the eye color stages that kittens go through, as many cat owners miss this stage of rapid maturation if they adopt or buy a fully weaned kitten. The eye color can also be a telling sign of your kitten’s age, as most kittens will have completely lost their blue eye color once they reach 8 weeks of age.
- Related Read: Why Do Some Cats Have Two Different Colored Eyes?
Featured Image Credit: Pexels, Pixabay
