Research overview: behavioural development of kittens

The first months of a kitten's life involve rapid behavioural change, and this overview surveys research charting that development. It examines the emergence and maturation of sensory abilities, locomotion, social play, predatory behaviour and weaning, and how the timing of these milestones interacts with the sensitive socialization period to shape adult behaviour. The survey discusses longitudinal observations of how play shifts from social to object-oriented, how predatory skills develop partly through maternal influence and practice, and how early experience leaves lasting marks on temperament. It situates kitten development within both natural and household contexts, including the effects of early weaning and handling, presenting a coherent picture of how the behavioural repertoire of the adult cat is assembled during a brief, formative window and why early-life conditions carry such weight for lifelong behaviour and welfare.