What is the difference between a kitten and a cat?
Kitten is a young one of cats. The two belong to the same family although they have distinctive features both physically and behavior-wise.
Cats are liked by humans because of their social and companion nature. They are also used to find vermin pests from the houses hence the most preferred pets.
The main difference between kittens and cats is that kittens are juvenile cats while cats are small, furry, domesticated carnivorous mammals.
Comparison Table (Kitten vs Cat)
| Characteristics | Kitten | Cat |
| Definition | They are juvenile cats. | They are small, furry, domesticate carnivorous mammals. |
| Behavior | They require constant attention. | They are calmer and require less attention. |
| Diet | They require high-calorie diet food, food rich in protein alongside their mother’s milk. | They require low calorie, high protein, minerals, and a constant supply of water. |
| Social | They may scratch children as they feel threatened. | They get along with children well. |
| Other pets | They blend with other animals or older cats easily. | They get along with other pets and may have territorial behavior. |
What is a Kitten?
Kitten is a young one of cats. However, they are different from the cats both physically and behavior-wise. Kitten originated from middle English.
They are born in a litter of two or five. For the first several weeks, they are unable to urinate or defecate unless they are stimulated by their mother. They open their eyes after 8 to 10 days and have poorly developed retina.
They require more attention and need to be trained and played with. They blend easily with other animals and older cats as they are not seen as a threat to other animals.
They do not know how to bond with little children. They may scratch them in case children are left to play with them. This is because they feel threatened.
They require mother’s milk until they wean. Their diet should be rich in calories and proteins. This will enable them to grow fast.
What is a Cat?
Cats belong to the feline family. It is a small, furry, domesticated, and carnivorous mammal. They originated from Latin.
They are mostly kept as pets due to their ability to get rid of rodents and pests, they also provide companions to humans.
They have strong, flexible bodies with quick sharp reflexes. Their sense of sight and smell is also well developed.
They get along with other pets but they may have territorial behavior. In the case of children, they are very friendly hence can be left with children to play with.
They need a diet rich in proteins, low calories, rich in minerals, and a constant supply of water. They hunt and eat small animals and birds.
Cats are calmer and require less attention as compared to the kitten. They can find their own food and can groom themselves easily.
Main Differences between a Kitten and a Cat
- Kittens are juvenile cats while cats are small, furry, domesticated, and carnivorous mammals.
- Kittens need a lot of attention while cats need little attention.
- Kittens need a diet rich in calories while cats need a diet with low-calorie content.
- Kitten feel threatened by children while cats get along with children well.
- Kitten blend with other animals and older cats well while cats blend with other pets but have territorial behavior.
Similarities between a Kitten and a Cat
- They both need a diet rich in proteins.
- They belong to the same family.
- They are both nocturnal.
- They both blend with other animals.
In Conclusion
Kitten and cats belong to the same family. The two possess some similarities but they are different from each other. They have different characteristics and behavior.
Kitten are small juvenile cats while cats are small, furry, domesticated carnivorous animals. Kitten needs more attention and needs to be trained and played with.
The main feature that makes kittens be different from cats is the behavior.
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