Neurological development of kittens

Abstract

The neurological development of the kitten was studied from birth to 120 days of age. Three motor features present at birth disappeared within the 1st 45 days of life. The labyrinthine head and body righting reactions were present at birth; the latter matured only by 25 days of age when the air righting reaction (mature by 35 days) started to appear. Limb placing reactions developed progressively with proprioceptive components being present at birth whereas tactile components evolved slowly from early contact lifting to forepaws contact placing (60 days) and narrow plank walking (75 days). Standing and walking were well developed by 45 days. Eye opening occurred at 9.5 days and several eyeblink reactions (including blink to light) were present at birth. Adequate binocular coordination was seen by 47 days. Vision progressed parallel to the clearing of the ocular media which were fairly transparent by 32 days. Visually guided paw placing and the visuopalpebral blink reflex matured later (by 37 and 59 days, respectively). The external auditory canal and pinna were fully developed by 12 and 31 days, respectively; spontaneous and tactile pinna movements were present at birth; orienting to animal and nonanimal sounds was well developed by 6.5 and 18 days, respectively; spatial sound localization was developed by 16 days and differential responding to animal sounds matured by 24.5 days. Somatic responses and olfaction were present at birth but matured further thereafter. Playful interactions between kittens started by 10--15 days and well developed play behavior was seen by 36--40 days. In brief, all neurological functions mature progressively during the 1st 3 postnatal months.

Metabolic Maturation of the Brain: A Study of Local Cerebral Glucose Utilization in the Developing Cat

“…2). This is in accordance with the earlier behavioral development of sensory functions compared to mo tor functions in the cat (Villablanca and Olmstead, 1979).…”

“…During this period, kittens are unable to walk normally (Villablanca and Olmstead, 1979). Subsequently, when kittens begin to show increased locomotion at about 36 days of life, and climbing behavior at about 48 days (Martin and Bateson, 1985), lCMR g lc values also increase in mo tor structures (Fig.…”

Maturation of Cerebral Oxidative Metabolism in the Cat: A Cytochrome Oxidase Histochemistry Study

“…These transient motor behaviors include: pendular head movements; an intentional type tremor of low frequency; and fi nally, a clonus of the hindlimbs (Villablanca and Olmstead, 1979). The presence of these primitive sensorimotor functions in newborn kittens appears to correlate well with the present metabolic find ings.…”

“…"Air-righting" does not develop until after the third week of life. Proprioceptive placing of the limbs is also present at birth, with the delicate components of the placing response developing over the following 45 days (Villablanca and Olmstead, 1979).…”

“…Typically the kitten "walks" at around P36 and shows climbing behavior by P48 (Martin and Bateson, 1985). Complex locomotion, as mea sured by the ability of the animal to walk a narrow plank, develops by P75 (Villablanca and Olmstead, 1979). In terms of oxidative metabolism, after 2 weeks of life the sensorimotor cortex begins to in crease its CO reactivity, reaching adult levels at P45.…”