4 Week Old Maine Coon Kittens – What You Need To Know

4 Week Old Maine Coon Kittens – What You Need To Know

4 weeks old Maine Coon kittens are bigger than other cat breeds kittens.

They may look like they are older than they actually are.

But they are actually very young and require some special attention especially if they can’t have their mother’s care.

So, what are Maine Coon kittens like at 4 weeks old?

They look older if you’re not used to a Maine Coon’s size. My munchkin kittens at 8 weeks are the same size. Their eyes are open and they’re steady on their legs. They still need their mother’s care (milk, warmth, and petting) but this is the period when they also start socializing with each other and the external world.

They are about 1 foot long from head to tail and weigh just over 500 grams.

In this article, I’d like to share everything I noticed about my four 4-weeks old Maine Coon kittens.

It should be noted that the father of these kittens in an American Curl (named Sparrow), which is a big cat breed in an of itself.

Maine Coon Kittens At 4 Weeks Old

The most famous feature about Maine Coons is that they are big cats.

An adult male Maine Coon can reach 25 pounds, while female usually weighs up to 10 pounds. They can be up to 40 inches long and 16 inches tall.

Therefore, Maine Coon kittens are bigger than other breeds’ young cats: my four Maine Coon kittens measure exactly 31-32 cm and weigh from 502 to 550 grams – they are the same size as my 8 weeks old Munchkin kittens! 

• Kitten 1 – 502 grams / 31 cm
• Kitten 2 – 527 grams / 32 cms
• Kitten 3 – 514 grams / 31 cms
• Kitten 4 – 554 grams / 32 cm

This might make them look like they are older than their actual age.

Their development, though, is just like any other breeds’, maybe even slower since Maine Coons aren’t fully grown until they are 3 years old!

They need special attention: a lot of care is given by their mum, but still, you need to provide them with some special care.

At 4 weeks old, Maine Coon kittens have their eyes open and they’re pretty steady on their feet.

Until about a week ago, they were still moving unstable steps but they’ve stopped acting drunk during these last few days.

Their ears have grown and now pop out their heads proudly, while they were a bit floppy when they were smaller.

They’ve also increased their weight a lot: they were around 115-120g when they were born and now they’ve all grown over 500g.

At 4 weeks old Maine Coon kittens are still not eating solid food, they are still getting nutrition from their mum’s milk. Maine Coon kittens shouldn’t be separated by their mums until they’re at least 8 weeks old and nutrition is one of the main reasons. 

If, for some inauspicious reason, your 4 weeks old Maine Coons don’t have their mum taking care of them, you should feed them with some kitten milk replacement formula.

Until a few days ago, my Maine Conn kittens were still 100% dependent on their mum.

They still are for their nutrition, and couldn’t survive in the wild alone, but they are beginning to get their first steps away from her when they play.

They used to be dependent on their mother’s warmth when they were born, and now they’re starting to be a little more independent.

They are also more and more playful every day: they mainly play with each other, they haven’t started bothering their mum yet or playing with me (I can’t wait!).

Overall, they are becoming more active even though they are still mostly sleeping and getting milk.

Taking Care Of 4 Weeks Old Maine Coon Kittens

At 4 weeks old, Maine Coon kittens are still very dependent on their mother. She is mainly taking care of them, feeding, warming them and helping them evacuate.

Since my 4 kittens are lucky and still with their mum, what I’m doing is basically making sure they have a safe and warm place.

I also make sure their mother has enough food and water, and I also reassure her that she’s a good mum. She’s beautiful and her kittens are just as beautiful as their mum.

When 4 weeks Maine Coon kittens are removed from their mother, instead, they require a lot of special attention from the human who’s taking care of them.

You’d basically need to provide the care in the place of their mum.

1. Feed them properly

At 4 weeks old kittens don’t eat solid food.

They still need kitten milk replacer. It can come in liquid or powder forms and the quantity that you should feed them every day is usually indicated in the food’s instructions.

Don’t feed them with cow’s milk: it doesn’t have the nutrients kittens need and it could also cause diarrhea.

1. Keep them warm

Have you noticed that kittens always sleep one next to the other? It’s because they’re searching for each other’s warmth.

Alita, the Maine Coon mother usually provides warmth for her kittens, but if they can count on their mum, you’ll need to provide them with warm blankets, a heating pad near the kitten’s bed and any other way that you can come up to keep them warm.

Never forget that you are a 37°C body so you are a source of heat just 1° colder of how their mother would be.

1. Help them defecate

At 4 weeks old, Maine Coon kittens can defecate on their own, but you should keep an eye on them anyway. First of all, you should make sure that they defecate every day.

If the kitten isn’t eliminating on their own, you can help them rubbing their low abdomen with a warm towel or wet cotton ball.

At this age, you can also begin to introduce them to the litter box.

1. Socializing

As I’ve mentioned above, at 4 weeks old Maine Coon kittens start playing with each other. You should encourage this behavior and begin to introduce yourself in the game.

Mine are still uninterested in toys but I’m starting to expose them to small toys and waiting for them to start playing with them.

Also, I’ve just started showing them more rooms in the house and they are also beginning to build their relationships with the other cats in the house.

How Are The 4 Week Old Kittens Socializing?

My 4 weeks old Maine Coon kittens are already fun to watch together.

They were searching for each other since they were very little: whenever their mother left them alone (always for just a few minutes – she seems happy to let other cats try and take care of them) they always gathered all together to keep warm and cozy.

Now that they can walk without staggering, they are interacting with each other in more complex ways and they are even starting playing together.

They’re all still mama’s boys and girls and they have an amazing relationship with their mum.

They aren’t still playing with me, but they like my cuddles and I think they even recognize the sound of my voice.

What I didn’t expect to see so early is that they even play with the other kittens in the house (I have 8 week old Munchkin kittens).

What Is The Maine Coon Mother Like With 4 Week Old Kittens

My Maine Coon kittens’ mother is getting on greatly.

She’s still taking care of her kittens, but she’s leaving them alone for longer periods.

Anyway, she is still feeding them and washing them by licking them.

As days pass they enjoy the washing process less and less since they are more and more curious about the world and less about their mother.

Watching my Maine Coon going through her pregnancy and then birth has been an emotional experience.

She’s made subtle but huge changes: it’s like watching a little girl becoming a woman.

The Next 4 Weeks – Getting To 8 Weeks Old

What’s next? I’ll need to become more involved in the kittens’ care in the next weeks. I’m going to introduce them to the litter box very soon and, when they’ll be 1 full-month old,

I will start serving them goat milk and some specific food for kittens of their age like the Hill’s Kitten <1. I will also feed them protein rich foods, like chicken.

Kittens that are just starting eating solid food, in fact, need a high protein diet and purchasing specific food is the best solution to make sure you’re providing them the right amount of nutrients.

As they’ll begin to be able to regulate their own temperature, they’ll stop sleeping all together like they’re doing now and they’ll also become more curious and start exploring the house by themselves.

They’ll also soon start playing with toys and they’ll be more engaged with the other kittens of the house.

For the next 4 weeks, I won’t need to worry about vaccinations yet, since they are not recommended until the kittens are 8 weeks old.

Conclusion

Maine Coons kittens look like they’re older than their effective age because of their big size.

Maine Coon kittens in fact are bigger than other cat breeds kittens but this doesn’t mean their development is faster. 

At 4 weeks they are around a foot long from nose to tail and around halk a kilogram in weight.

They need attention from their mum and yourself just like any other kitten. If you’re getting prepared for giving a welcome to your Maine Coon mother’s litter… congratulations and I’m happy for you.

You’ll see what an exciting and emotional experience it can be!