Growing Up Font Size: [small] [medium] [large] For the first few weeks, both small wild and domestic newborns gain about 3 ounces in weight per week, while big-cat cubs gain proportionately more. For example, Siberian tiger cubs pack on the same amount in a day as their smaller cousins do in a week. To stimulate milk flow, kittens start to tread on the mother's breasts almost immediately after birth. They will continue to employ kneading as a comfort mechanism right into adulthood. Feline mothers, both wild and domestic, are among the most protective in the animal world. They keep their kittens warm and clean, licking them head to toe — even the genitals are licked, both to clean them and to stimulate urination and defecation. To keep the nesting den clean and free of odors that might attract potential predators, the dutiful mother goes so far as to consume her litter's bodily wastes. < back to original page