why do many mammal babies have their eyes closed at birth?

Question

we just found 3 baby kittens in our garden, and their eyes were shut,why ?

Answer 1

Basically, the space in the brain for interpreting sight and sound takes a lot of space. If it was all developed before the babies were born, the mother animal would have a much more difficult time giving birth to them. Thus, in many mammals, the babies are born undeveloped, with relatively small brains, that develop and grow once the animal is born.

Answer 2

Mammals with relatively short gestation periods, like cats or dogs, are born with their eyes and ears shut because they are not developed yet. The kittens/puppies orient themselves by their sense of smell. After about 2 weeks they open their eyes and have a sense of hearing, and at about 3 weeks they can see and hear just fine.

Answer 3

1. there's a lot of goop
2. it's not that nice a view
3. they're not used to the light - you know what it's like when you wake up in the morning...imagine "sleeping" for 9 months then trying to wake up
4. it's a bit like a roller coaster - you close your eyes on the way down don't you?

Answer 4

Goopy stuff, their eyes are EXTREMELY sensitive to dust and even to the light, and the skin can't open to make eye lids.