When does a kitten become an adult cat?

As pet owners, we want to witness our cats' life milestones. Kittens grow quickly in the first months of life, but the question is: when does a kitten become a cat?

A kitten is considered an adult cat when it reaches one year of age . Time flies and before you know it, you already have an adult cat at home. Cats develop physically at a rapid rate, but it takes a lot of patience and care before your kitten becomes a full-fledged cat.

What to do before your kitten becomes a cat

Before your cat becomes an adult, she must go through the following stages:

First week . In the first week of life, your kitten will be small, weak, and dependent on its mother for survival. It will be breastfeeding and his eyes will be slightly open. At this stage, your kitten will gain between 10 and 30 grams of weight per day, so she should continue to nurse.
First month . By the time your kitten is a month old, he will be able to play and walk. It would be best if you started socializing the kitten so that he grows up to be a happy and sociable cat.
The first vaccines . Your kitten will receive its first vaccinations between 8 and 10 weeks of age. Subsequent vaccinations will be given 2-4 weeks after the first. This is an important step to protect your kitten from infections and fatal health problems.

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When your kitten turns one year old, he will no longer be a kitten. He will become an adult cat that will become bigger and bolder as he enters adolescence. Your newly grown cat will try to get her way and break your rules. Although your cat is no longer a kitten, she will still exhibit cat-like attitude from time to time.

As your kitten gets older and larger, its nutritional needs also change. You can always consult your veterinarian about the dietary needs of your growing cat.

At what age can a cat be allowed outside?

This needs to be done gradually. Kitten

he needs to be taught to walk from the age of 3-4 months, when he has already received the necessary vaccinations.

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How to Deal With Your Kitten's Adolescence

When your kitten turns one year old, he will enter the teenage phase. Just like with people, this can be a difficult time for parents. Teenage cats will howl, constantly throw, scratch and try to get their way.

The once adorable kitten will become sassy and difficult to deal with. But before you give up, there is always a workaround for such situations.

The kitten becoming a cat will have a burst of energy. They will try to explore everything, especially nature. To make this stage more tolerable, I recommend doing the following:

Consider spaying/neutering . A cat can be spayed even before it turns one year old. So instead of waiting for your kitten to become stubborn, it's best to have her spayed or neutered to curb the harmful effects of sexual activity. Remember that females in the heat of love scream and make noises, while males often run off in search of a female.
Learn to channel your cat's energy . Most cats are born balls of energy. Instead of trying to limit your cat's activities, you can channel that energy into less destructive habits. Invest in a post-it note, cat tree, puzzles, and other interactive toys to keep your kitty occupied.
Be firm with the rules . Teenage cats will try to test your limits. If your kitten uses your skin as a toy, make sure there are consequences for it. This could be a spray of water or a game over. Use safe and non-violent methods to discipline your pet. Thanks to this, he will not become neurotic and alienated.

When does a kitten stop growing?

Kittens will have a rapidly growing body from the day they are born until the first six months of life. After this, your cat's growth will slow down. Most cats reach their full size by one year of age, the same time they become adults. However, this depends on the breed and health of the kitten.

Even if a cat reaches its full size, this does not mean that it will behave like an adult. Most cats will be cheeky and teenage-like in the first 8 to 12 months of their lives.

Please note that nutrition plays an important role in a kitten reaching its full body size. You must provide your kitten with a balanced diet so that he grows up strong and healthy. However, it would be best if you monitor your kitten's weight, as some breeds have a high risk of obesity.

Obesity is very unhealthy, especially for cats because they love to climb and jump off surfaces. Excess weight will crush your kitten's joints and increase the risk of developing orthopedic problems.

When does a cat calm down?

Cats will become adults when they are one year old. However, it will only be after 14 months that she will begin to calm down. Kittens and young cats are playful, but the teenage phase will make them restless and adventurous.

However, some cats take longer to soften their kitten personality. Some breeds do not mature until they are two years old. However, this depends on the breed of your cat, as some remain energetic throughout most of their young life.

Unlike dogs, cats do not calm down because most felines are naturally energetic. This is their trait, and it will disappear only when the cat reaches an older age. However, some cats are more adventurous than others, regardless of age.

Street and home

A cat's age is greatly influenced by several factors, one of them being feeding. If an animal lives in a house or apartment and does not go outside at all, then its timing will depend only on proper feeding and the ability to fertilize. If there is a regime, the animal regularly receives vitamins and the sex life is normal, then the cat can live up to 20 years, regardless of the breed. The time frame is slightly reduced if the animal is castrated or sterilized and the diet is not balanced. But in photos of cats, it is very noticeable how the creature feels and how significantly this situation changes its appearance.

In this state of affairs, age is determined only by the condition of the teeth and tests. Even after neutering a cat six months old, it will be difficult to recognize him at 1 year of age, since ordinary male cats love to play and have fun during this period. He will be passive and dissatisfied with everything.

Street cats live very short lives and rarely live past 5 years of age. The reason for this is:

fighting and malnutrition;
parasites and diseases passed on from other animals;
insects and infections;
weather conditions and poisons;
cruelty not only from dogs or other cats, but also from people;
poor nutrition.

In outdoor conditions, felines live much shorter lives and grow up much faster, so if you take your favorite fluffy from the street, you should not only treat it yourself against parasites, but also check its age. Although the table will not help here at all.

How do you know how big a kitten will grow?

Cat owners often ask how big their kittens will grow. This is a common problem for those who have adopted their cats. Although it may be difficult to tell, a veterinarian can help paint a better picture.

In most cats, body growth slows down after six months and reaches its full size after a year. However, large breeds such as Ragdolls and Maine Coons will continue to grow after the first 12 months of life.

To give you an idea of how big your kitten will grow, most cats will weigh twice their original size by the time they reach four months. If your cat is a big kitten, she will likely be larger than usual. The size formula will be:

Your kitten's weight at 16 weeks x 2 = adult/full size weight.

This calculation will give you at least a margin of error of plus or minus 10% of your cat's total weight.

Vitamins for pets

To normalize the development of cats, experts usually prescribe a complex of vitamins. Their choice is influenced by the following factors.

If an animal eats natural food or cheap feed, it must be given additional vitamins in the form of tablets.
If the cat eats expensive specialized food, he will only need a product that stops shedding, since premium food already contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
When the animal has already reached maturity, you can purchase a special vitamin complex at the pharmacy, which contributes to the overall strengthening of the body.
Special vitamins are available for sale for sterilized cats. This applies to both pregnant and lactating cats. There are also special vitamin complexes for neutered cats.
If your pet is already old, pamper him with vitamins that were created to slow down the aging process.
To increase muscle mass, you can purchase animal feed protein.

To learn how to determine the age of a cat, watch the following video from the Bio-vet network of veterinary clinics.

When does a cat become an adult?

In recent years, cats' ages have been revised to provide a clearer and more accurate assessment of their physical health. Currently, cats are considered seniors when they reach 11 years of age. Meanwhile, 12 to 14 years old are older cats. If your cat managed to live more than 14 years, she would be called a super-old lady.

From a kitten, your cat will become an adult and then a senior citizen. It's very similar to human life, albeit at a faster pace.

The first two years of your cat's life are equivalent to about 24 human years. After that, each cat year is equal to four human years.

As your cat ages, she will become less active due to pain associated with aging. Older cats will also have a reduced ability to taste and smell food, so they will appear to be picky. Your cat's nutritional needs will also change depending on its health.

Reasons for slower growth

If an animal lives in a prosperous environment, eats a balanced diet, but suddenly stops developing, then it is better to contact a veterinarian.

Possible reasons for this are:

Diseases: infectious, somatic, congenital, hidden. Any pathologies disrupt the functioning of internal organs and inhibit development.
Helminths . Worms take away nutrients that come from food.
Hormonal imbalance. Deviations from the norm occur due to uncontrolled use of hormone-containing drugs or internal failure.
Early pregnancy (up to one year). Puberty in females occurs earlier than physical maturity. After the formation of the ovaries, the cat is able to become pregnant, but the body is not ready to bear offspring; this process takes away strength and slows down maturation.
Stress. In a state of nervous tension, cats stop eating, do not receive enough nutrients and develop more slowly.

The age at which growth ceases is individual for each animal; it is determined by breed, heredity and gender. A person’s task is to avoid mistakes in maintenance and care, so as not to disrupt the laid down genetic program.