Your cat has hit that age. This 6-12 month age is considered the second life cycle of a cat. Now your precious kitten has hit the teenage years. These “teenage” years affect them and everyone around them. If the words “crazy” or “out of control” have escaped your mouth and there are no kids in sight, you may have a feline teenager on your hands. This post is all about cat adolescence.
When Do Cats Have Teenage Years?
Cats are known for their mysterious personalities and behaviors, and many people wonder when cats enter their teenage years. While cats don’t experience the same teenage phase as humans, they do go through an adolescent period that is similar to the teenage years.
The teenage phase for cats generally occurs between the ages of 6 and 12 months. During this phase, cats may become more independent and active, and may also display behaviors such as scratching furniture or meowing more than usual. This is a normal part of the adolescent cat phase and shouldn’t be cause for concern.
At the end of the teenage phase, cats will typically become more independent and relaxed. This means that cats will become more comfortable with their environment and may even start to show affection more often.
In summary, cats enter their teenage phase between 6 and 12 months, and this phase includes behaviors that are similar to those of human teenagers. At the end of this phase, cats will become more independent and relaxed, and will start to show more affection
Physical Characteristics
During the second life cycle of a cat journey, you will start to see many changes. Since cats are mostly self-grooming, they may start to get hairballs at this age. For instance, as a cat licks themselves, they can swallow the hair. As a result, most of this hair will be eliminated but too much fur can cause blockage by becoming a dense ball in your cat’s stomach.
Grooming your cat will help her stay clean and also be a wonderful time for close bonding. She will appreciate the help keeping herself tidy.
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Depending on what type of cat you have, you will want to get a brush ideal for her coat. Long-haired cats will want brushes and combs that will help her avoid matting. Any good brush will work for a medium-haired cat. If your cat is still a kitten, we recommend the Mars Coat-King cat brush. The bristles are soft enough for her delicate skin, but will get help loosen her coat.
Follow up your kitten brushing with a comb to gently pull up the loose hairs.
This age is also when puberty arrives. Females will go into heat and can get pregnant. At this point, a cat may not have the emotions or developed instincts to handle motherhood properly. Melatonin will be secreted from their pineal gland, which plays a crucial role in your cat’s cycle of reproduction.
Your cat will see an increase in estrogen as well. If you have a male cat, you will also see changes. The cute little boy will start becoming sexually mature. He could even begin to roam and start a little urine marking. If you don’t want to deal with a urine-spraying furball or an estrogen-induced kitten, then get those boogers spayed and neutered a soon as possible. Almost all adoption agencies include a discount or even free services for this.
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During this point of the second life cycle of a cat, you could also see growth spurts that may leave them looking lean and long as they are still filling out. So, don’t worry if your cat seems a little thin, this is part of the process of growing up.
Behavior
New behaviors will probably arise in your cat. Unfortunately, you may not like them all. An adolescent cat is more confident and a bit more demanding. They may try to escape through an open door, terrorize the house at 4 a.m., or decide they want to dine with you by jumping up on the table. They may also be less tolerant. This can take the form of resisting any nail trimming or running in the opposite direction of the carrier. Don’t get too worried as this is all normal as their brain is still maturing. They will push boundaries as they test new ways to interact with the world.
Food and Nutrition
By this point, your cat will need to be weened off of kitten food. Your cat is entering its adult stage and needs more protein that adult cat food will offer them. Don’t give them people food as this can cause deficiencies or other toxicities. You want your cat to have a well-balanced diet so they can continue to prosper and not have a spoiled cat who prefers your garlic chicken over their kitty kibble.
A premium commercial food that has been specially formulated to meet your cat’s growing dietary needs is the perfect choice for your cat. If you have any questions, feel free to ask your vet as they’ll be able to point you to the right food or brands.
We love Weruva for kittens, but be sure to double check with your vet at her first visit. If she is really young, the vet might not want her on wet food.
Tips for Playing
During this part of your cat’s life, mental stimulation and play is a top priority. Interactive play needs to be a regular thing as it burns energy and will help decrease some unwanted behavior. Use food puzzles as they can help minimize any aggression in play, conflict with other cats, and annoying or demanding behavior. Be sure to engage all your cat’s senses.
Sleep Needed
Whether lounging on the couch or soaking up rays from an open window, a cat loves its comfort when sleeping. When it comes to sleeping the most, cats are the top sleepers in the animal kingdom. They may sleep from 16-20 hours a day. Their sleep does involve both REM and non-REM sleep. Unlike humans, their asleep is different. Even when kitty cats are dozing and completely zonked out, they are instinctively aware and ready to go.
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No matter where your cat is in cat years, your feline companion depends on you to do what is best for them. Their actions during these tumultuous adolescent times are typical. Your kitten hasn’t lost their mind. They’ve just entered those cat years age or commonly referred to as their teen years. While your cat may seem like a handful, proper care and knowing how to handle your feline adversary will make it go a lot smoother and strengthen the bond between you both.
FAQ
When does a cat become a teenager?
So when does a kitten become a teenager? Those cute little balls of fur turn into willful, thinned out creatures of curiosity; they start to go into a cat teenage phase. Growth spurts will start around 6 months old and continue until your teenage cat is about 12 months old. Most cats continue to act youngish for a few years, and some for several years. I have noticed, if you bring a kitten home to a young adult, the adult cat will ‘grow up’ even faster. In many cases the feline takes on an older sibling role.
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Why Is Kritter Kommunity Your Trusted Pet Partner?
Lisa Illman is the Founder of Kritter Kommunity, LLC. Not only does she have one tuxedo male adult cat currently, she has had him since he was a baby kitten; so she knows well the kitten life cycle, the teenage cat life cycle and the adult cat life cycle (he is currently 11 years old). Prior to her cat Finnegan, Lisa had two FIV positive cats for over a decade. Lisa’s love for animals her entire life (she also had a poodle and parakeet growing up plus was a caretaker for her roommate’s 3 pets during college) and networking with the pet community for over a decade, enable her to find top content for her readers.
