While their growth may slow down after 6 months, the development and growth phase will usually continue until the cat is roughly one year old, which is why many veterinarians treat the 12-month point as the age when a kitten becomes an adult.
By one year old, your kitten will be an adult cat. She may still act like a mischievous kitten, but her needs will have changed. Now that she's fully grown, she'll require an adult cat food that will provide her with the appropriate levels of nutrients, vitamins and minerals she needs through adulthood.
At one year of age, most people will now consider your kitten an adult cat. Most cats are full-grown by one year of age, so from here on out, your cat will simply grow mentally. Learning and training never end.
When Do Kittens Become Adults? Most kittens are considered adults around their first birthday. For some larger breed cats, like Maine Coons, it can take up to 18 months to 2 years to reach their full size. Between eight months and two years of age, kittens reach their full size.
Young Adult (1 year – 6 years)
Understanding the Kitty 'Terrible Two's'
Between the age of 6 months and 2 years, your kitten will be reaching physical and sexual maturity. They will grow out of being a pure bundle of energy but, like human teenagers, they will be learning and exploring more of the world around them.
Although your cat will physically stop growing when she's one year old, she may fill out a little by the time she's three. Also, her coat may change color. You may notice some white or gray hairs, and dark areas may get larger with age; this is common in Siamese cats as they get older and/or gain weight.
The transition to adulthood ordinarily occurs from 1 to 2 years old. At this time, and possibly after neutering, a cat may retain a lot of energy but should be notably calmer with it reaching full maturity at 2. From 3 to 10 years old, a cat is relatively calm but remains active.
Months 9-12: A kitten is almost fully grown. 1 year+: Kittens are just reaching adulthood. 2 years+: Kittens are socially and behaviorally mature.
The good news is that most kittens calm down with age. Cats develop much quicker than their hooman families so you can expect your kitten to slow down at around 9-14 months as they advance into adulthood.
Experts believe that a feline's intelligence is comparable to that of a 2-year-old human.
A healthy, 1-year-old cat retains much of the youthful characteristics of a kitten, including curiosity about his surroundings and a love of play. If your normally outgoing cat has recently become withdrawn, your vet will want to know.
The average litter size for cats is 4 to 6 kittens; however, adolescents, seniors, and first-timers typically have smaller-than-average litters. First-time moms usually only have 2 or 3 kittens. Purebred cats tend to have more kittens per litter than mixed breeds, though experts aren't sure why.
Up to six months, your kitten is growing at a very fast rate. From six months onward, her growth rate will slow down considerably. At 12 months old, your inquisitive cat probably still looks like a kitten to you and she is still more than likely to be getting into her fair share of mischief.
Kittens will require more time and attention, not to mention time spent cleaning up after them, than adult cats, so if you're gone most of the day, an older cat can be the best fit for you. If you have small children, an adult cat may also be a better choice.
A good place to start is two 15 – 20 minute sessions each day, which you can increase as they get fitter and more enthusiastic. Make sure you keep play sessions short, and always give them enough time to rest in between. Never force your cat to do anything they don't want to.
Indeed, many features of cats mimic those of human babies, eliciting a strong care-taking desire due to evolutionary forces. Care-taking behaviors may result in an attachment between humans and their cats, much like the bond between a parent and child.
The official record of the oldest living cat holder is a 35-year-old Burmese cat. Of course, most Burmese cats don't live that long. The average lifespan of Burmese cats is 18 to 25 years and that is certainly much longer than most cats.
In most cases, cats will purr when they are in a relaxed environment, sending out waves of calmness. This may also occur when you stroke them, and if this is the case, your feline friend is feeling happy or sociable. However, cats purr to communicate other emotions and needs, too.
Intensive growth 2-4 months. This is the naughty stage of the kitten development chart when your kittens start to show their true colours! An important stage in kitten growth, the personalities of your kitties will come forth during this time making it one of the most endearing stages of kitten development.
The youngest stage of a cat's life is the kitten phase which spans from 0-6 months old. At this stage, they are the most curious and playful.
The sensitive period for such learning to occur in cats is between 2 – 7 weeks of age. During this time period, owners can engineer all kinds of useful friendships between animals of the same or different species. As many owners already know, cats don't just bond to their moms or to their human owners.
“It is common for cats to remember you even if they haven't seen you for years,” Dr. Hawthorne told The Dodo. “It is important to note that kittens will typically have worse memory recall compared to adult cats, which is a similar thing that happens in human babies.”
A kitten the age of 1-6 months will probably not remember you after 4 years. They are a little like human babies before the brain is fully developed. The memories might get lost or not stored the right way. A cat at the age of two years+ will remember you, the owner, if the cat has bonded to you.