Your kitten is only ready to bring home from around 8 weeks old, and it's at around this age that they'll start to act a little more erratically. You can expect their manic energy to start peaking at around the age of 3 months, which is when things will start getting really interesting.
At what age do kittens calm down? Generally, by 9 to 12 months old, the massive amount of enthusiasm has begun to settle, and a personality has become more apparent. Each cat differs individually with some being more playful and some lazier. However, these are some typical stages you'll see as your frisky feline ages.
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.
If your kitten is leaping across every surface of your home and treating your furniture like his own personal scratching post, you might be wondering if it will stop. The good news is, kittens definitely do calm down. Cats age much faster than humans do, and go through milestone ages pretty early on.
Social play usually peaks at about 3 months of age. As they get to 4-9 months, they hit their teenage years. They may start to feel their natural predatory selves and the need to begin “hunt” and scavenge.
Another positive aspect of neutering your cat is that neutering can result in a calmer, and sometimes cleaner, home. Without the drive to mate, your cat may be quieter and not prone to cat calls and an incessant need to seek out a mate. The neutered cat no longer feels the need to seek out and serenade females.
By about two years of age, a cat's personality is fully developed, and it's easier to be sure what you're getting.
With this in mind, you can expect your cat to start calming down once they hit around 6 months of age, with there being a gradual but predictable drop in energy levels up to the first year of their life.
If you are the parent of a single cat, you'll be glad to know that solitary cat status does not doom your kitty to a life of misery and boredom. There are plenty of things you can do to keep them purring by making his life stimulating and enjoyable.
Single kitten syndrome is the idea that young kittens, when raised with other young kittens and cats and then adopted into a home by themselves, can become aggressive, anxious, stressed, and even develop behavioral issues like inappropriate chewing/scratching and inappropriately using the litterbox.
“It most commonly (and annoyingly) happens at night. They usually don't last longer than 1-2 minutes, but they leave a lasting impression.”
A: You can leave a kitten home alone for short periods of time. Kittens younger than four months of age should not be left alone for more than a couple of hours. Over four months, they can handle up to five hours. When they turn six months, they should be able to handle your 8-hour workday.
As with all young mammals, this seemingly crazy behavior is just your kitten's way of practicing to become an adult. Because of their predatory nature, kittens will explore new places and get used to their environment by following their instincts, which include biting, jumping and chasing after things.
Toys that can be chased, swatted, and batted should be provided. Species appropriate punishment such as “hissing” or the use of punishment devices such as a water sprayer, can of compressed air, or hand held alarm are better than using any physical techniques since they are less likely to lead to fear and retaliation.
Some kittens will be naturally cuddly and always want to snuggle in your lap and follow you from room to room. Others may be more independent but still desire pets when they're not adventuring. Celebrate your cat's unique quirks and make sure to give that little furball lots of cuddles and scritches.
The most common reason cats experience the zoomies is pent-up energy. Cats rest and sleep for a majority of the day to conserve energy for short, very active periods. Without intentional exercise and activity, your kitty will need to find a way to get that extra energy out, resulting in a case of the zoomies.
While some vets and animal experts seem to agree that cats can get ADHD, the condition isn't recognized by all. Cats can exhibit symptoms or personality and behavioral traits that are often linked to ADHD in humans, especially human children.
Offering “Treats”
Offer them “treats” often. It is especially effective to offer them a couple of spoonfuls of human baby food a day (meat only). Kittens LOVE baby food! Start by putting a little bit of baby food on their mouth or nose if they will not come to you.
If you allow them to bite and scratch when they are young, it will be hard to stop them doing it when they are older - although most kittens naturally grow out of the habit between 1 and 2 years old.
Fading Kitten Syndrome refers to a kitten's failure to thrive during the period between birth and when they wean from their mother or from a bottle for hand-fed kittens. This period lasts about four to five weeks (when a kitten is most vulnerable to sickness).
You can tell a lot about them by the ways they interact. Kittens who are perpetually stalking their siblings' tails and generally horsing around will be the most outgoing and playful. Kittens who are willing to play but don't initiate a lot of games on their own will generally grow up to be more laid-back.
Socializing your kitten
There is a fairly narrow window of opportunity to imprint on kittens, usually between 2 and 10 weeks of age. Spending at least an hour a day handling them, petting and holding them, is critical to ensuring cats are comfortable living with us, humans, when they are adults.
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.
However, most folks get their kittens when they're around 8 weeks old — and this is a prime time to show your kittyBAE that their new people are excellent sources of food, petting, and playtime. Cats over 6 months may take a bit more time for bonding, depending on the personality and life experiences of the cat.