From A Kitten To An Adult Cat... 6 Changes You Can See As Your Cat Grows Up A Barometer For When Your Cat Becomes An Adult

Cats become adults around 1 year of age. A kitten whose body is small enough to fit in the palm of a human's hand grows into an adult cat in the blink of an eye. We will introduce the changes that can be seen when a kitten becomes an adult cat.

1. Become more cautious and shy
white cat hiding under furniture
Even if your cat wasn't shy when they were kittens, as they grow older they may become fearful or hide when strangers come into your home.

As a cat grows up, it may develop the personality traits it inherited from its parents, but it is also possible that the experiences it has had as a kitten have an effect on its personality.

Cats that have spent time with many people and cats as kittens may become shy, and cats that have had scary experiences may become wary.

2.Changes in facial appearance, body shape, and coat
sitting brown tabby cat
When they are kittens, they have an innocent expression, but when they grow up, they have sharp eyes.

Male cats that have not been neutered will have thicker cheeks and a larger face due to male hormones. This is thought to protect them from being bitten during fights, and their faces will not become smaller even after castration.

Some cats may also notice changes in their coats. The color and pattern of the coat may change, and long-haired cats may have thicker fur on their chests, giving them a gorgeous coat.

3.Teeth grow back
Siamese kitten yawning
Teething begins in cats around 3 months of age.

Permanent teeth begin to erupt, pushing out the baby teeth, and all permanent teeth will erupt by around 6 months of age.

Cats often swallow loose baby teeth, so owners rarely see them. I was only able to find about two of my cat's fallen baby teeth.

4. Less amount of play
Cat lying down with toy ball
Kittens move around and play with all kinds of things. They may play alone, but if they have siblings or cats of similar age, they may wrestle with each other and play. Play is very important for a kitten's physical development.

Even when cats become adults, they still need play to build up their physical strength, but the amount of play will decrease. Cats are originally hunting animals, and they conserve their physical strength when not hunting.

As your child grows up and experiences a variety of things, he or she may get bored with the toy and play with it less.

5. Sagging stomach
walking cat
When a cat is around 1 year old, a bulge in the belly becomes noticeable.

This sagging skin is called ``loose skin'' or ``primordial pouch,'' and it starts to become noticeable around the age of one, and becomes sagging as the child gets older.

The sagging skin allows the cat to move with agility typical of a cat without tightening its skin, and also allows it to avoid fatal injuries even if attacked in its vital area, the abdomen.

6. Get into heat
A cat bringing its face close to the cat's head
Female cats reach sexual maturity and go into heat for the first time between 6 and 12 months of age.

During the mating season, you will see peculiar behaviors such as making loud noises and becoming more affectionate.

Male cats reach sexual maturity around 7 to 9 months of age, and begin to mark their cats by spraying their pee behind them, and to show heat in response to female cats in heat.

summary
American shorthair kittens playing in the cat tower
As cats grow from kittens to adults, their bodies and personalities change.

Of course, there are individual differences in the speed of growth and changes that occur depending on the cat.

You want to make sure you don't miss out on your cat's rapid growth.