Do Cats Mature Change Around 3 Years Old?

[matt1991]

my boy cat just turned 3and hes changed a good bit acting different hes actually gained alot of weight like 5 pounds in the last 2 months and he use to only eat dry food hated any meat since he was a kitten he wouldnt even touch tuna that every cat on the planet would die for now he wont touch his dry food and i tried to feed him meat and he eats it so im wondering if ehs just grownup now and like humans we change as adults

 

[abyeb]

Cats will be less active as adults than as kittens, but they reach maturity at around one year (except for the giant breeds). So, since your kitty is acting quite differently, I would recommend getting him checked over at the vet. Cats are experts at hiding pain so their humans need to be extra vigilant, because changes in behavior can indicate underlying medical issues.

 

[matt1991]

Cats will be less active as adults than as kittens, but they reach maturity at around one year (except for the giant breeds). So, since your kitty is acting quite differently, I would recommend getting him checked over at the vet. Cats are experts at hiding pain so their humans need to be extra vigilant, because changes in behavior can indicate underlying medical issues.

he has surgery 2 months or so ago he was attacked by a dog they thought it got to his intestines but luckly it didnt so he was fine nothing internally bad not sure what could be his problem i know he throws up like once a week or so catfood tons of hair and grass he eats from when i let him go outside for an hour

 

[Willowy]

Cats do mature socially around age 3, especially if not neutered, and their relationships with other cats can be affected.

But I don't think social maturity would affect his appetite. If you think anything is off, have the vet give him a checkup to make sure everything is OK.

 

[danteshuman]

Cats throwing up once a week isn't normal. He may have a sensetive stomach or some be strsssed about things. I would call my vet and ask, just in case.

 

[jen]

5 lbs in 2 months is ALARMING especially if you said he stopped wanted dry food, which usually just makes cats fat. If he prefers wet food go for it, that is much healthier in the long run but it has to be specifically canned cat food, tuna for life is not a complete meal

I would have him checked by a vet and pay closer attention to the amount of food he is getting.

 

[matt1991]

5 lbs in 2 months is ALARMING especially if you said he stopped wanted dry food, which usually just makes cats fat. If he prefers wet food go for it, that is much healthier in the long run but it has to be specifically canned cat food, tuna for life is not a complete meal

I would have him checked by a vet and pay closer attention to the amount of food he is getting.

but its werid he will only take a few bites then walks away and if it sits there for over 30 minutes open he wont touch it hes sooooo picky now

 

[matt1991]

Cats throwing up once a week isn't normal. He may have a sensetive stomach or some be strsssed about things. I would call my vet and ask, just in case.

man i would but im set back on money iv taken him to the vet like 3 times n past year due to things dog attack a snake bit him it cost 150 to take him to the vet to just check him out i cant afford it atm sadly

 

[Norachan]

If he's throwing up a lot of hair you should make sure you groom him every day to cut down on the amount of hair he swallows. Cats shed huge amounts of fur at this time of year.

I've got one of these, it's my cat's favourite brush to be groomed with.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-cat-zoom-groom-brush#

 

[matt1991]

If he's throwing up a lot of hair you should make sure you groom him every day to cut down on the amount of hair he swallows. Cats shed huge amounts of fur at this time of year.

I've got one of these, it's my cat's favourite brush to be groomed with.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/kong-cat-zoom-groom-brush#

ido he has very thick black hair

 

[Norachan]

Those kind of brushes even work on my Forest Cat.

 

[ArchyCat]

Norachan -- Now that is a cat! I'm impressed. Weight & age? Origin story?

 

[basscat]

I agree with all the above, except the hiding pain part. Yes, "they" say cats hide pain really well. But, you've had shots before with itty bitty short needles. Stick one of those in a cat's hiney and it's pretty obvious, they don't hide pain very well.

 

[jen]

Ok I am not at all even talking about immediate painful incidents. If you step on their tail they also scream and show that it hurt right?

I am talking about long term pain showing they are seriously ill or weak, where in the wild they would need to hide it to survive. Typically they will still eat even when feeling unwell to survive. Once your cat stops eating it could mean they are finally showing advanced symptoms of something. But many people just think... "Oh my cat has been fine all this time and suddenly stopped eating out of the blue, but that's all that is wrong so I am not going to take him to the vet yet."

Then pretty soon there is weight loss, perhaps diarrhea or vomitting. When if they had been taking them for yearly check ups and bloodwork whatever the issue is could have been caught early on before they start losing weight and refusing to eat. So yes, when it comes to serious health issues they will do everything they can to hide their pain and discomfort until things are advanced. This is totally different then immediate sudden pain as in stepping on a tail or a shot...

 

[Norachan]

Norachan -- Now that is a cat! I'm impressed. Weight & age? Origin story?

Thank you ArchyCat. He was a lucky find!

Found Another One. (sigh)

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi, you're letting him outside? Is somebody else feeding him, or is he getting into dog food somewhere, something like that?

maybe something here might help;
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

 

[amethyst]

None of that sounds like normal maturing. Normally by a few years cats do settled down, they don't do zoomies as often, they may play a bit less, have a more mature personality. Sudden weight gain and change in appetite are not normal.

The sudden weight gain is concerning, especially since you say he vomits a lot and doesn't like to eat his food. My first thought is is there someone else who is feeding him, maybe a neighbor? Maybe not even intentionally, I know some people leave food out outside for their cat or dog, or have cat or dog flaps that roaming cats are known to take advantage of.
If that isn't the case my next thought would be a possible internal tumor (I'm guessing you would have said if you saw a tumor growing on him). Also a cat suddenly not eating dry food when it use to love it but eating softer food concerns me too. It could be a sign of something wrong in his mouth, a tooth problem or something causing him to have pain when crunching down on kibble. Though once again if he is finding food elsewhere, something tasty, he may turn his nose up at the same old kibble.

 

[miraclecats]

I think you should consider emotional issues. He went through a major trauma when he was attacked by a snake and then the dog and then had a major surgery. My mom's ten lb dog was attacked by two large dogs and he has PTSD from it. He still has nightmares where he cries out and we have noticed he shies away from large dogs of the same color as the ones that atttacked him and this attack was over five years ago. An animal can have PTSD without having the benefit we do of understanding the basis for why they are feeling what they are. I would quit letting him go outside for awhile because it sounds like he is nervously eating grass. Or put him on a harness and leash and sit outside with him so you can observe what he's doing and also maybe he would feel safer if you were out there with him. I sit outside with my cat on a harness and leash. Being outside could make him feel in danger. I would look into some pheromone calmers? And any other thing you think would make him feel safe.Spend time with him and talk to him. Maybe ask the vet if there is a good pill he could take if your certain there is nothing physically wrong with him? I also wonder if he is eating flowers. You don't have any of those bushes with the blue berries on them do you? Evergreen bushes with small light blue ornamental berries are toxic. I think emotional issues are often underserved in the pet population.

 

[1 bruce 1]

I think you should consider emotional issues. He went through a major trauma when he was attacked by a snake and then the dog and then had a major surgery. My mom's ten lb dog was attacked by two large dogs and he has PTSD from it. He still has nightmares where he cries out and we have noticed he shies away from large dogs of the same color as the ones that atttacked him and this attack was over five years ago. An animal can have PTSD without having the benefit we do of understanding the basis for why they are feeling what they are. I would quit letting him go outside for awhile because it sounds like he is nervously eating grass. Or put him on a harness and leash and sit outside with him so you can observe what he's doing and also maybe he would feel safer if you were out there with him. I sit outside with my cat on a harness and leash. Being outside could make him feel in danger. I would look into some pheromone calmers? And any other thing you think would make him feel safe.Spend time with him and talk to him. Maybe ask the vet if there is a good pill he could take if your certain there is nothing physically wrong with him? I also wonder if he is eating flowers. You don't have any of those bushes with the blue berries on them do you? Evergreen bushes with small light blue ornamental berries are toxic. I think emotional issues are often underserved in the pet population.

An agility friends dog was attacked by a big dog one night that was wearing tags. For a year or better this dog went on high alert around big dogs, and even more so when they heard collar tags jingling =(
We don't normally play the "rescue dog = abused" card, but we did have a rescue dog that we feel WAS abused and some of the quirks were very odd. We never did medication routes but really learned a lot on behavior of the species and made absolutely sure we were there to body block (physically put ourselves between our dog and a possible threat) to tell them they were safe and tell the intrusion to back off already. Safe spots among the house were mandatory and a nice way for him to go into a safe zone with no possibility of being bothered or hassled.
matt1991 I hope your kitty gets well soon. Sometimes issues we know nothing about come up for whatever reason. If the vet declares him healthy, I'd consider a second opinion, only for peace of mind (not insinuating your vet sucks!) as this does not sound normal to me.

 

[MissMiloPuss]

5 pounds in 2 months is a LOT of weight to gain! Cats are adult at 12 months. Larger breeds continue growing until about 18 months. You need to take kitty to a vet!