When Do You Consider A Kitten To Be A Cat?

[weebeasties]

I have read many times that a kitten becomes a cat at about 1 year of age. I still think of Sam as a kitten and he's 3 years old. Try as I might, I just can't think of him as a "grown up" yet. He still acts like a kitten and doesn't seem to have everything figured out like our older cats do. (Then again, he's not exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch)

When do YOU consider a kitten to be a cat? Is it a date on a calendar, or is it more behavior and emotional maturity?

Just curious.

 

[Katie M]

It's hard to say, really. Selene is two and still acts like a kitten, and Charlie is three and I call him Charlie Kitten.

 

[stacydc83]

I'd say maturity. Zoe just turned 3 also, and is no where near adult maturity. Still has social boundary issues with Lily, and plays plays plays all the time. And I swear this little girl is still growing some. She looks like she is getting taller. I guess its all on the cat, I've seen some cats very "adult like" at 1, and completely done growing. Not Zoe. Lily is 7 and shows NO interest in toys, Zoe still sees EVERYTHING as toys.

 

[maggie101]

Simple to say one but Maggie is an exception. My other 2 cats follow that rule.

 

[Lari]

I said at Lelia's first birthday she was a cat even though she still loves to play at two.

 

[Maria Bayote]

My Bourbon is 3 but still plays like a small kitten at times.

My Barley, on the other hand, is only 4 but he acts like an old man.

 

[Kieka]

Depends on what we are talking about.

Feeding kitten versus cat labeled food? When the kitten no longer is growing in length or height.

Mentally a kitten or a cat? Totally dependent on the cats behavior and actions. Rocket I considered a cat when she was about 18 months old and just didn't seem to have time for silly little things. She will stop playing with toys when we are looking and give her brothers the worst looks when they are acting like kittens. Link is still a kitten at heart at 5 years old. My goofy child who does the silliest things with an innocent look at me. But he does act like an adult cat if strange cats come around or Rocket cries out in alarm at something, ready to defend his little sister.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Treasure is 5 years old and acts like a 6 month old kitten

 

[Sidewinder]

Ballpark estimates:

Kitten: Up to 1 year

Adolescent cat: 1-2 years

Adult cat: 2+ years

However, Crackhead is nearly three years old and he still acts like a kitten, he plays constantly with the younger cats who are not quite a year old. New cat Boots is probably the most mature in behavior, but even she rockets around the house like a crazy fool at times. Of course, our home is geared entirely toward cats, and the floor plan is also helpful... we have two architectural "islands" in our home, and the cats love chasing each other round these islands and playing hide & seek. The widened window sills and added cat walkways & ledges have paid off big-time, even new cat Bootsie is already using these. Somehow, this thread topic reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw and liked:

"IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO HAVE A HAPPY CHILDHOOD!!!"

 

[aliceneko]

Toffee is 2 but going on 2 months, whereas Fudge is 2 going on 12, so it's hard to base it on personality, haha!
I'd say that cats are still kittens until they are a year if we're going about it technically.

 

[1 bruce 1]

We've got two 12 year olds. One was a little cat at 3 months old, very poised and confident. One, at 12, is rambunctious, into everything, and gets himself into a lot of situations most kittens outgrow by a year. Baby Girl is 5, and she's all kitten, where the 11 year old female is all cat with no time for any monkey business.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

Well I'm not sure like other people have said it depends on the cat,We know it's meant to be 1 but my boy is 2 so definitely a adult cat. I still ask him what's wrong kitten when he meows at me, I guess he'll always be my baby and I do still see the kitten he was.

 

[jefferd18]

I think that most vets consider them cats when they are six months old, which is phooey to me. I think they become cats at the age of two.