At what age is a cat an adult?

At what age is a cat an adult? This is the question that many people are asking. The transition to adulthood includes many stages, ranging from behavioral changes to eating behaviors.

In this article, we are going to see together the different stages leading to adulthood of the cat and especially what are the characteristics of an adult cat so that you can have a precise opinion.

At what age a cat is an adult: Usually 1 year old

A cat generally becomes an adult at the age of one year, here is how to know if your cat has reached adult size:

He has finished growing : Your cat is no longer growing and is the size of an adult cat. You may have previously noticed that it grew more and more slowly until it stopped completely. It will have a size that corresponds to that of adult cats.
His behavior is stable : He is no longer as crazy as when he was a kitten. His aggressive and rebellious period is also behind him. In short, he has a totally adult behavior. He will want to play less and can spend most of the day doing nothing and not being bothered by it.
He eats like a normal cat : His nutritional needs correspond to an adult cat. He has a varied diet and eats at regular intervals.

The 6 steps to adulthood

Your cat goes through many periods to reach adult size. Knowing them allows you to know precisely the current phase of his life.

Here are the 6 stages that lead to adulthood of the cat:

The neonatal period

This period begins at birth and ends on the ninth day. He is then only a newborn who is very thin and does not yet open his eyes. His senses are limited and he is entirely dependent on his mother. Having no autonomy, he is not weaned and can hardly do anything on his own, his mother must constantly take care of him.

Kittens of this age are still in their cat flap and are not yet fit to live with humans, they are totally dependent on their mother.

The transition period

At this time, the kitten develops its senses and begins to be a little mobile. He can open his eyes and move around a bit. This period lasts from the ninth day to the fifteenth day. He begins to learn the most rudimentary things in life and to discover his environment while remaining totally unfit to have real autonomy and to live without his mother.

The period of socialization

Until the seventh or eighth week, the cat will enter a phase where it learns life in a group and will begin to move around a lot and play with the other kittens in the litter. He will also consume food other than breast milk. This period is when the cat is weaned and can therefore do without its mother for food.

He finally achieves real autonomy, although it is very incomplete and he does not yet fully control his body, which can cause losses and upheavals in an apartment as you probably know very well.

The juvenile period

The cat reaches its adult size during this phase of life. He will still be energetic but will be much more dexterous when moving and will be aware of his body. Sexual behaviors appear for unsterilized cats. It will no longer normally cause damage by knocking down everything in its path.

He will be able to have real autonomy and will be totally able to have good habits. No more furniture that serves as a scraper or the refusal of litter.

The period of puberty

At 6 or 7 months, cats reach the puberty phase, for 5 to 8 months for females. This stage corresponds to adolescence and cats are generally rebellious during this phase of life, often being aggressive and disobedient.

Don’t worry, this period is short and once the transition to adulthood is done, he will return to normal behavior.

The adult period

The cat is now mature and more balanced and calm. After reviewing the different stages of cat growth, it reaches its final stage at the age of one year. Whether it’s his body or his mind, everything is much calmer and he no longer needs to jump around to expend all his energy.

If you have an apartment cat, this is the final end of excess energy, because it will no longer need to exert itself so much.

The adulthood of the cat: The point by breeds

If the average is 1 year, it changes a lot for some breeds. For example, the Maine Coon can take up to 4 years to become an adult. The British take almost 3 years to reach this age.

Siamese and Persians take up to 2 years.

But in any case, at the age of one year, he will behave like an adult.

How to determine the age of your cat?

To know if your affected cat is an adult, know that a cat of 6 months is the equivalent of 10 years for humans, at 1 year old, he is between 15 and 16 years old on our scale and at two years old, he is the equivalent of 24 for us. Here is what to give you the age in human version of your cat. Know that for example, 15 years corresponds to 76 years and for cats who have reached the 20-year mark, they are the equivalent of centenarians for us humans.