Our feline friends go through changes every day, just like us, like lose baby teeth. But unlike some humans, cats don’t have to wait until they’re 18 to be considered adults.
While still young, a kitten’s age can be determined by its weight. For each month a kitten will usually take one pound, according to PetMD. So it wouldn’t be wrong to assume that a 3-pound kitten is three months old. However, this estimate only works until a cat is six months old.
As your cat ages, it continues to grow. But when do cats stop growing?
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When do cats stop growing?
Cats tend to stop growing once they reach one year of age. A 12-month-old cat is about the same age as a 15-year-old human.says PetMD.
However, some cats continue to grow beyond 12 months. Cats are considered “adult” when they reach 18 months, which is the equivalent of a human being 21 years old, according to PetMD.
Between these 12 and 18 months, a cat can continue to put on weight. Some breeds don’t even reach full size until they’re 2 years old, explains PetMD. For instance, maine coon cats are fully developed in about two years, according to PetMD.
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When do male cats stop growing?
There are growth differences between male and female catsaccording to dutch.com.
Male cats stop growing later in life and grow at a slower rate than female cats, says dutch.com. Male cats also tend to be larger than female cats.
Female cats reach puberty earlier than males, and unlike their female counterparts, once males “stop growing and reach sexual maturity, they don’t go into heat,” according to dutch.com.
Adult male cats will often exceed or exactly hit the highest length, height, and weight ranges for their breed., according to happycatsite.com. For example, male Bengal cats can weigh up to 22 pounds, although the normal weight for the breed is around 16 pounds.
Also, male cats of smaller breeds will reach full size before male cats of larger breeds, says happycatsite.com.
At what age do cats calm down?
Cats are playful little creatures, scratching and clawing their way through the world. As your cat continues to grow in size, so does behavioral and social maturity, says PetMD.
Once a cat reaches 2 years of age, they will be more socially and behaviorally mature, according to PetMD.
When kittens are younger they tend to be social and active, “spending a lot of energy playing and generally acting crazy”, says Figo Pet Insurance.
But as they adapt to their surroundings and form a routine, cats become relatively calmer, Figo says.
How long is a cat considered a kitten?
Even though we like to call our pets babies, they stop being them at some point. For cats, their days as kittens last until they are one year old, according to Hill’s Pet Nutrition. After this point, kittens become cats.
Although cats are considered adults at 12 months, adolescence lasts until around 18 months, according to Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When do cats stop growing? Explain your pet’s life stages
