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pamela81's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 2 domestic short haired
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Cumbernauld, scotland
Posts: 3,945
01-11-2010, 08:50 PM   #1

When do kittens become cats?


This is a question purely out of curiosity. When is a kitten classed as a cat? The OH and myself disagree on it. He says just now (harris is nearly 8month) and i say its when he about a year old. Also, when do they reach their full size?

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I will also need to upload some new pics of him as he is getting soo big now!!



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Catsey Junior
 
Cats owned: Tabby with ginger & a black & white
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Redditch, UK
Posts: 117
01-11-2010, 08:55 PM   #2

Re: When do kittens become cats?


I always think at about a year.



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calismum's Avatar
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Cats owned: Two Tabby Girls
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Scotland, UK
Posts: 5,052
01-11-2010, 09:43 PM   #3

Re: When do kittens become cats?


No idea what the official age, if any, is.

I think it depends on the cat.



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cats' staff's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Moggies
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Cambs UK
Posts: 2,283
01-11-2010, 10:07 PM   #4

Re: When do kittens become cats?


Well Tolly, as the youngest of our three, is always referred to as 'the kitten'. He's 6.................



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dandysmom's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Leia: blue torbie
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Posts: 31,378
01-11-2010, 10:52 PM   #5

Re: When do kittens become cats?


Sexually mature round 6 months, generally considered adult by a year old, although some say fully adult by two years. Some breeds mature more slowly than others, Ragdolls I think need about 3 years to be completely mature.

Whatever, they're only kittens for such a short tine! Then leggy teenagers then all growed-up!



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Catsey Junior
 
Cats owned: 2 Moggies
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex UK
Posts: 110
02-11-2010, 03:00 PM   #6

Re: When do kittens become cats?


Yes, cats are sexually mature around 6 months, physically mature around 1 to 2 years, depending on breed, but not socially mature until about 2 years old, again depending on breed, upbringing etc.

The reason for cats taking so long to become socially mature is because it is vitally important that they learn other life skills first. Cats are small solitary predators, they don't collaborate with other cats to find food (like some pack living predators) but have to rely solely on themselves to get food. This is why young kittens spend so much time in "play" ~ i.e practising predatory behaviour sequences to become adept at feeding themselves.

Cats don't need other cats to survive (other than for breeding) & can live relatively ok lives without the company of other cats, so it is not necessarily life-threatening if they don't learn social skills.

It is only later on that they can afford the time to learn how to communicate & to be physically near other cats.

So when you decide to call a kitten a cat is very much open to debate



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Tink's Avatar
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Cats owned: torbie/white & 2 siamese xs
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Washington, U.S.
Posts: 4,326
02-11-2010, 07:39 PM   #7

Re: When do kittens become cats?


Haha so maybe that is why Solomon (approx. 9 months) seems to have shot up and looks adult yet still sometimes does socially unacceptable things with Kuan Yin and Hestia ??



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dandysmom's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Leia: blue torbie
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Location: Washington, DC, USA
Posts: 31,378
02-11-2010, 08:28 PM   #8

Re: When do kittens become cats?


Sure sounds like it, Tink!



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smudgley's Avatar
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Cats owned: 3 cats
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Wall Heath.West Midlands.UK
Posts: 7,877
02-11-2010, 09:26 PM   #9

Re: When do kittens become cats?


I think when they reach sexual maturity



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CathyW's Avatar
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Cats owned: sadly 1 boy now :(
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: in the land of make believe LOL
Posts: 3,963
05-11-2010, 11:50 PM   #10

Re: When do kittens become cats?


er physically my 2 where about a year old. but mentally they are still kittens i think lol



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