Despite their well-known fame as "nap lovers", cats have an energetic character and a sharp intelligence, usually showing great interest and curiosity when we offer them a game. In fact, some kittens become so active that their guardians wonder when they will calm down and have a more stable behavior. If this is your case, you have come to the right place, because in this article on our site we will explain at what age do cats calm down and how we can recognize the different stages of their physical and behavioral development. Shall we start?
Cat development stages
Cats are characterized by experiencing a quite accelerated physical development, that is, they grow rapidly and, in a matter of weeks, we see They stop looking like kittens and start exhibiting the beautiful features of an adult cat. This means that, after birth, kittens go through different stages of development in a relatively short period of time, during which numerous hormonal and morphological changes take place in their body. Knowing these stages will also serve as a guide to discover the age of a cat if you have just adopted it and do not know this information.
Broadly speaking, we can divide this kitten growth process into the following 5 key periods:
- Neonatal: begins with the birth of the kittens and usually lasts until the ninth day of life. Here, the kitten is a newborn who is completely dependent on its mother for survival. He has not yet opened his eyes and is oriented mainly by smell and touch, but his locomotor system is very limited.
- Transition: Between its 9th and 15th day of life, the kitten goes through a transition stage after birth, during which it their eyes and ear canal open and their mobility and autonomy progressively increase.
- Socialization: The socialization period for kittens begins around their second week of life and extends through their seventh or eighth week. At this time, the kittens become even more independent and constantly play with their siblings. This is a key stage in the development of every cat, being the best time to start proposing safe interactions with other animals and people, thus encouraging them to learn to relate positively with all the individuals and stimuli in their environment. Here, too, kittens can begin to taste other foods besides mother's milk.
- Juvenil: Upon reaching this period, your cat will no longer look like a puppy but like a young adult, beginning to display the characteristic features of adulthood. Generally, the cat calms down and shows a much calmer behavior in relation to the socialization period, but games and physical activity will continue to be essential to stimulate the development of its mind and the strengthening of its body. In this period, the first sexual behaviors also usually appear.
- Puberty: comparable to adolescence in humans, this stage of the cat begins between 5 and 8 months in females and between 6 and 7 months in males. With the development of sexual behaviors, it is likely that your kitten will be somewhat more restless and rebellious in this period.
After experiencing his “adolescence”, your kitty will complete his physical development around his first year of life, adopting the typical features of adulthood. However, his character and personality will continue to develop, as we will see below.
At what age do cats calm down?
As we have seen, the development of cats does not only occur on a physical level, but their character and the way they relate to the stimuli and individuals in their environment change as the kitten assimilates the pillars of their social behavior, their body language and, ultimately, their personality. Like human beings, cats are not born with a predetermined behavior Although the genetic factor does influence their character and personality, the behavior of each kitten is the result of a more complex sum, in which the environment in which it develops, the care and education provided by its tutor, play a key role.
This process of personality and character development in cats does not necessarily follow the same times as physical growth. Speaking in simpler terms: that your cat has reached the age from which he is considered an adult, or has the appearance of an adult cat, does not necessarily mean that he has finished maturing.
To give you an idea, in general terms, a cat is considered to have reached adulthood in physical terms from its first year of life; In this article we explain in more detail when a cat is an adult. However, his character and personality take about three years to fully stabilize So, if you're wondering at what age do cats calm down, it will probably be from this moment, around his third year of life, that you will perceive a more stable behavior, with rather marked characteristics that reveal his personality.
Likewise, you should bear in mind that there is no pre-established time for the conclusion of the physical development of cats, both at the physical as well as psychological. Considering that each kitten is a world and experiences a unique reality, this process of growth and maturation can vary both depending on factors inherent to its organism (race, lineage, etc.), as well as environmental factors and the stimuli that are presented to it. in their nurturing environment. Just to mention one example, giant cat breeds, such as the Maine Coon or the Norwegian Forest Cat, can take up to four years to stop growing and finally reach adulthood, while small cats can complete this process before they are 12 months old. of life.
However, this does not necessarily mean that your cat, at the end of his development process, will start to be as calm or calm as other cats, since he may have a nature naturally more active and playful, tending to calm down only with the appearance of the first symptoms of old age. In this sense, to prevent destructive behavior and behavior problems, it is essential that you provide an environment enriched with toys and other accessories that stimulate your body and mind, allowing you to spend energy in a positive way and preventing the accumulation of tension that usually leads to the appearance of stress symptoms. In this article, we share several practical environmental enrichment tips for cats, don't miss them!
However, if you notice that the years go by and your cat does not calm down, do not miss this article: "How to calm a hyperactive cat?".
And when does a cat start to be affectionate?
Here we find another frequently asked question among tutors, but rather than offer you an answer, we want to propose a question: what do you mean by being affectionate? How should a cat be for you to consider it affectionate? If trying to answer these questions ends up describing a dog's behavior, that is, the ways in which dogs tend to show affection towards humans, then you should probably reconsider the idea of adopting a cat.
Although it's a myth that cats can't be affectionate (because they are!), the truth is that they don't show their love for their human companions in the same way that dogs do. Something perfectly natural, since they are different species, with a quite different evolutionary process and history. Cats have their own codes of social behavior, interacting with humans and other animals differently than dogs. At this point, it is useless to make comparisons or try to define which is the "best" partner, since the concept of "best" will always be subjective and the "best partner" will be the one that is most compatible with your personality and lifestyle..
Therefore, if you want to know if your cat loves you, you should pay attention to his behavior on a daily basis and spend time getting to know his body language a little better, as this way you will be able to identify those behaviours, actions and gestures through which they express their emotions and their love towards you.
But, logically, also you must do your part to win the love and trust of your pussycat. Well, without a positive environment where they can express themselves freely and safely, and without the necessary care to guarantee their comfort and comprehensive well-being, it will be difficult for a cat to develop the necessary confidence to express their emotions and their way of being. If you need help, here are some tips to gain a cat's trust.
Does neutering a cat calm him down?
Continuing with the most frequent doubts about the development of cats, many guardians wonder when they reach their sexual maturity and what would be the best age to spay or neuter a cat, since many people consider that this intervention manages to calm him down. At this point, it is worth noting again that not all cats will reach sexual maturity at the same time, or at the same age, and this may vary depending on their breed, lineage and environmental factors (such as the climate where they live, for example). Likewise, neutered a cat does not always reassure him, since this, as we have seen, depends largely on the development of his personality and character, as well as of lived experiences.
In general, small or medium-sized cats usually experience their first heat between 6 and 9 months of age, but females of large or giant breeds can take up to 12 months to come into heat. jealousy for the first time Similarly, the fact of reaching childbearing age (sexual maturity in physical terms) does not mean that a cat is physically and mentally prepared to go through a pregnancy in optimal conditions, and it is advisable to wait at least until her second or third year of life.
Regarding the best age to spay a cat, it is recommended that the procedure be carried out during the prepubertal period (when the cat reaches about 2.5 kilos), or after having had their first heat during anestrus (period of sexual inactivity, after diestro, which usually lasts between 50 and 95 days). To learn more about this topic, we recommend the following article: "Oestrus in cats - Male and female".
In male cats, the first heat usually occurs later, usually between 8 and 12 months of age. Unlike females, who experience a period of fertility and receptivity, male cats can mate and reproduce throughout the year, at any time, until they reach their 7th or 8th year of life, approximately.
If we talk about the best time to neuter a male cat, the current trend is to perform this procedure around his 4th or 5th month of life. But the specific age of each kitten may vary depending on her he alth status and living with non-sterilized females at home.
The most important thing here is to reinforce that spaying or neutering male and female cats is the most effective and safest measure to prevent unplanned littersand stop the rise of street overpopulation, regardless of whether the animal shows a calmer character or not. Again, we insist on the importance of proper education and dedicating time to our cat so that he feels cared for, develops a balanced character and does not suffer from stress problems. In this way, between one and three years of life, you will have a calm cat by your side who will adore you.
When is a cat senior?
Since we have already pointed out that not all cats show a calm and calm character, your cat may not calm down until he reaches old ageTherefore, let's talk about when cats reach their “senior age”, from which they can be considered seniors, older or elderly. Well, once again we must say that there is no fixed age for this to occur in all cats, since the aging process also tends to vary according to breed, size and other factors inherent to the body of each kitty.
In general terms, we can consider that a cat is senior from its seventh or eighth year of life, when they begin to be noticed clearer signs of aging, such as a calmer or lazier character, more worn teeth and a greater accumulation of tartar, more evident pigmentation in the gums or in the nose, as well as symptoms of some common diseases in cats seniors. However, these signs may become more evident or intense after 10 years of age, remembering that the average life expectancy of cats is calculated between 15 and 20 years.
In this last stage of life, your cat will require a series of special care to preserve its he alth and well-being and, to help you, we share this complete care guide for elderly cats. Also, don't forget to show him all your love and patience, because at this age he will need you more than ever.
