The cat's adolescence from six to eighteen months: what to expect

Adolescence is the phase in which the kitten turns into a young athlete. Growth in height and length slows but is not yet finished, muscle mass increases and energy reaches levels that often surprise those who remember the sleepy kitten of the first months. It is entirely normal for the cat in this phase to seem tireless and at times exuberant.

Wide variation between cats is the rule: large breeds finish developing later, while many ordinary cats reach adult proportions sooner. That is why the ages given are indicative and should be read as a tendency, not a fixed deadline. What matters is recognising that this is a transitional phase, with needs different from both the kitten and the adult.

Most behaviour problems in the adolescent cat arise from energy that finds no outlet. A young, understimulated cat does not calm down on its own: it discharges elsewhere, usually on the furniture, on hands, or by becoming active at inconvenient hours. The answer is not to suppress but to offer a suitable channel in advance.

1. 1

   Schedule daily play sessions

   Set aside several moments of active play each day with wands, toy mice and prey like toys, so the cat discharges its predatory drive in a healthy way.

2. 2

   End play with a small prey to catch

   Let it win by grabbing the object at the end, to complete the predatory sequence, and do not stop abruptly leaving it wound up.

3. 3

   Enrich the environment vertically

   Shelves, tall scratching posts and lookout points give the young cat space to climb and survey, reducing boredom.

4. 4

   Use puzzle feeders and activity toys

   Serving part of the food through toys that demand mental effort tires the cat usefully and slows down one that eats too fast.

5. 5

   Anticipate its active hours

   If it wakes at dawn, move an intense play session to late evening followed by a meal, to encourage rest through the night.

Adolescence is when sexual maturity emerges, and with it a set of behaviours that often catch owners by surprise. It is also the phase in which most owners face the neutering decision, which should be discussed with the vet based on the individual cat.

• In the female, heat cycles appear with insistent calling, restlessness and rubbing, which repeat in cycles until neutering or mating occurs.
• In the male, urine marking with a strong smell, the urge to roam and a greater tendency to conflict can appear.
• The drive to explore and seek mates raises the risk of escapes, accidents and contact with other cats that transmit disease.
• Neutering reduces these behaviours and some health risks, but timing and suitability should be assessed case by case with the vet.
• After neutering the energy requirement drops, so the ration must be reviewed to avoid weight gain.

There is no single rule that fits every cat: the age and method of the procedure depend on development, lifestyle and the vet's advice. What is important to know is that these behaviours are neither spite nor training problems, but expressions of the adolescent's physiology, and that facing them with information rather than frustration leads to better choices.

During adolescence the cat goes through an important nutritional change: on one hand it still has needs tied to growth, on the other it approaches the switch to adult feeding and, if neutered, to a lower requirement. Managing this transition well avoids both deficiencies and early overweight.

The switch to adult food and any adjustment after neutering should be agreed with the vet and carried out with a gradual transition, mixing the new food into the old over several days. Weighing the cat and assessing its body condition at regular intervals lets you correct portions before a small excess becomes an entrenched problem, because young overweight is far easier to prevent than to shed.

The excitement over the adolescent cat's energy and liveliness must not make you forget that this is also a phase to complete prevention and watch for any signals. A young, seemingly perfectly healthy cat can still have health needs to follow.

• Complete and maintain the vaccination and parasite programme according to the cat's lifestyle, agreed with the vet.
• Make sure microchip identification is registered and up to date, because the drive to explore raises the risk of getting lost.
• Watch litter box habits: changes in frequency or difficulty urinating should be reported at once, especially in males.
• Keep handling the mouth, ears and paws to keep the cat used to being handled and to future care.
• Keep an eye on appetite, weight and energy: a marked drop in a young cat is never to be ignored.