How long are cats considered kittens

Most cats are considered kittens until around 12 months of age. Large breeds, like the Maine Coon, can take 18 months to 2 years to reach maturity, though. 

During this period of growth and development, kittens need a complete and balanced kitten food. Once they’ve reached adulthood (according to their breed), it’s time to transition to an adult cat food.  

Can Kittens Eat Adult Cat Food?

Kittens have different nutritional needs than adult cats, so they need a kitten food to support those needs.  

If the food label says it’s formulated “for all life stages,” however, that means it’s safe for both kittens and adult cats to eat.  

When Can Kittens Eat Dry & Wet Food?

Although kittens shouldn’t eat adult cat food before they’ve fully matured, they can begin eating dry kibble and wet kitten food much earlier.  

By three to four weeks, kittens can begin eating moistened dry kibble or wet food. Between six and eight weeks, kittens are fully weaned from their mother’s milk and can eat dry or wet kitten food.  

Why It’s Important to Switch to Adult Cat Food

Kittens experience rapid growth and development, plus, they’re playful and have a lot of energy. Kitten food has higher calories and more protein and fat to support energetic, growing kittens. 

It’s also formulated with DHA to help support brain and vision development, plus vitamins and minerals needed for their developing immune systems.  

Once they reach maturity, cats don’t need the same amounts of those nutrients. Plus, they’re often less energetic, so eating a high-calorie kitten food could result in weight gain.  

When & How to Switch from Kitten Food to Adult Cat Food

Around your kitten’s first birthday (or between 18 months and 2 years for large breeds), it’s time to switch to an adult cat food.  

We recommend transitioning to adult food over a 7- to 10-day period to help avoid any digestive upset. Here’s how: 

• Days 1-2: Serve 3/4 of the normal amount of kitten food and add 1/4 of the new adult cat food.   
• Days 3-4: Serve half kitten food and half adult cat food.  
• Days 5-7: Serve 1/4 kitten food and 3/4 adult cat food.  
• Days 8-10: Serve only the new adult cat food.  

If your cat resists eating the new food, slow the transition and give her more time before you increase the amount of adult food. Consult with your veterinarian for additional tips on making the switch from kitten food to adult cat food.  

For more tips and information on kitten nutrition from our experts, see our Pet Expertise page.  

During 6 months to 1 year of age, your kitten will go through some notable changes although the major developmental milestones may have passed by six months. Your kitten will be more confident and comfortable to freely explore their environments and voluntarily play with other existing pets and you.

Your kitten will start growing into its features and begin to look more like an adult cat. However, that doesn't mean your kitten is done growing physically or mentally, so be sure to continue positively reinforcing good behaviors and gradually transitioning into adult cat food.

At six months of age, your kitten may look like a little adult, but that doesn't mean it has reached its adult size. The basic rule of thumb is that the average-sized cat will gain about 1 pound a month, so at six months of age, your kitten should weigh about 6 pounds with a lanky torso and legs. It may seem a little disproportionate, but your kitten will soon grow into its long legs and body just like a human preteen does.

At this age, your kitten should also have received all of its vaccinations and you should be thinking about scheduling its spay or neuter. While not yet fully grown in size, sexual maturity can occur at six months of age. To avoid having a male kitten that sprays urine to mark its territory or a female kitten that goes into heat, you'll want to get your male kitten neutered or your female kitten spayed as soon as possible. These are routine surgeries that will be performed by your veterinarian.

Baby teeth may still be present, but some kittens will lose them all by the time they are six months old. Some veterinarians will recommend extracting any baby teeth that remain in your kitten's mouth when it gets spayed or neutered.

Still very much a baby, but growing into a young adolescent, your kitten will start to sleep more during the day just like an adult cat does. Expect more than half the day to be filled with cat naps, so try to have a comfy cat bed in your kitten's favorite spot.

When your kitten isn't sleeping, it will still be exploring and playing, but its confidence level will be higher than when it was just a toddler. It will also be more coordinated as a young adolescent and will demonstrate just how social it wants to be with you. Socialization and bonding time has always been important to your growing kitten, but at this age, your hard work will have finally paid off and you may see your kitten starting to snuggle with you voluntarily.

If you have not already had your female kitten spayed and it has spent time with an intact male cat, then there is a chance that your kitten is pregnant. Cats can get pregnant as young as six months of age so it's very important to get your female kitten spayed if you don't want more kittens.

The Spruce / Elnora Turner

Your kitten may start to play more with other pets in your house since its confidence is at an all-time high. Supervision is still a necessity though, as larger pets like dogs can still do damage to an eight-month-old kitten.

Be aware that your kitten is now large enough to attempt counter surfing, it may push items around or off of tables out of curiosity, and it will test the limits of both human and inanimate objects. Setting boundaries and being consistent in any training with your kitten is important. Kittens do not respond to force, so if you are trying to train it to do or not do something, you'll need to use positive reinforcement and patience to get the outcome you want. Verbal praise and tasty cat treats can go a long way in cat training.

By nine months of age, your adolescent kitten is almost full grown and all of its baby teeth should be gone. Teething should cease, but your kitten may still discover how fun it is to chew on things. Monitor your kitten's biting and chewing behaviors closely and make sure they do not get out of hand. Your kitten should never bite a person or other pet unwarranted. If aggressive behaviors start to show, then be sure to nip them in the bud right away and start training your kitten not to bite.

Making the switch from kitten to adult food can occur at any time now. This transition should be a slow one though, and careful thought should go into which adult food you want to feed your kitten.

Be sure to choose a high-quality, meat-based adult cat food for your kitten. Your veterinarian may have specific brand recommendations for you but otherwise, look for a major brand that is formulated for adult cats and has the AAFCO seal on the package. These things all indicate that the food is a good choice. Major food brands have quality control, customer service, veterinarians on staff, and high-quality ingredients. Generic or store-brand foods may have lower quality ingredients and do not provide proper nutrition to your kitten. The food you choose should also list meat as the first ingredient since cats are carnivores.

Slowly mix the remaining kitten food you have with the new adult cat food. Allow there to eventually be more adult cat food then there is kitten food. This transition should take at least a week to decrease the likelihood of dietary-induced diarrhea and during this time, you should also monitor your kitten's appetite to ensure it's still eating the adult food and not just picking out the kitten food.

Almost a year of growth has occurred already and now your kitten is just about full grown. It is sexually mature, eating adult cat food, has received all of its vaccinations, and you are consistently working on its social skills and training. It is equivalent to a teenage human at this point, so while it still has some mental maturing to do, it looks like an adult cat.

At one year of age, most people will now consider your kitten an adult cat. Most cats are full-grown by one year of age, so from here on out, your cat will simply grow mentally. Learning and training never end. Your cat will always explore, make decisions, play, and develop both good and bad habits, and it is up to you to steer it in the direction you would like it to grow. Remember to always use gentle and positive training methods and a good scratch behind the ears can go a long way!

FAQ

• How can you tell how old a kitten is?

  By six months, your kitten will have its adult teeth; this is the most certain way to know how old your kitten is. (They start emerging in the third or fourth month, near their kitten/milk teeth, so the inside of their mouths look a little like a scene from Jaws when it's happening!)

• How do you potty train a kitten?

  Kittens are litter trained long before they are six months old. Worried yours won't be? Carry it to the box, and swish its paw in the litter. Voila! Your cat has been trained.

• How do you introduce a kitten to a cat?

  Slowly! Start by keeping them apart, but gradually introducing them by scent: rub a t-shirt on each, then share with the other. The kitten should be kept in its own room, if possible, or the bathroom. Let them see each other through a slightly ajar door. If there's hissing, that's normal, just close the door and try again tomorrow. If they seem to tolerate each other, gradually open the door further. If not, a pheromone plug-in like Feliway might help ease the tension. Worst case scenario, they will come to tolerate each other. Best case, they will become friends.

Choosing the Best Food for Kittens