Is a 7 month old cat still a kitten
7-12-Month Old Kitten: What to Expect
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Learn moreMost kittens get adopted before they are six months old, meaning that you get to experience the part of a kittens life in which they are 7 to 12 months of age. This is the stage where kittens are self-sufficient but not yet adults. What can you expect during this time frame? At this age, kittens are still small and cute, very active, and beginning to learn how to act like regular adults.
This brief guide will cover everything you need to know about what to expect with a kitten that is 7 to 12 months old, including what they eat, how big they are, when they stop growing, and typical behaviors.
What to Expect With Your Kitten
Diet
At 7 months of age, your kitten will be eating solid foods and will be able to eat a regular diet similar to that of an adult cat. Your kitten can eat either solid dry food or wet food, depending on their preferences. You should feed kitten food at this age and continue to feed kitten food until at least 12 months old.
There are a couple of reasons that kittens between 7 and 12 months of age should be eating kitten food. First, your kitten is still growing and will benefit from the additional nutrients provided by kitten food. Second, the proportions on the bag (or can, or box) will be suited for a kitten rather than an adult cat. Proportion and serving size are important in order to get your kitten all of the calories and nutrients they need without overfeeding them.
| Food Type | Wet or dry (Solid) |
| Feedings Per Day | 2-3 |
| Serving Size | Follow the instructions on the bag or speak to your veterinarian |
You want to make sure that your kitten is eating regular meals without overeating. Their stomachs are still small, so feeding smaller meals more frequently may help ensure they get all the nutrients they need.
Health
Kittens can start taking medications like flea and tick prevention and heartworm prevention around 8 weeks of age. That means that you should have your cat on the appropriate medication for your geographic location and lifestyle. Your kitten should also be getting familiar with their regular veterinarian. Theyll likely have completed their kitten vaccinations, but dont be afraid to set up a wellness check to make sure their growth and development are on the right track. This is also a good time to potentially get put on a wellness plan at your vet or buy pet insurance. Kittens are the cheapest to cover due to their age and overall health.
Your vet will let you know if your kitten is healthy and what to expect next from your growing cat. It is important to bring your kitten to the vet at least once during the time they are 712 months old in order to set them up for success in the future. Also during this time, if it hasnt already been done, most cat owners start thinking about spaying and neutering their cats. Speak to your veterinarian if you have any questions about this procedure.
Size
Kittens aged 7 to 12 months old will typically weigh between 6 and 8 pounds. Kittens typically follow a growth pattern that sees their age in months correspond to their weight up to around 7 months of age. After 7 months, kittens will start to settle into their adolescent bodies, and growth and development will vary from cat to cat.
For example, if you have a particularly small cat, they will grow slower and stop growing sooner than a large breed cat. Around 7 months is when your kitten is going to start developing into their adult body by filling out their frame and finalizing its height. By 12 months of age, your kitten will weigh roughly the amount that they are going to as an adult, or a little less, and will likely be at their final length and height.
Cats baby teeth fall out between 3 and 4 months of age and adult teeth come in soon after. So, by 7 months old, they should have all of their adult teeth. Their eyes should be their final color. Their ears will be upright. They will have full motion and energy to engage in typical cat behaviors.
Activity Level
Kittens 7 to 12 months old will have very high levels of activity. But kittens will not be continuously active. They will play hard for short periods of time and then rest. Kittens can be very playful. Activity will be high-paced and frenetic. Your kitten might get the zoomies or the rips where they run around and get out a ton of excess energy all at once.
In between play, your kitten will likely explore the world, lay in the sun, eat, interact with people and other cats if they are around, and sleep for hours at a time. Kittens will be more active and more energetic than adult cats, but they can also sleep for longer periods than adult cats.
Typical Behaviors
This age is defined by play, high bursts of energy, and general curiosity. Kittens of this age will typically be very playful. They will engage in play with one another, with their owners, or with regular household objects. Your kitten might pounce on your shoes sitting by the door or bat at the bottom of a curtain. Kittens can also be very vocal at this age. They may not cry anymore like they did when they were younger, but kittens aged 7 to 12 months can still meow more than adult cats.
Your kitten will continue to explore the world and learn how things work. They will be looking for patterns in how they are fed, how they are disciplined, and how you behave in certain situations. This will lead them to test their limits and engage in mild mischief.
Sleep Habits
Kittens will sleep a lot. Some kittens will sleep as much as 20 hours per day if they are growing or tired. It is not unusual for kittens to sleep between 16 and 18 hours per day, even at 7 months old. As your kitten gets a little older, closer to 12 months old, they may start to sleep slightly less. If your kitten is sleeping a lot, there is typically nothing to be worried about, especially if the rest of your kittens behaviors seem healthy and normal.
It is not unusual for kittens to engage in short, intense bursts of play and then sleep for 3 to 4 hours at a time. You may find your kitten running around one minute and then sleeping the next minute.
What Comes Next?
Once your kitten makes it through the 7-to-12-month phase, what comes next? The next phase for your kitten is adulthood. From 12 to 18 months, your kitten will stop growing and start to act more like an adult cat and less like a kitten. Your cat may calm down, play less, sleep less, and settle into a more regular routine. 12 months of age is considered the unofficial end of kittenhood for most breeds, and by 18 months, your cat will be considered an adult by most people.
Cats are considered to have four stages of life. Kitten is the first stage that your cat is in now. The other phases of life are early adulthood, mature adult (or mature cat), and senior.
Stages of a Cats Life
| Stage | Age |
| Kitten | Birth 1 Year |
| Young Adult / Early Adulthood | 1 6 Years |
| Mature Adult | 7 10 Years |
| Senior | 10+ Years |
Conclusion
This is by no means an exhaustive guide, and any questions or concerns should be raised with your veterinarian. Kittens at this age are a lot of fun, have a lot of energy, and can be both a joy and a handful. Make sure you bring them in for a check-up, feed them quality kitten food, and allow them to explore and learn to their hearts content.
Featured Image Credit: OrangeGroup, Shutterstock
Very aggressive play biting in 7 month old kitten
It's a very difficult situation and dangerous for you, but your cat is old enough to understand rules. They are incredibly clever creatures and keep learning until their senile years. Hopefully being extremely firm on some points will work.
As far as I have read, there are 5 instances of him biting, and I think you have to end all of those instances so that he learns there is absolutely no biting allowed.
1-Scruffing: minish bit or scratched me whenever I tried to scruff her. I learned quickly. Since I got her message, I never scruff her as a message
. If I have to immobilize her I throw a towel etc on her and make a cat burrito.
2-Getting him out of the fridge, bathroom etc.: you can use something to put distance between your body and your cat, like pushing with a mop. If it's not necessary, I don't recommend moving the cat out. It's important they feel they own the territory. Minish used to climb in the fridge, after a couple of times of 30 min. locked in the cold shelf, she knows better. And I got used to sharing my bathroom time with her. Beats being alone
3-Petting: If biting occurs randomly, don't pet your cat. there are other ways to share affection. If it happens with a cue or some instances, don't pet on those occasions. Minish bites or runs away if I pet her playful or agitated moods. If her ears are pointed to the side, if she is active and has saucer eyes, I don't pet her. The ideal time is relaxed and about to nap. Even then, never hind legs or paws.
4-Fun or playful excitement. Your cat must learn fun ends whenever he bites, while he has oulets to let out his energy. I got minish when she was kittten and she prefers playing with me, not on her own. For a time, attacking me was a lot of fun for her. My advice is don't ever play with him or show any kind of affection if he bites. Any time minish bit me, I walked away. I made the timeout, spent time in another room. Re-entered without making a fuss. She didn't follow me though, I don't have an answer for that. For bunny kicking, I provided her plush toys, but she always preferred biting my arm instead of the toy. No more plush toy games.
5-During your sleep. Don't let your cat in the bedroom when you sleep. Minish got bedroom rights only when she was one year old, long after she learned to behave.
My experience with minish is, she learns I don't want something quite fast (about a few times, in a week). It takes more time for her to accept it. If i keep firm, in a couple of weeks. Patience and consistence solved many issues like this: keeping claws and teeth in while we play, not jumping on my back when I kneel down, not biting or licking my hair..
6 Month Old Kitten Guide
A 6 month old kitten is at a rewarding and fun age, but they can also cause a fair amount of trouble for their families! As they enter the notorious teenage phase, youll find their activity levels and playful saw, and the claws and teeth come out at unexpected moments. Fortunately, they are usually loving too, curling up on your lap like little angels after causing an hour of chaos.
Contents
By this point, your kitten will be much bigger than he was when you first brought him home. But, their exact size will depend on the breed you have. They may start to go through puberty, and have often reached their sexual maturity.
6 Month Old Kitten Appearance
Whether youre trying to figure out exactly how old your cat is, or just wondering what they will be like at 6 months old, cat appearance is interesting! So, what should a cat look like after their first half year of life?
As a general idea, your 6 month old cat will be looking much more adult than when you first brought him or her home. By this age, your cat will almost be at their adult size. Their coats will be shinier and more cat-like, as they have lost their kitten fluff.
Its possible your cat could look a little lanky at this stage, as they havent quite finished growing into their long limbs! But remember, even though they look much more adult, they are still kittens. Cats generally arent considered adults until they reach one year old.
6 Month Old Kitten Size
Weight and size is another common curiosity for most cat-owners. But, this too will have some variation between individual cats. The average cat will gain around 1 pound a month of weight. So, by 6 months old, the average kitten will weigh around 6 pounds.
If youre worried that your cat is not a healthy weight, the best person to speak to is your vet. They will be able to consider your kitten as an individual, rather than just estimating for cats in general.
Smaller cat breeds such as the Cornish Rex and Singapura may weigh less than 6 pounds at this age. Their growth will start to slow at this age. But bigger breeds, like the Maine Coon and Savannah cat, may weigh more than this 6 pound average. They may have a lot more growing to do!
There is a huge amount of variation, even among single breeds. So dont worry if your cat is a little off this average, as long as your vet confirms their health.
6 Month Old Kitten Temperament
6 month cats are starting to enter their juvenile, teenage stage. This means their temperament might be about to change! You may find that your kitten starts to get a bit more attitude than they used to have!
Their temperament may also change if you choose to get them spayed or neutered at this age. But we will talk more about this in a moment.
Your six month old kitten will be playful when they arent enjoying a cat nap. So, its a great idea to invest in some cat toys! If you have socialized your kitten well, they may also now be extra interactive with you. They may start to initiate cuddling sessions, which is a wonderful way to bond.
6 Month Old Kitten Sleeping Patterns
Your kitten will be acting more like an adult cat and less like a baby. This means they may start to sleep more during the day. Dont worry if you see them lounging around a lot more. This is completely normal! Its a great idea to choose some comfy cat beds for your kitty to sleep in during the day.
Veterinary Visits and Vaccinations
Cat vaccination schedules may vary a little depending on where you live. Vaccines will protect your kitten from nasty diseases like cat flu, feline parvovirus, and feline calicivirus. In the UK and USA, your kitten should have had all core vaccines by the time they are 4 months old. So, make sure to speak to your vet if this hasnt happened.
At six months old, your kitten may receive a booster vaccine. Although, many boosters wont happen until a year after their initial vaccines. Non-core vaccinations may only be given to your kitten if their lifestyle requires it. Perhaps more relevant at 6 months of age is spaying and neutering your cat.
6 Month Old Kitten Spaying and Neutering
If you havent already, you should consider neutering or spaying your 6 month old cat. Spaying and neutering is mainly important because it helps to control the cat population. But it can also have health and behavioral benefits to your individual cat.
Traditionally, many vets recommended waiting until 6 months to neuter or spay your cat. But, some now suggest it is possible and better to sterilize your kitten earlier.
Some cat breeds are capable of reproducing as young as 3 or 4 months old. But they of course arent allowed outside until their vaccinations are finished. So, if you havent already, 6 months is a great age for you to discuss spaying and neutering with your vet.
Signs of Sexual Maturity in Kittens
There are some signs to look out for if you think your cat is approaching sexual maturity. Male kittens may start to spray urine to mark their territory. This can result in smelly furniture! Neutering male cats may stop them from travelling further and further from home to find a mate. So, it can be a good option to keep outdoor cats safer.
Female kittens are likely to have their first heat cycle in their first 6 months of age. This is a cyclical process in which heat can last for several days.
Your cat can get pregnant when they are in heat. But, female cats can also be spayed during heat. So, speak to your vet if you think it is the right time to spay your female cat.
Time For Teething
Some cats will still have a few baby teeth at 6 months, but others may have lost them all. You might find baby kitten teeth around your home as your cat sheds them. But many cats just swallow them!
However, if an adult tooth erupts and the baby tooth in the same spot is still hanging on two weeks later, the most up to date advice is to extract it sooner rather than later. But, many cats dont finish getting their adult teeth until 7 months old.
6 Month Old Kitten Food
How much to feed a 6 month old kitten will depend on the breed you have and their size. Try to be guided by the packet, and by looking at your cats shape. Cats this age should still be eating a food specifically designed for kittens. All cats are obligate carnivores. Kittens need a high fat diet with plenty of real meat.
Check with your vet if you are worried you arent feeding your cat the right amount. And take a look at our feeding guide linked at the end of this article for more information on the best kitten food for your 6 month old.
Advances in Grooming and Handling
Its important that you continue to handle your kitten, and keep them used to experiences like grooming. Doing this will mean that in the future you will find it easier to groom your cat when you need to. Some cats have more intense grooming needs than others. Those with longer fur might need more grooming care as they get older! But, handling is always important so your cat is used to being held.
This can also be important for when you need to check your kitty over, in case anything is ever wrong with them.
