Do kittens go through teenage stages?

[Silent1CB]

OMG. I've got 2 boy kittens / cats. One just turned 1 yr a few months ago. The other will be 1 yr in August. They were being pretty good about not jumping on counters, and getting down when told to. But in just the past 2 wks, they've done a 180. On the counters. In the windows. I just yelled at one of them to get out of the kitchen sink.

I really don't remember my past girl kitties doing this, but it was very long time ago.

 

[castmemberb4]

My boy kitties definately went through a teenager stage at about the age yours are. The 15 month old has started to settle down some now. Unfortunately we lost his brother at 9 mo to an anuerism. Like you I don't remember my girl kitties going through that stage but that was 15 years ago maybe I just forgot.

 

[Katie's Butterflies]

Like you I don't remember my girl kitties going through that stage but that was 15 years ago maybe I just forgot.

Maybe you've blocked it out

My female cat went through something like that when she was around a year old (11 years ago!). She got into EVERYTHING! Once, I actually had to bring in a parent signed note to school saying my cat ate my homework. She got into my backpack and chewed/clawed all the papers. Her behavior finally stopped (a few months later) when she accidentally turned on the shower faucet while next to it. Poor baby was soaked. She learned her lesson though.

 

[Golf4food]

Both of our females went through or are in a teenager stage around 1 year. The oldest is 2 and past it. The youngest is around 1 yr and is in the middle of it.

 

[Robinrs]

I have a 8 month old kitty who is a TOTAL teenager... a stone cold mess. It beats the toddler stage we barely survived, though.


For comparison and reference, the Cat Bible, a book by Tracie Hotchner, provides the following list:

1-month-old kitten = 6-month-old human baby
3-month-old kitten = 4-year-old child
6-month-old kitten = 10 human years old
8-month-old kitten = 15-year-old human
A 1-year-old cat has reached adulthood, the equivalent of 18 human years
2 human years = 24 cat years
4 human years = 35 cat years
6 human years = 42 cat years
8 human years = 50 cat years
10 human years = 60 cat years
12 human years = 70 cat years
14 human years = 80 cat years
16 human years = 84 cat years

 

[Silent1CB]

In 3 wks, we leave for a 2 wk vacation. I'm very afraid to see what they do to the house while we are gone.

And this is only going to boost them thinking they are allowed to do what they are doing.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

DBF has a female cat (Monster) who is 10 and a male (Dio) who is almost 3. Let me put it this way...he cannot open his windows, or Dio will literally climb the screens. He does try to climb the walls - and the TV, and the wine rack...manages to get up into the little crawl space between the cabinets and ceiling in the kitchen...chases poor Monster around, jumps on her, then gives her the "what?" look when she hisses and swipes at him...or he'll sneak up behind her, wherever she's lying, and poke her in the butt until she goes after him.

And this poor cat doesn't seem to have hit puberty yet. He has the highest-pitched, girliest meow I've ever heard...

 

[Mermaid02]

OMG. I've got 2 boy kittens / cats. One just turned 1 yr a few months ago. The other will be 1 yr in August. They were being pretty good about not jumping on counters, and getting down when told to. But in just the past 2 wks, they've done a 180. On the counters. In the windows. I just yelled at one of them to get out of the kitchen sink.

I really don't remember my past girl kitties doing this, but it was very long time ago.

Is there something missing from your liquor cabinet?

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Are the bad boy kitties neutered yet? I've never had cats but I know that boy bunnies go through a teenage behavior period when they're around 5-6 months old. They get more agressive and start spraying pee everywhere. It's hormonal for them since that's about the age when they're ready to be neutered. I fostered two boy bunnies last year and when they hit that age they got crazy and stinky. I sent them back to the rescue shelter to be neutered and they came back a week later as perfect little gentleman. It takes up to a month for the hormones to calm down completely but these guys changed very quickly. They were so nice that we decided to adopt them. Perhaps your kitties are due for neuter surgery?

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

Yep!! hopefully yours is short lived. Mines going on year 2 of her "teens". Shes driving me nuts with her counter jumping, table sitting and biting.

 

[Silent1CB]

Are the bad boy kitties neutered yet? I've never had cats but I know that boy bunnies go through a teenage behavior period when they're around 5-6 months old. They get more agressive and start spraying pee everywhere. It's hormonal for them since that's about the age when they're ready to be neutered. I fostered two boy bunnies last year and when they hit that age they got crazy and stinky. I sent them back to the rescue shelter to be neutered and they came back a week later as perfect little gentleman. It takes up to a month for the hormones to calm down completely but these guys changed very quickly. They were so nice that we decided to adopt them. Perhaps your kitties are due for neuter surgery?

That was done well before I got them at 5 mths & 9 mths.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

All cats act exactly like teenage girls.

 

[DMRick]

I've got some 11 week old undersized foster kittens right now that are acting like bad kittens. Tonight one of them grabbed an Andy Capp hot fry out of my hand and the other three attacked him for it, like teenagers going after french fries. Growling and hissing, you would think I hadn't fed them today. (by the way, they loved it).

These guys are into everything and are truly the most ill behaved kittens we've every fostered, and we've had over 350 of them.

For the counter, I find a small paint can (very small and clean, never had paint in it, I get them from the lowes) with coins in it, shaken near them keeps them off the counter. Now all I have to do is set the can there.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

omg they sound just like mine!! lol

i have two girls and one boy. the boy was a little deviant from the start, but yeah once he got a little bigger, about a year old, he started getting on the counters and table tops and things. and yes, even in the sink!!

my girls are JUST starting to do it now, tho, and all of them have just turned two.

 

[sunnyday123]

My little girl-who is 2 now but still the size of a young cat-still is. I came home and found her on top of my curtain rod. Don't yell. I did, she jumped, hit my lamp ( broke it ) which hit my table ( nicked it ). I've found her on top of my cabinets with no way possible to get there, INSIDE my sofa lining, and the other day she somehow opened the little door that leads to the pipes for my bathroom. She got under the tub and I had to pull her out by her head.

I've also got a very large puppy going through the teenage stage.

 

[PatsGirl]

Oh good, I'm glad to hear this is all "normal" kitty behavior. We have our first feline and are true beginners With the exception of digging out the insides of several box springs to make his own hide-away, we've experienced no real damage. He does, however, have other quirks like walking on the counter, and biting my toes when I sleep, which are not very pleasant