# How did your cat's personality change?



## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Hi all  

Just curious if you've observed any changes in your cat's/kitten's personalities over the time you've had them? 

I've read that kittens can become calmer as they grow to adulthood, sometimes less affectionate.. I am wondering what everyone's experiences are  

My 9 month old Aggie, used to be very sweet, now is a little terror hehe. I love her to bits no matter what, but it is getting painful being scratched and growled at! Even the vets noticed her change in demeanor. I hope and pray she will calm down a little as she matures!


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## Augustine (Nov 27, 2014)

My kitties have always stayed almost completely the same during their transition from kittenhood to adulthood (and seniorhood, for that matter). Sans the excessive kitten-playfulness, of course.

I've often heard of the "they become less affectionate" thing too, especially with females. But I've never had that problem with them or any of my other cats.


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## Jenny bf (Jul 13, 2013)

Lulu changed more when we got Kiki than from kitten to adult, although we got her when she was a about 6 mths. She became less scared of everything but she is also our love bug and would be carried and on your lap all the time which she wasn't so much like as a kitten. Kiki is still affectionate but in a different way from as a kitten in that she still loves a cuddle but not a lap cat, but loves to sit by you. She is totally in love with lulu so will go wherever she is. I think Maggie is still young enough to get her to stop or at least reduce the scratching. The growling I don't know how to stop at all.


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## meggie (Mar 13, 2014)

I haven't noticed any change in either of my two cats. I got them both as very young kittens (sisters from same litter). They will be 3 this fall and are still playful and affectionate.


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## DebS (Jun 14, 2015)

My Amelia is still so young that I'm just hoping she will calm down a bit with age. My last cat, Sabrina, was extremely timid as a kitten and became more and more outgoing the more she aged.


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## littlecatblue (Sep 3, 2013)

I had a really bad experience with a kitten, which makes me never want to get another again. While at the rescue, the kitten was sweet and open. She let us hold her and sat at the front of the carrier when we decided to take her home. 

Then she hid under the bed for three weeks and hissed at the children for six or seven years. She was a horrible cat! 

Then we moved, and I had my sister watch my cats for a few months while we got settled. Otis ran away and that scaredy cat hid in the basement for three solid months! I thought she was lost forever. 

We eventually got her back and she is a different cat. She doesn't hiss at the children all the time or hide as often. She is out and present more. The doc said she would get more bold as she got older. She is about 10 now, so that is older.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Mine didn't change much, really the biggest change was their reaction to strangers. Willie used to be very outgoing and social with unfamiliar people, Neko would run and hide. But as they got older Neko became much more of a social butterfly and Willie, while not overly scared, just wants nothing to do with strangers and avoids them. 

They also don't follow me quite as closely as they used to. They were like dogs for a while, if I went into another room they followed. Nowadays if they are resting and you leave they stay right where they are, nap time is more important now. Sometimes they'll go into a different room from where I am to sleep. If they're awake they'll still follow or if they wake up and you're not there they'll still go find you, but they're not quite as clingy as they used to be.

What really changed Neko was getting Willie. He became less playful and affectionate after we got him. He did eventually get his affectionate nature back, but never became as playful or quite as...carefree.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

MowMow came as a 4 year old so his personality was set. 

Neelix and Book did come to me as babies. Neelix was a *VERY* affectionate kitten... then he became a teenager and mommy kisses became corrosive. He stayed like that until about a month ago. Now I've gotten my sweet lovable boy back. He's still a holy terror but he's back to being a love bug at the same time. So, about 15 months old he went back to being my kissable boy.

Book isn't into kisses and hugs like the other two. He likes to be near and get pets... he was like that as a kitten and he's still like that. Now he's just more persistent about it. I think he's learned that with the other two being so needy and wanting constant hugs and kisses he needs to be pushy to get his mom attention.


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

Nala has changed in the last year. She has always been, and continues to be my super playful, super athletic cat. Ever since I had her, she claimed her space on my lap almost as a sign of her royalty more than her affection. She liked being petted, but would soon jump off and play. In the last year, she has become an extremely affectionate cat, with lots of head butts and loving snuggles. Her kidney health has been holding steady for the last year and a half at about a stage 2 CKD, but I often wonder if her decreased level of health has to do with the affection - either from feeling poorly or an instinctual realization that she will need care. Or maybe more likely, she just is finally getting used to me. LOL


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## skyrun (Dec 9, 2014)

My two oldest (both 8) have retained almost the exact same personalities as when I got them as six week old kittens. My house feral (who is about 3 now) has, in the almost two years we've had her, decided that she hates any cats she doesn't already know. Which is bizarre, because when we got her she loved other cats, and would happily approach any that she didn't know, and absolutely adores my older two. But if we try to introduce her to a new cat now (like our foster cat or our kitten) she flips out. 

Definitely seen a huge change with my kitten, Tilly. He was a bottle baby and pretty bratty for several months. He could be very aggressive and attack hands/feet, and would constantly attack our other cats. Most of the time we couldn't pick him up without him latching onto our arms or hands, and he was only sweet when he was sleepy or at bedtime... which was when he'd snuggle into my arms and purr non-stop. Now, at about five months, he's become a sweet little guy. Likes to be picked up and loves to give/get kisses... he'll even turn his face up for 'kisses' and put his paws gently on my face. The strange thing is that he doesn't really crawl into my arms at night anymore. So he's sweeter by far, but less snuggly.

Cats. They're weird.


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## G-PEG123 (Feb 20, 2014)

My Lucy used to be affectionate but wild/always playing kitten. Now she's afraid of things, doesn't want lap or holding but does come by to be petted. I feel like recently she's becoming a little more affectionate. She sits close by, sometimes even on the back of my tv chair. So maybe there's hope! She's about 1.5 years now. She likes to play catch and fetch with her ball!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

I think many cats get back to their affectionate kitten ways, after their adolescent phase when there are way more interesting things around than you. Margaux and Celia were both about 1.5 years old when I adopted them so I don't know what they were like as kittens or teenagers. Margaux was never a lap cat and didn't like petting, but she was my dog cat - always waiting at the door for me and always wherever I was. As she got older, while she didn't become more affectionate per se, she wanted more attention from me. After she went blind, she sought reassurance from me much more frequently.

Celia, about the most skittish cat you can imagine, has actually gotten bolder over the years. Now when the doorbell rings, a stranger comes in, it starts thundering, or there's a weird noise, she doesn't automatically run under the loveseat. She'll hang around for a little bit to assess the potential danger. She sat on the back of the couch for the duration of the exterminator's visit last time. Nearly fell over. Then again, the exterminator really likes kitties.


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

It's hard to say if my first cat, Ellie (who is now 2 years old) changed as she matured... or changed when I finally got her a friend, my second cat Tootsie, to finally end her boredom!  When I did so, she stopped all of her obnoxious/boredom fueled negative behavior and became an angel. However, she was also at the 1 year mark when we got Tootsie...so it could've been a mixture!

Tootsie, on the other hand, has the EXACT same temperament as she did the day I first visited her at the breeders at 6 weeks old.  The day I met her, she was sweet, sassy, and smart. She was also a huge cuddle-bug, and let us hold her forever. She has been that way since day 1. Now that Tootsie is 1, I've noticed she has become more of a lap cat. Her and Ellie are velcro cats - always near us and super loving. But neither were big "lap cats". I notice the older they get, the more they become lap cats. 

To sum it up...my girls have both mellowed out slightly, but are as sweet and loving as ever. They've always been loving and attached to us, but are now even more snuggly and are huge lap cats now! They also sleep with us every night, through the entire night.


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## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

G was always a friendly, outgoing, curious and a love bug from the get-go as a young kitten. He purrs a lot when he's happy, and you can pretty much tell how he feels just from looking at his face. He's been the same during the almost 2 years I've had him, perhaps a bit more adventurous cat that tends to jump on counters and high cabinets as a teenager, but still a love bug and always curious.

Maya has always been more of an play cat. Always loves her toys as a kitten and even now, interactive or not. She was also better coordinated and a high energy cat when it came to wand toys, too. Takes a bit more to wear her out. If she were a barn cat, she'd never go hungry; would be very successful in catching her prey! She was much less affectionate than G as a kitten, doesn't like to be carried or held still, but at least tolerates it better now. She still just _barely_ rubs her tail against me while I make their meals. However, these days she's my alarm clock...wakes me up with meows, trills, and wants to get under the covers with me to get affection and purrs a lot more. I think she's finally warming up to think I'm more than a food source.


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## TranquilityBlue (Nov 13, 2014)

When I got Jasper the only things that existed in his world were eating, playing, and sleeping. He had no time for cuddles, pets, or even for sitting still really. Taking pictures of him was really difficult for this reason.  He to this day will still run around like a madfluff every once in a while, but he's so much mellower now! He also loves to be held and has a specific meow for asking. A surefire way to get him purring up a storm is to pick him when you hear it! 

Spot was 4 when he came home, so I guess he's always been a lovebug. He's very playful too! While Jasper prefers mouse toys, Spot is all about Da Bird and similar things!


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## evince (Mar 9, 2015)

Wow! Thanks so much for everyone's shares  It's lovely to hear all your experiences. Indeed, cats are weird, but unique and lovable in all their funny ways.


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## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

Our Milo was an 8 week-old dumpster kitten. He was affectionate from the beginning and still is. He lays on his back and still loves tummy rubs. One thing that never changed is that he eats all of his food at one sitting because he was used to having to eat whenever he could.

Our Toby was a 6 month-old shelter kitten. He was very destructive in the beginning because he liked to play with everything, but now he has settled down. He is still curious and in our business. He leaves some food because he was used to regular feeding at the shelters, never afraid of where his next meal would come from. He was a love bug from the beginning, curling up in our laps upside down, and he still is at 2 years old.


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## sbg (Aug 16, 2015)

Two have stayed the same. My rescue cat, Abe, is a total ham with me and was always a smidge shy around others, until I bought a house and moved. My friends arrived early on moving day and I hadn't had a chance to put the cats in crates and in bathroom. He fa-reaked out. Big time. Ever since then, he is such a scaredy that he often runs and hides at the sound of the door opening and will only poke his head around the corner until he's sure it's just me. 

Company? Forgettaboutit. He hides. He also apparently pees when terrified - learned that on Independence Day when the neighbor kids set off firecrackers. He was hiding in his safe spot - my bed! Poor cat.My sister came to visit me and it was three days before he came up from the basement.


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## salspal (Aug 20, 2015)

Well, I'd definitely say Sal is currently in his 'teenaged' phase. When I first got him, he was pretty curious and mischievous. That started to amplify around June. He used to sleep through the night in bed with me, but now I can't even get him to get in bed with me because he wants to get into everything, especially when the lights go off. I've started locking him out of my bedroom, otherwise he tries to destroy my bed and he'll knock books off my bookshelf/try to destroy them while I'm sleeping. 

I miss when he used to sleep through the night with me. He used to jump on me every morning at about 6am. Now he starts knocking on my door around that time, sometimes earlier. I would rather be woken up to morning snuggles like when he was younger.


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## tweeters (Jan 12, 2014)

I got my brother/sister pair as tiny 6 week old kittens (rescues) and they are turning 3 years old next month.
My girl, Rosie, has always been the calmer of the two, but has gotten less snuggly as she's gotten older. She still likes to be picked up and snuggled in the mornings, but doesn't sit on laps at all. She will occasionally sit on my chest if I'm reclined enough. When I first got her as a very young kitten, she slept near my head every night and generally just wanted to be near me. She's much more independent now.
Her brother, Jack, was the opposite. Never sat still, was always getting into things and in general preferred to be played with as a form of attention. Now he is super snuggly and will almost always find me and sleep on my feet or lap if I'm watching TV or reading. He sleeps on my legs every night and doesn't get out of bed until I do. He was not like that at all the first year of his life.
Although their core personalities haven't changed (Jack is still wild and crazy, Rosie still sweet and sort of "proper"), their snuggliness has pretty much flip-flopped. Lucky for me though, because I love a good snuggly kitty!


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## TranquilityBlue (Nov 13, 2014)

One change I noticed with Spot since I adopted him is that he has gradually grown into an 'orbit kitty;' this is to say if I'm home he's always orbiting around me somewhere in my immediate vicinity  

For example, if I sit on the couch, he usually wants to sit right next to me, or right behind my head half on the top of the couch and half on the windowsill. If I get up to go to the bathroom he'll hop down and go right with me. Going into the kitchen or my bedroom? Same thing! I've heard Manx like many cats can get very attached to their humans, but my other cat Jasper is also like this and I've often wondered if Spot sort of picked up on this from him. Who knows!  Either way, whenever I'm home I'm always being orbited by my two fluffs!


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## vlapinta (Apr 29, 2015)

Crisco is only 7 months old but when I first got him he always wanted to be picked up and held. Then he turned 4 months and every time he saw me he would run and hide. He did not want me to pick him up at all. He is a very curious cat and is always checking something out. Now at 7 months he will follow me everywhere I go, and he likes to lay close by. He will jump on me if I am laying down, and he purrs so loud he sounds like a motor. He is getting more affectionate. I think he is learning, as time goes by, to trust me, and feel comfortable with me.


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