# At what age does a 'kitten' become a 'cat' in terms of feeding definitions?



## coonconnoisseur (Sep 16, 2010)

I notice that food types and feeding instructions differ depending on if the animal is a 'kitten' or a 'cat.'

Can you guys please tell me the exact technical difference(s) between 'kitten' and 'cat,' including the exact age when a 'kitten' becomes a 'cat?'

I would also like to know the distinction in terms of mental ability of the cat. For example, the breeder from whom I am getting 6 month old kitten soon told me, 'she is just a baby.' Do you guys agree that 6 month old kitten is a baby? At what age does a kitten stop being a baby, even if it is still a kitten?


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## swatkat (Aug 21, 2010)

I think it is just like a dog so at one year of age your kitten is now a cat, and six months old it not a baby six months old is more like a toddler because my kitten is six months old and that is how he acts.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

I don't think a 6 month old cat is "just a baby" after all, in the wild, she could have already become pregnant at that age. She's certainly still growing and should be fed the best food possible but in terms of intelligence and maturity, she's more like a teenager than a baby.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Just like humans, there is no such thing as an exact date when a kitten becomes a cat. They mature physically and emotionally at their own rate and it's just a matter of judging their needs.

I agree that a 6 month old is not a baby, more like a pre-teen in my mind.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My twins stopped growing and gaining weight at about 8-9 months, so I figured that was the end of their kittenhood.

How *wrong* I was........ :shock:


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I agree with doodlebug...it all depends on the cat. In addition, certain breeds grow/mature more slowly than others. The "standard" cat conversion age chart (which only provides rough averages) would show that a 3 mth-old kitten is equivalent to a 5-year old child; a 6 mth-old kitten is equivalent to a 10 yr-old child; a 1-year old cat is about 15 in human years; and a 2-year old cat is about 25 in human years. Thereafter, add 4 human years for every 1 cat year. On that basis, a kitten would cease to be a "baby" at or around 2-3 months. That said, I still think of my 29-year old son as my baby (much to his chagrin)! :?


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## teasha (Aug 15, 2010)

Seems you might be trying to decide when to feed adult food? I start my kittens on adult food at 1 yr old.


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