Adolescence begins at around 6 months – when your cat starts to look and act more like an adult cat but is still growing and maturing. By 12 months, your cat will have reached its full size and be considered a fully-fledged adult! But some large, slow-growing breeds like the Maine Coon take much longer (1.5-2 years) to reach their full size. From 6-12 months your cat will transition onto adult food, have its full set of adult teeth, and have developed into a friendly, easy-going adult cat thanks to the social skills that it’s learnt along the way.

This age range is called adolescence, junior or the teenage years! They become more independent and will start using those hunting skills that they’ve been practicing. Hunting is normal cat behavior and helps to keep them physically fit and mentally stimulated. If you’re worried about your cat terrorising wildlife, you can reduce this by attaching a bell to their collar, doing lots of active play with them and feeding a high protein diet. The only way to fully prevent this behavior (and them bringing their catches home to you!) is to keep them indoors or in a safe outdoor enclosure. Indoor cats require plenty of mental and physical stimulation to prevent boredom and frustration. Continue to reward your cat for acceptable behavior with treats, toys or playtime. Provide your cat with a climbing tree or cat tower to prevent them from climbing and scratching your furniture. Gently remove them from places you don’t want them to go and put them on their tree or tower to encourage them to use that instead. Puzzle toys will help to keep your cat busy and hopefully save your belongings from being damaged. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to deal with unwanted behavior if your cat becomes naughty and destructive.

At around 6 months you can start to change to a junior or adolescent cat diet, but this must be done slowly over the course of a week or two to prevent an upset tummy. Gradually mix in new food to their regular food, starting with 75% old and 25% new, and slowly increasing the amount of new food and reducing the amount of regular food. Your cat will be more likely to accept the new diet if the transition is done slowly. Check the food packaging for feeding guidelines to make sure your cat is getting the correct amount for its age and size. Your veterinarian or veterinary nurse can check their growth rate if you’re concerned. By 12 months of age, most cats can be moved onto an adult diet, following the same slow transition.

By now your cat should be used to a regular grooming session. Keep up with the regular brushing and continue to check their teeth, claws, coat and skin for any signs of a health issue. If your cat’s eyes need a clean, you can wipe them with a clean, damp, soft cloth. You won’t need to bath your cat unless it gets particularly dirty or smelly. Most cats have all 30 adult teeth by the time they are 6 months. Continue to brush them at least 3 times a week to help prevent any dental problems. Kittens may show biting or chewing behaviors whilst teething, so provide plenty of appropriate chew toys.

If your cat was using their litterbox but now isn’t, it's likely something is putting them off. Cats don’t like to share their litter tray, so if you have more than one cat, make sure they have a litterbox each plus one extra. The tray should be kept very clean and be somewhere that is quiet. Try moving the litterbox to another location in your home to see if your cat prefers it there. The type of litter could be the issue, so try a new one to see if it makes a difference, or try a covered litter box for more privacy.

If your cat is displaying unwanted behaviour, do not shout or punish them, just ignore what they are doing or calmly remove them from the source. Continue to give positive reinforcement for good behavior by praising them and rewarding with treats and playtime. They will soon learn what actions are rewarded. As soon as your cat has been neutered, microchipped and vaccinated its ready to go outside unsupervised. If you want your cat to use a cat flat, they may need to be trained to do so. Entice them through it with tasty treats or a favourite toy. If your cat is wearing a collar, make sure it has a quick release clasp so that they don’t get stuck somewhere or injured. Start with short, supervised sessions outdoors, practice calling them in at mealtimes and praise them for returning. Some cats enjoy learning tricks, and you may be able to teach them ‘sit’ or ‘fetch’. Keep the training sessions short and reward with whatever is most appealing to your cat – treats or toys. If your cat just walks away, it's probably not interested!

If your cat has not been neutered by now, it’s not too late. If you’re worried about putting your cat through the procedure, speak to your veterinarian. There are many health and welfare benefits to neutering that include preventing unwanted pregnancies, stopping straying, reducing accidents and disease, and preventing male Toms from getting into fights with the neighbourhood cats.

Cats should have had their vaccinations by now and be due their booster just after they turn one years old. Your cat’s vaccination record will contain all the information you need including when the booster is due, but most veterinary practices send out reminders too. Don’t worry if you don’t have a record of your cat’s previous vaccinations, they can be restarted to make sure your cat is fully protected against life-threatening diseases. You’ll need to continue worming your cat every 3 months and keep up with flea treatments too. Speak to your veterinarian for advice on the best treatments to use. Your veterinarian will also be happy to help with any health concerns you have, even minor issues, so never be afraid to speak to them.