Are you a new cat owner? 

If so, you must be wondering when your kitten will stop growing and reach her adult size. This depends on various factors but, it is true that cats develop faster than most. 

This means that your little kitten will turn into an adult sooner rather than later. 

That’s sad, right? 

In this blog post, I will answer the question, “when do cats stop growing?” in as much detail as possible and tell you everything there is to know. 

So, let’s get started, shall we?

Just a Matter of Time

Kittens are considered to be adults when they are around 12 months of age. However, there are various factors that help determine when your kitty will stop growing for good. In fact, for some breeds, it doesn’t happen for several years! 

Generally, kittens grow near their adult size around the 1 year mark. 

But, most cats continue growing even past their first birthday, but, it is slower than normal and isn’t nearly as noticeably as it is during the first few months.

Most experts agree cats do most of their growing during the first twelve months of their lives, and some breeds continue to develop until they are around 18 months of age. 

In the case of larger cat breeds such as the Maine Coon, the growth can even continue up until the 4th birthday!

What Changes Occur? A Quick Glance

As your kitty gets bigger during the first year of her life, you’ll notice some change in her behavior which are good indicators that your cat has become an adult. 

When you cat reaches the age of five or six months, they enter their adolescent period which brings with it some behavioral and hormonal changes. 

During this time, kittens may even engage in territorial mating habits which includes  scratching and urine spraying. If you got your kitten neutered or spayed before reaching this period, these patterns may not even be present.

When your kitty finally hits the 1 to 2 year mark, she’ll be a fully matured adult. This period is marked by increased independence. 

Caring for Your Growing Kitten 

To make sure your kitty follows healthy growth patterns, you will need to provide her with the proper nutrition and care. 

You should only feed food specially formulated for young cats to your kitten.

You can introduce adult cat food from nine to twelve months because their nutritional needs change. As your cat begins to grow, you’ll notice they she doesn’t need as much food as she did before. 

But, make sure that you don’t underfeed or overfeed your kitty! 

Summing Up: When Do Cats Stop Growing? 

Most cats stop growing when they are one year old. 

However, larger cat breeds take a longer time to grow and some breeds even keep growing until they are four years old! You need to take care of your kitty’s nutritional needs to make sure that she gets all she needs to grow. 

Have questions? Leave them in the comments, and I will get back to you soon.