His fuzz gives way to a sleek coat. His eyes change from baby blue to mysterious cat shades of gold or green or even ice blue. Yes, your kitten is growing up. And he’s blasting his way toward adolescence.
Physical and Mental Development
During the next few months, your kitten’s deciduous, or baby, teeth will fall out. You might find them in the carpet or in the food dish. Or you might not find them at all. Some cats will swallow them. Don’t worry — this is normal.
You may also notice your plump kitty is becoming a lean, mean cat machine. While he’s still a kitten, and he’ll eat kitten food until about 9 months of age, he’s getting longer and more slender as he matures.
Behavior Changes
Your cuddly kitten is about to get a heavy injection of teenage hormones. And the best way to prevent unwanted parenthood is to spay or neuter your friend before nature takes its course. For males, this can head off the risks associated with roving the neighborhood looking for available female friends, spraying urine to mark his territory and fighting with other male cats. For females, you can prevent unwanted pregnancies and annoying vocalizations associated with being in heat.
Health and Nutrition
At your next veterinary appointment you should discuss spaying or neutering with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will likely recommend this procedure to prevent unwanted pregnancies and improve your pet’s health. Spaying or neutering offers some powerful benefits. For example, for a female cat, spaying can reduce her risk of certain types of cancer, including mammary, ovarian and uterine cancer. And neutering can cut a male’s chance of developing testicular cancer, while it also reduces the likelihood of spraying.