Your 6-month old kitten gradually loses their baby-like characteristics and starts to show some attributes of an adult cat. In fact, for some breed, the age of 6 months can be a threshold for a kitten to enter the realm of adulthood.
In other words, some kittens simply become adult cats when they are 6 years old, although there are kittens that don’t become adult cats until they reach 1 year of age or later. You need to be aware of every change that occurs in this stage of their growth and plan the best care accordingly.
6-Month Old Kitten’s Physical Changes
Physically, at the age of 6 months, your kitten will become leaner and gradually lose their baby fat. They are no longer plump and even if they are fat, they barely look chubby like baby. They are also still in the process of losing their baby teeth and gaining permanent adult teeth.
This process, which began around the age of 4 months, will conclude by the time your kitten reaches 7 months of age, when your kitten will have four molars and all adult teeth. For now, expect to find tooth debris in carpet, food, and anything that your kitten bites.
6-Month Old Kitten Behavioral Changes
Your adolescent 6-month old kitten has become more aggressive. Unless you have spayed or neutered them, they will make numerous attempts to attract other cats for mating, including marking places using urine, making “hot” noises, or roaming around the neighborhood.
Your kitten will also starts to see other kittens and cats as rivals. Your kitten has also become more able to communicate with you both verbally and non-verbally,
so you should be attentive when your kitten approaches you, rubs their body against your legs or hands, “speaks” to you, or interacts with you by any means.
If you are attentive enough, you should eventually be able to understand what your kitten actually needs.
6-Month Old Kitten Nutrition
Your kitten has now grown older, so it is okay for you to give them adult cat food; however, protein-rich 6-month old kitten food and kitten food formula are still the most recommended meal for your kitten.
You may want to wait for another month until your kitten gets all of their adult teeth before deciding to give them a larger portion of cat food.
Your are free to choose either dry or wet food. Some kitten loves one over the other, some others love both. Dry food can be left outside for a whole day, but wet food should not be exposed to open air more than 20 minutes.
If your kitten drinks a lot, giving them dry food only is okay. If they drink rarely, eating only dry food may dehydrate them. Take this into consideration.
Medical Checkup for Your 6-Month Old Kitten
Normally, your 6-month old kitten should get their last vaccinations this month, so take your kitten to your vet to get ones. It is important to understand, though, that not all cats are the same.
Your veterinarian will mostly ask you about your cat’s lifestyle and check your cat’s medical records to determine whether additional vaccinations are needed.
How to Litter Train a Kitten
Due to your kitten’s more aggressive behavior, spaying or neutering is almost a must. If you haven’t done so last month or the month before, you should do it now. Your 6 month old kitten also needs a toy that they can use, or abuse, to vent their aggressive behavior.
I am a proud owner of two awesome kittens! I see that they hardly ever finish their small portions of food. I would love to know how to get them to eat more. I have tried three different brands of kitten food to no avail(?). They HAVE CONTINOUS ACCESS TO DRY FOOD!