The Way of Cats

Cat maturation is a long process. While they may be capable of reproduction below the age of one year, this alone, just as in humans, does not represent the end of their maturation process. Cats continue to grow physically until the age of three or so. They grow, mentally, even longer.

A tricky time in kitten raising is when the cat is entering late adolescence. Early adolescence is characterized by such phrases as “What was that crash?” and represent the kitten’s early exploration of their physical boundaries. Late adolescence is when the kitten seems to calm down, or even become aloof. But this is not what is happening.

moar funny pictures

The cat is now entering the mental growth part of their maturation process. They are pondering the more complicated issues that the development of their frontal lobes makes possible. While all mammals are born with frontal lobes, their full potential is not realized until after adolescence, when the abilities to draw conclusions, figure out the probable outcome of our actions, and weigh moral choices comes into its full flower.

And so it is with cats.

Being cats, they do not start reading philosophy or having long dorm room discussions about existentialism. Their mental engagement is necessarily more internal and confined by their own experience. But they are thinking.

They are considering what they have learned by interacting with their environment, and with other living creatures. They are feeling the call of their own internal nature, which is demanding more self-reliance, more assertiveness, and more dignity.

These are skills that the future solitary hunter will need to make their way in the wild world. Since they are living in our world now, these same drives will have a slightly different application.

Because they live with us, most cats will not be exercising their considerable powers of studying, trapping, and outwitting their prey. They will not be occupied with the tasks of survival. Our caretaking has changed their world so that they are free to consider the new dynamics of our survival. And that is us.

Cats are able to figure things out. They learn cause and effect. They also learn about companionship, compassion, and love. These are the thoughts that are preoccupying our growing kitten, and makes them seem withdrawn and indifferent. But they are not.

They are wondering what is expected of them and how they can respond. The calming down of the growing kitten is not just that they have learned what not to play with. They are absorbing the concept of doing what we ask; simply because we ask it.

RJ is in this stage now. Instead of constantly being around and leaping at us for cuddles and play, he is keeping to himself and staring into space. Our response has been to engage him in ways that are more appropriate to his new station in life. Instead of grabbing him and cuddling him extravagantly, we are petting him with his feet on the ground, and talking to him more.

In response, he is talking to us more. His new tendency is to hang around on the fringes of our activities, waiting for us to invite him into them. He is learning reciprocity.

Our task is to give him openings to respond. A big mistake at this stage would be to consider him less affectionate than before, simply because he is not acting as he did when he was younger. But what he is doing is demanding an adult relationship, one in which we do not take him for granted.

These tactics are paying off for us. Last night he leaped on the bed and spent a half hour purring, rubbing his head on ours, and cuddling with both of us. It was his idea, this time

And we were thrilled by it.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.