different stages of cats life

**toughCookie** · 06-06-2002, 03:21 PM

I was thinking today, about the cats, Cookie included, and the one I had years ago, Lucy, (which now makes 5 cats in my life.)
and thinking about the stages of growing, how each stage is so cute...when they are kittens, they have that big ear look! and that funny walk as they grow, seems that the legs grow before the body can catch up!! especially the back feet, some kittens have huge back feet before the rest of them grow into them...
then there is the time when they learn to trust you, and they start jumping up onto things, which isnt always good, but I am proud of them anyway. I remember when Cookie was finally able to jump wherever Muffin did, it was really cute.

she would jump here or there and have this look on her face , like LOOK AT ME, HAHA I CAN FOLLOW MUFFIN ANYWHERE NOW !
I like the way that they play "bite", when you play with them, but they don't really bite, just show you that they can, its funny.
My favorite is their paws, those little feet, ((of course only when the claws are trimmed well)), that attack as I throw a sheet over them, they all love that, they jump, bite and claw at it and my hands, and the way the use their back feet, in that almost running movement, isnt that cute?
I guess I am cat crazy, but I was just thinking of these things, and the way they look at you when they decide you are ok, and they let you pet them.

I have had Muffin since Nov of 2000, she is 2 years old, my cat Lucy, I had her with me from age 9 weeks old til she was 2, then she disappeared one day, in Ca. (another reason to not let pets out alone I guess)
I am looking forward to seeing all these cats grow older, since I havent had a cat more than 2 years, I hope to have these cats around a long time. I only had Cookie with me 11 months.
I guess I am just hoping they will live long lives, I hear about all these people that have had their cats for years, and I never have had one for very long, dogs, but not cats.
I wonder how much cats really change as they get older?

**wayne0214** · 06-06-2002, 07:53 PM

Tough cookie, I think you have fairly well summed it all up. I only have one older cat, Mama cat, I think she is about 7 or 8 years old. She was the one who came to me 6 years ago, being chased by two large dogs across the yard. She outsmarted the dogs, and I put out some sardines, as that is all there was to entice a cat. She has been with me ever since. As a cat ages, they are like older people, in that they do not wander off, and go into unknown places, but instead prefer to stay close at hand by their "owner", where they know that there will be plenty to eat and can run to safety when necessary (in this case it is on the roof). They also sleep and lay around much more than a younger cat.

The first 6 months of a kitten's life is the most fun to watch, because of their play antics. After they reach about 9 months of age, they could be considered nearly full grown.

**Sara luvs her Tinky** · 06-07-2002, 02:08 AM

AWWWWWWWWW TC What a sweet thread...
I have owned a few cats but I have never gotten to raise on from a kitten. Tinky is my first! I have enjoyed it sooo much. I got her when she was three months old.. I thought that was the cutest stage.. everything was a game.. she was always hopping around doing what we called KOMBAT KITTY and would attack EVERYTHING..!! she is only nine months now and still loves to play but she has settled down a lot in other ways too like now she just loooves to be petted and she purrs soooo loud.

I love the way they play bite and scratch too.... the do it just so lightly so it doesn't really hurt.... arn't they sweet... She will still climb my leg though.... one thing that I looove the most about cats is that crazy look they get in their eye when they want to attack.. then they shake their little bodies and wiggle their butts... anyway Tinky will get that crazy look in her eye and litterly pole climb my leg

those back claws don't feel too good when she is doing that but she is just sooo cute when she does it though then she will let go and run away *lol*. I really liked this thread I miss Tinky being a little baby but I just loooooove getting to see her grow up!!

**toughCookie** · 06-07-2002, 02:29 AM

Sara

tinky is such a cute name! and your Tinky is the same age as my Emma and Louise! (Muffin is 2)
how old is Jupiter?

I also laugh at the kitties when they wiggle their behinds, and their back feet move, waiting to SRING!!

**Sara luvs her Tinky** · 06-07-2002, 02:35 AM

Jupiter is the exact same age as Tinky....
We rescued Tinky from a shelter in December and the vet told us she was three months then.. so I figured her birthday is September.... I figure Jupiter was born in September too because my sister brought him home in october when he was a litter older than six weeks... funny story though... she got Jupiter from my best friend Marcy.. Marcy was supposed to be in my wedding, 5 days before the wedding she called me and said she couldn't be in it because she fell through her ceiling trying to rescue some kittens from the attic and broke both of her legs... Jupiter was one of those kittens.. and now he is mine.. sweet boy!!

**C.C.'s Mom** · 06-07-2002, 04:11 AM

Even though I love to see little kitties (am going to see one this afternoon who's 8 weeks old and came to live with my friend and her older cat yesterday), there's one thing that I love more in cats: them being a bit older and more settled

I love mine just the way they are: peaceful, relaxed, lazy. There's this Otis Redding song that I always sing for them: Sitting on the dock of a bay. Especially the 'wastin my time' part suits them so well.

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 06-27-2002, 11:33 AM

Wow, Sara, that's quite a story about Jupiter and your friend! I'm glad she rescued the kittens, but geeze to break both your legs in the process???!!?! Now *that's* an animal lover!

Tubby and Peanut have been grown for so long now that I hardly remember what it's like to have kittens. I adore kittens and all their goofiness and playfulness. I just love it when they spring straight up in the air for no reason at all, then go tearing off after some imagined foe.

However, I also remember the torn plants and gashes on my arms from Tubby's teeth and claws. Yes, he liked to play rough and since I was the only one around for him to play with, I got it good. All my friends would say "What did you DO to your arms?" I would just calmly explain that I had a little terror cat at home.

Still do sometimes, but now Peanut gets the brunt of it instead of me.

They calm down quite a bit as they get older, but their personalities really start to come through. Tubby is just such a "king of the house" type of cat. He's top cat and he knows it, and you can see it in how he walks through the house like "This is my territory and you better not forget it!" He is demanding and is not shy about telling you when he wants something. Peanut is such a little sweatheart. She is more than happy to let Tubby take the limelight, then she'll sneak up and give you that look, so you can't help but scoop her up and smother her in smoochies.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when they're kittens, they're kittens. As they grow older, they become individuals and you learn to appreciate the little things that make them unique.

**sasvermont** · 06-27-2002, 12:59 PM

Deceased:
1st Cat - Sabrina - Siamese mix 21 years old
2nd Cat - Demian - Tiger (same time as 1st) 18 years old
3rd Cat - Mandy - Abysinnian 13 years old

Currently:
4th & 5th - Graemer & Miley - Abysinnian 1 1/2 years old
6th - Gabe - Ragdoll 4 years old

**Sara luvs her Tinky** · 06-27-2002, 01:05 PM

lol Debbie....
I know exactly what you mean about the scratched up arms!!

T & J are only nine months old now but I can tell they have very different personalities.... Tink is SWEET.... I have never met a cat as sweet as her... she will always stop whatever she is doing if we want to pet her and never wresteles with us when we pick her up... she loves to be around us and PURRRS SOOO LOUD.... AND Jupiter is soooo GOOFY!!!! He loooves to play, just the way he runs through the house you can tell he is just a big goofball... and he doesn't really care to be petted either... sometimes you can get him in the right spot and he will lay down and enjoy it but most of the time he scoots his body real low to the ground and scoots away... lol....

**cutie_chica** · 06-27-2002, 05:04 PM

When I first brought Princess home she wasabout 5weeks old and climbed my new Curtains, And I mean new, I bought them that mornring, than that evening is when I saved her, I brought her home and she ran up the Curtains...from that moment on I knew i had a cat that is a climber, Now she is 2 and she likes sleeping on the boxs stacked up down here in the basement where the comptuer is, but whats so cute now about Princess is, she likes sleeping on the basement stairs during that hot weather because its cooler. Well if you peek around the corner real fast she will Jump up and Hunch her back , and her tail will fluff up real big.... its so cute, and when she gets in the garage, my fiancee chases her around our pool table and she slides everytime she trys to turn the corner,she thinks she is a big kitty and real tough.. but we just let her think that