Living with a ‘teenager’ — how to make it work

It’s vital to understand the reasons behind your ‘teenage’ cat’s behaviour, but that doesn’t mean you’re happy for your home and furniture to be wrecked, so it’s important to find a way to provide what your cat needs in a way that works for you too.

“Just like human teenagers, cats will display behaviours such as being hyper or too raucous, causing havoc around the home! They are lively, curious, vocal, and into everything, and this is when we need to try and engage with them to match their behaviours, such as giving them stimulating things to do,” says cat behaviourist and author of ‘Let’s Talk About Cats’ Anita Kelsey.

“It is particularly a difficult period for indoor-only cats that may become very frustrated and bored, resulting in unwanted behaviours such as aggression.

“As with bringing any other species into a home environment, we have to ensure we change our home to suit the specific animal’s needs.

“In terms of cats, this would include climbers to be used like indoor trees, good vertical or horizontal scratching posts, and lots of proper hunting toys to stimulate and encourage mental and physical activity.We also have to watch out for bringing adolescent cats together with more senior cats who will become frustrated with the energy of the ‘teenage’ cat,” says Anita.

RSPCA cat welfare expert Alice Potter also recommends plenty of playtime.“If you don’t want your cat to be running around having crazy energy all the time, then doing things like playing with them every day will help. Providing them with a suitable outlet for their behaviour — giving them something that you’re happy for them to grab on — means they’re less likely to do it on your hands or your furniture.”

It’s not just about wearing them out physically though. Cats need mental stimulation too and this is another reason why playing with them and introducing mentally interesting toys, such as food puzzles, can help.