Do Cats Go Through a Teenage Stage? Miki's Growing Up

Hi, I'm Dr. Maja! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Miki, the kitten who made me a cat person.

Miki celebrated his 1st gotcha day this year on the 18th of August. A year flown by, filled with great and fun memories, some worries and downs, but mostly just ups. Miki, although still growing, has become a confident and curious adventurer, never up to any good, pouncing, playing, hunting, climbing trees, and following the dogs around. However, one thing has become more prominent: his fearlessness and desire to roam further away from home on his own. Could this just be a phase?

Why Does Miki Roam?

Well, cats do like to roam, especially males if they are still intact and are looking for a female. However, Miki is neutered and his desire to explore seems mainly focused on playing and hunting. There are no cats where we live, or at least we haven’t seen any in the last year, so I doubt he is going out for drinks and a laugh. But, why isn’t he coming back when called or when he sees me moving away from him? And why does he choose to go more than half a mile from home? It has started to worry me a little.

Isn’t That What Cats Do?

Being a stressed cat parent, I tend to procrastinate about Miki’s intentions. Being around a year and a half old, he is getting close to young adulthood. For the last few months, it seems he is braver and more inquisitive. Going for walks is now becoming Miki’s excuse to ditch us. He is keen to join us for our walks, but I know he has his own secret agenda.

As soon as we reach the nearby field full of cattle, little by little, he starts to sneak off. Initially he pounces around and plays, then he finds a hole in the ground or an insect to stalk, and as the dogs pull me further to continue exploring, he slowly gets out of sight. In previous months, he would follow us around meticulously, until we were all back home.

Afternoon Walks Are the Worst

This is now becoming more common in our afternoon walks, as after all, cats are crepuscular creatures, being most active at dusk and dawn. As the night slowly starts to set in, Miki chooses to stay in the field, despite me calling him. He doesn’t venture much farther from there, but it seems that he refuses to come back home.

And I am just too conscientious to give it a few hours and see if he returns on his own. I can track his GPS on my phone, but I start to worry about various wild animals that he may encounter on his way. I tend to walk back down to the field using my headlamp and he happily runs up to see me, as if he hasn’t been absent at all, and it may have been hours. Does he know his way home?

Treats Don’t Seem To Work

Cats are pretty good at navigating their surroundings mainly using their sense of smell. So, although my logical brain says that he knows where he lives since it’s been more than a year, my pet parent brain stirs trouble.

I tried bringing Dreamies and his favorite pâté on our walks. It doesn’t work as well as I had hoped. He will refuse the Dreamies, while the pâté will keep him interested only for a short amount of time.

Maybe Miki Needs a Feline Friend

I keep wondering if he is going through another teenage rebellion stage. Trying to see what lies beyond. Or maybe, just maybe, he is actually bored. The dogs, as much as they try to play with him, are just a little bit too awkward and big for him. And maybe he desires feline company. This has been on my mind for a little while.

Unfortunately, there are so many cats needing homes, so I have made a silent decision to accept the next cat or kitten who comes to me for help. It does carry a risk of pushing Miki further away if he were to dislike the newcomer, but I have a feeling he will thrive with another cat in our home. So, let’s see what the future brings and whether Miki gets a little brother or sister soon.