What to know about your dogs and cats’ teenage phase

Sad but true, dear readers: Our beloved cats and dogs can both go through a roller coaster ride when coming of age, and what’s known as a teenage phase in humans can equally affect our furry friends.

As adults, perhaps all of us can indeed remember those days of not wanting to talk to our parents…wanting to be moody and listen to our records on end, the singer droning on and on about this depressing thing or that. It’s probably at this time that we tend to also start to get into some pretty depressing literature.

Mood swings and a pretty unstable temperament can come along with hitting a certain age, as well as a few physiological changes that are pretty obvious as you enter the realm of adulthood, but as studies show, our pets can have a similar rough time of it.

Now, perhaps you’re not likely to walk into your kitten wagging his tail to the droning voice of Eddie Vedder singing the verses and chorus of “Black,” but you’re likely to see quite a few changes in your cat’s behavior as well as your dog’s.

How do I know when my dog or cat is going through puberty?

According to sciencefocus.com, puberty for a dog in particular can be a difficult time. The big problem is if they happen to be adopted right at this specific time of change, according to the source.

Scientists from the UK studied dogs of varying ages. They studied the behavior of dogs just before puberty and dogs just after, which is reportedly at eight months of age.

The method used to study the difference in behavior was to try and train the dogs, and as it turned out, dogs going through the tumultuous period of time known as puberty, were a lot more difficult to train.

As it turned out, the poor little dudes and dudettes would actually ignore commands outright! Sound familiar?

As for our adorable little kittens, they tend to go through puberty as early as the fifth month of age. A common sign that your kitten is going through puberty outside of the obvious (like marking, which is urination to claim its territory), is the sudden appearance of mood swings, as zooplus.co.uk. reports.

Say a hiss or a bite that’s a tad more aggressive than the playful ones he or she is usually likely to give you. Maybe he or she even, out of nowhere, knocks something out of your hand aggressively—a beloved plush toy—or even something off of a shelf maliciously….

Now some kittens do this all the time, but if it’s out of the ordinary for them, it may be because of puberty.

Another common sign in both animal types is a newfound sense of confidence—also familiar amongst humans.

In the end, yeah it’s a tough time, but that’s why we’re there…to keep them out of trouble and help them know that we’ll be there, no matter how terrible their phase becomes, because we love them and know that eventually, they’ll be cuddling that plush toy and even us when the storm known as their teenage phase passes them by.

Heck, we’ve all been there before, so a little understanding definitely goes a long way.

Any funny stories about your dog or cat during their teenage phase you’d like to share?