Your Kitten: 2 Years Old

Mental and Physical Development

Nocturnal Activities Young cats still have a desire to play and explore -- and unfortunately for many homeowners, they love to play at night. If your cat is causing members of the household to lose sleep, there are a few things you can do to help your playful cat rest during the night.

Try to feed your young cat a full meal before you go to bed, and she will most likely sleep for a greater portion of the night. Play with her during the day, especially in the evening hours, and make sure that your young cat has plenty of toys to prevent daytime boredom and restlessness.

As your young cat grows older, these nighttime bursts of energy will likely fade away -- but until, then you may also want to sleep with your bedroom door closed.

Adult Pet Diets Are you feeding your 2-year-old cat the ideal diet? All commercially-available cat foods are not created equal; some are made with inferior filler ingredients. A good feline diet should be easily digestible, balanced with all of the necessary nutrients, and should taste and smell good to your cat.

Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation that is specific to your young cat. Your preference will help your veterinarian make the right recommendation for you. Be prepared to know where you'd like to purchase your cat food. For example, do you want to be able to find it at a grocery store, a pet store, a boutique, or a gourmet pet food store, or would you be willing to drive to the veterinary clinic to purchase your cat food?

Health and Veterinary Care: Symptoms of Illness

Cats have evolved to hide their pain and distress in order to protect themselves from predators, which is why it is sometimes difficult to tell if your cat is sick or in pain. How do you know if you should call the vet? What should you look for?

Weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea or straining in the litter box should prompt you to call your veterinarian immediately. Sneezing, itching, coughing and runny eyes or nose should also be investigated. If you see any lumps or bumps on your young cat, especially in the weeks or months following a vaccine, call your veterinarian.

As your young cat gets older, your veterinarian may want to perform annual blood tests to screen for the onset of older feline diseases, such as hyperthyroidism and chronic kidney disease. Signs of disease in an older cat include weight loss, increased volume of urination or increased thirst, hair loss, dilated pupils, or yowling at night.

Training: Correction of Behavior Issues

When a cat has behavioral issues at two years of age, it will take some time and effort to correct these problems - but it can be done. The most important thing for pet owners in this situation to remember is that positive enforcement is the only method that has been proven to effectively change bad behavior in pets.

Positive enforcement includes pet owners using praise and attention to reward good behavior, while completely ignoring a pet when he behaves badly. Remember to also provide a habitat your young cat that is mentally stimulating and healthy. Behavioral issues most commonly occur when cats are bored or living in a stressful environment.

Bad behavior that is caused by a medical or psychological problem can often be treated through medication and behavioral modification techniques; consult your veterinarian for advice.