'What a difference!': 8 cats who grew from goofy kittens to meowjestic adults to rule their humans with years of cuteness

Ayala Sorotsky • Writer and Editor

Jul 26, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

Adopting a cat changes the cat's life, but raising a cat for years changes you as well.

I've noticed myself change a lot during the almost-7-years that I've raised my cat (who's healthy, happy, and going on strong… and tries to sit on my keyboard as we speak). And not just because life can change a lot in the span of 7 years, but because of the fact that raising a cat changes you - whether you like it or not. I feel it myself in many aspects of my life.

First of all, the immediate change was the first time I've felt completely responsible for another soul, which, let's be honest, probably prepared me for motherhood better than anything else I've experienced so far (besides actually becoming a mother, of course). But as time went by, I've come to realise I learned a lot more from my cat: I learned to ask for my personal space - because I've seen my cat do it. Personal space is super important to me, but I've not always known how to ask for it. I learned to for "simple" things I needed - because my cat did. She asks, with no shame, when she "just" wants to play, for example. But it's not "just" play; it's a need of hers, and she asks for it.

But raising a cat isn't only about what we've grown into thanks to having them by our side for years. There's also immense joy in watching them grow as well. I remember how tiny my cat was when I adopted her - she was just a month-old, sickly abandoned kitten, with only half her fur on her tiny body. But now? She's the lady of the house, slick and soft, and looking like the princessiest house cat you could imagine.

And that joy in change is shared with a lot of cat pawrents, as evident in these before-and-after cat pictures below. They were taken by purroud cat pawrents who also raise their cats for years.

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"Share your awkward kitten vs your majestic adult cat photos"
Inspired by the recent post where the person felt catfished by the adoption post vs the kitten they adopted, share your goofy kitten vs majestic adult cat pics. Or if it worked the other way around!
(All cats are great regardless of their looks, this is just for fun).
This is my goofy looking kitten Freddie Mercury who I adopted because he was Mr. Charming the day I went to the shelter. He turned into this very photogenic majestic menace of an adult cat.
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Awkward? No. Kitten, yes.
Majestic, absolutely. Adult? Never.
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Parker in 2016…
…thankfully he grew into his ears.
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Adorable little girl into...
... "Draw me like one of your French girls"
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Squid! Our sweet angel boy :,)
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Seventeen years ago, if you can believe it.
Such a dignified gentleman, at his age.
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his whiskers are about as big as his whole self was as a baby! 13 years between photos.
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Senshi - the day I found her
Senshi today ❤️
-HourIndependence813

Beautiful cat! What a difference! She looks so very loved now. You’ve taken such good care of her.
-Annual_Ad8581

Thank you ❤️❤️ Yes she is the ruler of the house with my dogs and is very much loved 🥰
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'What a difference!': 8 cats who grew from goofy kittens to meowjestic adults to rule their humans with years of cuteness

Adopting a cat changes the cat's life, but raising a cat for years changes you as well.

"Share your awkward kitten vs your majestic adult cat photos"

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