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Calling all the cat lovers! Get ready for a portion of wholesome pictures featuring kittens who turned into full-size versions of themselves. A social media group called “Cat Grows” shares images uploaded by its community, the cat owners, who want to show how their little kittens grew up. Other than photos, "cat parents" share some heartwarming stories about their fluffy companions. Some of them are very touching, one more time proving how much the lives of some poor rescue kittens may turn upside down thanks to their humans.

The page publishes multiple new posts daily and already counts over 100k active members. Today we have selected the “then and now” images from the most recent posts from “Cat Grows” that we hope you will love. You can click here if you want to see our previous Bored Panda post with “From a baby kitten to Mr. Cat” photos.

More info: vk.com

Bored Panda reached out to Julia, an admin of the “Cat Grows” group, to find out about this community. First, we asked how the idea for this social media page came about. We wanted to know what inspired Julia to create a community specifically dedicated to showcasing cat growth. She shared with us: “I was inspired to create 'Cat Grows' both by my own cats and also by sentimentality, which needed material for contemplation. Maybe you know this touching feeling when you accidentally find a photo of your pet when he was small? I often looked at old photos of my cats, noticing features that have been transformed over time or remain unchanged. But there were too few photos... How about asking strangers to send me pictures of their pets? Sounds like a plan! So this is how the community was created, to satisfy my curiosity.”

Next, we were wondering what criteria the administrator of “Cat Grows” uses to select and approve the before-and-after photos of the cats shared by its members. Julia told us: “One of my principles is not to refuse to publish if the entry does not violate the rules of the community. This causes long queues for publication, but it is better to wait than to be rejected. So there are no criteria, I am grateful to every participant who shares photos and stories with me and with the community.”

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Asked if she noticed any common trends or patterns in the growth of cats shared in the group, Julia answered: “All kittens have blue or gray eyes, which acquire their color after 4 months. Breed features are also there: for example, cats of the Thai breed are usually significantly light at a young age and gradually darken with age. The color may change completely, so sometimes it's hard to believe that this is the same cat.”

“In general, the community is dedicated to all living organisms that change over time. We often have dogs and rodents, foxes, cows, reptiles and even houseplants have been published. The passage of time is as much the main character of our community as cats.”

Then, we were interested in what kind of response and engagement Julia has seen from the members of the "Cat Grows" community and how she encourages active participation and interaction among the members. The admin said: “We have a great active community. People show photos of their pets growing up, lovingly talk about their character, and discuss how beautiful other people's cats are. I don’t have moderators, because there are almost no negative comments in the comments: a clear confirmation of the hypothesis that cats make people kinder.”

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#9

New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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Nay Wilson
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh, she’s beautiful 🙂 she’s the spitting image of my cat, Trudy

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Julia continued: “In our difficult historical times, it is important for people to find themselves in a safe space in which there is nothing but warmth, comfort, and boundless care. In addition, consistent photos of the growth of cats make sure that nothing stands still and inspires confidence that dire things are not eternal.”

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New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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Bonesko
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how this cat permanently looks like they think they left the oven on

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Lastly, we asked if the admin noticed any interesting or unique stories behind the growth journeys of certain cats shared in the group. We asked Julia to share some heartwarming or remarkable anecdotes that have been shared by the cat owners. We found out that: “Now more than 16 thousand publications have been published, and it is difficult to single out anyone among them. Most of all, the stories about the sick street kittens that gradually gain self-confidence, get fatter, and become the owners of the apartment are catchy. I seriously think this is the best content on the internet.”

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New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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Lakota Wolf
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Pointed" cats (such as Siamese) are born very light-furred, sometimes nearly white. Their "points" darken with age, which is why this kitty's paws, tail, ears, and face are much darker in color than they were when it was a kitten :)

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Nay Wilson
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

‘Ok, my inspection is done, all is well, you may proceed with washing your clothes’

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Lakota Wolf
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Standard Issue Cat :D (what some cat owners affectionately call brown tabbies)

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JewishPunnyBunny
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10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Looks like one of my parents' cats, Bear! He's a floofball as well!

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New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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Shyla Bouche
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Someone is fed up with the soft can-opener. Very understandable.

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New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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Pancake_Pansexual_Panda
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the second picture: HOW ARE THE ADORABLE EYES SO BIG??? IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE A FILTER WOW!

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New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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Saturn The Furry
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does anyone know what kind of cats these are? I’ve seen them all over and have never known. 😔

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Lakota Wolf
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She is a dilute tortoiseshell - that's the fur color/pattern, not a breed :) Breed is likely Domestic Shorthair.

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New “Then And Now” Pics Of Adorable Kittens Turning Into Majestic Cats, As Shared On This “Cat Grows” Group

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#38

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Tesseract (she/they)
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s so cool to me how the fur markings don’t change one bit in all these pictures! Besides the eyes of course

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Tesseract (she/they)
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10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m so jealous! My cat gets too comfy outside and always tries to run away. He’s a kitten btw so he doesn’t know better

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