If you’ve got yourself a new kitten, you’ve probably noticed that they’re growing so quickly before your eyes! Growing at such a fast rate, you’re probably wondering when do cats stop growing.
Read on to find out all you need to know about cats growing!
When do cats stop growing?
Many factors can affect when a cat stops growing. But, in a general sense, cats stop growing between 6-12 months old. After this, they can get bigger but it’s likely that they will be fat rather than growing up.
How much fat a cat adds to their size depends on its lifestyle!
Can you tell how big a cat will get?
With factors such as breed, gender, diet and number of siblings, you can get some idea of how big a cat will be. Let’s have a look at these factors:
Gender
Like most animals, male cats are typically bigger than female cats. Generally, both male and female cats weigh between 3 to 6kg and stand about 8 to 10 inches high (measuring from paw to shoulder).
Fun fact: unneutered male cats typically develop big cheeks due to testosterone. This causes a rounder and larger face which displays physical fitness to other females and males. If your male cat grows chubby cheeks, this is probably why. Remember to speak to your vet about neutering!
Spaying and castrating
Neutering (spaying or castrating) your cat can have some effect on adult body shape and size. The timing of neutering also has an influence. For example, male cats that are not neutered until after sexual maturity will usually be larger than those that are neutered at a younger age.
Diet and lifestyle
Cats can still grow after they’ve reached their peak but it’s more likely to be fat. Felines that eat too many cat treats or more food than is recommended can pile on the pounds.
Pair this with a sedentary lifestyle (moving about less than is recommended) and your felines are more likely to grow wider. As cute as chubby cats look, we don’t want cats to be obese as this can cause many health issues. Keeping your cat fit with exercise is important to keep them in shape. Always check with your vet if you have concerns about your pet’s weight.
Cat breed size
Of course, how big a feline grows depends on its breed and where they originate from! We’ve put together a list of cats in the UK who don’t grow too much and cats that grow to be even bigger.
Some breeds look similar to their kitten selves all their lives, such as:
- Singapura – adult females weigh as little as 1.5kg whereas males can weigh just 3.5kg. They only grow to about 6–8 inches. These little felines come from Singapore – hence the name!
- Munchkin
- Devon Rex
- American Curl
- Cornish Rex
On the flip side, some cats are naturally big. With these big cat breeds, it doesn’t change when cats stop growing – it will probably be around the same age range of 6-12 months. The difference is, they’ll usually start off as a bigger kitten, which means a bigger cat! However, the largest cat breed, Maine Coon cats, can take up to 4 years to stop growing. Some of the other big breeds are:
- Siberian Forest – females weigh between 5 to 7kg and males weigh between 7 and 9kg. They stop growing at about 12 inches tall.
- Bengal
- Ragamuffin
- Turkish Van
- Ragdoll
- British Shorthair
- Pixiebob
How to tell if a cat has stopped growing
The best way to know if your cat has stopped growing is to measure them. By doing this each month, you’ll be able to note changes in weight, height and even width (usually by the shoulders and hips). Without doing this, you might not even notice how much they’re growing!
Who is the heaviest cat in the UK?
The owners of Paisley were searching up ‘when do cats stop growing?’ because this furry friend grew to be 9.5kg! Paisley was fed a lot and as an indoor cat, didn’t move around much. Because of this, she was so big that she had to be placed on a diet to reduce the risk of diabetes.
Now that you know the answer to ‘when do cats stop growing?’, why not find out all about cat behaviour, so you can understand your feline friend the best you can?
