If you just got a kitten, you may wonder: How long can I enjoy this adorable little ball of fur? When will it become an adult and how big will it reach?
The most appropriate answer is that each cat's development is different and can take anywhere from one to four years.
However, there are some guidelines you can take into account to guess your cat's exact size and how long it will take to get there. These indications are not infallible because, in the long term, many factors will affect the development of your cat.
Let's take a closer look at the growth of kittens and cats
A cat's development can vary depending on its breed and age, but the majority of cats measure between 20 and 25 cm (from paw to shoulder) and 18 cm (from head to body) when their growth is completely achieved.
While some pet cats, like Tabby cats and Siamese cats, can reach adult size in one or two years, larger cats, like Maine Coons, can take three to four years to develop.
Let's look at the development that occurs at each stage of a feline's life.
From newborn kitten to 6 month old kitten
This is one of the fastest growing phases. Your kitten will grow from a newborn (eyes closed, relying on its mother for every little thing) to a lively and interested kitten.
Kittens will certainly also gain weight quickly, at a rate of 100 to 250 grams per week.
This is also when socialization is important. To prevent your kitten from becoming unresponsive, lots of interaction and love are essential.
Feral kittens have no socialization with people, which is why they like to avoid us.
At this stage, kittens have fluffy fur, round faces, and such a cute, fluffy appearance.
The shape of their face will be refined around the age of three to six months and the features will become finer and defined.
They have sharp, tiny teeth, and small, fragile bones. They are also very active and lively.
Around 10 weeks, they lose their baby teeth, and around 6 months, they have their adult teeth.
From 6 months to 12 months
A kitten's developmental stage slows down during this time.
The majority of veterinarians consider a kitten to be adult at one year old. He may also transition from a kitten diet to an adult cat diet at this stage.
But depending on the breed, some cats are still growing and should continue to receive kitten food until they are 2 years old...
In this phase you can see what your feline will look like when it reaches maturity.
Many small domestic felines will certainly stop growing around 12 to 16 months of age, but larger ones, like Ragdolls, will certainly continue to grow until 4 or even 5 years old!
However, overall the facial appearance will lengthen to become more like an adult cat.
This is the adolescent phase of your pet cat.
He can be provocative, turbulent and always on the move. He has become thinner and, depending on how active he is, he may appear thin.
This is also when they reach sexual maturation. A male cat can impregnate another cat, and female cats can have children.
At this point, your veterinarian may suggest neutering your kitten or keeping it away from other cats to prevent it from reproducing.
1 to 3 years: Your cat is an adult at this stage.
It can continue to grow extremely slowly. Many of them stop growing completely around 18 months.
3 to 6 years: This is the most important growth period of your cat's life.
The larger ones are still growing for a year or two, but the smaller breeds have already grown into glorious adult felines.
Both spend their days chasing mice with catnip, consuming the delicious bits of their meal, grooming each other and resting.
7-10 years: the stage of full maturity in your cat
He still plays but is much calmer. There is no more growth, except perhaps around the belly.
A correct diet and plenty of exercise will prevent health problems related to early aging.
11-14 years: These are the years of old age for your cat
Age-related problems may manifest now, and your cat's abilities begin to decline.
15 years and older: These cats have reached the geriatric phase of their life course.
He may burn some fat due to age-related issues and his fur may lose some of its shine. However, this ball of fur is still there, waiting for the chance to snuggle up and take a nap on your lap...
What exact size will my cat be?
You may have taken one look at your kitten's paws and wondered if your wonderful little kitten was going to grow into a huge feline? Well, tell yourself that kittens are different from puppies!
In felines, paws are not an indication of size when they are large.
Gender, breed and other factors determine the size of your feline.
Some breeds grow very large, others remain small and delicate.
Here are some small elements that determine the size of your kitten:
The sex of your cat: Male cats grow more slowly and become larger than their female counterparts. A male can gain up to 1 kg more than a female at the end of his growth.
Spaying and neutering: Neutering doesn't affect your cat's size like scientists thought a few years ago, but it can change their metabolism, meaning they may gain weight if they prefer to sleep instead. what to play.
Most veterinarians recommend spaying or neutering at 6 months of age, but shelters and rescue centers sterilize kittens earlier to reduce the risk of accidental litters. The weight threshold for early sterilization is 1.8 kg.
The chronological order of feline births: We all fell in love with the last kitten from the litter, knowing that it will become smaller than the others, and this is true for all the last kittens of the litter!
The further along the birth line a kitten is, the more likely it will be small as an adult, especially if it is a little mother who has given birth to many kittens.
The number of feline siblings: The number of kittens in a litter is important.
Too many kittens can overextract the available milk from the mother which can create undernutrition among some kittens in the litter. Malnourished kittens grow more slowly and end up being smaller.
Parental health: As with any other species, the health of the parents is important.
If your kitten comes from a well-loved and pampered mother, there is a good chance that your kitty will reach its genetically determined full growth size. If not, your furball may be smaller when it finishes growing.
Diet: A good diet is synonymous with good growth.
Your kitten should receive a balanced and nutritious diet in the form of kitten food for the first year of life.
Some may need kitten food for longer (such as large cats who are still growing), but most cats weighing on average 10 pounds can transition to adult food between 10 and 12 months of age. Your veterinarian can tell you what is best for your cat.
Genetics: There are certain genetic factors that can indicate whether your cat will be small as an adult.
These include dwarfism and bone deformities. Your veterinarian will detect any abnormalities in your cat during routine check-ups.
Routine health exams are important for all cats, but especially kittens.
My kitten is chubby. Will he become big?
Don't confuse weight gain with growth. Kittens can gain weight, just like adult cats.
As an adult, these measurements can tell you where your cat falls on the breed spectrum.
How to measure the size of a cat according to the specificity of the breed:
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Size: From paw to shoulder, excluding tail.
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Length: From the snout to the beginning of the tail. The tail is measured separately and does not determine the size of your cat or whether it is overweight.
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Weight: Weight according to breed determines the level of growth more or less achieved by your feline
Still not sure how long your cat will continue to grow? Here are some common breeds of cats and their expected growth level.
At what age do cats stop growing?
Tabby, Siamese or Shorthair cat:
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Length: 33 to 41 cm
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Height : 28 cm high
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Weight : 4.5 to 10 kg
Growth stops between 12 and 19 months.
Ragdoll:
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Length: 38 to 66 cm
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Height: 23 to 28 cm
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Weight: 3.6 to 9 kg
Growth stops at 4 years old.
Savannahs:
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Length: 51 to 63.5 cm
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Height: from 25.5 to 48.5 cm
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Weight: 5.5 to 9 kg
Growth stops at two years old.
Maine Coons:
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Length: 122 cm
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Height: from 20.5 to 40.5cm
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Weight: 11.5 kg
Growth stops at four years of age.
Bengal:
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Length: 33 to 40.5 cm
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Height: 28 to 33 cm
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Weight: 4.5 to 10 kg
Growth stops at two years old.
How big will my cat be?
After looking at the different factors that contribute to determining how big cats get and when their growth stops, you can see that every cat is different and every growth depends on many factors.
The best way to ensure your cat grows to its full size is to feed it a nutritious, balanced diet complete with essential vitamins and minerals, exercise it, and give it lots of love.
If you do this, you may have a big cat or a small cat, and it may take a year or four years, but in the end you will have a loving feline companion through all stages of growth.
