When do cats stop growing is one of the most asked questions among cat lovers and owners. And it’s not a surprising query to have.
There are a variety of reasons you might be asking that.
One of our readers just decided to take up a stray kitten they found in their backyard and made her home the kitten’s forever home.
You may perhaps be in a similar situation and want to ensure the proper steps you may need to take in order for your cat to grow well and healthy.
So in this post I will answer when do cats stop growing in a comprehensive sense by taking cat health into perspective.
So that along with knowing how much time it takes for a kitten to grow into an adult cat, you will also know what are the various aspects about your cat’s health you need to take care of for your cat to grow healthily.
When Do Cats Stop Growing ?, A Detailed Insight With Respect To Cat Health
The fastest growth that you will see in your kitten will happen in the first 6 months.
It is between 6 to 12 months you will start seeing your cat to achieve it’s maximum physical development.
Now I don’t want you to be satisfied with the short answer here. The reason being little knowledge is as good as having no idea on the subject at all.
As far as nurturing aspects of cats are concerned, the answer is a bit subjective.
There are breeds of cats that achieve complete physical growth in as quick as 7-8 months whereas there are breeds like the maine coon that go on growing even after they are two years old.
Let’s go ahead and give a little more attention to
Now so much depends on the cat’s breed and also your cat’s eating habits.
A cat that isn’t on a diet that she should be may not grow as well in one year.
On the other hand a cat that is over fed may develop obesity. While a fat kitty may look too cute to handle but, obesity can be a very serious problem in cats.
How To Project How Big Will My Cat Get ?
So in addition to asking when do cats stop growing ?, one other question that almost every cat owner asks is how big will my kitten get ?.
Now the best answer to the question would be that it will depend upon what breed your cat is. The average domestic cat will weigh anywhere around 11-12 pounds.
But there are exceptions to that of course, a male Maine Coon can go in its full evolution process to weigh around 20 pounds.
Many pet owners who also own a dog try to correlate their dog’s growth with how their cats will grow. But is not how it is.
The size of a cat’s paw doesn’t depict how big or small your cat will be.
Big paws doesn’t necessarily translate to big cats just be aware of that.
Truly the size your cat will catch up to will depend in major ways on her genetics.
While a cat’s parents are a good indication of how big your cat will get, understand that male cats will generally be bigger.
A Perfect Read Chosen For You : Can Cats Eat Chocolates ?
Exceptions In Cat Size And Growth
The beauty about this existence is no matter how much you want to catch it with knowledge it will always elude you.
Doesn’t matter if you are world’s best scientist.
And it is so with the answer to when do cats stop growing as well.
Maine Coon cats for example, there have been reports that cats belonging to this breed continue to grow even after 3 years and may need close to 5 years to achieve full size.
On the other side of the spectrum, cats with dwarfish characteristics due to genetic mutation and pituitary gland issues can be oddly small.
Heavenly cute though.
Dwarf cats and munchkin cats are great examples of these tiny little angels.
Cat Body Growth Table
Now this is a tentative chart that you can refer to what body weight should cat be in her growth as a kitten till she is a year old.
Now again, i want to highlight that the answer to the question when do cats stop growing is a subjective one and can depend on various factors like we discussed above.
But for most cases use this table to figure out how healthy your cat is in terms of physical growth.
Period | Body Weight |
---|---|
7 days | ~3-4 ounces |
10 Days | ~4-6 ounces |
14 Days | ~8 ounces |
21 days | ~12 ounces |
5 Weeks | ~12 ounce to 1 lbs |
7 Weeks | 1 lbs to 1.5 lbs |
8 Weeks | 1.5 lbs to 2 lbs |
12 Weeks | 3 lbs to 5.5 lbs |
16 Weeks | 5.5 to 7.5 lbs |
> 6 months | 8 lbs to 15 lbs |
Final Words On When Do Cats Stop Growing
So that was it as far as a comprehensive knowledge on the topic is considered.
If you want to have the gist of the entire discussion your new kitten will grow to her full capacity in about 1 year taking under consideration various factors.
If you have not already, taken care of a kitten before and you asked the question when do cats stop growing to be certain to get a kitten or not, adopting an older cat can also be a very viable route.
- Also Check Out : 20 Tips For Bringing A New Kitten Home
In any case, if you are seeking the answer to the question because you want to take proper care of your cat.
Let me tell you. You are going to be a purrfect cat parent.
if you have any queries or suggestions leave a comment in the comments section below.
Take great care of yourselves and your cat and I will see you in the next one.
Namaskaram _/\_ 🙂