Key facts at a glance
- As a rule, cats have largely reached their final size by the time they are one year old.
- With very large cat breeds, growth sometimes takes more than three years.
- Male cats are usually fully grown a little later than female cats.
- Housing conditions can still change the appearance of adult cats.
When are cats mature?
As a general rule, you can expect your cat to be fully grown at around one year old. However, there are several factors involved, so there are differences and some cats may take longer to reach their final height.
What Factors Affect a Cat’s Growth?
In the first six months, young cats develop incredibly quickly. After that, growth slows down a bit. Nevertheless, your house tiger will continue to grow until it has finally become a full-grown cat.
Exactly when this is the case depends in particular on the following factors:
- The breed of cat (The larger a breed of cat, the more time it takes to grow.)
- The gender (Since male cats usually get bigger, the growth phase takes a little longer for them.)
- Environmental influences (Excessive stress and malnutrition can stunt a cat’s growth.)
- Heredity (Final size and growth rate are also influenced by the genetic makeup of the parents.)
Different growth rates in different breeds of cats
Cat breed has a particularly large impact on growth rate. Small cats generally mature faster than their larger counterparts.
This fact becomes particularly clear, for example, in a direct comparison between the rather small Siamese cat and the imposing Norwegian Forest cat.
Siamese cats reach a body weight of around three to five kilos. They develop very quickly, so that their growth can be largely complete after just over a year. The Norwegian Forest Cat, on the other hand, can weigh up to 9.5 kilograms and is one of the largest domestic cats of all. It can take three or four years for her to reach her final height.
Changes in adult cats
Even adult cats can change their appearance over the years. For example, a tomcat can become even stronger and more muscular over time and thus appear a little larger overall.
A comfortable indoor cat can gain weight and, due to its overweight, appear significantly larger than a comparable cat that is outdoors all day and therefore has a lot of exercise.
Apart from that, poor husbandry conditions as well as parasites and diseases can of course lead to an adult cat becoming increasingly emaciated and therefore appearing smaller over time.
Our conclusion on the subject of growth in cats
As you can see, a cat’s growth rate is influenced by a number of factors. Irrespective of this, as a cat owner, you should ensure that your four-legged friend does not lack for anything.
Make sure you eat a balanced diet right from the start and have your cat checked regularly by a veterinarian. This way you ensure that your cat can grow up healthy and hopefully have a long and happy life.