1. When does a cat stop growing
When does a cat stop growing? There is not a specific age in which a cat stops growing, it depends on the breed and size of the individual kitten. House cats belong to either one of two groups: small breeds or large breeds. Small breeds mature faster and therefore they reach their adult weight around six months, but they also stop growing earlier. Large cats take longer to reach adult size and therefore continue to grow even up to one year of age.
How long does a cat usually live? Many factors influence how long a cat will live, including the breed and age. On average, most house cats live around 12-15 years (Feline Advisory Bureau). There are several breeds that have been known to live longer or shorter than this average. The longest living cat lived 38 years while the shortest lived only two years (Animal Planet).
Do some cats live longer than others? Some studies suggest that spaying/neutering dogs and cats may play a role in increasing the likelihood of living over 13 years (Journal of Veterinary Medicine). Cats that are allowed to roam outside have a shorter lifespan than those who live exclusively inside (Pediatrics).
2. What are the stages of growth for cats?
Cat growth can be divided into 5 stages: kitten, juvenile, adolescent, adult and mature adult. The time period of each stage varies between cats and may also depend on the breed. For example some breeds such as the Siamese remain in the kitten stage for up to two years which is much longer than other breeds such as a Maine Coon where this period is only up to several months.
The first stage of growth for kittens is birth until they reach 4 weeks old . During this time kittens are completely dependent on their mother and their diets consist primarily of milk from their mother’s mammary glands. Kittens begin weaning at around 2-3 weeks and need to eat solid food ( provided by their owners) after 4 weeks. During this stage, kittens can be most commonly found sleeping and suckling for most of the day and night. Kitten’s eyes begin to open between 7-10 days after birth and they will start to explore their surroundings over the next few days.
The second stage of growth for cats is 4 weeks until 6 months old . This is an extremely important stage where kittens are socialized to various stimuli by their mother, litter mates and owners. During this time, if provided with regular handling, socialization will occur easily whereas if not handled regularly, it may become harder for them to be comfortable around people later in life. The tail length of a kitten also increases during this period. Once kittens reach 4-5 weeks they are capable of eating solid food without the need for their mother’s milk. They are also capable of responding to changes in temperature and becoming mobile enough to explore their environment.
The third stage is 6 months until 1 year . This is a very important time period where kittens are still considered juveniles but should already be past the socialization period that occurred when they were younger. These cats are less likely to show fear towards things that they have not come into contact with before or may find threatening or harmful. It has been shown in various studies however, that even during this stage, if exposed to certain stimuli which was previously experienced during the socialization period (which lasts up to 4-5 weeks), it may still be for them to become comfortable with these stimuli. If not exposed to these stimuli after this period, then it is unlikely that they will become comfortable with them later in life which may affect the adoption of the cat into new homes. Once kittens reach 7-8 months, sexual maturity will begin and anabolic steroid production will occur which can cause behavioral changes such as aggression or territorialism towards anything within the vicinity (usually other cats).
The fourth stage for cats is 1 year until 3 years . These are considered young adult cats where their diets consist primarily on meat rather than milk. They are still capable of mating however some may be neutered during this period if owners wish to prevent unwanted litters of kittens being produced. It is also common for owners to neuter male cats during this period to reduce the risk of them impregnating any female cats which share their environment (especially if more than one cat lives in such an environment). It is during this period where allergies to fish and dairy products may develop. Neutering a cat during this period has been shown to reduce or prevent these allergies from occurring later on in life. As mentioned previously, sexual maturity begins at 7-8 months however it is generally recommended for owners not to allow their male cats to mate with any unspayed female cats until they are 12 months old so that they don’t accidentally impregnate any of the unspayed female cats which also live within their household. The final stage of growth for adult cats is 3 years until 10 years . During this stage , the cat’s physical appearance may begin to change including a decrease in muscle mass and their long bones may continue to become lighter. They are also less likely to breed during this period which can result in unwanted litters of cats being produced if there is an unspayed female cat within the household.
The final stage for cats is 10 years until 20 years . During this period, cats may start to show signs of old age such as lethargy due to decreased mobility or reduced vision/hearing/smell because of impaired sensory perception. It has been shown that neutering male cats will slow down the process of degenerative diseases typically associated with old age resulting in longer lives for these cats whereas spaying female cats will have no effect on prolonging the life of a cat.
In general, cats have been found to have an average lifespan of 13 years although this can range from 5-20 years depending on breed , living conditions and whether or not they are neutered. Neutering cats has been shown to prolong their lives by approximately 1-3 years whereas spaying female cats will have no effect on prolonging the life span of a cat.
There you have it! The stages of growth for kitties in a nutshell! Thank you so much for reading this article and I hope that it was helpful.
3. How do you know when your cat is fully grown
The traditional method of determining a cat’s age is to multiply it’s weight in pounds by four and add fifteen.
For example, a five pound cat is roughly ten years old.
NOTE: This rule can obviously be very inaccurate as it does not take gestation length into consideration. A new guideline was devised by the Academy of Veterinary Science where they measured the life expectancy of an average housecat as seven times it’s height in centimeters. By using this guideline, a ten pound cat would be approximately 60-78 months old or 5-6 human years old. More research on cats’ unique aging process needs to be done before any reasonable conclusions can be reached.
All I can say is that my 4 lb 6 month old male cat has lived 13 years and he’s still going, no sign of life ending soon either…
I’ve got a fat 4lbs 6 month old male cat who’s turning 14 this year. He was the runt of the litter, but he’s also had a lot of health problems that have stunted his growth. I’d say an average adult cat is about 6-7lbs at full growth, and any more than that isn’t even really considered fully grown. It IS possible for a healthy 4lb cat to live just as long as a fully grown and healthy 12lb cat, and that’s my experience.
Cats grow at different rates, so it’s hard to tell
There isn’t really an answer – cats can continue to grow in some ways even after they’re fully grown
The only way to know is if your veterinarian tells you that your cat has stopped growing or if you compare them side by side with another adult cat and notice that they’re about the same size (a good idea)
