Your kitten is so adorable, and you know that it will grow and become an adult one day. But at what stage is a kitten considered an adult? Or when does a cat stop growing? Are common questions asked by pet parents.
We are answering these questions and some others related to beautiful felines’ growth in this article. Before we get started, though, it’s essential to understand how big the cat will become? Or What the max size of a cat? Let’s take a brief look.
Can You Tell How Big Your Cats Will Get?
There is no proper estimate or answer for this as it involves many factors ranging from genetics to nutrition and environment etc. Still, here we will share some information on cat life stages to get a good idea of how big your cat will be in the future?
Although some breeds mature faster than others, in general, the stages of a cat’s life can be broken down into five steps. These are as follows:
- 0-6 months: Between the ages of 0 and 6 months, your cat is in its kitten stage. It is the best and possibly the most beautiful phase of his life. It is also the time when your pets experience the most growth and development in a relatively short time.
- Six months to 2 years: Also known as the junior stage, at this stage, your cat has not yet reached maturity and is still growing. Spending quality time with your cat during this stage will help your cat feel confident in new situations. This stage is also best for their training, and you can also make a strong bond with them via taming.
- 3 to 6 years: This is the first stage of adulthood. And that’s when your cat is healthier and more active. At this stage, your cat can attain the max growth including weight and height.
- 7 to 10 years – Between the ages of 7 and 10, your cat is in what is called the fully adult stage. And just as we become less active, so do adult cats. It is also when they gain extra weight and develop some health issues, such as diabetes or kidney disease if not well taken care of. So pet parents must use a proper high protein diet and always consult a veterinarian if they see any abnormal change in their felines.
- 11 to 14 years – At this age, cats are in their senior stages. They spent more time sleeping and doing nothing and spent less time to exercise. About this time, your cat’s health began to decline.
At What Age Do Cats Stop Growing?
Although the question itself is straightforward, the answer is not so simple. We can not assure the actual age; we only assume when the kitten stops growing base on facts and possible predictions.
But the age of 12 months is suggested to be the age where almost all cats stop growing. Although cats can mature in 12 months, they are not considered fully developed. Sometimes they require 18 months to 2 years when they reach their full size.
Factors That Affect a Cat’s Growth
As discussed above, most cats take 18 months to 2 years to reach adulthood; many factors can play their role in a cat’s development. These include:
- Diet: The kitten stage is when cats develop rapidly, so it is crucial to make sure they are getting the health and nutrition that they need to develop. They will grow amazingly and reach their full potential ahead of time. Similarly, those kittens who are deprived of essential nutrients and minerals may remain weak, and they take longer to attain their maximum growth and bodyweight.
- Abandonment: Kittens or young cats that are left out are usually smaller than the others. It has a lot to do with their diet and malnutrition. Without the right amount of food and water to help the young kitten survive, their bodies will shut down, and their growth will stop.
- Spaying or neutering: According to recent discoveries, when your cat is spayed or neutered, will not stunt your cat’s growth but may affect their joints and cause them to grow taller.
- Bone defects or deformities: Some cats’ development can also be affected by bone defects or deformities such as dwarfism. While some of these are due to genetics, diet also plays a significant role in bone formation/defects
- Some cat breeds grow faster than others: Breed of cat also affects its growth rate. Some cat breeds may take four years to develop fully. Genetics and environment play a vital role in the growth and weight of every individual cat.
What Age is a Cat Full Grown?
If you’re looking for a conclusive answer to when cats stop growing, then the most relevant answer is that they stop their growth between 10 months and two years old. However, as we have mentioned, there are external factors that can affect it. And some breeds take longer to grow fully.
As long as you provide your young kitten with a balanced, nutritious diet, plenty of exercises, and love, it will eventually reach its full size in no time. We recommend that you enjoy every stage of your cat’s life, from kittens to seniors, because in the blink of an eye, it will all be over.
Cat’s Maturity
Cat’s maturity does not depend upon age alone. It depends upon many other factors such as diet, nutritional needs, breed, environment, and stress-free surroundings.
Most experts agree that cats mature at 12 months of age, which means that this is the age at which their personalities develop and evolve in how they behave in their adult life. However, not all cats grow with the same time frame. Cats live anywhere between 11 to 14 years.
Kittens grow faster in the week they are born. After the kittens are born, they usually double in size in the first week. After their first week, kittens grow one ounce every three days.
Because they are typically born weighing about 3.5 to 3.5 ounces, their growth rate increases during the first year of their life at any other stage in their life; by the third or fourth week, the kittens will be able to stand up and start walking. At approximately 16 weeks, kittens begin to develop slowly as they go through their fastest growing and most impressive stages.
How To Tell When a Cat Has Gotten its Full Size?
While it is true that cats can continue to grow after the first year, their growth rate will increase significantly after that. If you’re not paying close attention, you won’t even know they’re growing!
The best way to understand when your cat has stopped growing is to measure and weigh it every month. Cats continue to gain weight as well as height (from shoulder to ground). If you measure your kitty once a month, you will have an idea of age when it stops growing.
When Do Male and Female Cats Stop Growing?
Most experts agree that cats reach adulthood at the age of 12 months, regardless of gender. But it is a proven fact that males grow slower and bigger than females. See the difference between male and female cats.
Their adulthood age is 12 months, but the male grow until 16 months of age, and females may continue to grow at 18 months of age.
Rule of Estimating Cat Weight
A cat’s weight can also indicate its level of maturity or age. You can estimate your cat’s adult weight when they are 16 weeks old. You can get an approximate weight of a cat at 16 weeks and double that number.
You can expect this number to be precisely equal to the adult weight of your cat. It won’t be accurate, but it’s a fair estimate. Like measuring a cat’s height and weight, measuring a cat’s monthly weight can also help determine when it reaches full size.
Can You Know How Big Your Cat Will Get?
A cat may reach its full size between 18 months and four years. A variety of factors affect how fast cats grow.
To reach their proper size, kittens need to consume large amounts of calories daily in the early stages of their lives. However, if cats are not fed properly, their development can be stunted, so many shelter kittens are smaller than their native counterparts.