It’s always tempting to pick out the cutest, smallest kitten in the litter, but do you know how big your kitten will get? Accurately predicting adult size is important for making sure your new feline friend is going to be the perfect fit for your home.
Thankfully, there are several tips and tricks that can help you make an educated guess about your pet’s future adult size. It’s all about understanding a few key facts about cats, considering factors like breed and age, and observing your particular pet’s behavior.
So if you’re wondering just how big your kitten is going to get, read on to learn all about predicting your cat’s size. We’ll cover common breeds, growth milestones, and tips to help determine what size of cat you’ll have in the future.
Check Your Kitten’s Breed and Size of Parents
One way to estimate the size of your kitten is to determine its breed, and more specifically, the size of its parents. Some cats are more predisposed to reach a certain size due to their DNA; this is especially true for large cat breeds like Maine Coons or British Shorthairs. The best way to determine a kitten’s breed is through DNA testing, which requires a sample collected from the cat’s saliva. If this isn’t possible, then there are other ways you can go about identifying your kitten’s breed.
Physical characteristics like coat color and body shape can give significant clues as to what type of breed your kitten may be. Check out our guide on how coat color and body shape can be used to identify cat breeds.
In most cases, a kitten’s size will be determined by the size of its parents—this means that if both parents have large stature, then their offspring will likely reach full maturity at a slightly larger size than the average adult cat. Therefore, if you have access to the parental information of your kitten, then you’ll have a better idea as to how big your pet might get in adulthood.
Observe Your Kitten’s Growth Rate
The first months of your kitten’s life are the most important in terms of growth. During this period, they generally follow a predictable pattern of weight gain. Kittens typically weigh their age in months up to 6 months of age and will likely triple their birth weight by 12 weeks. Knowing the rate at which your kitten grows can give you some insight into their future size.
You can also take measurements such as head circumference, body length, and paw width to get a more accurate idea of how big your kitten will be when fully grown. To do this, measure them from the base of the ear and down to their shoulder blades for body length, from the top of the head to the nose for head circumference, and from paw pads to toes for width (all measurements should be taken in inches). As a rule of thumb, kittens grow most quickly in the first three months with growth slowing down after that until they reach full size between 18 months to 4 years old.
Measure Your Kitten’s Paw Size
When trying to ascertain how big your kitten will be, it’s easy to grab a ruler and measure their paw size. Unfortunately, this isn’t an accurate indicator of the kitten’s eventual adult size. However, one very subtle sign that your kitten may end up being larger than average is if they have tall back legs.
If you want to gage a more accurate sense of how big your cat will eventually be, you can use the following guidelines:
- Kittens up to 5 pounds and 5 months of age are usually considered kittens for size purposes.
- Cats between 5-10 pounds generally fall into the medium range for adult cat size.
- Cats over 10 pounds are generally considered large cats.
By measuring these metrics along with your kitten’s paws and back legs, you can get a better idea of how large your cat will be when it grows up!
Weigh Your Kitten Regularly
When it comes to predicting how large your kitten will grow, weighing it regularly is the best strategy. A healthy kitten should gain roughly 7 to 14 grams per day. You should weigh kittens at every meal, or at least once daily until they are fully weaned. Generally speaking, a kitten should gain about ½ ounce (14 grams) every day or 4 ounces (113 grams) per week. Keeping track of a kitten’s weight can help you determine if it is healthy and growing at a normal rate.
Track Your Kitten’s Age and Developmental Milestones
One key indicator of your kitten’s future size is their age and developmental milestones. As a rule of thumb, kittens open their eyes and ears between 1-3 weeks, start exploring short distances at 6 weeks, and reach maturation between 7-16 weeks.
When a kitten reaches 16 weeks of age, they can generally be considered “adults.” This means that their growth rate will drastically slow down and their size will remain the same for the rest of their life. If you take the time to track your cat’s development throughout this period, you should be able to get an accurate picture of how big your kitty will get.
Ask Your Vet to Predict Adult Size
When it comes to predicting your kitten’s size, your best bet is to ask your vet. Your vet will be familiar with the different breeds of kittens and can offer you an educated guess about how big your kitten may get. With their experience, they can also give you helpful advice on how to prepare for a bigger kitten.
In addition to asking your vet, there are other ways to predict a puppy’s adult size. You can use a puppy weight calculator, which will calculate the estimated adult weight from the current age and weight of the puppy. This can be especially useful if you have a mixed-breed puppy and don’t know its exact breed.
Finally, another way to predict a puppy’s grown-up size is to look at its parents’ size. If their parents are small in stature, it is likely that the pup will be small as well. On the other hand, if the parents are large-breed dogs, then chances are that the pup will grow into a larger breed as well. This method isn’t always accurate since every pup is unique and has its own genes, but it can help give you an idea of what size your new furry friend might be when grow up.
Track Your Kitten’s Weight Gain to Anticipate Adult Weight
It might feel like your kitten just grew overnight, but tracking their weight gain is an effective way to estimate how big your furry friend will get.
A healthy kitten should gain roughly 7 to 14 grams per day. To track their growth, weigh your kitten daily and track the data in a notebook. This will give you a good idea of whether or not they’re growing as they should be.
You can also use their age to anticipate how large they will get. A two-month-old kitten should weigh approximately 2 pounds and the average weight of a kitten at 9 weeks will be about 900 grams. With this information, you’ll be able to better plan for the size of your adult cat down the road.
Ask About Your Kitten’s Parents
When looking for clues as to how big your kitten will grow, the best place to start is with their parents. If you can take a look at them, you can get an accurate idea of what size your little one could reach when fully grown.
The best way to get an answer is to ask the breeder about the parents. It’s also beneficial to learn if they are certified by organizations such as the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) or The International Cat Association (TICA). These certifications can provide reliable information about the size and health of your kitten’s parents and will give you an idea of what to expect in terms of growth.
It may be difficult to find out this much information if you are adopted from a shelter, but if it’s possible, it can be a great starting point. Remember, genetic determinants like breed, gender, and age all play into growth rate—so use these pieces of information too!
Consider Your Kitten’s Bone Structure
Knowing the structure of your kitten’s skeletal system can help you better understand how big they may grow. Cats have 250 bones in total and no collarbone, which allows them to squeeze through tight spaces. The majority of their bones are in their flexible backbone, consisting of 30 vertebrae, similar to humans but with much more movement, allowing for remarkable flexibility.
By understanding your kitten’s bone structure and size, you can use this information to get a better idea of how much they may grow. Not only is this an essential part of understanding your cat’s size, but it will also help you avoid any potential health issues if their bones don’t develop properly.
Have Realistic Expectations: Nature vs Nurture
Knowing exactly how big your kitten will get is a complex question, and the answer is a mix of nature and nurture. The debate around the Nature vs Nurture issue explores the relative importance of environmental factors versus biological factors in determining psychological traits. One example of this is twins, who can demonstrate the influence of environment – particularly in terms of their upbringing – on development.
Ultimately, how big your kitten grows depends upon both its genetic makeup and the environment it’s exposed to. As a parent, your role should be to help your kitten manage its temperament, behavior, and choices independently by providing an environment that encourages healthy growth and development.
Conclusion
Knowing exactly how big your kitten will get may seem like a mystery, but understanding the key factors can help you come up with a better idea. By assessing the breed, physical features, and diet of your kitten, you can get a good idea of what size they will be when they reach adulthood. Keep in mind, however, that while all cats should eat a nutritious diet and have regular preventative care, not all cats will reach their maximum size. By being aware of these key factors, you can better prepare for the size of your kitten when they reach the highest maturity.
