does size matter in the cat world when it comes to

all of mine are neutered/spayed. that said - Chip is the largest [black, 18+ pounds], Firefox is the smallest [patched tabby, 8 pounds or so], Cable [silver tabby] is around 10.5, Java [calico] around 10, & Pixel [tuxedo] about 11-12 pounds. ranking - Cable is top cat, then Firefox, then Pixel, then Chip, last Java. mostly purrsonality-based, imo - Firefox would like to be boss, but Cable won't let her. the other three are more easy-going & laid-back, so they pretty much just knuckle under.

At one time we had a small female who was the dominant cat. She was less than half the size of her mate and could still beat the tar out of him. (He adored her, anyway.)

When I just had two cats - Kuce and my RB cat Sphinx (both were/are altered) - Sphinx was the alpha cat but he never flaunted it. When we took in Luvbug (10 days before Sphinx passed) it was Sphinx, Kuce and Luvbug. Sphinx was also the smallest at 9 pounds, Kuce at 12 and Luvbug at 12 (he was underweight by 2 pounds).

Now we have in order of dominance (and are all altered) - Kuce (12 pounds), Luvbug (17 pounds and laid back but will put LJ in her place and defend Kuce), and Lil' Jag (at 13 pounds and full of herself - she wants to be top cat so will see).

I think it's more personality than size. Shareena is my alpha cat and she's about in the middle as far as size goes, about 9#.
Goldy at 6# and Miss Patchwillow at 10# are competing for the number 2 spot.
Iris and Cali, 11.5# and 12#, are content to be also-rans.
I'm not sure how to classify Merlin. He weighs 7# but he's barely a year old and still has some growing to do. He pretty much does whatever he wants, but he does seem to recognize that when Shareena pins him it means he'd better behave.

When Banshee was alive, she ruled the house with a velvet paw. She was the second kitty in the house (Hydrox was the first and Whisper and her kittens came in after Banshee was already here), but she really was the Queen B and everybody, including us, did everything she said. It's just the way it was.

When she died, we thought one of the other five would take over, but it never happened. They all got along very well and nobody is dominant at all.

(Although since Mollipop has entered our lives, she's pretty much turned the entire house, and everybody in it, topsy-turvy!)

Buffy is 7lbs, Willow is 8-9lbs, Molly is 12lbs.

Willow raised Buffy from the time Buffy was 4 weeks old to about 9months. Molly came along two years later.

Buffy is definitely the boss girl. She's lenient with Willow, sort of a motherly respect, but Buffy'll still make her displeasure known (growling) before turning around and running away (as apposed to staying and smacking Willow around to make her leave the comfy spot on the bed, lol). Molly gets no mercy; if she's close enough to Buffy (doesn't matter if Molly was snoozing next to me on the bed when Buffy hops up), Molly will get a smack and a hiss. Molly is timid, so she just cowers and takes it. If she's feeling particularly fiery, such as around suppertime, a bitchslap from Buffy gets a return bitchslap from Molly. Buffy can't believe it, she just slaps back, hisses fiercely, then turns and runs away. Molly's VERY passionate about food, and even though she always gives Buffy space, she just can't help but try to sneak food from Buffy's bowl. Mostly she'll just sit there staring and watching Buffy eat, but occasionally a paw will sneak out towards the food bowl. Buffy can't stand the sight of Molly, so sometimes Molly gets a reward when Buffy ups and leaves her bowl early.

Willow's the lowest rank on the latter. Both Molly and Buffy shove Willow out of the way when they want her food. Willow just finishes chewing the bite in her mouth as she looks around then turns and wanders away. This cat would starve to death in the wild.

Size only matters if there's a huge difference in size and it's a serious fight (such as two intact toms fighting). Otherwise it's just the more dominate personality who doesn't want to give up.

Some cats are naturally more submissive or choose a more middle ground. They don't want anyone mad at them. More often than naught you'll find a big gentle neutered male cat in this role.

In our house, it's age that seems to matter the most.

After our oldest cat, a female, died at 18, our next eldest, a 7-pound, declawed tortoiseshell Persian, became top cat, dominating cats nearly twice her size who all had claws.

She's still queen, but doesn't assert herself as much at 16, as she has health issues and is frail. Our two males (8 months, 15 years) do challenge her a little but tend to back off quickly when she starts hissing and swearing.

I have NO alpha but I have two sub alphas that lightly challange to run the house but my 8 ish lb female runs it ... the only mild challenge is her 14 lb brother

My house proves this theory wrong. My two cats are 9 pounds and 16 pounds respectively. Isabell the 9 pound, spayed female is definitely the alpha queen. There is no doubt about it. EG is a 16 pound tom cat and altered as well, but is definately #2 in the cat realm. Now EG doesn't take from Isabell too much. There has been times where he's refused to leave and she ends up sitting on him which is cute. But as far as cats go Isabell is always shooing the other cats away from our place with EG as back up. Never the other way around. When it comes to people Isabell must "approve" them before he will come out of hiding, etc.

I believe it's more a personality thing. Isabell is stubborn and a control freak. EG is just stubborn, but is easily scared. Isabell is also the older one at 18 years while EG is 13. Isabell is also very old and frail, but even managed to put the 4 month puppy in her place. Despite being frail, old and sick nobody wants to mess with that old lady. She acts like an old lady who swears and hits people with her cane. I totally love her.

The theory doesn't work here... at all! Bugsy, my 19lb is the lover boy, doesn't have one alpha bone in his body, none whatsoever. Lucky rules the house around here - she is 12lbs, followed closely by Hope, who is 10lbs.

Most on this site don't keep entires.

My neuter girl is boss of the entire girls, she mothered them as kittens and still keeps them in line now.

Actually toms are first, queens are 2nd, neutered males/feamales are last.

However, its usually the smallest queen in the house that runs things! Was that way with my Cornish Rex (most were spayed/neutered) However, with my Ocicats - THEY are top cats. Ling hates that because she wants to be the boss, but both Charlie and Jack would dominate her.

And since I only have and will have male Ocicats, they will always be the boss.