Biggest Lean Cat?

What is the largest, lean, cat you have ever raised? All the articles on the internet are about fat cats.

How strong was it?

What were it's dimensions? (pictures greatly appreciated)

I am interested in raising cats to be BIG. Not big like fat, big like muscular. So i'm interested in what experiences people have had with big cats and how did they help their cats grow big healthfully?

Are you wanting to Breed Pure breed cats?

Cat genetics is in it infancy... I believe the largest house cats are savannahs which are a hybrid

I believe that it's mostly genetics, you can't "raise" a cat to be big. If his ancestors aren't big, a cat will never be large. Of course, malnutrition can make a cat smaller than he should be, but if a cat is raised with proper nutrition he'll grow to be just exactly as large as his genes dictate. There's nothing you can do to make him larger than that.

I once had a DSH that was 22 lbs and about 18 inches at the chin. His paw could cover the palm of my hand, and he had a head like a softball. I found him in a parking lot, almost dead, so I can't say how he got so big. He was a gorgeous red tabby with gold eyes.

It's genetics.
If you want a large lean cat either choose one of the cat breeds that are larger, or adopt a full-grown adult who is already large.

Originally Posted by krazy kat2

I once had a DSH that was 22 lbs and about 18 inches at the chin. His paw could cover the palm of my hand, and he had a head like a softball. I found him in a parking lot, almost dead, so I can't say how he got so big. He was a gorgeous red tabby with gold eyes.

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Wow!

That is awesome. I would LOVE a cat like that.

In truth what I really want is a Serval, but they are far more expensive and difficult than just a regular, large cat.

He was a lovely boy, incredibly strong, but very loving. The only reason I ever found out first hand how strong he was, he got scared during a vet visit and wrapped his paws around my arm. He could has shredded me, but he just held on like a vise. He finally let go and covered his eyes with his paws. We lived in a very small town, and people would actually drive by to see the huge cat in the window. Nobody knew who we were, but everybody knew him.

Originally Posted by bwanapaka

Wow!

That is awesome. I would LOVE a cat like that.

In truth what I really want is a Serval, but they are far more expensive and difficult than just a regular, large cat.

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Have you looked into Savannah cats? They are part Serval.

The biggest cat I owned was my first one, Mitten. He was a blue mactabby & white domestic shorthair. He weighed 14-15 lbs and was not fat at all. From nose to tail he was 34 inches long (about 12 or 13 inches of that was the tail). He was tall too, but I only remember measuring his length (which is how I know).

Mitten died of cancers at age 13 in 1983. He was my favorite cat I've owned in many ways.

My biggest cat I own is Carmelo. He weighs in at between 200-230 pounds

My biggest was far from lean, but we had one at the shelter weighing in at a healthy 19-20lbs, he was huge, when he stood on his back legs he could put his paws and chin on the kitchen counters. He sounds very like the one krazy kat mentioned, dark red/orange medium haired tabby with gorgeous gold eyes. I think he was at the shelter just 2 days before he was adopted.

Originally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat

My biggest cat I own is Carmelo. He weighs in at between 200-230 pounds

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200+lbs of adorable fluff

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

200+lbs of adorable fluff

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Lots of lovable fluff too