Just how huge is my "kitten"??

My "kitten" Gryffin (barely looks like a kitten any more, hence the quotes) is HUGE. Gryffin is just over 6 months old (lost his double canines a few weeks back).

If you did not know his age, Gryffin looks to me like a superb example of a healthy, strong, well-muscled 9 or 10 month old cat. Only thing is that he is only about 6 1/2 months old!! Gryffin is not fat but is also not super skinny. If you look at him from overhead he has a build like a strong relatively lean athlete. When he is walking and you look overhead, his body does not go outwards at the sides but is quite straight front to back. He is well muscled and you can see his waistline readily. He has a very very athletic build and he moves with incredible strength and coordination. He was a cat dumped in the countryside and grew up in an equestrian facility before I took him home in early December. He is quite large in size/stature (long bodied and reasonably tall for his age). But even so, if you pick him up, he feels heavier than you would think given his size - I think that he is just very "dense", maybe because of his well developed muscle.

He is a big boy. My Kiefer wasn't 9 pounds until he was a year old. But he and his sister are on the small side.

Aww, what a cutie, but I think there's no way to tell how big they'll end up. Here's my big baby, lol. He's just turned 7 months and he's close to 11lbs. And he's actually slender under all that fluff! I think most of his weight is fur and his big feet. :lol3:

fluffybeard said:

Aww, what a cutie, but I think there's no way to tell how big they'll end up. Here's my big baby, lol. He's just turned 7 months and he's close to 11lbs.

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Whoa!! He would be standing in the back row with Gryffin for that kitten class photograph!!

Gryffin sounds like he's setting out to be a big boy.  My Munchie was the same way, he is a very large framed cat, healthy he should weigh maybe 13-14#, right now he's about 16#.  He has a half brother who weighs 16# and he's on the skinny side.  Then he has another 1/2 brother who is small about 9ish or so pounds.

Hi

Proper weight can't simply be measured in pounds as its relative to the overall size of the cat.  Think of it this way, a 160lb man who is only 5 feet tall is probably over weight, especially if his weight is fat based not muscled based, but a 6'-6" man of the same weight is probably thin.

The key is something called BCS or body condition score.  Below are two links to BCS charts that will get you understand the relative weight of your guy.  Some cats are just bigger framed than others.  If you're concerned, you should obviously discuss this with your vet because its easier to keep the weight off now, than to loose it later.  But given his age, and that he is still a kitten, generally speaking he is too young for a diet, and his BCS may in fact be normal.

http://www.morgantownamc.com/site/view/83219_CatBCS.pml

This chart is actually a sliding scale you can drag to find your cats approx bcs.

http://www.hillspet.com/weight-management/pet-weight-score.html

Stephen

stephenq said:

 
Hi

Proper weight can't simply be measured in pounds as its relative to the overall size of the cat.  Think of it this way, a 160lb man who is only 5 feet tall is probably over weight, especially if his weight is fat based not muscled based, but a 6'-6" man of the same weight is probably thin.

The key is something called BCS or body condition score.  Below are two links to BCS charts that will get you understand the relative weight of your guy.  Some cats are just bigger framed than others.  If you're concerned, you should obviously discuss this with your vet because its easier to keep the weight off now, than to loose it later.  But given his age, and that he is still a kitten, generally speaking he is too young for a diet, and his BCS may in fact be normal.

http://www.morgantownamc.com/site/view/83219_CatBCS.pml

This chart is actually a sliding scale you can drag to find your cats approx bcs.

http://www.hillspet.com/weight-management/pet-weight-score.html

Stephen

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He is actually the perfect body condition score (kind of how I described him in thread, as in you can still see waist, but nice muscle covering everywhere without being fat etc. - I've seen this chart before and it is helpful). I just thought as kittens they would look a bit more thin overall and most kittens would not be as large as him in overall size at this age - but I get your point about that he can be large without being fat. Does the body condition score still hold for kittens, they will just be smaller as you say?? I was not really worried about him being fat, as he is not fat at all - I just find it surprising to me that he looks like a perfect specimen of an adult male cat (with perfect body condition score with super muscling as in those charts) at barely 7 months.

I believe the BCS applies to all ages.

stephenq said:

 
I believe the BCS applies to all ages.

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So in that event, we would guess that he is a well-muscled, well-put-together kitten who is just a bit taller/larger framed etc. than some kittens his age.

Yes!  He looks super healthy, and beautiful, and maybe he has some maine coon in him and they tend to be larger framed cats.  Next time he has a regular vet visit ask about his weight and bcs.

Happy Cat!

Stephen

You sound like such a proud 'mom' (as you should be) ! Isn't it nice to have a 'big' boy and not have to worry about them being too little! He is a very handsome lad. Good luck in the future, here's to a long and happy life!

Hey, i'm going through the same thing with my kitten she's now about 7 1/2 months old and close to 10 lbs. She doesn't seem overweight at all though and is very active. Our cats just may be part of the big kitten club.

GoldEye said:

Hey, i'm going through the same thing with my kitten she's now about 7 1/2 months old and close to 10 lbs. She doesn't seem overweight at all though and is very active. Our cats just may be part of the big kitten club.

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Yes, they can all stand together in the back row for that class photo, and form a new chapter of the "big kitten club".  

 When Maia was 8 months old, the vet told me she was slightly over weight at just over 8 lbs. I admit she had a little extra jiggle and she definitely was growing super fast from 5 weeks old when I brought her home. She was a tiny, runt of the litter, fit in the palm of my hand,  who grew up to be a strong, 12+ pound, trim kitty today.  My experience has been they grow into their ears and paws, and keep growing up to 5 years. Muscle definitely weighs more then fat. A couple years ago we moved from a 1 bedroom apartment to a RR apartment where now she has atleast a 60 foot runway that she loves to tear back and forth on daily!

I think Gryffin must be 7 1/2 ish months old now (exact birthdate not known). He keeps growing at enormous rates. He is now about 10 1/2 pounds. I still cannot convince myself that something must be wrong to have a nearly 10 1/2 pound cat who is only ~ 7 1/2 months old!! Is he fat at all? In some photographs, he can look a bit chunky but mainly when the body is turning or lying down at certain angles etc. But when I take the overhead photo and side photos (as per the body condition score drawings for cats) he does not seem overweight. BTW, he is super athletic, leaps really high into the air, and can run like crazy. Definitely can move amazingly at the weight he is at (one of the most strong and powerful cats that I have ever seen). 

The thing is when you pick him up, you expect him to be quite a bit lighter based on his overall size etc. But when you pick him up he weighs much heavier than you would think - like he is just super dense or something. What would make him feel so dense - muscling or dense bones or what?!! I am a bit puzzled by this

Here are some new photos. I tried to take some overhead shots to give you an idea. He looks quite good overhead I think - nice waistline and seems to be quite muscular in a good way. From sideview, he might have a bit of a tummy (he could use more abdominal tuck I think). He just seems a bit bigger in the tummy/hind from a side view (perhaps marginally overweight but not like the overweight body condition score drawings - but a bit more weight than the ideal from side view from what I can tell - but I am no expert ) - I cannot manage to get him to pose for a side view photo that really shows what he looks like. It is pretty tricky with the food, as I have some underweight senior cats with various issues who won't eat enough wet food to hold weight (I wish that they would, but I've tried every trick under the sun to get them eating more wet food and have made good inroads but not enough for them to hold their weight) so I put out some rationed dry food at night-time only. Hopefully Gryffin is not eating more than his share.

I really don't get this!! Not that many days later, and Gryffin is heading towards 11 pounds now. He does not look to be getting fatter, so maybe he is growing taller and longer etc. (??). He just feels so "dense" when you pick him up - based on his size, I'd expect him to weigh less than he does - is this because he is so lean muscular and athletic?? He is super athletic and had a great kittenhood running around a barn/acreage with a pack of other kittens for the first 5+ months of his life. I just keep looking at him over and over to make sure he is not getting fat, but he really does not look fat - he just seems like a very large kitten who feels so much denser than you would expect when you pick him up.

 Looks like you have a little mountain lion/big house kitty in your home! I suspect he has big paws and ears? Often a hint of what they are going to grow into.........He sounds like a very healthy teen kitty to me! He will keep growing, most cats keep growing well into 3 years of age.

cheylink said:

He will keep growing, most cats keep growing well into 3 years of age.

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I know the photo is not necessarily the best as just one angle, but he does not appear fat to you, does he?      

Aww, what a handsome fellow! Sebastian is 8 1/2 months now and 12lbs 14oz. Almost 13lbs!

When I first took him to his new vet as a 3 month old, she said he could be a "big 15lb. cat" so I guess he is living up to his potential!

Scarlett 001 said:

 

 

 

I know the photo is not necessarily the best as just one angle, but he does not appear fat to you, does he?      

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Not fat at all, he looks like he's in perfect shape. 

Did you bring home a lion cub by mistake?