Age Tomcat Head Matures?

piano cat

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First of all, he is no longer a Tomcat.  Poor boy, we live trapped him and had him snipped.

Now to my question.  In your experience what is the age range at which an intact male's head fills out and gets the heavy jowls etc?  A skinny stray showed up here last June.  Or feral or dumpee  but anyway, I guessed his age at about 10 months.  Over the summer and fall, with food we put out, he grew a bit and his head noticeably became more male.  To my reckoning if he was 10 months in early June 2015 then he was born in early August 2014 and his head development was around 12 to 14 months old.  He was snipped in November 2015.  

However my VEt says the head develops at more like 18 months.  She says most kittens are born in spring.  But we found one wee mite (I think the neighbours plant them in our yard) in the middle of November who was definitely no more than 6 weeks old, making him born early October.  Poor cats, they can be born almost any time of year.

It doesn't matter, really, I just am curious what others think.
 
jo kreps

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Piano Cat said:
 
First of all, he is no longer a Tomcat.  Poor boy, we live trapped him and had him snipped.

Now to my question.  In your experience what is the age range at which an intact male's head fills out and gets the heavy jowls etc?  A skinny stray showed up here last June.  Or feral or dumpee  but anyway, I guessed his age at about 10 months.  Over the summer and fall, with food we put out, he grew a bit and his head noticeably became more male.  To my reckoning if he was 10 months in early June 2015 then he was born in early August 2014 and his head development was around 12 to 14 months old.  He was snipped in November 2015.  

However my VEt says the head develops at more like 18 months.  She says most kittens are born in spring.  But we found one wee mite (I think the neighbours plant them in our yard) in the middle of November who was definitely no more than 6 weeks old, making him born early October.  Poor cats, they can be born almost any time of year.

It doesn't matter, really, I just am curious what others think.
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Interesting question ... I am really not sure although I would think as they get older the head would start filling out. I also would think that heavy jowls would have more to do with the cats overall weight although it could be related too its breed. Well, this certainly gives me something to look into. I am sure one of the advisers on this site will hopefully give you some sound advice soon. Anyway, it's so nice to have you here Piano Cat.  Hope to see pictures of your sweet ones soon. 
 
cinqchats

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I think your vet is about right, it does take awhile for the boys to get their big cheek ruffs. I'd say probably around 2 years old? Some of the lower on the totem pole males never do seem to fill out though. And obviously if you have them neutered the chance of impressive cheek ruffs is very low. (I'm basing this on all the feral cats I see come through a local feral cat rescue.)

It's not related to weight, those big cheek ruffs are ALL fluff. Cheek floofs. Haha!
 
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piano cat

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I honestly cannot remember the last male I had who was not neutered before two years old.  And I would have been a kid and not noticing things like that anyway.  Joey's head is definitely heavier and more male looking than when he first showed up but not as much as some Toms I've seen, and had.  So it's hard to tell, maybe, if he would have gotten bigger yet, in his head, or did he reach his maximum growth.  Oh well, his age is onlly important to me and whether he is now 18 months or 2 years makes little difference long term.  I hope he has a long term.  I wish I could bring him inside.
 
DreamerRose

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Mingo is a neutered male, nearly 2 years old. He doesn't have the cheeks ruffs, and I don't think he ever will. He has a small head altogether, frankly, I think he looks sleek and elegant. I hope he stays the way he is.
 
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piano cat

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DreamerRose said:
 
Mingo is a neutered male, nearly 2 years old. He doesn't have the cheeks ruffs, and I don't think he ever will. He has a small head altogether, frankly, I think he looks sleek and elegant. I hope he stays the way he is.
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When was Mingo neutered?  Neutering before puberty will prevent the male head development happening at all.  I think of a Tomcat as being an intact male.   Sorry, thought everyone used that term for only intact males.  LOL, that's why I said Joey was no longer a Tomcat.  But I guess cats and dogs are not like horses and cattle.  In horses we have stallions and when they are castrated we call them geldings.  Ditto bulls and steers.  But now that I think of it we don't distinguish the same way with cats and dogs.
 
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