When do Persian Cats stop growing?

misspersian

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We have a 15 month old Persian cat. She's pretty small @ 6.8lbs. We'd love to see her get to 7.5lbs. She is PKD positive, but with zero symptoms.

The vet didn't think she was underweight, just a small persian. Her rib cage doesn't show or anything like that. She's just thin and narrow, as opposed to the "plump" look.

We have another Persian who is 9 months and is already "bigger" than she is even though she's at 6.1lbs. This Persian is also more "round" with larger chest/abdomen, etc. I expect her to be a big-ol' little round cat and end up at 8lbs (we've almost cured the giardia taht she's had for months, so I expect her to gain weight fast now).

Anyhow, back to the Persian in question. She gets free-range fed high quality, protein-rich grain-free dry food and also gets fed treats. She drinks plenty of water. She eats a little over 1/4 cup a day, which sounds about right. But a 1/4 throughout the day isn't really that much, though! 

What makes me think that she could use more food is the fact that she goes crazy over human food. Everytime I sit down to eat, she'll be right up on there with me sniffing and wanting to eat what's on my place, like a dog. She seems hungry. :)

Anyhow:

Question 1) When do Persian cats stop growth? I've read 18-24 months from a thread here. Is this true?

Question 2) Is there a way for us to put on a little bit more weight on the cat in question? Perhaps mixing some high-quality grain food with the grain-free food may make her go more crazy over it. Perhaps mixing in some human treats in small amounts?
 
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Kieka

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I am not a Persian breeder or very familiar with the breed. I do know they tend to fall into the standard cat range of 7 pounds to 12 pounds. I also know that there are breeders who have tried to make a toy version (6-7 pounds) and a teacup version (under 6 pounds). I have even heard of a breeder trying to get Micro (4 to 5 pound) and Ultra Micro (under 4 pound) Persians. Being a standard size cat they should reach full growth right around 12 months old and may grow ever so slightly after that but I wouldn't be expecting anything like some of the larger breeds who will put on multiple pounds and inches after a year old (like Maine Coons or Siberians for example). 

It sounds like your girl may be from one of the lines where they were trying to breed for smaller and she has a smaller frame and lighter weight than standard. It isn't a bad thing, in my opinion, and there isn't much that can be done to force her to be bigger than she will be on her own. I have a little girl who is a round puff of barely 7 pounds and a leggy boy who is 13 pounds of skinny muscle. Both are perfect body condition and that matters more than the scale. When you are talking about just weight you are bringing up adding unneeded fat to her frame; which isn't healthy. It is better to keep her on a stable and quality diet and let her be how she is meant to be. She will probably fill out a little in her second year, as most cats do when the kitten metabolism switches to adult and their body stops growing so they put on more muscle and fat naturally. I personally think it is better to have a smaller healthier cat then purposefully trying to add fat to her frame just to meet some goal you have decided is ideal. 

Please do not mix grain food in with her regular food. This will cause a weight retention specifically around her midsection which is unhealthy. It is not a healthy way for anyone to gain weight and can lead to problems later in life. I am not sure what you mean by "human treats" but unless you are talking some unflavored, unseasoned meat type food or eggs that is also a no. Human food has chemicals and seasonings in it that can be harmful to a cat and cause unpleasant digestive issues (if not death when talking about garlic or onions just to name two items). 

The healthiest way to get her to gain weight would be increased exercise and a high quality protein so she builds more muscle and weighs more through that.The food amount does seem a little small. At a smidgen over 6 pounds assuming she is inactive she needs about 120 calories a day. A quarter cup of the food I fee is about 110 calories so she may be hunger because she does need slightly more food. It is difficult to say without knowing the calories on your food though. 
 
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