by MB
(California)
Fido likes to sprawl on the dining table
I got Fido as a kitten. The mother was a large white cat, medium hair length, green eyes, about 15 pounds. The father is unknown. When I took Fido to his first vet visit, he weighed 3 pounds, was still wobbly, and the vet said he was 10 weeks old. By 6 months of age, he weighed 11 pounds, and the vets initially looked annoyed with me at first because they thought I was bringing in a full-grown cat to be neutered!
By age 10 months, he weighed 16 pounds, and at one year, he weighed 18 pounds. He got up to 25 pounds at 2 years, but I put him on a diet, now he is 20 pounds, and is perhaps 2 pounds overweight. He measures 3 feet from nose to the end of the tail.
As a kitten, he acted somewhat Maine Coon-like: squeaked instead of meowed, liked water, goofy. He also was a terror, and his main amusement was ambushing anyone and biting them on the leg. As an adult, he is very shy around strangers, will hide in the closet if anyone comes over, and he is vicious at the vet (scratches, growls, etc).
He is quite intelligent and good at catching and killing things. He catches and eats: cockroaches, large moths, June beetles, crickets, grasshoppers. Other prey: lizards (he likes to remove the tail), a bird (sad), a baby Norway rat, a mouse, and a 3 foot long garter snake.
Supposedly, domestic shorthair cats don't get this big. So, what is he, then? Can a Maine Coon mix have short hair?
melissa
What Breed is My 20 Pound Kitty? to Largest Domestic Cat Breed
Looks a lot like my cat! A Manx, distant relative to maine coons and originate from the isle of Mann near Denmark. They are supposed to be between 18-20 and are SUPER affectionate teddy bears once they bond with someone. And love to chat with you!
Typically they have naturally really short stubby tails, and their back legs are slightly longer than their fronts. They used to be called bunny cats because of it lol. But it’s not uncommon to have a Manx with a long tail. Definitely what I think your cat is
I don’t think your cat is a Maine Coon cross. He just looks like a really big domestic shorthair to me. Good job of putting him on a diet! 2 pounds overweight is still excessive for an animal as small as a cat. Kudos for getting five pounds off of him. Did you use weight loss food for him?
Thanks Jen for commenting.
I have a 20 lb tuxedo that is not overweight he’s just BIG big paws ,legs head,one of the things I love about TUX is he’s very vocal and affectionate and handsome .I’m a animal lover of all species and have 3 cats 3 dogs and tux is biggest of all he’s so affectionate and vocal you just gotta love him just wanted to share my TUX with others
Hi Craig, he sounds superb. He certainly sounds very large, much larger than the average domestic cat. He must be very impressive to look at. Thank you for visiting and telling me about your beautiful big boy.
Sounds like my cat’s story. We got him from the shelter; he had been a surrender from a family with bad allergies. They had him since a kitten and said he was about 2yrs old at that time. He was 11lbs when we initially got him. By the time we took him for his annual appointment, he was 27lbs! The vet confirmed he wasn’t fat, all muscle, and in great health.
He’s also a short-hair brown tabby bi-color with a slight tuxedo pattern. His face is more of the round, apple face, and large green eyes. He can jump clear to the ceiling to catch moths that happen in. He loves to ambush people (mainly on the stairs), and rolls on the floor and wrestles with my kids. He’s super friendly with everyone, and tends to chirp and meow as if he’s in the conversation. He’s like a “normal cat” but giant sized!
Hi Peng, thanks for sharing. You are lucky to be the companion to such an unusually large domestic cat. They are rare. It is just an individual trait. Gorgeous cat.
I have a cat very similar to yours. He is also 20 pounds…very powerful, and very loving. Probably the kindest cat I’ve ever known. He was identified as a Balinese Snowshoe…better known as a Snowshoe. Most Snowshoes can be identified by their 4 white feet, and a white blotch on their face.
Your cat sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing Jerry.
I have two domestic shorthairs. My female weighs only 6.5lbs while my tom weighs 19.75lbs. The “normal” range for house cats is 8-12lbs but can vary greatly. Fred is very fluffy and may have something mixed in, butsince we found him alone and burned at 3 weeks we will never know what he is… except we know for certain he is love. Love and purring… and killing things.