Fact Vs. Fiction: How Long Do Maine Coons *really* Grow?

[MistyDawn]

So, Alaska is 7 months now. Boocoos of pictures coming since it's been awhile. He's almost impossible to get photos of with my camera because the gosh darned snapping takes too long after I press a button. I can only get him to hold still for brief moments, and using my hubby's phone, I can take advantage of those brief moments!

Anyway, camera woes aside, Alaska is going strong at 13-14lbs now (Our scale is cruddy, and always gives a significantly lower number than the vet scale. We got a cheap one. Ya get what ya pay for.) as of April first, he turned 27 weeks old. His PTP is about 100cm. From size charts I've seen, he appears on the track to be a "biggie".

Now I've Googled the age at which my lad should reach his full size but some say up to four years. Others say eighteen months, and that the four-year number is a myth. So, my fine feline fancier friends from afar, what do you know of this? What's the truth to your knowledge? If you have a Maine Coon, at what age did s/he stop growing?

A couple of the recent photos because it's been awhile wince you've seen his face. These aren't extremely flattering to his features, as getting a dead on angle instead of a looking up, which is all chin, or looking down, which makes his muzzle look longer than it is, photo is tougher than Clint Eastwood, if Clint Eastwood was raised by grizzlies. I did get some taken though. I'll try and post them tomorrow. These weren't even the best by far. I did use some Photoshop technique on the third to bring out some volume in the dark truck. Alaska loves the truck so I always bring him on my husband's and my 18 wheel adventures.

 

[abyeb]

Alaska is growing into such a handsome cat!

The breeders I’ve talked to at cat shows all said that Maine Coons keep growing for about four years, and that they grow the fastest in the first 12-18 months, but do grow after that.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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MistyDawn - Big Red, my late Maine Coon, grew very slowly and steadily after age three, finally stopping at about 33 pounds and 109 cm in a long, smooth growth arc, just past his fourth birthday. Norwegian Forest Cats, on the other hand, are prone to growing in fits and starts, with growth spurts continuing until just after age five. For a European style Maine Coon, Alaska seems pretty big-boned (judging primarily from his fore-legs), and I wouldn't be surprised to see him pass 115 cm and twenty-five to thirty pounds. @mightyboosh 's Oliver is enormous in length, but his weight is still in the twenties, because he's medium-framed, just as all those Supreme Grand and International Grand ancestors were.

Just as an aside: size doesn't really work against Maine Coons as long as they, "have it all goin' on." World Champion Glorias Terra Blues of Midnight is fairly small for a modern day World Champion; at barely over twenty pounds he's medium-framed as well, but no one will argue that he doesn't have it all goin' on.
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[MistyDawn]

Very informative as usual, 1CatOverTheLine . Alaska is very big boned. I noticed from his kitten pictures he had an almost deforned-looking chin, because it was massive. He also had notable cheekbone lines around the time his eyes opened. Another thing that I think may predict his size is that, from when we got him at two months, he's been strong to the point of absurdity. When he's feeling like playing, he wraps his paws around your arm, and if you try and pull away, be he two months, 4lbs, or his current 7, 13-14lbs, you just pull the entire cat into the air. I'm glad he has a good temperament, because a cat that strong is dangerous.

I looked at one American Maine Coon's growth chart and he was larger than any of their boys at this age. I know bits and pieces his genetics. His mother wavers between 14 and 15lbs. His mother's father was 22lbs. His father is 18 lbs and lean, would probably weigh 20 if neutered. None of his ancestors I know of fit a 25-30 trajectory, but for his age, strength, and bone structure, his size is saying "25-30" lbs.

So my next question to you is this: Could diet be the difference? During his first few months with us, he was fed Orijen when his protein was the absolute most important. Then, we slightly downgraded to Instinct Raw Boost. His cattery and many others use the widely known scam known as "Royal Canin" Is it some odd genetics, or is it an affect of us feeding better food?

Also, more pictures coming soon. These aren't the most photogenic, just the first I uploaded to my PC. . He is truly shaping up, especially in the face, to look like the Sijka Maine Coons.

Photos of tiny Alaska, AKA Little Big Chin.

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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MistyDawn - There isn't a gene which encodes for size; size is universally affected by growth rate. An animal which grows more slowly will be larger than one which grows quickly (germ cell mutations notwithstanding). That said, nutrition, and the amount of food available, will be the contributing factors for mass, just as the amount of exercise will be the contributing factor for weight, since muscle tissue is more dense than fat by a factor of 1.16 (1 litre - 1,000 cc - of muscle weighs, in general, 1.06 kg, while 1 litre of fat weighs, on average, only .9 kg). Having a general idea of a cat's body fat percentage (not Body Mass Index) will help predict her or his ultimate weight (e.g. in two cats with the same mass, where one cat is obese [i.e. more than 130% of ideal weight, or 35% body fat] and the other is lean and well-muscled [<17.5% body fat], the "skinnier" cat will outweigh the "fat" cat by 1.16 times the differential of fat percentage).
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[cheesycats]

I love himmmmm. My Maine coon mix plateaud around 13-14 lbs at 2 years. He stopped gaining after that. And he was just a mix. So you’re may grow longer and bigger. It sure sounds like he will anyway lol. He’s very pretty.

 

[MistyDawn]

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MistyDawn - There isn't a gene which encodes for size; size is universally affected by growth rate. An animal which grows more slowly will be larger than one which grows quickly (germ cell mutations notwithstanding). That said, nutrition, and the amount of food available, will be the contributing factors for mass, just as the amount of exercise will be the contributing factor for weight, since muscle tissue is more dense than fat by a factor of 1.16 (1 litre - 1,000 cc - of muscle weighs, in general, 1.06 kg, while 1 litre of fat weighs, on average, only .9 kg). Having a general idea of a cat's body fat percentage (not Body Mass Index) will help predict her or his ultimate weight (e.g. in two cats with the same mass, where one cat is obese [i.e. more than 130% of ideal weight, or 35% body fat] and the other is lean and well-muscled [<17.5% body fat], the "skinnier" cat will outweigh the "fat" cat by 1.16 times the differential of fat percentage).
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You are a human encyclopedia on cats. You never cease to impress me. I'm posting new photos in another thread in a second, so you can see where he is and I can get some opinions on his show and stud potential. I've been waiting to review the cattery I got him from until he's grown and I see how he develops, but so far, I have nothing but praise. He was always on the bigger side of average as a kitten but I thought they slowed down after 6 months. He's 7 months now and it seems like his growth is accelerating, in every direction. He's filling out but he's also already the same height as my MC/Siamese halfie boy, and longer, and growing every day. My husband comes home for the weekends from his trucking job and I say "Honey, it got bigger." We call kittens "it" just because we think it's funny and cute. He's so affectionate since he's calmed down too. I love my boy.

I love himmmmm. My Maine coon mix plateaud around 13-14 lbs at 2 years. He stopped gaining after that. And he was just a mix. So you’re may grow longer and bigger. It sure sounds like he will anyway lol. He’s very pretty.

Thank you. My half Maine made it to 15. Alaska hasn't caught up to him in weight yet because he's 4 this year and like solid rock, but, he is longer and taller, and gaining fast in muscle, with big bones for them to anchor to. He's always been hyper, and though he has calmed down some, he's still the bane of my other cats' existence with his constant tackling and playing, so he gets a lot of exercise. Reminds me a bit of my brother, who did wrestling moves on me when I was 4. He was 12. Haha.

 

[Candybee]

He is stunningly beautiful!

 

[MistyDawn]

He is stunningly beautiful!

Thank you! I got him just as a pet initially, thought maybe I'd show him, if he had the potential, but he blew my expectations right out of the water with his muzzle, ear set, coat, build, and hypnotizing blue peepers! He ended up being by far better quality than I was expecting.

 

[10009891]

I love maine coons. They have that feral exotic look!

 

[10009891]

Ragdolls also grow large. My male Ragdoll already weighs over 11 lbs and he's only 9 months!!!