Brown short haired tabby11/21/2023 If you’re really in the market for the biggest cat possible, choose a male cat, since males are notably bigger than females both in height and weight.įinally, choose a breed ideal for your lifestyle. Most of the cats on our list don’t fully mature until three years old some won’t be there until their fifth birthday. Symptoms like these could mean hip dysplasia or luxating patella, a kneecap disorder.Īnother trait unique to many large cat breeds is how slowly they reach full maturity. If your cat has difficulty walking or jumping, ask your vet to perform an x-ray. Joint issues tend to plague large cats more so than their small breed counterparts. They’ll let you know if you’ve overstepped your boundaries. Pay attention to your cat’s body language during the grooming process (and on an everyday basis) to monitor their health and happiness. While brushing long-haired cats is wise to ensure they don’t develop mats or tangles, bathing cats isn’t necessary unless they’re covered in something nasty. Pro tip: Using a laser pointer can be a fun way to send your cat on a thrilling hunting expedition just make sure you set up rewards along the way. Interactive toys will be crucial to mimicking hunts and keeping your kitty’s brain sharp. Scratching posts are necessary to keep nails trim, expel energy and mark territory. Breeds predisposed to climb trees will need tall cat towers with perches as high as possible. If you go the indoor cat route with any sized breed, you essentially have to recreate outdoor activities inside. This has more to do with the many dangers a cat encounters in a city (broken glass, excessive traffic, garbage rats) than local wildlife, but is still a good case for keeping cats inside. Organizations and shelters, especially those operating in urban areas, often advise against letting pet cats roam free. Conservation groups argue that house cat hunting habits have decimated local bird and wildlife populations. Cats are natural hunters, so (duh) they hunt when outside. The National Wildlife Federation says controversy is a-brewin’ over allowing domesticated cats to be outdoor cats. But don’t rush to introduce your cat to the great outdoors just yet. This gets tricky if you plan to keep the cat indoors and you live in a confined space. Large cat breeds may require more attention than small cat breeds, simply because they need more space to meet their wild cat impulses. That, and plenty of toys, plus a companion cat for company if you happen to be away for long periods of time. To live companionably with a Bengal, you’ll want to buy a cat tree, because this one loves to climb. The key, however, is to socialize your kitty while they’re young-older cats won’t adapt as well to new people. This breed is intelligent and curious, as well as affectionate. Personality: Intelligent, curious, affectionateīengal cats look as regal as they sound, with their spotted, leopard-like coats and piercing eyes. Purple Collar Pet Photography/Getty ImagesĬolor: Gold, rust, brown, sand, ivory and more in spotted patterns This is why it’s hard to teach a cat to respond to commands they literally don’t respect you as their alpha leader. Since felines prefer solo lifestyles, they aren’t programmed to establish a leader like canines are. Lions are the only big cats known to live in groups. They hunt, they eat meat, they adapt to changing environments and they don’t adhere to hierarchies. Even after all that time with cats and people living and working together, domesticated felines remain largely untamed in their behavior and instincts. In his book Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life, John Gray writes that cats essentially joined human society “ on their own terms” thousands of years ago. In fact, domesticated cat DNA is shockingly similar to wild cat DNA. This is perhaps the most important fact to remember when deciding on a breed or considering owning a cat as a pet. Pet cats are only domesticated to a certain degree. (Though we will note that the cat will likely see you as the pet, not the other way around.) Domesticated vs. While all domesticated cats retain and display plenty of their wild cat instincts, the kitties on this list actually make excellent pets. They certainly aren’t lion-sized, but many are larger than the petite wild cats found around the world. While there are many small feline friends to choose from, the large cat breeds on this list make a very good case for adding felines to the “big pet” category. At first glance, it’s easy to toss cats into the “small pet” category.
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