Height or length?
Our smaller brothers walk on four legs, which creates some confusion when taking measurements. What is the difference between a pet's height and its body length?
As for body length, its value is measured in the horizontal direction.
Let's start taking measurements
Measuring the height of a cat is more difficult than measuring the height of a dog. A standard cat will not stand in one place for even a couple of minutes, so to take measurements you will need an assistant to hold the fidget.
The rest is a matter of technique. Place the cat close to the door frame or wall, level with the height of the withers, leave a mark with chalk, and then measure the distance from the floor to the mark made.
What to do if your pet desperately does not want to stand still for at least a minute, and there is no assistant nearby? Then you can use a trick and measure the animal’s height from a lying position.
What about the length?
Along with the height of the animal at the withers, the breed standards must indicate the length of its body. So in our story it would be unfair to ignore this parameter.
I recommend: Carrying backpacks for cats in Yekaterinburg
Interestingly, data on body length allows us to determine the approximate age of the animal. Here are some approximate indicators for a medium-sized animal:
- newborn kitten – 12 cm;
- kitten aged 2 months – up to 24 cm;
- kitten aged 5-6 months – up to 35 cm;
- adult cat – up to 35 cm;
- adult cat – up to 37 cm.
This information will be useful if you adopted a kitten from the street and are now wondering what its approximate age is. But in this case, it makes no sense to measure height, since the length of the paws depends not so much on age, but on the genetic characteristics of the animal.
Additional measurements
To sew clothes for a cat or select ready-made cat equipment, you will need additional measurements:
Cat breeds that appear big because of their fluffy fur
The last selection is “pet illusionists”. Their impressive dimensions are a decoy created by fluffy wool. The real proportions of such cats are clearly visible after bathing.
Turkish Angora (2.5-5 kg)
The fluffy and soft fur of the Turkish Angora hides a graceful and very slender body. Thick fur also covers the inside and tips of the ears. In addition to the common white color, the standard allows other colors, but due to their less popularity, their owners are always cheaper.
Turkish Angoras take a long time to get used to new people and are suspicious of strangers. There are no problems with other pets if their size matches the “mustachio.” Otherwise, the hunting instinct may awaken in him.
Himalayan (3.1-6.3 kg)
The thick and long fur coat gives the Himalayans a resemblance to a fluffy pom-pom. In addition to the awn, they have a well-developed undercoat, so without regular care, the hairs quickly become tangled and lose their luster.
INTERESTING!
“Himalayans” got their name from rabbits of the same name with a similar color.
By their nature, the “Himalayans” are close to the “Persians”. They are neat, peaceful and prudent. Petty hooliganism on their part is a rarity, due to their relationship with the more mischievous “Siamese”.
Chantilly-Tiffany (3.5-6 kg)
They were obtained from cats with long hair of chocolate color and Burmese. Despite their strong fluffiness, they do not have an undercoat. In addition to solid chocolate, the standard also allows for lilac, black and blue colors.
Chantilly Tiffanys love to sit in the arms of their owners and get along well with babies. They become strongly attached to people and cannot stand loneliness.
Slide captions:
Research article on the topic: “Measurement of the physical parameters of a cat” Completed by: Rogozhnikova Svetlana, 7th grade Supervisor: Osolikhin Yu. V., higher physics teacher. sq. cat. Branch of MKOU "Shamarskaya Secondary School No. 26" - "Gornaya Secondary School"
Study of light perception by the cat's eye Experiment No. Distance from source to device, cm Illumination, lux Pupil width, mm 1 5 250 6 2 10 120 9 3 15 70 11 4 20 30 13
I recommend: Why does a cat eat fur and why is it dangerous?
Physical devices. Measuring tape, measurement limit 100 cm, division 1 mm.
Medical thermometer, measurement limit 43°C, division value 0.1°C.
Household spring scales, measurement limit 10 kg, division value 0.1 kg.
School ruler, measurement limit 20 cm, division 1 mm.
Flashlight on your phone, Sound Level Meter app on your phone.
Luxmeter 25 -100-500 lx with separate photocell F102, measurement range 25, 100, 500 lux, division value 0.5, 2, 10 lux.
Dosimeter “Master 1-Horizon B5656”, units. measurements μSv/h.
Criteria for normal weight of cats and kittens
First of all, 3 factors influence a cat’s weight: its breed, age and lifestyle. For this reason, veterinarians do not recommend relying on a single standard. The norm calculated for a specific pet is much more reliable.
Breed affiliation
On average, domestic cats weigh 3.6-4.5 kg, but, depending on the breed, this figure freely “walks” up or down. For example, Maine Coons will always be larger than short-legged Munchkins, even at the kitten stage.
The constitution of the body is no less important. The norms for the “British” and “Scots” are practically the same, but the former are characterized by more developed muscles, and the latter by graceful proportions.
Differences are also observed within the breed. Most felines are characterized by pronounced sexual dimorphism. This means that a male can always be distinguished from a female thanks to the extra pounds. In most cases the difference is 1-2 kg.
Age
A cat's weight constantly changes as it grows. The minimum indicator is typical for kittens, but they gain new kilograms much faster and practically do not store fat.
By 1.5-2 years, weight stabilizes, and its deviation becomes undesirable. Older animals most often suffer from obesity and exhaustion, as metabolism slows down with age and the number of chronic diseases increases.
Nutrition and activity
Weight is affected not only by the amount of food eaten, but also by the quality of food and the frequency of meals. For this reason, homeless animals are more likely to suffer from thinness. In addition to irregular and meager nutrition, their lives are marked by excessive activity. Street cats are constantly in search of food and are forced to regularly defend their territory.
Pets live in maximum comfort. Their activity level depends on the efforts of the owners, breed and age. The main fans of games are the “Abyssinians” and “Orientals”, and the main admirers of the sofa lifestyle are the “British” and “Persians”. Because of this, the latter are more likely than others to suffer from obesity.
How to take measurements
When a cat sits or lies, the spine changes length due to deflection or twisting. Clothing for a cat is designed for movement, so measurements are taken after placing the animal.
It is better to measure together. The owner calls the cat, holding a treat in his palm. The palm of the other hand gently supports the stomach, preventing the animal from sitting down.
At this time, the assistant measures:
- the length of the back from the withers to the beginning of the tail (not the end of the body);
- neck circumference (the tape is placed in the middle);
- chest volume (widest point);
- volume of the abdomen (when the cat is expecting kittens, or the pet is well-fed).
Common clothing models are blouses with an elongated back or blankets with a hole for paws without sleeves. When you plan to purchase items with sleeves and legs, the circumference (volume) of the paws is measured.
Clothes for kittens are purchased for growth. It is better to check the measurement table for this breed, which records growth by month. Or purchase clothes by adding up to 4 cm for movement.
Maine Coon Size Standards
Upon reaching 15 months, the growth of the coon is completed and until the age of three they gain only muscle mass.
The weight of a male at one and a half years old can reach 8-10 kilograms. Girls are more modest in size - about 8 kilograms. Before reaching the age of one year, there are some females that can be similar in size to the males. The weight of a coon may change after spaying and neutering (for cats). This is caused by hormonal imbalance. For such cats, you need to select special food and monitor physical activity. You can often find information that coons have enormous height and weight exceeding 25 kg. This is a very persistent myth that is simply a myth and a fallacy. If a Maine Coon cat exceeds 12 kg, this may indicate problems with the health of the animal.
There are official records for the size of coons that were exhibited at exhibitions and competitions. The largest cat had a body weight of 15 kilograms. The physique of this breed is muscular and has a large head. They have characteristic tassels on their ears and a long fluffy tail.
Why can a Maine Coon lose weight?
Body weight standards affect the portion of food that domestic coons should receive. If suddenly your pet begins to lose body weight, this may indicate the presence of health problems. It is important to take action in time and contact a veterinarian. Typically, there are many reasons for weight loss:
- change in diet or diet;
- poor nutrition;
- use of low-quality products;
- worms or other parasites;
- hereditary factors;
- hormonal imbalances;
- poor animal hygiene;
- serious illnesses.
At the first signs of weight loss, it is worth paying attention to the animal’s diet. Perhaps it is not receiving enough necessary nutrients. If there have been no changes in the diet, the cause may be the stressful state of the coon. In any case, weight loss is most often due to health problems. In this case, only specialists can help and immediately prescribe adequate treatment.
Material on the topic: all about the character and habits of Maine Coons.
Maine Coon kitten.
Arabian Mau
At first glance, an ordinary yard cat
This cat may be an aboriginal mongrel, but in 2004 the whole world learned about it. And in 2008, the animal acquired “pedigree” status.
The Arabian Mau is the oldest breed that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. This area of land is considered one of the hottest on the planet; in summer the air temperature reaches +55 degrees. Moreover, there are problems with humidity; in some areas there is nothing but sand. Aboriginal cats managed to survive in such a difficult climate.
Representatives of the breed have excellent health, are unpretentious and have a very warm attitude towards people. In Russia, Arabian Mau are rare; there are no nurseries breeding these cats.
It’s a pity... Mau are good-looking, easily adapt to our climate, and good-natured. The only drawback is the size, the weight of an adult cat reaches 9 kg, cats are a little lighter. But when did the weight category of an animal stop lovers of the breed...?
