It is pretty obvious that a cat will stop to grow once it reaches adulthood. But there are some factors that might affect the growth of a cat. When a cat is around 8 months old, at that time the bones of the cat stop to grow anymore.
The speed of a cat’s growth can vary according to the breed it belongs to. And every breed has its own special needs for nutrition whether it is a Persian cat or a Manx cat.
A kitten grows really fast. Despite the fact that humans grow much slower than animals, kittens don’t follow the footsteps of humans. A kitten will grow into an adult before you even know about it. During their initial stages of life, kittens grow at an astonishing rate. The body size of the kitten increases at an exponential rate and the bones of the cat become really strong.
After the growth of the body, the cat attains its sexual maturity within four months following the body growth. This sexual maturity results in even more growth of the cat. This is the time period that can really change your cat’s body shape like it can become really thin or it can actually become really fat.
All this happen till the first birthday of the cat. The time period of these stages and the speed may vary from breed to breed, but it mostly happens within a year of their birth.
Malnutrition
If the cat is not fed enough nutrition that is essential for its growth then it will probably affect the growth of the cat. Malnutrition can slow down the growth process resulting in weaker bones structure and underdeveloped body of a cat. Usually, vets advise high-quality food which contains enough calories and protein that is required by a cat’s body.
That’s why; try to provide a balanced diet for your cat which can help your cat to grow easily.
Food requirements
Usually, kittens require more nutrients than an adult cat because of more physical activity. But this does not mean you should overfeed them. Kittens have a small stomach so make sure that you provide the meal with high calories and protein 4-5 times a day. It might sound like too much, but you can cut down on quantity as too much of it can result in obesity in cat and can actually make them lazy. If your cat is Neutered then it is likely that your cat will develop this condition.
When the cat grows into an adult, the food requirements become low. They can process with just 2 meals a day. In their meal, they need a 3/4th bowl of dry meal and rest is water. This is not hard and fast rule. You can change it according to your cat’s requirements, but this is a basic process of giving your cat enough nutrition to function properly. A kitten needs more food so that it can grow easily. So if you have a kitten, then remember to feed it at least 4 times a day to ensure healthy growth.
Once your cat completes its 12 months, it will probably reach adulthood because most of its physical and mental growth will complete. Now the cat will age much faster than humans. According to some research, one cat year is equal to four human years which is really shocking. Also, a cat’s health suffers from its age but they age beautifully. Remember that first year of your cat is essential for its growth and the nutrition intake will decide its health for the rest of its life.