How Big Can Healthy Cats Get?
Hey Dr. Barchas, I have a Maine Coon cat and he is
22 pounds. Is this normal?
Madison
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
Maine Coons are known for being large. I have known plenty of healthy Maine Coons who weighed in at 15 pounds or more. And, in the course of my career, I have met two healthy cats who weighed more than 20 pounds. They were both Maine Coons.
To answer your question, a 22 pound cat is not normal. It is exceptional. Very few cats weigh that much.
However, it does not matter whether your cat is normal. What matters is whether his weight is healthy.
A 22 pound cat is roughly equivalent to a 250 pound person. Most 22 pound cats, and most 250 pound people, are overweight. But there are exceptions. For a very tall person, 250 pounds could be a healthy weight. And for a very large-framed cat, 22 pounds could be fine.
Remember that obesity in cats is linked to a number of serious medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney failure and bladder inflammation. I recommend that you have a vet assess your cat’s weight. If his weight is fine, then don’t worry. If he is overweight, discuss weight control measures with your vet.
Photo: Chloe’s weight looks fine to me.
You have questions. 
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A great answer, Dr. Barchas. As you said, it is possible for a healthy male Maine Coon cat to weigh 22 pounds – but that’s really at the top of the charts. I think the only other domestic cat that could reach or exceed that would be a male Savannah Cat (a hybrid of the African Serval and a domestic cat), which could be 30 pounds for a first generation cross.