Choosing for themselves a domestic fuzz from the cat family, people sometimes think about acquiring a large breed animal. Today they can outsize even dogs. It is interesting to know what is the largest domestic cat in the world. The article is devoted to this issue.
Cat family
Famous cats are considered predators. Their subspecies is a forest representative, domesticated over 10 thousand years ago. In total, domesticated cats of the cat family are 600 million with the number of breeds in 256. These are representatives of long-haired (Persian) and bald varieties (sphinxes). But all of them manage to side by side as companions of people.
Children want to have a kitten and not only. There is no age category of people who would be indifferent to the gentle purr of a pet. But sometimes the cat differs in atypically large sizes. He is impressive and arouses respect, falls into the book of records. What breeds of four-legged purr are the largest?
The best of the best
Without delaying the answer to the question, we can immediately say that the largest domestic cat in the world is an animal of the savannah breed. It was received in America at the end of the last century. To do this, they crossed a shrubby cat (wild serval) and a domestic shorthair (Egyptian breed). The African father gifted the offspring with large sizes and an exotic look, a magnificent color, and from the mother the children inherited the features of peace, the ability to easily adapt to the conditions of home life.
This is exactly the biggest domestic cats in the world. This record for today has not been surpassed by any other pets of this species. As for their size, it is common for a male to reach almost 60 cm. Moreover, the weight of the animal varies from 15 to 20 kg.
The appearance of such a four-legged friend is characterized by:
- an elongated body on which high limbs are located;
- outstretched neck;
- big ears;
- dark spots, which are strewn with wool;
- high intellectual abilities.
The largest domestic cat in the world can have the color of such tones:
- brown;
- chocolate;
- gray;
- golden.
The maximum size becomes when the animal reaches the age of three.
Character of the beast
The largest of domestic cats in the world, the photo of which is presented here, is characterized by a restless character and lead an active lifestyle. They love street walks. Therefore, for this purpose, their owners use a special leash.
The largest cat in the world of the savannah breed is completely not afraid of water. Rather, he even enjoys playing in a humid environment. They love to splash water with their paws. The animal is peaceful and sociable. It is not difficult for him to make friends with other pets. Moreover, they always remain loyal to the owner. Savannahs are similar to dogs in that they are also suitable for walks on a leash. They accompany a person no worse than them.
Breed features
Photos of the largest cats in the world are certainly impressive. The official registration of the Savannah breed took place at the very beginning of this century, and after 14 years such animals were attributed to the most expensive pets.
Genetics
Since the savannah is considered a hybrid, the representatives of the first generation almost half preserved the genotype of the wild father of the serval. Such offspring already gave 30% of the genotype from a shrub cat.
Representatives of the first two generations are among the most valuable. Reaching the seventh knee, the serval genes almost completely disappear. It is not typical for males of the first four generations to reproduce posterity as productively as possible. Therefore, among this tribe, females are considered valuable.
Knitting
For breeding, it is recommended to cross the male and the female from the Savannah breed or an individual from this species with a serval. Then it will be possible to maximize the preservation of their characteristic qualities.
If a person loves exotic animals, then the breed of savannah, similar to a wild African cat, will definitely appeal to you.
Maine Coon Record Size
The largest cats in the world, photos of the breeds of which you can see in our review, differ in size and exterior features. These include the Maine Coon variety. A cat of this breed has long held a leading position among the largest in the world. The mass of an adult was up to 10 kg. The beast was particularly beautiful, it is similar to a reed cat and a wild trot. Maine Coon has a tiger tread and tassels on his ears. Compared to his wild counterparts, he has a more friendly disposition. Similar to Maine Coon is considered the beast of the Manul breed.
One of the brightest champions is the cat Stewie from Nevada. He is registered in the famous book of records as the largest household representative in terms of length. It is 123 cm, if you measure the distance of the head - tailbone. For this, the animal is slightly stretched.
The owner of Stewie, the largest Maine Coon cat in the world, speaks of a pet as a gentle and affectionate creature.
Ashera
This breed is relatively new. She became the brainchild of American geneticists under the leadership of entrepreneur from England Simon Brody. Researchers crossed a long-legged African serval, a wild cat, and an Asian leopard predator.
As a result, the biotechnology turned out to be a leopard cat. The goddess Asher gave this adorable animal its name. Genetics aimed to bring out an animal perfect in all respects.
The leopard cat is distinguished from its counterparts by its impressive size, formidable appearance, powerful paws, predatory grin and exotic grace. She has typical habits, like a pet having a complaisant and affectionate character. Like other individuals, she is playful and loves to purr. These unpretentious creatures tend to be active and frisky. They love the company of children. Behave carefully, do not scratch.
Asher cats are considered to be representatives of the largest breed, but this opinion has not been documented. The question of the origin of this species of animals is disputed.
Liger Hybrid Record
The largest among males is the Hercules cat, which consumes 45 kg of food per day. Its weight is 408 kg, length - 3.6 m, height is 1.8 m. But this is not a domestic species of animals. Hercules belongs to the Liger breed, which is a hybrid of animals such as the tigress and the lion.
At home, such an animal can be kept exclusively in the aviary. He needs space and a lot of varied food.
To summarize
It’s hard to surprise anyone with the presence of such cute creatures as domestic cats. Almost every family can boast of having such an animal. It provides a feeling of warmth and coziness, acts as a friend and a doctor, when necessary.
It’s so nice to feel the warmth of a tender lump on your hands when your pet starts a gentle purring song. Then the soul is filled with positive emotions. This beast can even be forgiven for such troubles as scratches from the sharp claws of the animal. Moreover, the larger the pet, the more pleasant it is to stroke.
So, we found out that the largest cat in the world, whose growth record reaches 60 cm, is an animal of the savannah breed. In addition to this species, Maine Coons are noteworthy. The length of the Stewie cat of this breed reached 123 cm. These are record figures recorded officially. An unusually large size differs and a cat of a leopard color of Asher. The beast has a formidable and exotic appearance. She looks very beautiful and graceful.
When choosing a pet of a large breed, it is important to think about how much the owner will be able to provide comfortable conditions for her. The animal will not be able to live in a small cramped apartment. He will need space and walking.
If there are kids in the family, do not get too large an animal with an aggressive character. It should be remembered that although the cat is domesticated, it is by nature still a wild beast. Children should not allow the pet to scratch and bite them.
A giant cat of impressive size will be a great friend with whom you can share your emotions and spend a cozy evening at home. Having studied the breeds of giant cats, you can better learn about these representatives of the cat family.