Russian blue cat might be one of the most adorable and affectionate cats but that won’t erase the stress about their health. You often see your cat gaining weight through the process of growing up leaving you with many questions. What is the average size of a Russian blue cat? How big Do Russian blue cats get?
Russian blues are medium-sized cats that can grow up to 10 inches of height and gain 7 to 15 pounds in weight. They are known to get obese due to overeating and less activity so, you need to monitor their food intake closely.
Now, that the basic and simplest answer is given, you may have other queries that can be solved with a detailed study.
Here is an article that can help you understand your Russian blue cat size and the factors that can influence it.
What Is The Average Size Of Russian Blue Cat?
First thing first, you cannot decide whether your Russian blue cat is small or big unless you know their average size.
Most of the time people confuse height with weight and say your cat is big or small. It is a common misconception where people mistake cats’ weight for their size.
But it doesn’t take place like that, the thing is the height, once the cat is matured, remains somewhat constant. But the weight will probably fluctuate with the diet and care accordingly.
You will learn about the average size of a Russian blue cat after they are fully grown and mature. This can vary with the age and diet accordingly.
Average Height Of Russian Blue Cat
The average height one Russian blue cat can attain is 10 inches, however, some factors might hamper this growth.
Don’t worry if your cat is few inches shorter or taller than the average height. The above-mentioned height is called average because it is quite common not exact.
Average Weight Of Russian Blue Cat
The average or say healthy weight for a medium-sized cat-like Russian blue is 7 to 15 pounds. Here we are talking about fully grown adults, not kittens.
Russian blue kittens’ size varies from that of the matured ones as these cats grow a lot within the first few months.
How Big Do Russian Blue Cats Get?
With average height and weight already said, you can imagine how big a Russian blue cat can get.
These Russian blues are medium-sized that are smaller than British Shorthair. However, the mixed breed of Russian blue can be quite different in size and can seem bigger than the pure breed.
With that being said, Russian blue cats are prone to obesity, meaning that these cats gain weight fast. If you are careless enough about the diet of these Russian blues, they tend to overeat and get obese.
Obesity makes them look way bigger than they actually are and it isn’t even healthy for them to put on weight.
Likewise, their double coats, one upper layer with guard hair and one dense undercoat, make them look quite big too.
They are not a big cat or even a small ones but other factors fuel their appearance to be different than they actually are.
Factors That Influence The Size Of The Russian Blue Cats
Few factors decide how big, small, fat, tall, or short your Russian Blue Cat will get. Here is the list of some of the factors that will change the fate of your cat:
Gender
Russian blue cats have different sizes and weights depending on the fact whether it is male or female. Russian blue male weighs more than the female ones thus will look bigger in size too.
A well-grown and healthy Russian Blue Tom weighs between 12 to 14 pounds on average whereas a female cat weighs between 10 to 12 pounds.
Genetics
If the parents of your Russian blue kitten are bigger in size then there is a chance it will be bigger as well. But if the parents are small or medium-sized like any other average Russian blue, then the offspring will be average too.
Diet
The size of Russian blue depends on the quantity and quality of food they are eating. Overfeeding or underfeeding your cat is an undeniable curse for the growth of it.
Overfeeding makes your cat obese and it is one of the major problems related to Russian blue. That’s why you must know the proper diet plan of Russian blue cat.
An obese cat looks bigger in size but is quite unhealthy and prone to diseases. Likewise, an underfed cat with an insufficient diet will suffer from malnutrition and will be very thin.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition is the key to attain the goal of good health and proper growth. If you are underfeeding your cat then it is certain that they are not receiving enough nutrients.
Nutrients are the important factors that help the Russian blue cat or any other animals grow properly. Russian blue cannot and will not attain its optimal size if it isn’t getting enough nutrients.
Internal Parasites
Sometimes, you will not realize the internal problems your cat might be having until it is late. Worms like tapeworms invade the intestine of the cat and suck up all the nutrients present in the food.
These parasites make it harder for the cat to get any nutrition on its body, hence the weight loss, improper growth.
Health Issues
Your cat may have some pre-existing or inherited diseases that might hold back the growth rate. The complications in the joints and bone can result in improper posture in the cat hence the minimal size. Learn more about Russian Blue cat diseases and their prevention measures.
Inactivity
Lazy and sluggish cat puts on more weight due to no physical activity. Physical activity helps to digest the food properly as well as keeps the mental health of a cat in check.
A well-developed cat is the result of more physical and mental activity along with a good diet and hygiene.
How Can You Help Your Russian Blue Cats To Attain Their Optimal Size?
Russian blue cats cannot attain their optimal size sometimes due to various factors. Once you know what the problem is you can look for solutions as well.
As you have already learned about the problems, here are some solutions to help your Russian Blue to grow properly.
Diet
If you give your kitten a balanced, nutritious, and right amount of diet, then they will definitely grow up to be healthy adults.
You need to feed them a high-protein diet so that they can grow well. Russian blue cats will devour chicken, beef, fish, canned, wet food, dry foods, etc. if you feed them properly.
Purina Fancy Feast Gravy Wet Cat Food and Merrick Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet Real Meat Adult Wet Cat Food are two wet foods you can get for your Russian blue.
Here are the nutrients that need to be present in the diet of your Russian blue cat:
Animal Protein
Animal protein has amino acids that help to develop bones, tissues, and organ system of the cats’ body.
Vitamins
Vitamin A helps to robust the immune system of Russian blues whereas Vitamin D helps for good vision. The B vitamins B1 and B2 help in the metabolism of carbohydrates and healthy growth respectively.
If you want your cat to grow properly, you need to give them food enriched with Vitamin B2. But that doesn’t mean you can neglect other vitamin intakes.
Minerals
Minerals not only helps to utilize as well as use nutrients in the cat body but also helps to transport oxygen.
These minerals also help to create essential enzymes your cat needs to grow up properly.
Fats
Omega 3 and Omega 4 are two fatty acids that help to regulate the body temperature of the cat. Likewise, these fatty acids also provide energy to the cat to help it do a different activity.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrate is the key nutrient that helps your cat with its growth and provides energy as most of the organ system depends on it.
Water
Water helps to distribute and metabolize nutrients present in the food throughout the body. It also helps to maintain body temperature in cats along with the elimination of toxins.
You might also like to learn about How Much Water Does Russian Blue Cat Need To Drink In A Day?
Others
Potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, sodium, and magnesium are the other nutrient that is required in small amounts but will impact the growth of your cat.
Care
If you care for your Russian Blue cat properly, then it will develop well and grow properly. You need to take care of their grooming, bathing, feeding, etc. so that they don’t lag behind in any attention.
When you give enough attention and monitor every simple hygienic behavior of your cat, they are more likely to grow well into healthy adults.
Training
Active and playful cats develop faster than lazy and passive cats. Passive cats are often sluggish and can put on unnecessary obesity.
You need to train your Russian Blue cat properly to play games, walk around, litter training, etc. so that they don’t depend on you for small things.
Spaying And Neutering
It is highly believed that spayed or neutered cats grow bigger in size than the normal Tom and queen. But once you spay or neuter your cat, your cat will not get pregnant or gift you small kittens.
When Are Russian Blue Cats Full Grown?
Russian blue cat is full-grown or reaches its full size at the age of 12 months or 18 months depending on various factors.
If you are feeding and caring about them properly, then they will be and healthy grown adults within 12 to 18 months.
When Do Russian Blue Cats Stop Growing?
These cats stop growing after 12 months supposedly but only their height. That’s what we are looking at here as the weight is a variable here and won’t be constant throughout its life.
But once they attain their maximum height at the age of 12 months, they won’t grow further. Even if they grow, it will be very small, unnoticeable growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some FAQs about Russian blue cats. This will be helpful for you as well.
How Many Kittens Can A Russian Blue Have?
Russian blue Queen can have 1 to 6 kittens per litter but the average litter size is three.
Do Russian Blue Cats Have Health Issues?
Yes, Russian blue cats, like any other cats, can have health issues due to bacterial and viral infections. Moreover, they might inherit some diseases from their parents so these cats are susceptible to diseases.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Russian blues are medium-sized cats that can be easy to care for and ideal companions. You have to be extra careful with their diet and what you feed them and when you feed them. They tend to get obese with untimely overfeeding or that is not healthy for them. The size tends to vary as they gain or lose weight so they might appear to be big or small.
