How to take basic and additional measurements from cats


How to determine the size of a cat's clothing correctly

To correctly determine the size of clothing, the cat is measured. You will need a tailor's measuring tape. If this is not available, use a piece of non-stretchable twine. Due to its short length and inflexible material, a ruler is not suitable.

The measuring tape may show incorrect results when the markings are not applied correctly (a common defect in measuring tools purchased from the Chinese marketplace). Or the tape has stretched or shrunk during use.

Before taking measurements, you need to check the accuracy by comparing the measurement with a school ruler (preferably a Soviet model - at that time all measuring instruments were checked for measurement accuracy).

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.

  1. The cat stands on four legs, head slightly raised (standard stance).
  2. The tape wraps around the front legs at chest level just behind the limbs.
  3. To measure the hind legs, the tape is run parallel to the floor from the level of the groin towards the tail.
  4. If trousers are purchased, measure the length of the leg from the root of the tail to the desired length (usually the hock).

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.

size table

Manufacturers conventionally divide all cat breeds into large, medium and small (L, M, S), and then make a breakdown in increments of 3-5 cm, referring to the control measurement of neck girth. Before purchasing, it is worth checking whether the table includes allowances for loose fitting - after all, the cat does not need tight-fitting clothes.

A couple of cm are added to the measured home values ​​for freedom of movement of the animal, then the size is determined from the table.

Important: the choice of size also depends on the type of fabric. If the control measurements with an increase were obtained on the border of two sizes, choose the smaller one when the fabric stretches well (for example, knitted fabric, lycra, jeans with elastane).

If the table determines the size of the cat, and the planned purchase is a jumpsuit worn on four paws, additionally measure their girth.

Before paying for clothes in a pet store, ask the seller about the elasticity of the materials, if necessary, add a couple of centimeters for movement.

Shoe size

To find out which shoes are suitable for a cat, you need to take standard measurements of the length and width of the “feet”. The easiest way is to put your pet on a piece of paper and trace the front and back tracks. Afterwards, in a calm environment, without torturing the animal, you can determine the size of the shoes.

Important: paws, in most cases, differ in size from each other, so you should not rely on single readings.

Clothing for a cat is not a whim of the owner, but a necessity: hairless breeds are cold, short-haired ones need warmth when they are acclimatizing or sick. To prevent the fur from becoming electrified, when choosing clothes for a cat, preference is given to natural fabrics with a small synthetic content.

Character and intelligence

The Abyssinian breed is more suitable for people with an active lifestyle. After all, such active and playful pets can sometimes tire you with their inexhaustible energy. Lying on the couch or lap for a long time is not for them. Cats are a little calmer in character than cats, but no less inquisitive. They are interested in everything, they want to be in the center of any events. In their free time from sleep, they tirelessly search for entertainment. Any little things instantly capture their attention until something new distracts them.

These are loyal and affectionate animals with an easygoing disposition. They don’t have sudden mood swings; they are always positive. They are devoted to their owners like dogs. Even the behavior is sometimes similar. During the game, they willingly bring back thrown objects. You can teach them to walk side by side and give your paw. They need constant attention, and in the absence of it, they suffer. They are endowed with amazing intuition - they feel when and how to behave.

They love to watch street life near the window. The fish in the aquarium are no less interesting for them. There is no place where the Abyssinians cannot climb. These are real climbers who can conquer any height. Sometimes the contents of open shelves begin to be thrown off, so it is worth clearing free space in advance for their unhindered ascent to the top and removing all valuables from the intended route. Animals can often be seen on the kitchen cabinet, refrigerator, where it is more convenient for them to observe everything that is happening.

Even adult cats do not lose their childhood habits and can harm themselves while playing. So it is advisable to close the windows and keep dangerous objects away. Animals are able to play with one toy for a long time, but then they lose interest in it - suddenly and forever. There are no special preferences; they can have fun with different objects. Wind-up toys will have to be constantly “revitalized”, otherwise the cats will lose their excitement.

Abyssinians will not damage furniture or wallpaper. They are friendly to all inhabitants of the house, including small children. In the company of strangers they do not show aggression or fear. They feel some discomfort in the company of other cats. Being natural leaders, they need personal space. They get along well with dogs.

Why do you need to measure your cat's height?

Even if your cat leads a purely indoor lifestyle, she will need clothing in cold weather. This applies, first of all, to smooth-haired pets, who are especially cold on autumn days, when the central heating has not yet been turned on in the apartment.

You can sew a cat costume yourself or buy a finished product at a pet store. In both cases, so that the new thing does not turn out to be too small or large, you first need to take measurements from the animal.

In addition, height is measured in purebred animals that participate in exhibitions. Its value serves as the basis for calculating the index of elongation, massiveness, long-leggedness and other parameters of the animal. By comparing these values, a panel of judges determines whether a given specimen meets the required breed standards.

Estrus and mating of the Abyssinian cat

The first estrus occurs very early in representatives of this breed - signs of maturation can be observed as early as 4 months. Mating of Abyssinian cats is desirable upon reaching one year of age. Males reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 months.

Mating can be a problem - the animals are shy and cautious. Leave the cat in the male's territory for a couple of days so that the pets can get used to each other.

Pregnancy occurs without complications, and childbirth in this breed is also easy. Cats become devoted parents to 5 or more kittens. Breeding the Ethiopian cat is a complex matter and requires strict adherence to genetic standards. Therefore, in our country there are few nurseries offering real Abyssinians.

Pregnancy and Abyssinian kittens

If you decide to get just such a pet, choose the breeder carefully. It is impossible not to notice the kittens of the Abyssinian breed - they rush like a hurricane, playing with their peers, conquer the most inaccessible peaks, play and jump tirelessly. When choosing a kitten, it is important to remember: a healthy animal that you are going to take home should not be younger than 3 months, the eyes and nose should be clean, the gait should be straight and not different from the rest of the kittens in the litter. You should also check the pedigree and veterinary passport. The baby must have all the vaccinations required at this age - a comprehensive vaccine with revaccination and a rabies vaccination, as well as treatment against helminths.

What types of body structure do cats have?

Compared to dogs, domestic cats differ little from each other in shape and size. However, the existing differences distinguish three main types of these animals:

  • Undersized . Short-legged cat breeds, the most famous of which is the Munchkin. The paws of these animals are 2-3 times shorter than usual, which is due to the dwarfism gene. Height – up to 20 cm.
  • Medium height . Cats with well-developed muscles, slightly rounded heads and medium-sized legs. Height – from 23 to 30 cm.
  • Tall . The most famous breeds are Savannah and Maine Coon. Slender, long-legged animals with a narrow chest and wedge-shaped head. Height – up to 45-60 cm.

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: Running wheels for cats in Yekaterinburg

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.

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?

A cat's height is measured vertically. The withers are taken as the starting point - the border between the cervical and dorsal spine, the highest part of the back. The center of the withers is located at the point between the shoulder blades of the front legs; this place is covered by a particularly dense fold of skin. The cat holds the cat by the withers (in common parlance, by the scruff of the neck) during mating, and the cat drags the newborn kittens.

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.

Another option is to use a measuring tape. To do this, apply the tape measure itself to the withers, and lower the end of the measuring tape to the floor surface. The resulting value is the height of the animal. If the cat is long-haired, spread the fur to the cat before measuring.

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.

If the apartment windows face the sunny side, place a sheet of Whatman paper on the windowsill and let the cat lie down in a place warmed by the sun. When your pet falls asleep, straighten his paws vertically in relation to his body and place marks on the paper. However, when choosing this method, the measurement error increases noticeably.

Petstory app – a service for cat owners

When a pet shows symptoms of deteriorating health, loving owners rush to look for information on the Internet. However, the information that can be gleaned from there often contradicts each other. It is much more convenient to consult with a qualified veterinarian at the first warning signs and get competent advice on what to do next.

To take advantage of this opportunity, install the Petstory mobile application on your smartphone. The service allows you to consult online with experienced veterinarians, and you choose a specific specialist yourself.

In addition, using the application, you can make an appointment at any time at your nearest veterinary clinic. Another useful feature is an interactive map with the location of pet stores, where you can purchase everything you need for your four-legged family member.

Most fans of the Maine Coon breed are attracted not only by the character, but also by the appearance of these cats. It is not surprising, because these pets compare favorably with their relatives. They are majestic and elegant, they have soft fur and well-developed muscles, which makes them even more attractive. And the length of the Maine Coon, on average, reaches about 1 meter.

Reviews of the Abyssinian cat

Tatiana

I bought my Abyssinian cat from breeders who, it seems, did not even let the kittens out of their cages. Perhaps this is precisely why my Kysya accepts with such gratitude that I rescued her from that “captivity.” She is unusually affectionate and very important. He is not picky about food, eats both natural food and ready-made food. I found only one drawback in my beloved Kysa - she does not tolerate other animals around her, therefore, having an Abyssinian at home, there is no point in thinking about a puppy or a second cat.

Vladimir

Abyssinians are Perfection squared. The cat god of beauty has been living with us for a year and a half now, and I can already form my own competent opinion about this breed. The breed is smart - our cat very quickly learned to use the toilet. The breed is sensitive. In the sense that they have a sensitive stomach. Food is a problem. He doesn’t eat dry food; he sometimes breaks out and vomits from regular food. Otherwise, he is an ideal cat, friendly and affectionate.

Marusya

This is a cat dog in the literal sense of the word. He is ready to wash, clean, print and watch football on TV with you. You can always talk to an Abyssinian, the main thing is to understand what he wants to say with his meow. The only pity is that it usually doesn’t sit on your hands; it only takes one or two strokes to accomplish this feat. But he sleeps exclusively under a human blanket. Some people may not like it, but our family is happy with such an elegant heating pad.

Ragnarek

A very sociable cat breed. A definite plus is that these cats are hypoallergenic. They are affectionate, hardly meow, are absolutely not afraid of water, and take a bath very calmly. They practically do not shed. Easily trained, we taught ours to go to the toilet in a week. They cannot stand loneliness, if you left him in one room and went to another, he will break the door trying to get to you). They are not fussy about food, but prefer poultry rather than fish. If there are children in the family, the Abyssinian is ready to play with them from morning to evening.

leksyssss

At the time of purchasing my Abyssinian, I already had a cat - Beatrice (review here). She doesn’t really like affection, but I really wanted a “squeeze” cat. Smile After many hours of browsing and reading various reviews/articles, I found my “cat ideal”. I even chose the name in advance - Lucas. And so, on one of my trips to the capital of our vast homeland, I begged this miracle from my husband. Upon arrival home, our newly minted resident behaved like a real man. He began to command and bully the second cat (it passed over time). He was very thin (even for an Abyssinian) and ate as if he had not been fed at all (I don’t know in what conditions he lived with the breeder). He has been living with us for 1.5 years, he has recovered and has stopped conflicting with the other cat.

Our cat is neutered because he matured early and described all the corners in the house. Smile One fine day, when he pooped on my blanket, I called the veterinarian. After castration, the cat softened, stopped being so jealous and bullying the second cat, licks her and tries in every possible way to be friends.

I feed my cats hypoallergenic food. On super premium food, intestinal function has normalized, the cat is shiny, active and cheerful. If you need an affectionate, devoted and loving cat, then choose the Abyssinian.

Video

General size statistics for Maine Coons

A newborn baby often does not predict the large size of an adult. The body length of Maine Coons at birth is about 12 cm. They weigh from 100 to 150 grams . These are very standard parameters for kittens of all breeds. However, over time, the Maine Coon becomes longer, gaining muscle mass. And this happens quite quickly.

The length of the Maine Coon cat increases at a tremendous speed over the months, so nurseries do not even undertake to display any statistics. Much depends on the individual. Some cats grow faster, some more moderately. What can we say if sometimes the length of a Maine Coon cat at 5 months reaches half a meter .

Record holders

The largest Maine Coon in history had a body length of 123 cm. The tail was 41.5 cm long. This cat had a gray-smoky color, and the record itself was recorded on August 28, 2010. His name was Stewie, he lived in the USA, in the state of Nevada. Another record holder lived in Australia, his name was Omar. He weighed 14 kg. It had a length of 120 cm.

Maine Coon Omar
Maine Coon record holder.

One of the most sensational records concerning this breed lived in Australia and had similar dimensions.

The largest cat by weight lived in the USA. He reached a weight of 16.5 kg, and did not have any health problems that could cause such a body weight.

No artificial records

In order to achieve records, many owners begin to overfeed the cat or even introduce special hormonal supplements to quickly gain height and weight, thereby harming its health. Large weight impairs the functioning of the heart, liver, digestive tract, and also leads to metabolic disorders. This way the animal can die much faster. All this led to the fact that many international exhibitions and competitions canceled awards in this category.

What affects the sizes

The size of a Maine Coon kitten does not always correspond to the norm. The fact is that the growth of any pet very much depends on several factors that can significantly change the initial parameters. Therefore, any table of Maine Coon lengths by month will not be accurate. There are the following reasons for deviations from the development norm:

  • genetics;
  • environment;
  • stress;
  • mother's pregnancy period.

Speaking about genetics, there are several main points. First of all, there are certain characteristics of the breed itself. This applies to both Maine Coon cats and any other animals. In addition, the gender of the pet plays a significant role. In males, by the age of six months, the size often increases significantly compared to females. Strongly influence the growth and parameters of the parents.

Especially the size of the future cat depends on the length of the mother. The larger it is, the faster the baby will grow.

In addition to the size of the Maine Coon parents themselves, the combination of their genes also influences. After all, 2 DNAs always create a completely new organism that is unlike anyone else. The newborn develops its own skeletal and muscle tissue characteristics. Therefore, even kittens from the same litter can grow at different rates and reach different lengths and weights.

The size of an adult Maine Coon cat can be affected by taking any hormonal drugs or medications. Even if the course was short, the period of development of the kitten itself can either be delayed or accelerated. It is difficult to predict exactly how treatment will affect the development of the cat.

Much depends on the living conditions of the animal. The size of a Maine Coon cat may change due to changes in sanitary conditions. Poor performance can harm the normal development of the Maine Coon breed, especially in the early stages.

Stress is also related to the previous point. Sharp sounds, temperature fluctuations and other irritating indicators can negatively affect the growth of a Maine Coon baby. Such a negative effect on the kitten’s body, especially on the endocrine system, can significantly change its final length and weight.

Particular attention should be paid to the cat's pregnancy period. She needs to be provided with the necessary care and given a complete diet with all vitamins and minerals. Then newborn representatives of the Maine Coon breed will gain weight well. In addition, this will affect their immunity.

Prices for Abyssinian cat kittens

If you want to buy an oriental beauty and are interested in how much an Abyssinian kitten costs, then the price for a purebred pet cannot be lower than 15 thousand rubles. Usually the price ranges from 15-60 thousand rubles depending on the color, nursery and pedigree of the kitten.

Representatives of this breed are still quite rare in our country, and are considered exotic and luxury, which is why fraud is flourishing on Avito, where mestizos are offered under the guise of Abyssinians.

Buy an Abyssinian kitten

  • In Russia, you can buy an Abyssinian kitten at the Aschi nursery; on the nursery’s website https://aschi.ru/you can see the available kittens or book a kitten in advance, as well as find out any other information.
  • You can buy an Abyssinian kitten in Minsk at the Misurata nursery (https://misurata.by/);
  • In Kyiv, Abyssinian kittens are offered by the Royal Joy nursery (https://www.royaljoy.com.ua/).

It should be noted that Abyssinians with registration according to the American felinological system CFA are of great value; this guarantees purebred breeding for more than 8 generations.

Why measure the length of a Maine Coon?

Measuring your pet's length is a very important step during its development. First of all, the owner can draw informed conclusions about the correct growth and compliance of the pet’s condition with standards. In case of any significant deviations, you can contact your veterinarian with a detailed description of the situation.

For those who do not know how to measure the length of a Maine Coon, there are several tips. First, you should calm your pet down and let him understand that nothing bad is happening. It is better to measure each part of the animal’s body separately. This includes:

If the size of the Maine Coon kitten meets the standards, we can draw conclusions that the correct diet and care have been selected for the baby.

Rating
( 1 rating, average 4 out of 5 )
Did you like the article? Share with friends: