If you think your giant feline deserves the title of the fattest cat in the world, you'll be shocked at the size of the major contenders. Although the Guinness World Record editors removed this as a category for fear that owners would overfeed their pets to try to achieve this title, there are still plenty of examples of huge cats. From the longest to the tallest, we've rounded up the biggest cats in the world that you won't believe.
Official Biggest Cat in the World
Before they discontinued this category in 1998, the Guinness record managers recognized Himmy as the world's largest cat, weighing in at a whopping 46 pounds and 15.25 ounces. Himmy lived in Australia and was a neutered male tabby. Unfortunately, Himmy died of complications due to obesity.
Katy: 50lbs
A Russian cat, Katy, weighed an incredible 50 pounds in 2003. Her owner said that Katy reached this enormous size "partly because she was fed hormones to stop her mating," a BBC News article reports.
Tulle: 43 lbs
Tulle, also known as Tubcat, was from Denmark. In 2002, Tubcat, who weighed in at 43 pounds, was touted as the fattest cat ever at the time and subsequently became an internet celebrity. However, Tulle sadly passed in 2008 at the age of 13.
Mikesch: 41 lbs
Mikesch was a 41-pound German house cat that found himself at a Berlin animal shelter when his elderly owner moved to a nursing home in 2004. His diet consisted of 4.4 pounds of mince, and his shocking weight made it almost impossible for him to walk.
Barsik: 41 lbs
In 2019, 41-pound Barsik was rescued by the Anjellicle Cats Rescue in New York City. Because of his size, he couldn’t fit in any of the shelter’s typical cat housing, so he made his temporary home the shelter’s office. However, it didn’t take long before he was adopted by his forever parent. Today, Barsik is down to a much healthier 18 pounds and doing great.
Patches: 40.3 lbs
6-year-old Patches, a white and grey cat weighing in at 40.3 pounds, was surrendered to Richmond Animal Care and Control located in Virginia in early 2023. He was adopted by Kay Ford shortly after. Since then he's not only lost weight but also gained a following on Facebook and Instagram.
Meow: 39.7 lbs
At only 2-years old, Meow was already a whopping 39.7 pounds. He was brought to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter & Humane Society in 2012 because his 87-year old owner could no longer care for him. The shelter staff put him on a diet with the goal of helping him lose some weight before putting him up for adoption. However, just two weeks after his arrival at the shelter, Meow started breathing heavily and passed away from lung failure.
Bob: 36 lbs
@legendofleaa #obesecatsoftiktok #fatcatsociety #garfield #fatcatsoftiktok ♬ original sound - ice cream sandwich
When you think of the biggest cat in the world, Garfield might come to mind. Bob, the 36-pound orange tabby, looks an awful lot like Garfield, but his new owner is changing that. Since being adopted from the shelter at 36-pounds, he’s already well on his way to shedding the weight and living his best life.
Fake Biggest Cats
Without the Guinness Book of World Records to verify the size of cats claiming to be the largest in the world, it's much more difficult to know if a cat is really the biggest or if the story is a fake. With today's photo editing software programs, practically any picture can be faked well enough to look somewhat realistic.
Snowball
Snowball, who was said to weigh 87 pounds, was called the "Giant Nuclear Mutant Cat." However, it was later revealed a father had just super-sized the family cat with Photoshop to make his daughter laugh.
Longest Cat in the World
"Biggest" doesn't necessarily have to mean fattest. There are many cats that are quite long for their breed.
Stewie: 48.5 inches
Stewie, a stunning Maine coon from Reno, Nevada, remains the longest domestic cat ever, even though he’s no longer the longest living cat. The certified therapy cat passed away in 2013 after battling cancer.
Verismo Leonetti Reserve Red: 48 inches
Verismo Leonetti Reserve Red, better known as just Leo, measured 48 inches from nose to tail, earning him the title as the world’s longest cat in 2006. Although his weight was only 35 pounds, his veterinarian said it was a healthy weight for his frame, which makes sense, considering he was a Maine coon.
Samson: 48 inches
Samson, another Maine coon, was dubbed “the biggest cat in NYC.” He weighed in at 28 pounds and was a whopping 4 feet long until his passing in 2022 at 10 years of age.
Barivel: 47.2 inches
Barivel, a Maine coon living in Italy, is currently the longest living cat in the world at an impressive 47.2 inches long. He was born in 2016 and has held onto his title since 2018.
Snowbie: 40.8 inches
Snowbie was the world's first longest cat, as declared by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1997. He measured 40.8 inches from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. What’s interesting about Snowbie is that he was a domestic white cat rather than a typically large breed, like many of the other record holders.
Biggest Cat Breeds
Are some cat breeds just naturally bigger than others? You bet. Guinness recognizes the Maine coon, Ragdoll, and Norwegian forest cat as the biggest cat breeds.
- Maine coon: A Maine coon is dramatically large and long. They weigh 15 to 25 pounds on average with a length of 3.3 feet from nose to tail tip.
- Ragdoll: Ragdolls are as sweet as they are big. Some males tip the scales at 25 pounds.
- Norweigan forest cat: The Norwegian forest cat is a large breed weighing up to 20 pounds or more.
There are also hybrid breeds that are crosses between big cats and domestic felines that are quite large.
A Word of Caution
Even though it might be fun to marvel at these enormous cats, be very careful not to overfeed your own cat. Overfeeding can cause obesity, which can result in many health problems including:
- Diabetes
- Fatty liver disease
- Heart disease
- Increased risk for arthritis
- Poor grooming habits
- Breathing issues
- Shorter lifespan
Fattest Cats in the World
While it's interesting to read about the biggest cat or look at pictures, ultimately it's important to make certain your cat is at a healthy weight for their size and frame. You'll enjoy many more years with your feline friend if you keep them in top shape rather than hoping they can compete for the title of biggest cat in the world, which isn’t even around anymore.
