What Is the Biggest Cat in the World?

The Liger is the biggest cat in the world (wild), and the Maine Coon is the biggest domestic cat in the world. As of 2010, Hercules is officially the biggest recorded Liger. The Serval cat straddles the two worlds of domestic and wild, and with a lot of care it can be trained. The next step down in size is the F1 or F2 Savannah cat.

Liger

A liger is a hybrid that is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger with characteristics of both lions and tigers. They enjoy swimming as tigers do, and they are social like lions. It is thought that they may have hormonal issues that cause their huge size. They take longer to grow to full size, sometimes taking up to six years before they reach their full size. Males can grow to 800-900 pounds, while females are smaller at 700 pounds, and they are about 10 feet in length. Ligers live into their 20s. They have stripes like tigers and a tawny shaded background like lions.

The liger Hercules lives in a theme park in Miami. The Guinness Book of World Records documented him as the biggest cat in the world. Although he's not obese, he weighs in at an impressive 904 pounds. Ligers are wild animals; they are not household pets and have to be treated as such.

Maine Coon

Maine Coon cats are one of the biggest cats in the world. They are domesticated so therefore, they are household pets. The male cat can weigh up to 25 pounds and the female up to 15 pounds. They range in height from 10 to 16 inches and grow to a length of 40 inches, including a tail of up to 14 inches. They may take up to four years to reach their full normal body weight. They have a rectangular body with a physical structure that supports their weight and height, so their overall appearance is proportional. In 2010, the Guinness Book Of World Records accepted the Maine Coon cat "Stewie" into their records as the "longest cat" with a length of 48.5 inches from the nose to tail. To the right is a picture of a Maine Coon shown up against a regular domestic tabby. Note the size discrepancy between the two.

Savannah Cat

The Savannah cat is a hybrid that is a cross between a domestic cat and a Serval. A Serval is a medium-sized wild African cat. In 2010, the Guinness Book Of Records recorded "Scarlett's Magic" as the tallest cat in the world measuring 18.1 inches from the shoulder to toe. They are loyal like dogs and can play fetch and walk on a leash. They make wonderful domesticated pets.

While you probably would not want to spend a quiet night watching television with one of these cats on your knee, they certainly are fascinating cats, and it's intriguing to find out more about their origins and histories. If you would like more information about the biggest cat in the world, visit your local library to see what kind of reference material you can find or search the Internet.

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