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It’s common knowledge that about cat tail length big cats are bigger than small cats, but how can you tell how big a cat is just by looking at its tail? Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as the length of the tail equating to a certain size of a feline. A domestic cat’s tail is around one-third of its body length, which means on average a domestic cat measures around 20 inches from head to tail. This same measurement does not apply to wild cats because they have different body proportions. Panthers for example have short tails and therefore appear bigger in comparison to other types of wild cats. In addition to this, there are several different subspecies of wild cats that have varying lengths of tails.
These include • The Asian Leopard Cat has a long tail and is about 40 cm in total length. • The African Wildcat has a short tail and is about 35 cm in total length. • The European Wildcat has an intermediate-length tail and is about 40 cm in total length. This means that despite their differences all these subtypes are still large compared to domestic house cats with tails measuring between 6-10 inches in some cases!
Big Cats Have Shorter Tails
Did you know that in comparison to their body size, big cats have shorter tails? Tigers, lions, and leopards are classed as large cats, and their tails are around half the length of their bodies. This is because large cats have longer legs and shorter bodies than smaller types of cats. Therefore, their tails appear shorter in relation to their overall body size. In addition to this, when cats walk or run their tails move from side to side. This is due to their long back legs and short front legs, which means smaller cats appear to move their tails less. As a result, the long tails of larger cats make them appear even larger than they already are.
Breed Standards
Each cat breed has a set of breed standards that describe its ideal characteristics. Among other things, breed standards often discuss the ideal length of the cat’s tail. For example, the Manx breed standard recommends that the tail be “as long as the head and body”. Because of this, if you measure the tail length of a purebred cat it could be longer than the length of a mixed-breed cat of the same size. This is because the tail length is not the only thing that determines the size of a cat, but also its breed and body type.
Small Cats Have Longer Tails
In addition to this, you can also tell a small cat from a large one based on the length of its tail. Smaller cats have longer tails than big cats, which means they appear more elegant and graceful in comparison. Because smaller cats have less muscle and are more fragile than big cats, their tails are also longer to help them balance as they walk. This is due to their long back legs and shorter front legs, which means their tails move more than those of big cats. Taller breeds of small cats like the Siamese and Persian have even longer tails which are often more than three times the length of their bodies!
Mixed Breeds
If you’re trying to determine the size of a cat based on its tail you should also consider its breed. This is because different breeds have different body types and so are different sizes, even if they are the same age. As an example of this, you’ll notice that most Siamese cats have longer tails than the Persian breed of cat. This is because Siameses are much smaller cats than Persians who are substantially larger in size. This doesn’t mean that Siameses are smaller than Persians because breed standards vary from breed to breed. For example, the breed standards for Persian cats recommend that their tails be “as long as the head”, whereas the breed standard for Siamese cats says their tails should be “as long as the head and body”.
Read More: List of Cat Breed
Cat Breeds with Long Tails
There are various cat breeds with long cat tail lengths including • The Manx – The Manx breed of cat has an especially long tail, which is “as long as the head and body”. • The Scottish Fold – The Scottish Fold breed is known for its long, fluffy tail. • The Scottish Straight – The Scottish Straight breed has long, bushy tails that are approximately one-third of the length of their bodies. • The Munchkin – The Munchkin breed has long, thick tails that are around the same length as the rest of their bodies.
Can You Measure the Size of a Cat By Its Tail?
The short answer to this question is no, you can’t tell the size of a cat by its tail length. This is because cat breeds come in all shapes and sizes, even when they have long tails. Because cats are one of the most diverse species on the planet and come in a vast array of different breeds and types, it’s impossible to tell their size based on the length of their tails alone. This is because different types of cats have different body lengths, and so the overall size of a cat is the sum of all its parts. This means you have to take into account the length of their legs, their overall length, their body type, and their coat length to determine the size of your cat.
How to Measure the Size of Wild Cats Based on Tail Length
If you’re interested in finding out the size of wild cats such as lions and tigers, you’ll have to do a bit of math based on their tail length. To do this you’ll need to remember that a cat’s tail is roughly one-third of its total body length. Therefore, you can work out the size of a wild cat based on the length of its tail by multiplying its tail length by three. This means that a wild cat with a 10-inch tail is 30 inches in length from head to tail, which equates to a total body length of around 6 feet!
Conclusion
In summary, wild cats have varying tail lengths depending on their subspecies and body type. This means that while the length of a wild cat’s tail could help you determine its size, it’s not as clear-cut as domestic cats where all cats of the same breed have the same tail length. Because different types of cats have different body lengths it’s impossible to tell the size of a cat based on its tail alone. Instead, you have to consider the overall length of the cat’s body, its body type, and its coat length to accurately determine its size.
