So wait from that cat breeding explanation does that mean the only reason we got to begals and great danes from wolves is just the time difference and that some day in the distant future we too can have cats that come up to our knees
dogs definitely had a head start because we were selectively breeding them for jobs (scenter, sight hunter, herder, guard, cart puller, etc) long before we started making cats into funny shapes for fun
dog genetics do seem to be more elastic, though, in that we’ve already hit the upper size limit for domestic cats?
Maine Coons are the largest variant of domestic cat we have right now, and they’re unfortunately suffering for their size. hip dysplasia data collected by the Orthopaedic Foundation for Animals in 2015 found that out of 2,732 cats that suffered from hip dysplasia, 99.1% were Maine Coons. they’re still a largely (lol) healthy breed, but if you see folk advertising XXXX QUADRUPLE SIZE MAINE COON TITANS just like............... steer clear
however if we introduce hybridization, which is hotly debated right now re: the ethics of creating high content crosses that can’t thrive in homes, then the sky is the limit? Savannah cats (serval x domestic crosses) already come up your knees!
but yeah, overall I don’t think cat size diversity will ever rival that of dogs
I love savannah cats (they're not legal in my country tho, i think) but they also seem terrifying just bc cats have such a strong hunting drive.


















