Sydney’s biggest cat: This maine coon weighs 8kg and is 165cm long and only 18 months old

THIS family cat is just 18 months old and is already is close to weighing 8kgs. He’s a maine coon and they’re renowned for being big but will this moggy be Sydney’s biggest cat?

Karen Milton's Maine Coon cat Ollie chills out at her Normanhurst home. Karen has two Maine Coon cats, Ollie and Thea, the breed is known as the worlds largest domesticated cat. Picture: Troy Snook

COULD this be Sydney’s biggest cat? Karen Milton, from Normanhurst in Sydney’s south, says her maine coon Ollie is definitely a contender.

“He’s still got some growing to go,” Milton says.

“But if his dad is anything to go by, he’ll be a big boy in the next few months.”

Ollie tips the scales at close to 8kg, and is 165cm long, from his nose to the end of his tail, which is on the higher end of the maine coon size chart.

Karen Milton with her Maine Coon cat Ollie. Picture: Troy Snook

Karen Milton Ollie’s little sister Thea. Picture: Troy Snook

On average maine coons, known as the largest domesticated breed of cat, reach 8kg in full maturity but Ollie is just 18 months old and still growing.

“He doesn’t take any more feeding than a regular cat,” Milton says.

“I wasn’t surprised by the amount he’s grown either, we knew what we were in for when we brought them home,”

Milton says she’s always been a cat lady, and with her husband Ian the couple have owned seven cats, with Ollie and his sister Thea their first maine coons.

“I’ve never really been interested in getting a dog, but I liked the idea of a bigger animal, I did a lot of web searches for maine coons because they’re like dogs, in a way.”

Milton says she is trying to teach Ollie and Thea to “fetch” and says for cats they are “very sociable” and friendly with some of the cats known to “go for walks on leashes”.

“They always want to play or meet new people, I think they’re naturally inquisitive animals.”

Milton says she also likes the “wild” look of the cats.

“They look a bit scary, or impressive, like a bobcat or a lynx, they have tufts of fur on their ears and paws, that gives them quite a lovely look, it’s usually what shocks people more than their size.”

But it was the sound they make that gave Milton the greatest surprise.

“When you hear them, it’s like a meow and purr mixed together, they’re cats that sound more like a bird, I’m pretty sure it means they’re happy, but hearing a cat chirp is one of the stranger parts of having them.”