The largest Maine Coon cat documented by Guinness World Records is Mymains Stewart Gilligan, known as Stewie. He measured 123 cm (48.5 in) from nose to tail tip on 28 August 2010. That is a length record for a domestic cat, not proof that Stewie was the heaviest cat. Guinness no longer uses weight for its domesticated-animal records, so “largest” must be defined carefully here.
The short answer: Stewie holds the all-time length record
Guinness World Records lists Mymains Stewart Gilligan, or Stewie, as the longest domestic cat ever. The Maine Coon’s certified length was 123 cm (48.5 in), measured on 28 August 2010. Guinness’s more recent large-cat coverage continues to identify Stewie as the longest cat ever in its published material.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Stewie died in January 2013, but his measurement remains the all-time figure shown in the cited Guinness record information. Record databases can change when a new claim is verified, so this wording describes the Guinness pages available as of the current review rather than promising that no future cat could exceed it.
Why “largest” is not the same as “heaviest”
In everyday conversation, the largest cat might mean the longest, tallest, heaviest or simply the most imposing. Those are different measurements. Stewie’s Guinness distinction is specifically length from the front of the head or nose to the tip of the tail. It does not establish his body weight, shoulder height or total mass.
#1 Best Overall
Guinness explained in a 2019 historical article that it no longer recognizes weight as a measurement for domesticated-animal records. That policy is why a reliable answer to “What is the largest Maine Coon cat ever?” should lead with the verified length category instead of assigning Stewie a weight that has not been established in the cited record.
- Verified axis: nose or head to tail tip.
- Stewie’s result: 123 cm (48.5 in).
- Measurement date: 28 August 2010.
- Not established by this record: Stewie’s weight, height at the shoulder or body condition.
Stewie’s record in context
Stewie was a Maine Coon, a breed recognized for a long, muscular frame and substantial bone. His 123-cm measurement is an individual achievement, not a typical Maine Coon specification. A record cat can sit far outside the normal range for its breed, so the number should not be used to predict how long a pet Maine Coon will become.
The record also concerns the entire cat, including the tail. A cat with a particularly long tail can therefore post a remarkable nose-to-tail result without having the same body length or weight as another cat. This is another reason to avoid converting Stewie’s length into an assumed mass.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Stewie and Barivel: two Guinness records that are often confused
Barivel appears in Guinness material as the longest domestic cat living. He measured 120 cm (3 ft 11.2 in), verified on 22 May 2018. That living-cat result is separate from Stewie’s all-time record and is 3 cm shorter.
| Cat | Guinness category in the cited material | Length | Date | Accurate description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mymains Stewart Gilligan (Stewie) | Longest domestic cat ever | 123 cm (48.5 in) | 28 August 2010 | All-time longest-cat record listed by Guinness |
| Barivel | Longest domestic cat living | 120 cm (3 ft 11.2 in) | 22 May 2018 | Living-cat record in the cited entry; shorter than Stewie’s all-time figure |
Calling Barivel “the largest cat ever” without the word living changes the meaning and incorrectly displaces Stewie. Conversely, saying Stewie was the longest living cat would ignore the later living-cat category. Always name the category and date when comparing the two.
How Guinness-style cat length is understood
A length record is a linear measurement taken along the cat’s full front-to-back span, ending at the tail tip. It is not a measurement of the cat stretched between the paws, nor is it the height from floor to ears. The record figure therefore answers a narrow question: which domestic cat had the greatest verified nose-to-tail length in the relevant category?
For an official claim, the important details are the exact category, the measurement date and the verification process. A photograph of a large-looking cat, a breeder’s estimate or a scale reading cannot substitute for a documented record measurement. Stewie’s 123 cm is meaningful because Guinness places it in a named record category with a date and a measured result.
Recommended Free Tools
Owners measuring a pet at home should treat the result as an informal observation, not a record claim. Cats may curl, move their tails or resist being extended, and small changes in posture can alter a reading. A safe household measurement should never involve forcing a cat into a painful position. The official result and the everyday estimate are different kinds of information.
How large Maine Coons normally become
The International Cat Association describes the Maine Coon as one of the largest cat breeds. Its breed information gives average mature weights of 13–18 lb for males and 9–13 lb for females. Those figures are breed averages, not a weight for Stewie and not a threshold that every Maine Coon should reach.
TICA also says Maine Coons may take three to five years to reach full size. A young cat can therefore look lanky or unfinished for several years. Growth timing does not guarantee record-breaking length; genetics, sex, development and individual variation all affect the adult result.
The breed’s visual impression comes from more than a number on a scale. TICA describes a broad chest, substantial boning, a long muscular body and a long tail. These traits help explain why Maine Coons often look unusually large beside other domestic cats, while still leaving plenty of variation between individual animals.
“Similar to large dog breeds, such as the Great Dane, the Maine Coon is bred for size, among other characteristics. All written standards for the breed indicate the body size should be medium to large. They should be broad-chested and muscular.”
Rank #4
— Liz Hansen, chair of TICA’s Maine Coon Breed Committee, as quoted by Guinness World Records
Hansen also noted in the same Guinness historical coverage that the TICA standard allows females to be smaller. That distinction matters when comparing a female Maine Coon with a male: a smaller female is not necessarily undersized, and a large male is not automatically close to Stewie’s record.
What Stewie’s number does—and does not—tell you
It establishes an exceptional total length
At 123 cm, Stewie’s nose-to-tail span was longer than the 120-cm living-cat measurement later recorded for Barivel. The result places Stewie at the top of the all-time Guinness category cited here.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
It does not reveal his weight
There is no supported weight figure in the cited record evidence. Applying TICA’s average male range to Stewie would be an error: breed averages describe a population, while Stewie’s record describes one measured dimension of one cat.
Best Value
It does not redefine the breed standard
Maine Coon standards call for a medium-to-large, broad-chested, muscular cat, but they do not require every cat to approach 123 cm. A healthy Maine Coon can be well within normal breed variation and nowhere near a world record.
It does not make length a health target
Record chasing is not a responsible breeding or ownership goal. The Guinness figure is a historical record, not a recommended size. Sound care, appropriate nutrition and veterinary monitoring matter more than trying to maximize a cat’s dimensions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A clear timeline of the cited records
- 28 August 2010: Guinness measured Mymains Stewart Gilligan at 123 cm (48.5 in) and identified him as a Maine Coon in the longest domestic cat ever category.
- January 2013: Stewie died. His death does not erase the historical measurement.
- 22 May 2018: Guinness verified Barivel at 120 cm (3 ft 11.2 in) for the longest domestic cat living category.
- 2019: Guinness published historical context explaining that weight was no longer used for domesticated-animal records and discussing Maine Coon size standards.
- 2025: Guinness’s large-cat coverage continued to describe Stewie as the longest cat ever while also providing context for Barivel.
Common mistakes when answering the question
- “Stewie was the heaviest cat.” The cited evidence supports length, not weight.
- “Barivel beat Stewie.” Barivel’s 120 cm living-cat result is shorter than Stewie’s 123 cm all-time result.
- “Every Maine Coon can grow to 123 cm.” TICA’s averages and three-to-five-year growth window describe the breed generally, not a guaranteed adult size.
- “Largest” has one universal definition. A useful answer must state whether it means length, height, weight or another category.
- “A recent social-media measurement is automatically official.” Record status requires a recognized category and verification, not just a tape-measure photograph.
How to state the answer accurately
For a concise, defensible answer, say: “Stewie, a Maine Coon named Mymains Stewart Gilligan, is listed by Guinness World Records as the longest domestic cat ever at 123 cm (48.5 in), measured on 28 August 2010.” Add that the figure is a length measurement and that Guinness separately lists Barivel at 120 cm as the longest domestic cat living in the cited entry.
This wording preserves the reader’s use of “largest” while making the record’s actual scope clear. It also avoids claiming a weight, confusing a living-cat category with an all-time category or treating a breed average as an individual record.
What to remember about the largest Maine Coon
Stewie is the answer when “largest” means the longest domestic cat in the Guinness category documented here: 123 cm from nose to tail tip. Barivel’s 120-cm measurement belongs to the separate living-cat record. Maine Coons are indeed a large breed, with TICA-listed mature averages of 13–18 lb for males and 9–13 lb for females and a potential three-to-five-year growth period, but none of those breed figures establishes an individual cat’s record status.
The essential habit is to name the measurement. Once length, category and date are stated together, the record is straightforward—and the common confusion between longest, heaviest, tallest and merely large disappears.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →
Leave a Reply