As your favourite furry family member, your cat’s wellbeing is important. To help them stay healthy, and reduce health risks, it’s a good idea to check their weight from time to time. An overweight cat or being underweight can be a sign your cat’s developing health problems which can lead to medical conditions like diabetes and arthritis.

As a pet owner, sometimes you just don’t know what your average cat’s weight should be. All cats are different, and a healthy cat weight will be defined by their breed. Now when it comes to whether you’ve got a fat cat or a skinny cat, often cat owners don’t recognise this. Your cat’s weight loss or weight gain could be gradual that the change isn’t noticed, and before you know it you have an overweight cat or one that’s too thin.

Often your vet's the first to spot the excess weight. It’s best to nip the problem of weight gain and excess fat in the bud before they become an obese cat. The good news is that you don’t need to get your cat on a scale to check their weight. You can give them a nice cuddle and do a simple body condition check (equivalent of the BMI in humans).

Everypaw’s expert Vet Dr Anna Foreman is here to show you and describe how to check if you have an underweight or overweight cat.

1. Feel Your Cat’s Ribs

Run a hand gently over your cat’s side. If you can’t feel their ribs, or it feels like there is a big layer of fat over them, you might just have an overweight cat. On the other hand, if you feel too much rib, that’s also a problem. You should be able to feel some flesh between their skin and ribs – if it seems like there’s nothing there, your cat’s too skinny.

If you can see the waist behind the ribs, feel your cat’s ribs with a slight fat covering and the fat pad on their tummy isn’t too big then that’s ideal and your cat should be a healthy weight.

2. Feel Around Your Cat’s Spine

Perform the same test on your cat’s spine. Again, you should be able to feel the bones, but not excessively. If the vertebrae feel very knobbly or like there’s nothing on top of them, you have a thin cat and they’re underweight. If they’re difficult to feel, your cat’s fat and you have an overweight cat.

Your cat’s fur and skin should also tuck in nicely around its undercarriage – but looser skin in this area is normal in older cats.

There are various tables (with pictures) of body condition scores online to help you check if your cat is at a healthy weight.

Why’s My Cat Gaining Weight?

Cats are usually active and able to regulate the amount they eat. But modern lifestyles can mean high calorie diets and they’re also allowed to graze all day without doing much exercise to burn off excess calories. If you have a slightly overweight cat, it doesn’t necessarily mean it has a serious problem – most cats love their food and can easily overeat.

Before taking your cat to the vet, think about whether you could have been feeding them too much – have you been a bit too generous with the cat food or treats recently? Does your cat hunt for extra titbits, or sneak round to your neighbours for extra food if allowed outside?

What to Do if You Have an Overweight Cat

As for the amount of food to give your cat, check the recommended amount on the food packaging and always weigh out the recommended amount using your kitchen scales. Your vet will be able to advise on a healthy weight for your cat and provide a management plan for your cat's diet. This will restrict their calorie intake from fat and carbohydrates, but still provide the protein and nutrients needed to maintain health and muscle strength.

Like us there are two ways to help your cat lose weight – exercise more and eat less. Outdoor cats will use up energy hunting, but indoor cats tend to have less opportunities to exercise. Some breeds are happy to laze around, these breeds will need more encouragement than others to burn off those extra calories.

If the only exercise your cat gets is walking from the sofa to the food bowl, then make time for playtime together. Cats love toys that mimic hunting so fishing rods, balls, etc. get their attention and provide some exercise. Hiding healthy food around the house will encourage them to be active too and puzzle feeders are excellent. Climbing trees or perches will also encourage your cat to move away from that sofa.

As a cat owner, you should try to cut out any snacks or treats you feed your cat and aim for a gradual weight loss – it might take a year, but your cat will be healthier and happier for it.

Why’s My Cat Losing Weight?

If your cat’s losing weight, and you’re worried they’re skinny and too thin, there are several questions you can ask yourself.

• Are you feeding them enough food?
• Are there any dental issues that’s preventing your cat from eating?
• Does your cat have a good appetite? 
• Are they stressed or depressed?

Cats can lose weight by not eating, if they do stop eating, try tempting them with tasty, easily digested small meals. Potentially switch from dry food to wet, or vice versa, but be wary sudden changes to your cat's diet can cause upset stomachs.

Cats tend to hide any signs of illness but losing weight can be a sign of a health condition, so it’s wise to consult your vet.

What to Do if You Have an Underweight Cat

If your cat hasn’t been eating for at least 3 days, and you’ve tried tempting them with something tasty then it’s time to speak to your vet for advice. Especially if you’ve noticed any other strange behaviour. Your vet may prescribe an appetite stimulant or assisted feeding to help your cat gain weight.

They may also want to carry out some blood tests to determine if your cat has health issues such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, kidney or liver disease which might be causing their weight loss.

How Heavy Should My Cat Be?

Your average cat weight will be determined by a number of different factors, so it makes sense not to know what their ideal weight should be. Cat breed, temperament, whether they're a male or female cat etc. it all plays a part, so what your cat should weigh varies depending on their breed.

You'll also play a part as a responsible cat owner. Keep the high-fat treats to a minimum, and make sure they have plenty of exercise and playtime. Consider those, and they should have no problem maintaining a healthy cat weight.

But if you've tried everything and still have a concern about your cat’s weight, whether they’re too skinny or they’ve become a fat cat, then it might be time to see your vet. Your cat’s health is important, so it’s wise to seek further advice. Your vet will be able to point you in the right direction to get them back to their ideal body weight and the peak of feline fitness.

Everypaw Cat Insurance

Everypaw's Cat Insurance comes with 24/7 unlimited access to vets and vet nurses that can help with your pet's health, care, nutrition and behaviour. So you can rest assured your kitty will be well looked after.

We’re unable to cover the cost of a diet to treat obesity or weight loss. But if your vet does diagnose your cat with a condition and prescribes a clinical diet to help treat it, Everypaw can look to cover 25% of the cost for up to 6 months.

Get a quote

 

Content reviewed and updated by Vetstream - www.vetstream.com/treat/felis 

Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.