How Heavy Should My Cat Be? A Detailed Analysis of Cat Weight!

Cats are listed as one of the most favorite animals as pets. A little bit of a round body is undoubtedly adorable; the fluffier they are, our wish to cuddle them increases. As pet cats spend most of their time indoors, the chances of obesity get higher. Most notably, with obesity, various health problems arise.

The ideal weight of a cat varies in different breeds, but in general, it should be around 4 to 4.5 kg (about 10 pounds). However, some small cat breeds, the ideal weight can be as low as 2 kg and for the larger ones, it can go upto 11 kg.

So the owners of the cats should check their weight regularly. If any sign of obesity is found, it is time to be aware of putting the cat under strict health maintenance. Here we will discuss in detail the overweight, obesity, and ideal health of a cat, along with its prevention and safety measures.

Ideal Weight For Cats

Maintaining the ideal weight for cats is essential because it will help them live longer. There are some measures by which you can check your cat’s weight. By examining closely, it is possible to watch if your cat is overweight or underweight or is maintaining a healthy weight according to age.

A straightforward way to check their importance is to watch over their ribs. Their ribs should be visible when jumping, climbing, or stretching out. If such happens, they have not put on any extra weight. Their tail bones should also be visible from the outside and contoured. Though the tail bones are padded, they must create a curve when looking from above.

Most importantly, they shouldn’t be lethargic: always be full of energy and excitement. Its fur should be shiny and soft. These signs will tell you that your cat is in perfect weight to live a long and happy life.

How To Spot An Overweight Cat?

If the measures discussed above are not found in your cat, your cat might be overweight. Most pet cats stay indoors. And they do not find enough space for their activities. It must be considered a severe issue if your cat is outnumbering the ideal weight.

You can check the ribs of the cat by pressing a little. You may find the fat there if your pet is gaining wet. The body will be chubby towards their back, and no hipline will be visible from above. Their tail also will be completely covered with fat. If these signs are visible, you should take extra care to lose your furry friend’s weight.

Other Interesting Facts

There are some different ways by which you can check if your cat is gaining curbs.

• You should feel their shoulder bones if they weigh ideally.
• Their spine should be noticeable.
• Check their ribs on the side with your fingertips. Their ribs should be felt clearly.
• You can also check the weight chart given below for more clarification.

Condition	Weight (Kg)
Underweight	1-3 kg.
Ideal	4-5 kg.
Overweight	6 kg.
Obese	7-9 kg.

How To Spot An Overweight Cat?

Besides overweight cats, cats with obesity need immediate and extra attention; they are prone to several health problems which can be severe and life risky. Diabetes, kidney failure, heart disease, and other serious issues may shorten their lives. This extra weight may also affect their bones and joints.

As a result, it will be difficult for them to climb and jump the usual way. Breathing problem is another serious health issue because of obesity. If you have seen your cat snoring, it may be because of their breathing problem. Their face area, limbs, and stomach area are clearly full of fats. Their waist will be rounded with a thick deposit of fat. The back end and hips will be bulgy when seen from above.

What To Do If The Cat Is Overweight?

It is not easy to remove the extra weight from your pet in the first place. If any sign of obesity is found, contact a veterinary doctor for a check-up. Apart from that, there are some exercises which will be helpful to save your cat from that extra weight. There are some simple steps which you can follow to prevent weight gain.

• Feed them with extra protein and try to avoid grains. Corns and soya ingredients are also a big no to curb weight gain.
• Do not give them a large share of food at a time. Feed your cat 3-4 times a day consequently. Restrain yourself from giving them food whenever they want.
• Keep your cat always active and playful. You may also spend some extra time with your paw friend. These exercises will help to reduce excess fat in their body.
• Go for a check regularly and keep a conscious eye on their weight.

How To Prevent Weight Gain?

The cats, with their fluffy bodies, are highly adorable, but such bodies are not suitable for those poor creatures. You must help them to keep off those extra pounds in the following way.

• Stop giving them carbohydrates and dry foods. Instead, feed them with more protein and canned food. Restrain them from eating all day long, and provide them at a particular time in the day.
• Try to avoid giving food on treats. Treat them in other ways.
• Give your pet some challenges to get it good. These challenges may include exercises, a little walk, jumping, stretching, and hunting, to get food. These exercises will help prevent weight gain.
• You can also use a microchip pet feeder. Thus only the pre-registered food will be fed, and there will be no chance to take extra calories.

Exercises To Curb Weight Gain

Exercise can be an excellent help for overweight cats and cats with obesity. You can make your cat do exercises in many ways. Puzzle feeders are one such exercise. Before giving them food, engage them in some exercises to get the food. This will increase their energy as well as burn their calories.

Cats are generally playful in nature. So you can give them some extra time to play games. Hunting games, jumping, and stretching can be good to burn calories. It’ll also strengthen the bond between the pets and their owners. Moreover, try to keep them occupied all the time. If possible, go for a walk with them, which is good exercise too.

How Many Calories Is Needed To Lose Weight And Stay Healthy?

It is not possible to answer the ideal calorie needed for a cat in one word. Like human beings, the needed calorie of a cat depends on its height, weight, and the calorie it is taking currently. If you want to cut off the calories, first count how many calories the cat eats in a whole day and then cut it down by 20%. However, counting down the wholesome calories isn’t easy.

It is because the cat eats its average 3-4 meals, and gets its treat, family members sometimes give food, and the food brands are also changed from time to time. Still, there is a way to calculate the intake of calories of your pet. First, count the ideal weight in kilograms x 30 70, then multiply it by 0.8. This is the perfect number of calories you should feed your cat.

However, losing weight in a short time isn’t good for their body. Instead, go for weekly weight loss by 2 to 3%. Losing weight in a short period may also cause fatty liver disease, which can be a severe health problem for the cat.

6 Ways To Lose Weight For A Cat In A Healthy Way:

Losing a cat’s weight isn’t easy, without any doubt. However, there are some ways in which you can use to lose weight more healthily. Some of them are-

• Cut The Treats: Avoid giving food as treats that may increase calories. Instead, you can try giving them rewards in a different way.
• Stop Them From Sharing Food: If you have several cats in your house, try to feed them in different bowls or at an additional time. Cats, eating food together, have a habit of sharing food. To avoid this, give them only the necessary calories at a time and prevent them from eating the leftovers from others’ plates.
• Keep Practicing Exercises: Indulge them in exercises for getting food. It’ll be better if you have some open space in your house. Climbing, stretching, and jumping are good enough, digesting, and burning calories.
• Switch to Healthier Foods: Do not change the food habits of your pet overnight. Change them slowly and gradually in the way of experimenting. You can also consult your veterinarian for the ideal food for your pet.
• Give Them Challenge: At playtime, engages them to perform some activities in the name of the challenge. This may include physical and mental activities. This will, on the one hand, reduce their boredom and, on the other, strengthen your bond with your cat.
• Use Microchip Feeder: Microchip Feeder is a unique and advanced tool where you can set how many calories your cat will intake. So there will be no opportunity to take extra calories from eating the leftovers. It is a safe option to curb weight gain.

What To Do If The Cat Is Underweight?

In contrast to the overweight, underweight cats also exist especially if you have adopted or rescued them from a stray. This happens if the cat doesn’t get proper nutrition for a long time. Some also are born weak and need special attention. Consulting with the doctor is the first step for such pets.

Besides that, feeding foods with higher calories and indulging them in playful activities are some of the steps that might be taken. Just like the overweight cats, underweight cats should also go through regular checkup of weights. Once they reach a healthy weight, this should be maintained with the same calories and protein for a long term.

How To Help An Underweight Cat To Gain Weight?

If you find your cat is underweight, it is an alarm for you to look after them sincerely. Feeding the cats extra calories is the first step to putting on a few pounds. Check on their muscles and abdomen areas regularly to see if they are gaining weight or not.

An expert recommendation is a must in a serious condition. Cats with poor nutrition are also prone to serious health issues, which can be deadly also. Fasting, weakness, and being less energetic are some of the problems that an underweight cat may face.

There are several vaccines and medicines that you can give under medical supervision. It is not a job which can be done overnight, but with continuous efforts, your cat will respond by gaining some extra pounds.

Why Is Gaining Weight Important?

Gaining weight is essential for underweight cats as it may cause serious health issues. The growth may be affected if the cat isn’t getting proper nutrition according to its age. Apart from that, it’ll be fragile and less energetic in nature.

Side by side, if an obese cat is losing weight rapidly and decreasing appetite, it may also be a severe health problem. Consult your veterinarian as soon as possible and feed them as prescribed. The health problems that a cat may develop because of being underweight are something as follows:

• Hyperthyroidism
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBS)
• Pancreatitis
• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Respiratory or nasal disease
• Dental disease
• Osteoarthritis that cause pain over time

Fatty liver is another serious health problem because of rapid weight loss or malnutrition.

What To Feed To Help Them Gaining Weight?

The cat dietician would be the best person to suggest what to Feed the cat to gain weight. Feeding the cat daily with a smaller amount of food can help gather muscle. Calorie density, high proteins, and carbohydrates should be enough in the food.

Feeding a smaller amount of food several times is essential, and it should be looked over that a cat must not waste what is served to him. Fat elements should also be present in the food, which helps to gain weight quickly.

Medical supervision is also necessary to assess the condition a particular number of times. However, it should be remembered that every cat has different requirements, weight, and height. You need to take steps according to that. In general, we can choose to give them an extra 20% of food than their usual intake and can give them free choice of feeding. These are some general recommendations for your cat to gain weight healthily.

Top 5 Healthy Ways To Gain Weight For Cats

Some well-recommended ways can be helpful if your cat is underweight or is suffering from malnutrition.

• Try Hand Feeding: Try to feed your cat with your own hand. On the one side, it will encourage the cat to eat food, and on the other, a strong bond will be developed between you.
• Feed Your Cat Canned Food: Canned food is made with the perfect protein and carbohydrates necessary for your pets. Meat and other ingredients in canned food are full of the ideal smell and taste that will encourage your cat to feed it. It is also hydrated, and extra moisture is added to fulfil the need for sufficient water.
• Go For A Supplement: Before feeding your cat, you can also ask the advice of an expert and discuss the vitamin or mineral supplement for your cat. These supplements are generally high in calories that will help to gain weight rapidly.
• Give Them Gently Warm Food: Avoid giving your cat food that is too hot or cold before feeding them slightly warm food, which they may prefer.
• Go For A Change: The cats have a preference for their food. So change it from time to time which will give them extra nourishment. For example, if they are habituated to chicken, try some tuna meal for a change.

Why Is Maintaining A Healthy Weight Important For Cats?

Both obesity, overweight, and underweight can create serious health issues for cats like us. There will be the risk of-

• Skin Sores.
• Diabetes.
• Arthritis.
• Pancreatitis, if your cat is below or under the ideal weight.

For keeping your cat under supervision, check their weight every 2 or 3 days or weekly to the maximum. If you have seen any fluctuations in their weight, do not waste time and consult with an expert. Maintaining an ideal weight is essential to keep your cat fit and healthier and ensure it’ll live a long life.

Best Way To Determine The Ideal Weight:

The Ideal wealth for a cat rounds about 4 to 5 kg. Though veterinarians check by using BCS (body condition system), you can also use some apparent signs to determine the ideal weight.

Also, keep a keen eye on the criteria and advice given by the expert to maintain the perfect wealth. If the cat has gained extraordinary wealth from obesity, try to keep the same food habit and exercise. The same is applicable for the underweight cats after gaining ideal weight. Last but not least, evaluation and regular check-up is everything your cat needs.

Weight	Physical Characteristics
Extremely Underweight	Visible ribs Dull fur Extreme tummy tuck Little energy Life-threatening Non-padded tail bones
Underweight	Ribs visible from the side Extreme tummy tuck Slight padding on the tail bones Padding may obscure ribs when viewed from above
Ideal Weight	Barely visible ribs Shiny coat Padded tail boned create a clear hip line Slight tummy tuck   Energetic
Overweight	No visible ribs Rounded abdomen with fat pad No waist visible after ribcage A slight bulge in the back half when viewed from above
Obese	No visible ribs Less energy Visible fat deposits Difficulty breathing Very obviously rounded abdomen, thick fat pad Life-threatening

Average Healthy Weight For A Male Cat

The male cat usually weighs a little bit heavier than the female one. Besides, the weight of a male cat depends on its age and breed. Experts follow some steps to check whether the cat is maintaining its ideal weight.

The body condition scoring system and muscle condition scoring system are the two ways to check the condition of a male cat. If you want to check it from the outside, there are some ways:

• Take a closer look if your cat has a visible waistline before the legs.
• The ribs of the cat should also be visible without much effort.
• Check out how much the belly hangs from the body.
• Besides that, check out and compare the cat’s weight monthly and yearly to watch for changes.

Average Healthy Weight For a Female Cat

The female cat is also a little bit lighter than the male cat. Its weight differs due to its breed, age and lifestyle. The healthy weight of a female cat is approximately 11 pounds, but it is not constant. It depends on its species; it can weigh up to 20 pounds or be as small as seven pounds.

In general, we can say that a kitten may weigh from 2.2 pounds to 4.5 pounds. After 9 to 12 months, it starts to gain weight like an adult cat. Checking their weight regularly at this time is necessary.

The Problem With Average Cat Weight

After all this discussion, it should be mentioned that the word ‘average cat weight is a myth. Do not be tense if your cat doesn’t weigh as per the chart. Several factors may affect the importance of a cat, like a breed, sex, and if it is spayed or not. A veterinarian will consider all these factors to judge the ideal wealth of an individual cat.

For example, a male cat should weigh ideally 11 to 15 pounds. But some breeds may grow more, which is entirely healthy for them. So at first, get to know the ideal wealth of a cat and then give them calories according to that.

Conclusion

Hope this article is helpful for you to know about your furry friend. Obesity and overweight are the major problems many pet cats suffer from. Spending some playtime with them and giving them nutritious food will help to fight against obesity or being underweight. Some extra care and attention are all that we can provide to your pet cat and can give them a healthy and longer life.

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