Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cats

Is your cat getting a little too heavy? There’s an easy way to check

Paige Cerulli
By

Keeping your cat at a healthy weight is an excellent way to reduce his chances of developing related health issues. Cats who are overweight are particularly at risk of health conditions like arthritis, diabetes, and urinary issues. If your cat is underweight and can’t easily gain weight, then issues like diabetes, dental problems, and even kidney disease could be causing the problem. Carefully monitoring your cat’s weight can help you keep your cat healthy and at his ideal weight. If you’re wondering, “How heavy should my cat be?” then it may be time to get out the scale, weigh your cat, and have a conversation with your vet.

Why weight management is important for cats

Your cat’s weight closely relates to his health, and monitoring his weight is one way to check his condition. Your vet will take your cat’s weight during each appointment, but he might also recommend that you weigh your cat at home, especially if your cat is growing, is overweight, needs to gain weight, or is recovering from an illness.

Recommended Videos

Monitoring your cat’s weight can help you identify if he might be experiencing health issues or need dietary adjustments. When you know if your cat has gained or lost a little weight, you can make those changes early on, before the weight becomes a larger problem. Changes in your cat’s weight might also indicate appetite changes and potential health issues, so you can get your cat to the vet right away before those issues have time to get worse.

Overweight grey cat lying on its back next to a cup of coffee
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What is a healthy weight for a cat?

There’s no one healthy weight for a cat since that ideal weight will vary depending on your cat’s breed, size, and even age. You’ll need to consider what’s right for your individual cat.

You can rely on some signs that your cat is too thin to help guide you. When you run your hands along your cat’s ribs, just behind his front legs, you should be able to feel the ribs easily, but they shouldn’t feel sharply bony. If you have to struggle to find the ribs a little, then your cat is probably overweight. If the ribs are prominent and it feels like there’s almost no flesh on top of them, your cat is probably too skinny.

Your vet can also use a body condition score system to evaluate your cat’s weight and give you some guidance about any changes you might need to make.

How heavy is too heavy for a cat?

If your cat is overweight, you might have trouble feeling his ribs behind his front legs. When looking down at your cat from above, an overweight cat might lack definition and a tapering body shape. You might even notice that his stomach extends well out from his body, which can indicate that your cat needs to lose some weight. Again, your vet can help you identify whether your cat is overweight and how much weight he needs to lose.

Cat walking on a stone driveway
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to manage your cat’s weight

If your cat needs to lose or gain weight, you’ll need to make some diet changes, and you might have to change his lifestyle, too. Cats who need to gain weight may benefit from a higher-calorie food or possibly from a change to a new food brand or flavor that they like more. Adding food toppers can also encourage picky eaters to finish their meals.

Cats who need to lose weight may have to be fed less, or they might need to be changed over to a lower-calorie food. Eliminating treats from the diet can help, and encouraging exercise by playing with your cat several times a day is also a good option.

Monitoring your cat’s weight can be tricky, especially since there’s no one formula or key target weight to work toward. It’s important to involve your vet, who can provide you with advice that’s specific to your cat. Your vet may also want to run some tests to determine whether there may be physical factors contributing to your cat’s weight issues. Often, though, with time and careful lifestyle and diet changes, you can help your cat get to and maintain a healthy weight. In doing so, you’ll be helping to keep your fur baby healthy and even reduce his chances of developing serious health issues.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Paige Cerulli
Paige Cerulli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Paige's work has appeared in American Veterinarian, Business Insider, Healthline, and more. When she's not writing, Paige…
Why do cats make biscuits? Here’s why your cat kneads
Cat kneading might look strange, but it has a simple explanation
A cat lies on her back kneading

The list of the most adorable things your cat does would have to include purring, meowing, and kneading. But while the first two have obvious causes, you might not fully understand why your kitty makes biscuits. Like so many aspects of pet ownership, you have to look at both the circumstances and your individual animal to get to the bottom of their instincts. The next time you wonder, "Why do cats make biscuits?" — think about their surroundings and nature to figure it out.
What is kneading?
This cat move gets its name because it looks like kneading dough or making biscuits. Generally, cats alternate between their two paws pushing against a soft surface. Not every feline will gravitate to this behavior, and it's a little different for each animal. Be mindful — for some cats, humans are the ideal kneading target. As usual, it all comes down to context, which means you need to pay attention to their knead to determine your cat's inner feelings.

Why do cats make biscuits?
Kneading can have a few different underlying causes, but many of them are about seeking happiness or contentment. However, occasionally, this action indicates something else.
Comfort
Does your kitty cat exclusively knead around and on you? That might say that they think you're comforting and soft. Careful though, pets can have sharp claws, so if you have a biscuit maker, get them trimmed by the vet.
Instinct
Most likely, your furry friend picked this up as a baby. Mikel Delgado, a cat behavior consultant, says, "It’s a likely throwback to happy behavior from the days of kittenhood. Kneading is what kittens do when they are nursing to encourage the release of milk from Mom."
Relaxation
When they're extra chill, you might wind up getting pummeled. Remember that your animal's behavior can be controlled with proper training. While it could be instinctual and a source of comfort, you can teach your pet not to knead on you by carefully not rewarding the behavior and redirecting as necessary when they attempt to rub you like dough.
Heat
If your animal has not been fixed, making biscuits could be a sign that they want a bun in the oven. This action could also be accompanied by spraying. Similarly, during pregnancy, excessive kneading can indicate that labor is approaching and you're about to have kittens.
Marking
Lastly, just like dogs, cats have scent glands in their paws, so they scratch or knead to release their particular aroma. The goal here could be to designate their territory or claim you in particular, especially if there are other beasts in the home.

Read more
Wondering how to keep cat warm in cold weather – here are 9 effective ways to help your pet stay toasty
Try these tricks to keep your cat from being cold
A Maine Coon cat reaches his snow-covered paw toward the camera.

There are many reasons why your feline fur baby should remain exclusively indoors, but it's all the more important to keep your cat inside during the winter months. A blanket of snow may look stunning, but it makes it difficult for outdoor kitties to find their way home. The potential for accidents also increases due to decreased visibility and the presence of black ice.

Even if your cat stays indoors all the time, you'll still need to take extra steps to keep her warm during the cool weather. Some homes are naturally drafty, and with snow and ice accumulating on utility lines, the chance of power outages increases as well. Wondering how to keep cats warm in cold weather? Here are nine useful tips to get you started. 

Read more
Do cats get cold outside? Veterinarians explain what temperature is too low for outdoor kitties
Here's how you can tell if you cat needs to come in from the cold
A black cat with a dusting of snow on her coat stands outside

If your cat is an indoor/outdoor pet, he likely loves to pop outside to explore even when the temperatures drop. There are plenty of cold-weather cats who have thick coats and seem to do well outdoors in the winter, but it's important to consider your cat's comfort and safety before letting them roam the winter wonderland.

Cold temperatures can affect cats and threaten their health, and extreme temperatures can even lead to a cat's death. As scary as that sounds, it doesn't mean you can't let your cat out in the frigid temps. Instead, it's important to understand how cold is too cold and what extra care your cat may need to stay comfy in chilly weather. Don't worry; we'll explain.

Read more