- Obese and overweight cats outnumber healthy weighing cats in domestic environments.
- A cat’s weight can vary depending on their breed and medical history, but the ideal weight for an average cat is 10 pounds or 4.4 kilograms.
- In addition to a low-calorie diet, make sure to incorporate more activity into your feline’s day-to-day life.
Cats are adorable, even if they get a little round. Although it might seem harmless, your pet putting on those few extra pounds can lead to medical conditions like type 2 diabetes and arthritis, limiting the cat’s ability to live a happy and healthy life.
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, even as little as two pounds above the ideal weight can put your feline at a health risk. Figuring out if your cat is on the heavier side can get tricky since overweight cats are more common than fit cats. According to a study on Statista in 2018, obese and overweight cats outnumber healthy weighing cats in domestic environments.
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How heavy should my cat be?
A cat’s weight can vary depending on its breed and medical history, but the ideal weight for an average cat is 10 pounds or 4.4 kilograms, according to Fetch by WebMD. Your Siamese may weigh as little as five pounds or your Maine Coon may weigh about 25 poundsbut that’s well within the weight range for those breeds.
According to Purina, it’s not only your feline’s breed that affects their body weight but also their sex. Most female cat breeds weigh less than their male counterparts. A female Siamese cat can weigh up to 12 pounds while a male Siamese can weigh up to 15 pounds, making a 15-pound female Siamese overweight.
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Is my cat fat or fluffy?
Reaching out to a vet can help you accurately conclude where your cat stands on the weighing scale. but you can look for the signs determining your cat’s weight by yourself, Melissa Mustillo, a veterinarian at A Cat Clinic in Boyds, Maryland, told Fetch by WebMD. By touching your cat’s torso and being able to feel their ribs, by looking down at your cat and noticing their hourglass shape and by noting if they have a saggy belly, you can tell if your cat is physically fit.
How to make my cat lose weight
After establishing your cat is overweight and not simply fluffy, you might be looking for ways to make your feline shed those extra pounds. Fetch suggests switching your cat’s dry food or kibbles with canned food. This allows them to not only get more protein in their diet but also have fixed meals instead of snacking throughout the day.
In addition to a low-calorie diet, make sure to incorporate more activity in your pet’s day-to-day life. Reward your cat with playtime or toys, rather than treats, to cut down on excessive calories.
Lastly, don’t starve your cat as this may lead to life-threatening liver disease in felines.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism