How Heavy Should My Cat Be? Know What’s The Right Weight For Your Cat?

How heavy should my cat be? This is a very common question among many cat owners. And it is also important to consider because an unhealthy weight can be a reason for many serious health problems.

Nowadays, lots of cat owners are not able to maintain the healthy weight of their cats. Most likely, it happens because of the lack of knowledge.

In 2018, a survey was conducted on pet cats in the United States. In which, researchers found that up to 33 percent of cats were obese, and approximately 26 percent were overweight.

This survey clearly shows that there is a higher number of unhealthy-weight cats than healthy-weight cats. Vets have also confessed that nowadays they are mostly interacting with obese cats.

So if you want to find out what should be the ideal weight for your cat and how to help them maintain a healthy weight? This is the perfect place for you.

In this article, we will explore every essential thing regarding your cat’s weight so make sure to stick to the end of this article.

How Heavy Should My Cat Be?

10 pounds is considered an ideal weight for most domestic cats. But wait, this is just a general answer. The ideal weight of a cat can be highly dependable on factors like breed, sex, and status of spayed or neutered too.

If 10 pounds is an ideal weight for a cat, it might not be for another cat. Just like humans, every cat is supposed to be unique. So it is quite impossible to tell an ideal weight that can be applicable for every single cat.

There are some larger breeds that can weigh around 25 pounds, and on the other hand, some small breeds that can weigh 5 pounds. So you see that the ideal cat weight varies from cat to cat.

Now you might be wondering that how can I find my cat’s ideal weight? Well, now the only and most reliable way is to take the help of your vet.

A veterinarian is the best person who can tell you the ideal weight for your cat. And they can also provide you a proper plan to help you maintain a healthy cat weight.

How Can You Spot That Your Cat Is Overweight or Underweight?

Knowing how to spot that your cat is overweight or underweight can be very helpful as it helps to avoid some serious health problems.

How to spot an overweight cat?

Here are a few signs that can help you to determine if your cat is overweight.

• When you look at your cat from the side and the low-hanging fat is easily visible. It’s a sign of an overweight cat.
• Run your hands on the side of your cat. If you are not able to feel the ribs easily, there are chances that your cat is overweight.
• Take a look at your cat from above. If you cannot see the space between the protrudes and hips or you cannot see their waist at all. Then your cat might be overweight.
• When you are running your hand on the back of your cat. And cannot easily feel the bones below the layer of fat then it is another sign that your cat is overweight.

In case, if you notice these signs in your cat, making some changes in their food and engaging them in physical activities can be a good solution.

You should also reach out to your vet. They can provide a proper diet plan for your cat. They can also find out if there is an underlying health issue that is causing your cat to be overweight.

Remember: Never ignore these signs as they can turn serious in the future and cause some serious health problems like diabetes, joint problems, skin sores, etc.

How To Spot An Underweight Cat?

Here are a few signs that can help you to determine if your cat is underweight.

• If you can easily feel or see the ribs and backbone of your cat, it is a sign that your cat might be underweight.
• When you look at your cat from above and you notice the minimal waist, there are chances that your cat might be underweight.
• Another sign of an underweight cat is minimal fat covering.

An underweight cat can be a sign of any disease or an inappropriate diet can also be the main reason.

So, if you notice all these signs in your cat, you should definitely talk to your vet. They can recommend you a proper diet for your feline. Most likely, they will recommend a diet that will be higher in fat and protein.

How To Help Your Cat Maintaining a Healthy Weight?

If you are a cat owner and don’t want your cat to suffer from weight problems. Here are a few tips that can help you to maintain a healthy cat weight.

• Provide your cat a proper and well-balanced diet. Take the help from your vet to make a perfect diet plan according to the specific nutritional needs of your cat. Ask them how many calories per day is enough for your cat.
• Make sure you don’t overtreat your cat. When your cat is eagerly begging for a treat, you can try a belly rub instead of giving her a treat.
• Replace all the high caloric treats with low caloric treats. Always remember, that the treats should not be more than 10% of your cat’s daily calorie intake and it is also important to reduce the food accordingly.
• Engage your cat in physical activities regularly. There is not an exact amount of exercise that a cat should get per day. But most experts say that 30 minutes of exercise per day is enough for a cat.
• Keeping their food bowl away from them and make them walk towards it can also a good idea.

Conclusion

So, now you know that there is not an ideal weight that can be applicable for every single cat out there. If you want to know the ideal weight of your cat, then you should definitely consult your vet. They are the only and most trustworthy source that can help you in this case.

So that was all about how heavy should my cat be?

Now we hope that this article was helpful to you.

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