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What is a Healthy Weight for Your Cat?

Keeping your cat at a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do for their long-term wellbeing.

Obesity is one of the most common health issues seen in cats and can increase the risk of serious conditions such as diabetes, arthritis and heart disease.

What is the Average Cat Weight?

There is no single ‘perfect’ weight for all cats. A healthy weight depends on:

  • Breed
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Body frame
  • Health status

As a general guide, an average healthy domestic (moggy) cat may weigh between 3.6 and 4.5 kilograms, but some breeds naturally weigh more, or less.

Rather than focusing on the number on the scales alone, it’s more helpful to assess your cat’s body shape.

Infographic titled “How to Check Your Cat’s Weight at Home” explaining how to assess a cat’s body condition using a simple look-and-feel approach. It shows four checks: feeling along the ribs, viewing the stomach from the side, feeling along the spine and back, and viewing the waist from above. For each check, it compares signs of an overweight, underweight and healthy cat. Overweight signs include ribs that are difficult to feel, a rounded or sagging belly, a spine that is difficult to feel and no visible waist. Underweight signs include clearly visible ribs, a pronounced tuck behind the ribs, a prominent spine and a sharply tucked-in waist. Healthy signs include ribs that can be easily felt beneath a thin layer of fat, a gentle upward belly curve, bones that can be felt under a light layer of fat, and a visible waist that curves inward behind the ribs. The graphic advises regularly checking a cat’s body condition to spot changes early and help keep them healthy and happy.

Important

If your cat gains or loses weight suddenly, this may be a sign of illness. Contact your vet promptly for advice.

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