How much does a cat weigh

It seems that except for humans, any living creature is cute when it is fat. Because of this, “Your cat is chubby and so cute!” This type of words has become a common expression among cat owners to compliment each other. Cat owners work hard to prepare all kinds of delicious food for their cats. The more they eat, the more they can boast about, which makes many cats bear a weight that their bodies should not have.
Generally speaking, a healthy adult cat should weigh about 2.5-5kg, and large cats, such as Ragdolls and Maine Coons, can reach 6-8kg. You know, for every pound a cat grows, it is equivalent to a 160cm woman growing 13.6 pounds, and a 175cm man growing 15.4 pounds. People customarily call cats that weigh more than 5kg as obese cats. However, can we really judge whether a cat is fat based on weight alone?

Weight is naturally the most intuitive criterion, but in addition to weight, the BCS (Body Condition Score) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is usually used to determine whether a cat is overweight.
BCS assesses body fat. Taking the 9-point dimension as an example, the ideal BCS score is 5-6 points. Studies have shown that when the BCS score exceeds 7 points, the risk of obesity-related diseases increases significantly.

1-2 points, skinny

In short-haired cats, the ribs can be clearly seen, there is no obvious fat, the abdomen can be clearly seen to be shrunk, and the shoulder blades, tail vertebrae and pelvis are protruding.

The ribs can be clearly felt when you caress the cat’s chest, and there is almost no fat between the skin and bones. This condition rarely occurs in domestic cats, but is more common in stray cats with poor living conditions and lack of food.

3-4 points, thin body

The lumbar spine is more obvious, the waist can be clearly seen behind the ribs, and the abdomen is slightly retracted with a small amount of fat.

The ribs can be felt with a light touch and are covered in a small amount of fat. This body shape is more common in cats that are thin and malnourished.

5-6 points, perfect figure

The body is well-proportioned, with no fat, the waist line can be seen behind the ribs, and the fat pad on the abdomen is small.

You can feel the ribs by touch, the muscles around the tail vertebra are full, and you can feel that there is a small amount of fat layer covering the skin and bones. This is the most perfect body shape for cats.

7-8 points, slightly greasy

Looking down at the cat, the abdomen is obviously round, with a thick fat pad, the waist is enlarged, and the waist line is basically invisible. The belly is slightly sagging, and there is obvious shaking when running.

It is difficult to touch the shoulder blades and ribs, but you can pinch a handful of flesh on the belly, which shows that the cat is indeed fat.

9 points, this is “Cat Pig”

A large amount of fat has accumulated in the waist and abdomen, which is obviously sagging. The waist line cannot be seen. When viewed from above, it looks like a football.

It is difficult to feel the tailbone, and it may even be difficult to groom due to the thick body fat. The whole cat looks like a ball, and it is impossible to touch the ribs, shoulder blades, and sternum. At this time, the cat is equivalent to a person weighing three to four hundred pounds.

The perfect figure of a cat may be “too thin” for most cat owners. According to the current cat aesthetics, the cutest body shape is a BCS of 7 or above, but this often makes cats fall into trouble. In the dilemma of obesity, diseases such as kidney disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc. will slowly come to your doorstep. Excess fat will also make diagnosis and treatment difficult, and in severe cases, it may even affect the lifespan of cats!
If your cat is fat and has a BCS of over 7, why are you still hanging around? Hurry up and help your cat lose weight!