Cat ideal weight: the body check
Three steps to a body condition score from 1 to 9 and, if your cat is too heavy, an estimated ideal weight.
Which picture looks most like your cat?
Look down at your cat from above and run your flat hands over the ribs.
The ideal weight is an estimate: about 10% per point above 5, as described by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (WSAVA scale). It isn’t a substitute for a vet check.
A loose flap of skin at the very back of the belly is normal in many cats and isn’t a sign of being overweight.
The short answer
A cat is ideal when you can feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, see a waist behind the ribs and there’s little fat on the belly (score 5 of 9 on the WSAVA scale). Each point above 5 means about 10% too much: a cat with a score of 6 weighing 11 lb has an ideal weight of about 10 lb.
Questions
How do I feel the ribs properly?
Stroke the rib cage with flat hands and light pressure. Ideally you feel the ribs under a thin layer. With long-haired cats, feeling helps more than looking.
My cat has a flap of skin on the belly – is that fat?
Not necessarily. A loose flap of skin at the very back of the belly is normal in many cats. What counts are the ribs and the waist.
How accurate is the ideal weight?
It’s an estimate: we count 10% per point above 5, as described by a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (Veterinary Practice News). Your vet can tell you more precisely.
My cat scores 8 or 9 – what now?
Then your cat is more than 20% too heavy. Plan the weight loss with your vet – cats must never go hungry.
Related
- Cat weight loss: slow and safeSlow, safe weight loss – with a floor.
- Is my cat overweight?A cat’s coat hides a lot. You can feel whether your cat carries extra weight better than you can see it: at the ribs, the waist and the belly.
- How to weigh your pet at homeYou don’t need a pet scale. A bathroom scale, a carrier or a baby scale works too, as long as you weigh the same way every time.