How much should a healthy cat weigh? Normal weight for a domestic cat

Cats are a unique embodiment of hyperactivity and laziness, however, the owners of such animals can attest to this themselves. That their pet dives in long sleep, otherwise he behaves so actively that you get tired of his games. Such interesting behavior of felines can be explained by metabolic processes occurring in the feline body. At the same time, most cats (of course, if their owners follow our recommendations) do not suffer from obesity (more on) and do not look emaciated. By the way, do you know how much should a cat weigh? If you find it difficult to answer this question, we suggest finding it in our new publication ...

What determines the weight of a cat

Of course, by and large, the weight domestic cat depends on the conditions of its maintenance, on the diet (find out), the degree of love and attention from the owners, on breed predisposition(more about) and on the state of health of the animal. As you can see, quite a lot of factors affect the performance of your pet's weight category. Therefore, to say that the normal weight for a feline is “x” kilograms would be as wrong as to say that all types of cars should consume “x” liters of gasoline per kilometer of road.

What weight should a cat have

And, although we will not tell you the exact indicator, there are some predetermining factors. So, the weight of a domestic cat on average ranges from 2 to 7 kilograms. At the same time, the weight of individual individuals of the breed can reach 11 or more kilograms. So, for example, it is known that

the largest and heaviest cat weighed 21.3 kilograms.

However, from a veterinary point of view, such excessive fatness is a sign of obesity and poor health. So, don't try to beat the world record by fattening up your pet.

But, back to the average weight for cats - the weight range is too large. Also, it is necessary to remember about the features of the individual body structure - even in one breed there are large individuals, but there are also small ones. adult cat can weigh 2.7 kilograms, while a teenage cat can weigh more than 5 kilograms.

How to determine the degree of fatness of a cat

So, you and I need to determine the degree of fatness of the cat. If she is thin - she should be fed more, if she has signs of obesity - it's time to put the cute meowing creature on a diet. To answer the question, just pat your cat on the back. If during stroking you do not feel the spine of the animal under your hands, or the vertebrae are weakly palpable, it will not be superfluous to put the pet on a diet or at least on light food. If, on the contrary, the vertebrae bulge out, your cat is malnourished and her body weight is below normal. True, this is also possible when the body is infected with worms (o) or with some other diseases. Therefore, you will also need to make sure that your cat is healthy and does not have worms.

In a cat whose body weight is within the normal range, the spine should consist of vertebrae, you should feel them, but they should not stick out from under the skin ...

How to weigh a cat

If you need to not only visually determine the degree of fatness of a cat, but also find out its exact weight, we suggest that you weigh the animal. True, we will immediately make a reservation - far from all types of scales are suitable for such a procedure. You can take ordinary floor electronic. But whether you can make the cat stand on them for a few seconds calmly until the result appears on the scoreboard is not an easy task. Alternatively, you can weigh yourself with the cat in your arms, then weigh yourself (without the cat), and subtract the second from the first mass. The difference will be the weight of your cat.

If you need to weigh big cat, and a small kitten - floor scales will not suit you. Use better ordinary kitchen electronics. Gently place the kitten in the bowl and evaluate the result. Remember to reset the scale to zero before weighing your baby.

Why you need to know the exact weight of a cat

As a rule, small kittens are weighed at birth, and if they are suspected that they are not gaining weight well and are malnourished (find out). And, here adults are weighed in order to determine the dosage of the medicine (read how to give the cat medicine), the volume of servings during feeding. Also, if you are going , some carriers are interested in the weight of the cat and if it is within allowable norms– the animal travels with you in the cabin and not in the luggage compartment. The weight of the cat also helps you keep track of how the animal is developing and how it meets the standards of its breed. This information becomes a hint for you to be able to read. So,

if for Maine Coon cats a weight of 5 kilograms is a sign of malnutrition, then for Abyssinian cats It's already a symptom of obesity.

And, in the first and in the second case, it is necessary to take appropriate measures.

Interesting fact, domestic cats that do not go outside for a walk weigh more than their relatives with the right to freely go outside.

Many factors influence how much a Scottish cat weighs at 6 months, at 1 year, or at any other age. First of all, this is genetics: what genes she received from mom and dad, she inherits such dimensions. There are Scottish cats that are quite miniature, which are closer to the lower limit in weight, but you don’t need to get better, because. they have less bones. And there are, on the contrary, cats that appearance closer to the British because of large body. Open the photo gallery below and compare for yourself. All cats in the photo are of normal build, without obesity and without malnutrition, but their weight is very different. a photo

Also, the nature of the diet greatly affects the weight: if it is balanced and the cat receives as many calories as it needs (no more and no less), then it will be slimmer, if it overeats, it can become obese or simply have more body weight within the normal range.

In addition, the moment of onset of puberty is also important. In cats, when estrus begins, growth is stunted. And sometimes, if estrus is too frequent, for example, 1-2 times a month, growth may stop altogether. The intensity of growth and weight gain is significantly reduced after sterilization, however, the risk of obesity in the future increases due to increased appetite.

How old are Scottish cats?

As for how Scottish kittens are born, it depends not only on the genetics of the parents, but also on the number of kittens in the litter: the more there are, the less each will weigh. However, kittens born of different weights may eventually even out with age: every day they will gain 10-20 grams up to 1 month, and at the age of 1 to 6 months - up to 100 grams per day.

Kittens need to grow balanced diet. For the formation skeletal system calcium is important, but calcium without phosphorus leads to an overabundance, which is fraught with negative consequences. In addition, calcium without vitamin D is not absorbed. Therefore, all trace elements that come through food must be in harmony. At all little kitty receives everything she needs from her mother through milk for 1 month, and if the mother eats a balanced diet, the kittens get stronger. And if the mother receives less of some trace elements, children can get, for example, rickets. Read about how to feed weaned kittens.

As can be seen from our table, Scottish kittens grow intensively up to about 8 months, then growth slows down, but still changes are noticeable up to 1 year. Further, from 1 year to 2 years, the Scottish cat is still growing a little, but this is not significant: during this time, it can gain about 0.5-0.7 kg as much as possible, unless, of course, there are some nutritional failures and the cat , for example, does not become obese.

With cats, these figures shift: intensive growth occurs up to 1 year, and then the Scottish cat can grow up to 2.5 years, but not significantly.

Starting at 4 months old, your pet is already a teenager. Theoretically, if a female cat lived on the street and she went into heat, adult cats would perceive her as a sexually mature female and could come into contact with her. Similarly, other cats could fight with a large six-month-old male, perceiving him as an equal.

At six months, a teenage kitten has already gained 70% of body weight, so in the future he should gain the missing 30% as a maximum.

Scottish cat size

The answer to the question of what size a Scottish cat or cat depends not only on their weight, but also on their body length. There are miniature cats that do not grow much in length, respectively, and their body weight should be less. In general, Scottish cats are of medium size. The normal length of a Scottish cat or cat (excluding the tail) is around 55 cm, give or take.

The height of Scottish cats, that is, the height from the floor to the withers, in a standing position on four legs, is approximately 30 cm. This is important to consider when choosing a carrier, because. the cat must be able to stand in it in full height without bending down. The same applies to the tray-house.

If your cat performs at exhibitions, then not only her overall size but also the length of the tail and limbs. Ideally, the tip of the tail should reach the shoulder blades when laid along the body. The paws should not be too thick and short, like those of the British: we recall that the bones of the Scots are lighter and more elegant.

Body Scottish cat- from medium size to a large, rectangular format - not a square, rounded lines, proportionate at the level of the shoulders and croup. Too stretched or massive body is considered a fault. Wide chest. The head is round like a ball, pronounced whiskers (mustache) and chin.

Three and a half kilograms is the normal weight for a domestic outbred cat. But there are cats that weigh more. If a cat has calved at least once, its weight also increases, since hormonal background changes in the cat's body. Cats weigh one and a half to two kilograms more.

Why different weight?

What determines how much a cat should weigh? The weight of cats depends on the physique, and on appetite, and on temperament. If a cat ate a bowl of porridge and fell asleep, and then went to eat again at a leisurely pace, be her fat woman. The tummies of such pussies almost drag along the floor. But if the cat is mobile, then the calories in it do not linger for a long time. And a petite cat, of course, will weigh less.

The easiest way to find out how much a cat weighs is to weigh it either on a floor scale, or even with a steelyard (hand scales with a hook). The animal, carefully, so as not to frighten it, is placed in a strong bag with handles and weighed. If the weight is small, then the cat has lost weight.

Cats lose weight when they are forced to starve or when they lose their appetite, and this happens when helminthic infestations or diseases internal organs. Sometimes the appetite disappears in very fluffy creatures that lick their fur. Rolled up hair clogs the intestines and looks like a cyst or tumor on ultrasound. In such cases, surgery is indicated. In order not to repeat such troubles, the owners need to regularly carefully comb their furry pets with a thick brush.

Different breeds and weight

Definitely, the question of how much a cat should weigh cannot be answered. For example, the heaviest cat in the world weighs 21 kg, and the lightest adult cat is only 1300 g. The weight of a cat depends on its age, breed, physical condition, temperament.

The smallest cats are recognized as animals belonging to the Singapura breed, their average weight is only about 2 kg. Grow very large Siberian cats, so, an adult cat can weigh up to 10 kg., And a cat - up to 6 kg. American Bobtails weigh about the same bengal cats, ocicat. Ragdoll cats can reach a weight of 6-7.5 kg. Raccoon cats (Maine Coons) that resemble a lynx or reed cat, have long been considered the largest in the world: with a weight of 10-12 kg. they can reach a length of 120 cm. But recently it turned out that the affectionate and sociable domestic cats of the Ashera breed are larger than them. There are only about a hundred of these rare animals in the world so far, since they were bred quite recently when crossing wild African serval and the Asian leopard cat. Ashera cats weigh 14-15 kg, and reach a length of one meter. Cats of the Savannah breed, obtained in the USA in the 80s by crossing a domestic cat and an African serval, can also gain weight of 15 kg by the age of three.

British

Find out how much it weighs British cat. An adult cat will pull 5-8 kg., A cat - 4-6. Sterilized animals weigh much more due to hormonal failure: cats - up to 12, cats - up to 8 kg. And if the British have a tendency to gain excess weight, then Maine Coon cats with even more weight (8-10 kg in cats and 4-7 kg in cats) are not prone to obesity. The bodies of cats of this breed are strongly elongated in length (up to 1 m) and have well-developed muscles and skeleton.

Experts believe that excess weight in cats, it has a detrimental effect on general state health. Obesity can lead to heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. It is difficult for such cats to move, they have shortness of breath, their life span is reduced by a third.

How to determine the physical form of a cat?

The condition of a cat can be assessed both by looking at it and by feeling the calf. Several types can be distinguished physical form.

• With a lack of weight in a cat, the ribs, pelvic bones and spine are clearly visible, muscle mass few. The fat layer on chest is absent.
• At the lower limit of normal weight in a cat, the pelvic bones, ribs, spine and sternocostal joints are visible, the waist is clearly visible. Feels on the chest thin layer fat, almost no belly fat.
• At ideal weight The cat has good proportions. The joints, ribs and spine are invisible, but well palpable. The waist is noticeable, on the chest and abdomen - a thin layer of fat.
• With an excess of weight, the ribs and spine of a cat are difficult to feel, and the waist is hardly noticeable. On the back, chest and abdomen, fat is well palpable.
• With obesity, the bones are not palpable; on the chest, back and abdomen, a layer of fat is very clearly palpable, the abdomen is rather enlarged.

A very fat cat is put on a diet, but this must be approached very carefully so as not to harm the animal, and it is better to consult a veterinarian to make sure that obesity does not indicate some kind of disease. Kittens do not need diets, and you should not limit their diet - they grow!

The weight of an animal is one of the important indicators for determining its health. Obesity can be a problem not only for humans, but also for animals. As well as lack of weight is often the cause of a serious illness.

What is the normal weight for cats

Among all in the world, the Australian representative of this species is recognized as the heaviest - its weight was 21 kilograms. But according to Mr. Peebles, the cat was recognized as the lightest - 1 kg 300 g. Of course, the standard indicators are very different from the record ones.

Simple domestic cat weight can range from two to seven kilograms. Basically, both the size of the animal and its weight directly depend on what its breed is. So, representatives of the Angora and Siamese are distinguished by lightness and harmony.

Persian and cats are more heavy - some of them are able to amaze with their size. And the Maine Coon often weighs more than eleven kilograms.

As a rule, the solid weight of a pet is a direct result of the owners' ardent love for him, which is expressed in overfeeding the animal. Usually overweight cats are in poor health.

Obesity and its accompanying health problems will help to avoid careful attention to the diet, carefully selected drinking regimen. Regular weighing will help with weight control. If the cat does not want to be weighed, you can keep him in place in the following way. The owner takes the animal in his arms, weighs himself with him, and then weighs himself alone. The second value is subtracted from the first value obtained - the result will be the weight of the cat.

How to determine if a cat's weight is normal

The main parameter that determines the normal weight of a healthy cat may be its breed. Britons, Maine Coons, Norwegians without a single sign of obesity can be more than eight kilograms. small breeds like Singaporeans weighing three kilos can be considered overweight. The average weight for a cat, depending on the structure of the skeleton and size, can be considered a range of 3.5-5.5 kg.

AT veterinary clinics you can read the reminders that will help you approximately determine whether the weight of a particular cat is sufficient. With a lack of weight, the pelvic bones, chest joints, and ribs protrude and are very noticeable both to the touch and visually. The fat layer on the chest is not palpable. If the cat is overweight or

Cats embody a unique combination of laziness and hyperactivity that gives them a metabolism that most people would envy. They balance between long periods of sleep and short bursts of energy, and tend to keep themselves fairly lean. Of course, there are exceptions, and the most famous is the obese cat Garfield.

Weight of different cats

Saying that cats should weigh X kilograms is like saying that all cars should use X liters of gasoline per kilometer of road. Many factors affect a cat's weight, including spaying or neutering, breed, and overall health. Average, healthy weight cats can vary from 2 kg for the Siamese, and up to 10 kg for the Maine Coon breed. Indoor cats may weigh slightly more than their outdoor counterparts.

Obesity

Most indoor cats spend their day lounging on the couch, in the sun, or on your favorite bed, with few things to interrupt their rest. Of course, what cat would want to skip feeding or go to the litter box. You can imagine how difficult it is for your cat! But such a life can have negative influence your furry friend's weight, and soon you'll probably have a cat with more fat than muscle.

It is estimated that at least 30% of all domestic cats have overweight or are obese. If you look down at your cat and you can't see her waist, or you can't feel her ribs with light finger pressure, then your cat is too heavy.

Health problems

cat with overweight can be quite funny when she lies down, rolls on her back, tries to lick hard-to-reach parts of her body, and of course, during petting, but the truth is that an overweight cat is sick. Just like humans, cats suffer from the health risks associated with being overweight, including being overweight. blood pressure, diabetes and kidney problems.

Just because your cat can't tell you he's not feeling well doesn't mean he's healthy. Visit your veterinarian regularly to make sure you can prevent any health problems before they cross the point of no return.

healthy weight

Losing weight for a cat will require willpower and dedication - yours, not hers. Your cat is not going to fold overweight, and she will tell you about it, perhaps quite loudly. Discuss your cat's health and diet with your veterinarian to develop a weight loss program to ensure your cat only has the calories it needs every day and no more.

Increase the amount of time you spend playing and exercising with your cat by giving her the motivation to walk and jump regularly. Try placing your cat's favorite treat or dish somewhere upstairs so she has to work hard to get to it. You can also use catnip which will increase your pet's overall mobility. Be careful not to change your cat's routine too quickly, as she may retaliate and start scratching and urinating where it's not allowed!