Healthy Weight for Cats
Every cat is different, but there are certain standards of what a healthy weight should be. Knowing how heavy your cat should be can help you to know if it’s time to talk with your veterinarian about any potential health issues.
What is the Ideal Cat Weight?
The ideal cat weight depends on several factors such as its size, breed, and sex. Generally speaking, cats weigh between 8-10 pounds when they are fully grown adults. A good way to determine if your cat is at a healthy weight is by feeling its ribs – they should not be too visible or too hard to feel. If you can easily feel the ribs without pressing too hard then most likely your cat has an appropriate body mass index (BMI) range of 17-30%. Anything below this range could indicate that your pet may need more food or may have an underlying medical issue while anything above this range could mean that it’s overweight and needs fewer calories per day in order to reach a healthier BMI level. Additionally, cats should have hourglass figures with well defined waistlines when viewed from above and their bellies shouldn’t hang down when viewed from the side — both signs of being overweight or obese which can lead to serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease if left unchecked for too long.
Measuring Your Cat’s Weight
The best way to measure your cat’s weight accurately is by taking them into their vet for an exam where they will use specialized scales designed specifically for animals in order weigh them properly . This will allow veterinarians to monitor changes in their patients’ weights over time as well as provide helpful advice on dieting measures if needed due changes in metabolism or age related conditions like arthritis which can affect a cats overall activity level leading either gaining excess body fat or losing muscle mass depending upon individual cases..
Conclusion
Knowing how heavy your cat should be can help you ensure that they stay within a healthy weight range which plays an important role in overall wellbeing and quality of life both now and into old age! It’s recommended that owners take regular trips back into the vet office so professionals can keep track any drastic changes occurring over time – some subtle shifts may occur undetected otherwise – resulting potentially unhealthy BMI levels developing unnoticed because of lack routine checkups with trained staff members who specialize treating feline species specifically..
