Is my 7 month old female (spayed) kitten over-weight? Approx. 2.5 - 3.5KG, DSH...? More details.?

Question

Just wondering if my 7 month old DSH kitten is over-weight.

Approx. 7 months, DSH, female, spayed, approx. 2.5 - 3.5 KG (not sure how much in pounds).

Feeding her 'Whiskas' kitten food - 2-3 satchels per day.
Also 'Purina ONE' dry kitten food - 1.5 cups per day (sometimes more).

Went to the vet last month for her vaccination - vet said she was in perfect condition... very healthy.
Is she over-weight or is this a healthy weight range?

Lol, I don't live in the UK, I live in Australia.
Her fur is longer than a DSH should be but the reciept (I got her from an adoption agency at my local vet - NOT a pet store) said she was a DSH, so it is a little hard to see a 'waist-line' but you can see where her fur goes in to form a waist-line.

In AUS, there aren't many fantastic brands of KITTEN food available. I think the best one here is Science Diet but I am having trouble getting her to eat that so I have not used it since.

Purina ONE is one of the BEST cat foods around. Corn or wheat isn't in the top three ingredients.
Whiskas is also a great brand - I used it for 13 long years with my past cat. She never had any health problems due to her diet.

Answer 1

In the 1970's there was a movement in the US to use the international measure of kilograms, kilometers etc. and it never made it through the educational system. So for your US "answerers" here it is like Greek (which we don't know either).

Here a kitten should weigh about 1 lb at one month, 2 lbs at two months, 3 lbs at three months - that's just an average and pretty reliable for good growth at least up to seven months (7 lbs.) Dainty females might weigh less. Since your cat has been spayed and is getting close to a year she could be on the road to overweight. Can't your vet give you guidelines for this? Just call and see if you can get an answer.

Whiskas and Purina are really low-quality foods. Both use by-product meat and the Purina is 2/3 corn which will be very fattening in time. I have been exchanging emails with a woman in the UK and she has said the quality brands recommended here are not available in the UK. So at the moment I can't make recommendations for you.

Are there such things as "holistic" veterinarians in the UK? I know homepathy is much more used there than here. Either of these type of vets should be able to steer you to better foods (although homepaths are much more in favor of a raw diet, one you would prepare yourself.

I have a 13 yr old cat who is shockingly thin. She is built like a cheetah - caved in sides and long legs. She had an exam and blood work this spring and the vet deemed her totally healthy. So it can depend on the structure and general genetics of the cat. Another female I have is ten. She is a dainty little thing and on the pudgy side at 8 lbs. They eat the same foods.

So you are asking a question that has no definitive answer. If the vet thinks her weight is good and she is healthy then there is nothing to worry about. Do try to find some better quality food for her though.

Answer 2

It's hard to say without seeing her. Does she have a waistline? It sounds like you're feeding her a lot, however, kittens probably need to eat more since they're growing. Are you following the feeding guidelines on the food packaging? Best solution is to take her in to the vet. He/she will be able to tell you. You could also ask about how much you should be feeding a day.

Answer 3

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