Cats Weight?

Question

Hey all.
My cat is big. Really big.
So i was wondering, how big is too big in cats weight?
I think he could be in serious risk of health problems. \
Thanks!

BTW
My cat Is a Main Coon/ Tabby mix.
Hope this helps.

AND.
He is VERY mean if you pick him up, or touch him too much. This makes it impossible to weigh him.

Answer 1

You don't necessarily need to weigh him if it really is impossible. A cat's shape is much more important than its weight, as ideal weights vary so much from cat to cat. Average cat weight is 7.7-8.8lb, but since your cat has Maine Coon in him 15lb could well be a reasonable weight.

Here's a link to a helpful diagram that shows you what a cat's ideal shape is, and what shape it is when overweight/obese:
http://www.hillspetslimmer.co.uk/overweight/diagnosis_bodycondition.html

You should be able to feel your cat's ribs when you run your hand lightly down his sides. He should have an obvious waist, and a nice tucked up belly, not a big round one that fills your hands!

If you decide your cat is overweight, you're right that it's important to get the weight off him for the sake of his health. Overweight cats frequently develop diabetes, which is an unpleasant and expensive condition to manage - also if you can't pick him up, how would you get him to the vets? Are you able to get him in a cat basket at all? If so, you can put him on some scales in the basket, and then weigh the basket and subtract that weight to get the cat's weight.

Change of diet is usually in order for a cat to lose weight, unless you know that your cat is eating far too much - have a look at the feeding guide on whatever food you have and feed the amount recommended for the weight the cat is supposed to be, rather than the weight he is, although if you're not feeding a good quality food these usually suggest far too much to begin with.

Email me if you want further help - if you send me some pictures of the cat I can tell if he's overweight or not. I run animal weight clinics at the surgery I work at as a nurse, always happy to help overweight cats and dogs!!

Chalice

Answer 2

Maine Coon types are larger than the average cat, so a healthy weight could be around 15 pounds, where your basic cat is at a healthy weight at around 8 pounds.

But you need to judge each cat individually. Use this guide:

1. You should be able to easily feel your cat’s ribs, but not see them sticking out. This indicates that your cat is at a desirable weight.

2. Look at your cat from above. Some indentation between the rib cage and the hips (that classic hourglass figure) indicates that your cat is at a desirable weight.

3. Check your cat’s belly. If the belly protrudes, the cat may be overweight. (A protruding belly on a cat is called an apron.)

4. Feel your cat’s hips. Anything more than light fleshiness indicates that your cat is above normal weight.

A vet can also tell you, and may be able to suggest a target weight.

You can also consult the link below for a visual. But with hairy cats you'll probably have to go by feel.

Poppy, a Maine Coon type, reached 25 pounds which was quite obese. My vet says that 15 pounds would be a lean weight for her.

If you'd like to learn about the best weight loss plan for cats, see my blog. In brief, it involves feeding canned food rather than dry, and there are no starvation rations involved. Poppy lost 5 pounds last year following this diet and only has 4 to go.

Answer 3

Depends on his breed/size and all that. For some cats, eight pounds is an ideal weight, while for some larger cats (Maine Coons, etc) fifteen pounds or even more is fine. My Ocicat weighs 13 pounds, he was 14 and a little bit overweight (my vet said he was not in the health problems range, but just a hair overweight) before. It took him a year to lose a pound, and we are trying to get him down to 12 pounds (normal weight for an Ocicat, which is a tall breed). My two mixed breed cats weight: Burmese mix: 6 pounds--she's a tiny little thing, and Grey tabby: 10 pounds, a pretty average weight.

You can google "cat weight chart" and a few different charts will come up that will alow you to judge if your cat needs to lose weight or not. I sent you a link to one.

If he needs to lose weight, the easiest way to do it is to swap him to a weightloss/indoor formula cat food, feed him less treats/human food, and spend more time playing/exercising him. Cats typically lose weight slowly, but it will come off.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Maine Coons tend to be larger than the average domestic cat. Most maine coons that I have come across are of good weight between 12 - 13lbs. If I were you I would keep your cat around this weight to prevent things like diabetes, liver disease, urinary tract infections etc that are more prone in over weight cats.
A dietary food from your veterinary practice (Hills r/d) is good at reducing weight. It is also improtant to remember to feed any cat on a diet for the weight you are aiming for (and it needs to be measured) rather than the weight your pet is at otherwise they will still be eating too much
Cats that are prone to put on weight even on a light food can be maintained on a high fibre food (also from your veterinary practice) Hill's w/d. This is a good food for cats of all ages and is a complete food so can be fed on its own. It comes in a tin and dried variety and seems to be palatable.

I hope this helps!

Answer 5

Depends on the breed(s) the cat is mixed with. A Maine Coon mix is expected to weigh more. A male tends to weigh more than the females.

My gray tabby female weighs 8.9lbs, and that's a healthy weight for her.

Talk to your vet about the ideal weight for your cat.

Answer 6

it really depends on the breed. I have a 12lb cat and a 14lb cat, both a normal weight for their breed (the are a mix of large breed cats)

check with a vet to see what a normal weight for your cat is and ask how much is to heavy for your cat.

average cats usually weight around 8 to 9lbs. if my cats were average instead of large breed, they would definatly be overweight

Answer 7

please feed your cat a canned food diet with NO GRAIN. cats are carnivored and all of the foods that you can buy at the grocery store ar filled with grain. they cannot metabolize grain and this is the main cause of the obesity epidemic in cats. i feed a raw diet (aunt jeni's homemade fore life) which is really the cure for almost all of the common cat aliments these days. but Wellness or Instinct is great too as long as it is canned. if he is over weight you are right that he is at serious risk for health problems such as diabetes. another problem with cat food these days is that they use 4D meats. these are not deemed fit for human consumption (diseased and downed animans and by products) by products are not easily metabolized for protein andcontain things like beaks instead of muscle meat. also a dry food is theworst thing you can feed your cat (i dont know what you feed but i am just letting you know) cats are evolved to get water from their food. so they tend not to drink until they are very dehydrated. cats cannot get energy from carbohydrates the way that people can they have evolved to fit a different niche. as a result these fillers (carbs mainly grain) cause serious obesity in cats. a common misconception is that high fat diets are to blame for obesity in cats. this may be true for people but for cats the problem is carb. get yourself a copy of pet food antion or another book of that genre and go online. just google cats protien carbs canned food dry food etc and see what yu come up with. i personally advocate raw diets because the nutrients have not been cooked out of it. taurine for example needs o be added back into most foods but not a raw diet becuase it has not been cooked out. obesity is a serious problem and it is good that you are not ignoring it. dont just take my word becuase i am just some person on the internet that you have never met. do yoyur research and good luck but mot importantly if you are feeding dry switch to canned and if you are feeding canned maks sure that yur food does not have grains or gravy. gravy equals carbs

edit: also if your cat is aggressive it is often a sign that there is a medical problem. see a vet on a regualr basis especially ifyour cat is acting aggressive. also if your cat is un neutered this will take care of the aggression more than likely good luck and give your cat a belly rub for me (if he will let you hehe)

Answer 8

I had a Maine Coon cat that weighed 22 lbs, but maine coons are very large cats with lots of muscle...it sounds like kitty needs a diet if you are worried. Your vet can advise you better.

Answer 9

My cat weighs 12lbs, she's not that big. I had a cat before that weighed like 22lbs. and the vet always said he was fine. I'd say any more than that is probably no good. Call a local vet and they'll tell you waht a healthy weight range is.

Answer 10

If your cat looks fat, it probably is. Talk to your vet about a weight reduction plan.