How Much Does A Large Cat Weigh

It’s something to take seriously. Even just a couple of extra pounds can make your pet more likely to get some health problems such as type 2 diabetes and make others, like arthritis, worse. It can even keep them from grooming themselves properly. Keeping off excess weight should lead to a healthier, happier cat.

On average, a medium or small cat should weight between 7 and 13 pounds. A large cat should weigh between 13 and 24 pounds. However, like people cats vary in shape and size. Your cat might fall outside of these ranges and still be healthy. Doing a body check can help you determine if your cat’s weight is a problem. If you’re concerned after evaluating your cat, make an appointment to your vet. Obesity can increase your cat’s risk for a variety of health problems and shorten his overall lifespan. It’s important you make sure your cat is at a healthy weight for his size.

Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Studies continue to reaffirm what most of us already know: Pet obesity is on the rise—and so is the average cat weight. But what is considered a healthy cat weight? Find out where your cat falls on the spectrum, and what you can do if your cat is overweight.

Ideal Weight For Cats

Most domestic cats should weigh about 10 pounds, though that can vary by breed and frame. A Siamese cat may weigh as few as 5 pounds, while a Maine Coon can be 25 pounds and healthy.

So What Is A Large Cat?

You can find references all over our site for ‘large cat wormer’ and ‘large breed foods’ which is all well and good if you know what we mean by large. Obviously, there is no utterly fixed point, as the world of cats is both wide and varied. From a Cornish Rex’s viewpoint, most things bigger than a kitten are huge; but to an adult Norwegian Forest cat, some springer spaniels look like lightweights! So, in the real world, or at least our world, a large cat is anything over 5kg in weight.

Non-CFA Recognized Large House Cats Breeds

The Chausie and Savannah are also notably large breeds. In fact, the Savannah cat is a veritable giant that can often reach a weight of 28 pounds. Unfortunately, due to their heritage, none of these breeds have been recognized by the CFA. However, the cats have been granted a place within The International Cat Association’s show circuit under the subcategory of “Advanced New Breeds”.

Maturation And Size Of Large House Cats

Many large cat breeds can reach extremely heavy weights of over 25 pounds, though such weights are limited to precise genetic lines. However, most of large cat breeds take several years to achieve maturation. The typical time needed to reach full stature is between 3 to 5 years for almost every large sized breed. Judges do take maturation time into account during competitions.

Considering Large Domestic Cats

If you’d like to adopt a large domestic cat, you’ll want to keep the following factors in mind

How Much Should My Cat Weigh?

It varies depending on the breed but for most domestic cats, you can take 10 pounds (4-4.5 kg) as an ideal weight. Certain larger breeds can weigh as much as 25 pounds (11 kg) and smaller breeds can weigh as little as 5 pounds (2.2 kg).

How To Spot An Overweight Cat?

There are tests you can do on your own to determine whether your cat is at an ideal weight. Firstly, do they look overweight? Does their belly sag in any way or are they visibly different in appearance to other cats? If this is hard to spot because you see your cat every day, ask your friends or family to see if they can notice a difference.

How Do I Get An Obese Or Overweight Cat Down To A Healthy Cat Weight?

Cut down on treats and avoid feeding them human foods altogether. Make sure your cat is on the correct diet for their life stage. If appropriate, a neutered or senior cat diet will provide better calorie control. If your cat is obese, speak to your vet or registered veterinary nurse about weight loss diets: these provide all the required proteins, vitamins and minerals while reducing calories. Remember, when changing any diet, introduce the new food gradually over the course of about a week.

What Should The Average Cat Weigh?

In veterinary medicine, we often say that the ideal weight for the average healthy cat is 10 pounds.

We follow that statement with the qualifier that healthy cats come in a variety of sizes and weights. More than the weight alone, we must evaluate the body frame size and the lean muscle mass of a cat. 

What Is A Healthy Cat Weight?

It’s tempting to reduce all cats to the same standards—saying, for instance, that a healthy cat weight is around 10 pounds. Yet this isn’t an entirely effective way to determine health, owing to the fact that breed, age, and gender all play a factor. For instance, a 10-pound Maine Coon may be considered healthy (even petite for his breed!), while a 10-pound Bambino cat would be considered obese.

Instead, many veterinarians follow the Purina Body Condition Score (BCS), which basically boils down to using your eyes and your hands. The BCS describes three factors you’ll find in a cat with an ideal body condition:

  • Ribs that can be felt but are not highly visible (in short-haired cats, at least), with a small layer of overlying fat.
  • A clear waistline when viewed from above
  • A visible tummy tuck, when viewed from the side.

Compare three different cat body conditions—underweight, ideal, and overweight—for yourself:

  • An underweight body condition
  • An ideal body condition
  • An overweight body condition

With 60-70% of cats in the United States considered overweight to obese, it’s safe to say that the average cat weight is too high.

Why Is A Healthy Cat Weight So Important?

Litter-Robot resident veterinarian Dr. Justine Lee sees a diabetic cat at least once a day in the ER. Why so often? Because there is a growing prevalence of insulin resistance secondary to obesity. 

It’s so important to work toward a healthy cat weight because overweight cats are at increased risk of the following serious medical conditions:

  • Diabetes mellitus 
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Urinary problems
  • Heart disease, and more

How Can I Weigh My Cat?

Well they’ll be weighed every time you visit the vets. So if you want to know their weight at the time of their last visit just give your vets surgery a call and one of the nurses will be able to look up your records. They should also have a weight history – so you’ll know if the cats getting heavier or lighter.

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