Is Your Cat Overweight? How To Check | Purina

How to tell if your feline friend needs to go on a diet

It can be tricky to tell if your cat is overweight, particularly if they’re longhaired. Some cats are also naturally stockier than others, depending on their breed. Even so, our body condition tool only takes a few minutes to complete and quickly gives you a good idea about the shape your pet is in.

If you’re still not sure, or you think you might have an overweight cat, have a chat with your vet. If you think your cat is overweight, it’s important to speak to them before you make any changes to their diet because their weight gain could be caused by an underlying illness, rather than an over-active appetite. For more information before you talk to your vet, take a look at our ‘assessing your cat’s body condition’ article.

Cat obesity risks

When a cat is starting to gain excessive weight, their internal systems and joints can become overloaded, and this can potentially lead to some serious health risks. While cat obesity significantly reduces your cat’s quality of life, it can also put them at a higher risk of health conditions like diabetes, urinary disease, arthritis, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Skin problems are also common in overweight cats because the more weight they gain, the more difficult grooming becomes.

How to weigh your cat

Weighing your cat at home is a simple way to monitor their weight. Simply hold your cat as you stand on a set of weighing scales, and then subtract your weight from the final figure to find your cat’s weight. However, don’t rely on this method alone because a proper body condition check will give you a much better overall picture of your cat’s health.

How to encourage weight loss in cats

If you’re already feeding your cat a diet recommended by your vet, speak to your vet again before you switch to another food. If you don’t, it could stop your cat from losing weight, or even worse, it could have a negative effect on their health.

To deal with cat obesity, it’s best to start by cutting out all treats and titbits, including cat milk, for two weeks. You might feel like you’re being unfair but it’s the kindest thing to do in the long run if you have an overweight cat.

Also, make sure everyone else in the family knows the rules so that there’s no affectionate cheating! If you’ve got several cats, it’s best to feed your overweight cat separately to prevent them stealing any leftovers.