Cat Weight Chart

Your vet's office probably has a cat weight chart pinned up on one of the walls. You can use this chart to determine whether or not your cat is under or overweight.

Two common questions asked by cat owners are "what is a healthy weight for my cat?" and "is there a cat body weight chart I can use?"

We covered healthy cat weight and the need to keep your cat trim. On this page, we'll look at the same type of cat weight chart that your vet would reference to evaluate your kitty (often referred to as a cat body condition chart).

One chart is from the Iams cat food company and the other is from the Purina cat food company. If you're familiar with the claims by cat health experts that dry cat food, along with "free choice" feeding options is largely the cause of obesity in cats, you might note the irony.

While each chart uses a slightly different description for each of the cat body types, they both agree on the basics.

Iams chart |  Text of Iams chart |  Purina chart |  Text of Purina chart

The Iams Cat Weight Chart

Iams cat weight chart

Text of the Iams chart

Thin Cat

  • Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones easily visible
  • Thin neck and narrow waist
  • Obvious abdominal tuck
  • No fat in flank fold, folds often absent

Underweight Cat

  • Backbone and ribs easily palpable
  • Minimal fat covering
  • Minimal waist when viewed from above
  • Slightly tucked abdomen

Ideal Cat

  • Ribs palpable, but not visible
  • Slight waist observed behind ribs when viewed from above
  • Abdomen tucked up, flank fold present

Overweight Cat

  • Slight increase in fat over ribs, but still easily palpable
  • Abdomen slightly rounded, flanks concave
  • Flank fold hang down with moderate amount of fat -- jiggle noted when walking

Obese Cat

  • Ribs and backbone not easily palpable under a heavy fat covering
  • Abdomen rounded, waist barely visible to absent
  • Prominent flank folds which sway from side to side when walking

The Purina Chart

Purina cat body condition chart

Text of the Purina chart

Too Thin

  • Ribs visible on shorthaired cats; no palpable fat; severe abdominal tuck; lumbar vertebrae and wings of ilia easily palpated.
  • Ribs easily visible on shorthaired cats; lumbar vertebrae obvious with minimal muscle mass; pronounced abdominal tuck; no palpable fat.
  • Ribs easily palpable with minimal fat covering; lumbar vertebrae obvious; obvious waist behind ribs; minimal abdominal fat.
  • Ribs palpable with minimal fat covering; noticeable waist behind ribs; slight abdominal tuck; abdominal fat pad absent.

Ideal

  • Well-proportioned; observe waist behind ribs; ribs palpable with slight fat covering; abdominal fat pad minimal.

Too Heavy

  • Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering; waist and abdominal fat pad distinguishable but not obvious; abdominal tuck absent.
  • Ribs not easily palpated with moderate fat covering; waist poorly discernible; obvious rounding of abdomen; moderate abdominal fat pad.
  • Ribs not palpable with excess fat covering; waist absent; obvious rounding of abdomen with prominent abdominal fat pad; fat deposits present over lumbar area.
  • Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover; heavy fat deposits over lumbar area, face and limbs; distention of abdomen with no waist; extensive abdominal fat deposits.

Cat Health Questions

Cat Lovers Only

Comments: What do you think?

Have your say about what you just read. Leave me a comment in the box below.