How much should a cat weigh?

The best way to assess whether your cat is overweight is by looking at its body condition. You should be able to feel its ribs easily; the ribs should not stick out and you should not have to apply pressure in order to feel them under the skin. Your cat should have a visibly distinct waist, which is best seen when viewing your cat from above.

Some cats carry excess fat on their abdomen, often hanging like a bag under the skin. It is a good idea to check your cat’s abdomen to see if it may be overweight. It is normal to have a little bit of skin hanging there, but not a large bag filled with subcutaneous fat.

There are guidelines online that can help you assess your cat’s body condition. Search “BCS cat” (BCS = Body Condition Score) and you will find images with descriptions of different weight scores in cats (1 being very underweight and 5 obese on a 5 point scale).

It is important to keep track of your cat’s body condition. Most pets are overweight and this increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, etc.