...We have thought our (just over) one year old cat was a little on the porker side for a while now....so we decided to weigh him...it came up saying he is just under a stone Is that good? bad? or in between?...I don't know the average for a male cat. Plus he is an indoor cat.

different breeds are different weights heres a link for all cat breeds
http://www.petsgetslim.co.uk/site-me...at_weights.pdf

I would say that is quite heavy. The big problem with cats being porky is that it does make them more prone to diabetes, just like us humans! Is he still on kitten food as that has more calories than the adult makes? Also, is he getting enough exercise? Do you play with him and get him to chase balls etc.

It's better to condition score him, though not necessarily easy depending on his coat. In essence, gently rub over his side where his ribs are. Can you feel them easily? If not he is overweight. If you lok down from above when he's standing he should have a waist, but unless he's got a pretty shoft sleek coat it's hard to know unless he's grossly fat. Getting a cat to lose weight is another matter...

I have 3 cats, twins and thier little half sister

one of the twins is skinny, not really into food and one is a bit of a porker.

havent any scales so cant weigh her - but how would you slim a cat down anyway? and especially if you have three, who eat out of each others bowls etc.

ps my tabby is the porky one - apparently tabbies are more prone to be 'big boned'

I don't know about cats but with dogs it depends on the dog - like one chihuahua could be over weight at 5lbs while another could be underweight at 5lbs.
What about bringing him to the vet to check if he is overweight and they can give you advice on what to do.

Like everyone else has said it really does depend on the size/breed of your cat . If you're concerned get him along to the vet for a check up and advice on diet (a lot of surgery's do free weight checks) Its better to get them on a diet with guidance from a vet anyway, since rapid weight loss can be dangerous.

One of my cats developed diabetes 2 years ago because of his weight and its been a nightmare to regulate, costly and of course most importantly, potentially life threatening. So it is really important to deal with a weight issue now, rather than later when problems arise. I wish we'd done more to lower his weight before he got sick. (he is within a healthy weight range now, but sadly still diabetic)

My cat was a porker when I got her. God knows how as she'd been a stray and had been in a shelter for 9 months. She weighed in at 18lbs. She's now done to 11/12lbs. From above, she looks a normal size and has a waist, however from the side she looks awful. She has loads of loose skin on her belly thats about 1 inch off the floor, she even has loose skin on her legs. If she was a human, then she'd be a candidate for a tummy tuck.

To slim her down, I made sure that there were lots of toys around that she'd chase- favourite was scrunched up foil. Getting her to play with it was a bit difficult sometimes, but after 2 and a half years we got there. She's an only cat so feeding her the right amount wasn't a problem. She's also a terrible food thief. Can't leave anything out or it's gone!
Last edited by sesmo : 23-01-2012 at 18:49

Thanks everyone but apparantly his weight is fine. I managed to find it on google. Apparantly 3-5 kg is the average, and he is just under 6kg. To answer someones questions, his coat has always been in great condition and yes I can feel his ribs.

I think he is just a greedy little kitty whose just a mummy's boy

My vet told me that 4.85 kg is the max weight for a male moggy. Mine is 5 kg.

AFAIK more exercise is the most effective way to slim a cat. Max was getting porkie - he had a pad of fat over his shoulder blades and since he's an Oriental Black with a coat like shiny black lycra every tiny bulge shows. A few months after I cat-proofed the back garden and he started going out in it I realised he had lost that pad. He's still a bit overweight - waist not as visible as it should be, pad of fat between his back legs - but he's certainly better than he was. Minnie is perfect - visible waist and a fold of lose skin rather than fat between her back legs.