# how can you tell if a kitten is too thin???



## kristen98 (Feb 2, 2005)

I have a 7 month old kitten. She is very active and playful and I am feeding her 2/3 cup of dry food a day. I am feeding her Iams (yes I know the big controversy and can't wait to switch to a better diet when the bag finishes). 2/3 cup is actually more than is recommended per day by Iams. How much should a 7 month old be eating of the better quality foods such as Wellness or Chicken Soup of dry food per day??? (I am in the process of getting her to like canned food - she tries to cover up the smell.) She is pretty tiny and I don't know how much she weighs because my digital scale doesn't weigh small amounts. How can I tell by looking at her and feeling her body that she is too thin??


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## AddFran (Jul 10, 2004)

Someone around here should be able to direct you to a great picture chart that helps determine healthy weights. 

I just wanted to suggest that you get on the scale and hold your cat then weigh yourself without holding the cat and subtract the difference. That's how we do it here and it's pretty accurate.


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## spacemonkey (Aug 12, 2004)

I've often wondered if FTT (failure to thrive) occurs in cats as well. My Stephanie is a pound smaller than her sister, which is quite a lot for an already small cat. At this point, with them not yet spayed and still growing, I feed them as much as they can eat in two meals a day (all-canned). It averages out to about 12.5 ounces between them, but Stephanie just eats less :? I figure she knows how much she needs and I don't worry about it too much. She _is_ slight but her ribs and hips aren't prominant or anything :roll:


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## AddFran (Jul 10, 2004)

If it makes you feel better, Addy is 8 months and hasn't hit 6lbs yet.


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## BoscosMum (Apr 29, 2004)

Mi Mi is 6-8 months old and she weigh 6lb. 3oz.


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## spacemonkey (Aug 12, 2004)

Yeah, Stephanie's 6 months (on Friday) and just about 5 pounds. She's not _that_ tiny, but Miko is now nearly as big as mom, so she looks a lot littler when compared to them. She's also just petite so I don't think she'll grow to be too big.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm assuming you've had a vet give her a physical so you know she's in good health and doesn't have any intestinal parasites. If you're sure of that, then if she's active and eating all her food, I don't think you need to worry about it. Just so long as she isn't actually losing weight, which is why you do need to weigh her periodically. There is such a wide variety of physiques among cats, as among people, that you really can't say what weight she should be at seven months. There's a greater health risk in being obese than there is in being thin.


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## Adrienne (Jan 15, 2005)

Since we are all telling our cat's weight- Elliott is 10 months and she is 5lbs. She didn't get the best start in life, so the vet said she will probably always be a tiny little baby.


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## kristen98 (Feb 2, 2005)

AddFran, thanks for letting me know about how to weigh her! My husband actually mentioned that to me last night about weighing yourself and then yourself and the animal to get the weight of the animal. I was like, duh, why didn't I think of that? :roll: 

Then I have another kitten around 8 months who is new to the family. She is the opposite and is FAT! She is in the process of getting dewormed through prescription meds, not over the counter. But that is a whole other topic.


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## k_lo86 (Jan 21, 2005)

I have an 8 month old girl who has hips showing and ribs showing a bit if you look closely. Vet says shes perfectly healthy. Some cats just have that type of body. Kind of like humans, some have high metabolism and are skinny, others dont.


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## kristen98 (Feb 2, 2005)

k-lo, thanks, that makes me feel better because I can see my cat's hips too.

I just have to add that k-lo is my nickname too - haha!


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## Adrienne (Jan 15, 2005)

k_lo86 said:


> I have an 8 month old girl who has hips showing and ribs showing a bit if you look closely. Vet says shes perfectly healthy. Some cats just have that type of body. Kind of like humans, some have high metabolism and are skinny, others dont.


My cat's hips also show. When she bends down to eat her hips jut out of her body. It is like there is only a layer of skin covering and no fat.


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## Celeste_Eden (Jan 18, 2005)

lots of times if a cat is allowed to have a little of kittens when still very young, they stop growing, because all their extra energy goes to the kittens, not to their own bodies, so they end up being tiny. also i think it's just genetics. some cats are plain smaller than others, even from the same litter.


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## finalturismo (Feb 19, 2005)

my cat is not neutered and is EXTREMLY THIN... doctor asked me if i was feeding it enough... i dont even limit its food lol i just give him a huge bowl of food he eats and stops when hes full... the vet called and asked was he gaining weight i was told later he just was a "mussely" cat and had a fast digestive system..


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