How Thin Is Too Thin?

[ArtNJ]

So I've had I think 6 cats over the last few decades, and oddly enough, the only two that aren't food motivated I have now. When he was younger, the vet said teh 5 y.o. had "the ideal cat figure" which the wife thought was hysterical. He has filled out some, and you'd now say more lean and muscular than thin. (I mention that because the 1 y.o. is thinner than the 5 y.o. was when teh vet said that). The 1 y.o. has always been small. She just isn't very food motivated. I give them 4 separate meals, and there is food down most of the time. But she is thinner than the 5 y.o. ever was. Seems completely healthy and active, looks great with her medium hair fur, but if you pet her, she feels bony. She is over 8 pounds which seems like a healthy weight given her smallish size, but you'd never think so feeling her ribs. This isn't any sort of change and I don't think she has lost weight, but she doesn't really seem to be filling out the way most cats start to do over a year.

I feed purina cat chow 2x a day and 1/2 can of friskies 2x a day for both cats. She eats both, just not a ton. The 5 y.o. does not bully her at the food dish -- like I said, neither is all that food motivated. That said, she does generally wait for him to eat first.

Planning a wellness vet visit soon, (and I assume she is well) but I thought I'd ask if I should be feeding her anything different or special.

 

[di and bob]

Some cats, especially with Oriental in them, are just naturally thin, with longer legs and longer, thinner build. Does she 'talk' a lot? Usually a good sign of some Oriental. I've had a lot of these, and though they feel thin when stroked, they do not feel 'bony'. if you feel her hip bones jutting out, and no meat over her shoulder blades, she is too thin. One-year-olds are still full of energy, she may be just working it off and will get plumper as she ages. The vet would be the best determiner of this. If there is no physical reason, like abnormal blood counts, worms, or physical symptoms such as her hiding, not eating, or diarrhea, it is in her genes most likely.

 

[rubysmama]

There's tons of charts online that show the healthy shape for a cat, but not sure if any of them would really be helpful. And, a vet check, of course, is always the best decision, so glad that is in your plans.

I wonder if we're just so used to most cats tending towards overweight, that a thin cat looks skinny to us now.

A friend of mine has a 2 or 3 year old male cat, who is long and sleek and slim. But he's energetic, and has shiny fur and bright eyes, so seems healthy. But he, too, isn't not really food motivated, well except for the sound of Temptations being shaken.

 

[goingpostal]

What do you mean by cats filling out first off? Cats aren't meant to be round so if you are used to seeing overweight cats, it's very possible a healthy one looks thin. You should be able to feel the ribs and hip bones with a little pressure, with a thin layer of fat/skin over them. They should have a waist indent or at least straight from above, not rounded out as that would be quite fat. Check out the weight charts and ask your vet if you are concerned, she shouldn't be bony but it's not uncommon for a young cat to need to gain muscle yet.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. It is difficult when one has had an overweight cat to be able to gauge ones that are not overweight!! I use the chart below, which pretty much states what was explained above - about the ribs and hips. You will likely have to zoom in on it to read the descriptions.