Is he too skinny?

[Dherna55]

My cat ranges from 11.4-11.6 pounds. He is an orange tabby. He eats 1/4-1/2 of dry food a day. I give him treats as well. Food he eats is veterinary prescribed urinary diet. He only likes the royal canine brand. I can feel his spine when I feel his back with my fingers, his feet’s and arms are bony with little fat on then, I can feel his shoulder blades and you can see his shoulder blades when he walks.my vet told me that he’s just an ideal lean cat and isn’t skinny but I freak out that he’s malnourished. Am I just overthinking everything? Here are a few pictures of him.

 

[LTS3]

Your cat looks fine As long as he's not hangry and constantly looking for food, you're feeding enough. The general rule is 20 to 25 calories per pound of body weight daily but evey cat has his or her own individual need. Some cats may need or want less than the suggsted calorie amount while other need more such as pregnant and nursing cats. The dry food has plenty of calories (and then some) that your cat needs.

If your cat prone to urinary issues? Dry food can exacerbate urinary issues, even prescription ones. Getting water into the cat to keep the urinary system working optimally is key. This is easiest to do with canned food. Will your cat eat canned food? I believe the Royal Canin urinary food has a canned version. Prescription food may not even be needed at all and it's ok to disagree with the vet about food.

 

[maggie101]

He looks very healthy. I agree with LTS3 . Males are more likely to have UTI and blockages. Even if he drinks water it is not enough. I suggest buying some tiki sticks,almost 90% water.

 

[DreamerRose]

Me three. He looks quite healthy, but it would be best to transition him to canned food to avoid crystals in the future. In the meantime, make sure he has plenty of water, maybe a fountain.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi

I can feel his spine when I feel his back with my fingers, his feet’s and arms are bony with little fat on then, I can feel his shoulder blades and you can see his shoulder blades when he walks.

Cats paws and legs don't have a lot of "meat" on the lower half, and cat's shoulder blades can be visible as they walk as well as being detectable.

Along with the great posts above, this may help;
Should You be Able to Feel a Cat’s Spine? – TheCatSite Articles

 

[maggie101]

General rule of how much to feed does not apply to all cats. I have a healthy 7pd cat that eats almost 100 cals a day,not 140. It also depends on what's in the food. All three of my cats eat less than the suggested amount.

 

[sanfran_kitty_lady_21]

You should google/youtube "cat knuckle test" - a ton of vets talk about is to know whether you should be worried about your cat's weight or not.

Basically you compare feeling your cats ribs to your hand:
-if you have your hand in a fist and feel your knuckles (really pronounced bones) - if your cat's ribs feel the same, he's too skinny and needs to add fat
-if you hand is relaxed and you feel your knuckles (shallow feel of the bones) - cat's at a healthy weight
-if you turn your hand (pam up) and feel it where your thumb bone is connecting with your wrist (feeling no bone) - if your cat's ribs feel like that, he needs to loose weight.

Look it up, pictures will make it clearer. It's super simple, uninvasive, and vet approved.