Is my cat overweight? Pictures.

[SamAPCat]

This is my almost 1 year old cat. She has always had an almost bloated appearance, though the vet says nothing is wrong with her. For a couple months she had worms, though I haven’t seen any worms on her. Do you guys think she’d be considered overweight/obese?

 

[Caspers Human]

Take both hands and run them down your cat’s sides.

How firmly do you have to press with your fingers in order to feel the cat’s ribs?

If you have to press with more than a moderate amount of force in order to feel the ribs, the cat is too fat. If you don’t have to press very hard to feel the ribs, the cat is too skinny.

Do the same thing along the cat’s spine. Use the same rules.

Look at the cat’s tummy. Does it look pudgy and bulge out? Too fat! Does it sink in? Too skinny! Does your cat’s tummy have a nice, svelte curve inward? Just right!

 

[SamAPCat]

Take both hands and run them down your cat’s sides.

How firmly do you have to press with your fingers in order to feel the cat’s ribs?

If you have to press with more than a moderate amount of force in order to feel the ribs, the cat is too fat. If you don’t have to press very hard to feel the ribs, the cat is too skinny.

Do the same thing along the cat’s spine. Use the same rules.

Look at the cat’s tummy. Does it look pudgy and bulge out? Too fat! Does it sink in? Too skinny! Does your cat’s tummy have a nice, svelte curve inward? Just right!

Thanks for the reply! It’s not hard to feel the ribs, but I can’t feel them just by rubbing my hand across her body. The problem with her stomach is, I’m not sure if it’s bloated or if it’s just fat. It definitely is larger than it should be, but it doesn’t feel like fat. It almost feels like her stomach is a big balloon! Also, do you think this could this be some sort of worm issue that was never fully resolved?

 

[IndyJones]

Is she spayed? Knowing this would rule out pregnancy and uterine disease.

 

[IndyJones]

Part of this balloon feeling you describe could simply be her abdominal cavity wall, this is a layer that holds the internal organs and protects them.

 

[SamAPCat]

Is she spayed? Knowing this would rule out pregnancy and uterine disease.

Yep, she’s spayed! And for your other message, is it normal for her cavity wall to be so distended? I can feel it from both sides of her as well.

 

[tabbytom]

Do you guys think she’d be considered overweight/obese?

Here's a body shape chart for reference

 

[Caspers Human]

How about worms?

Has she been de-wormed?

There is an old saying, ”Kittens come with worms.”
That’s not necessarily true but it is common enough that you can assume that most kittens will probably get worms before they grow up.

If your cat hasn’t been de-wormed recently, you should look into having her checked for worms. Sometimes it takes two or three treatments to get rid of all the worms and, during that time, it is possible for a cat to become re-infested, even if it has been treated, before.

A pudgy tummy is one possible sign of worms.

Also look for signs of worms in the litter box. It might look like thin pieces of spaghetti or threads. It could also look like grains of rice and you might even see something that looks like rice clinging to your cats bunghole.

If you see anything like that, call your vet and make an appointment as soon as you can.

Another possible sign of worms is an insatiable appetite if the cat doesn’t seem to gain weight.

Again, if you notice this, call your vet.

It is even possible for a cat to have worm but have no visible symptoms such as throwing up worms, getting a pudgy tummy, eating too much or leaving worms in the litter box.

Normally, a cat getting worms is not an emergency, assuming that there are no other health problems, but it is still important to get the cat de-wormed as soon as possible.

 

[SamAPCat]

How about worms?

Has she been de-wormed?

There is an old saying, ”Kittens come with worms.”
That’s not necessarily true but it is common enough that you can assume that most kittens will probably get worms before they grow up.

If your cat hasn’t been de-wormed recently, you should look into having her checked for worms. Sometimes it takes two or three treatments to get rid of all the worms and, during that time, it is possible for a cat to become re-infested, even if it has been treated, before.

A pudgy tummy is one possible sign of worms.

Also look for signs of worms in the litter box. It might look like thin pieces of spaghetti or threads. It could also look like grains of rice and you might even see something that looks like rice clinging to your cats bunghole.

If you see anything like that, call your vet and make an appointment as soon as you can.

Another possible sign of worms is an insatiable appetite if the cat doesn’t seem to gain weight.

Again, if you notice this, call your vet.

It is even possible for a cat to have worm but have no visible symptoms such as throwing up worms, getting a pudgy tummy, eating too much or leaving worms in the litter box.

Normally, a cat getting worms is not an emergency, assuming that there are no other health problems, but it is still important to get the cat de-wormed as soon as possible.

We recently brought her to the vet (maybe a month ago) because of this issue. I’m suspicious though, as they ran no tests for anything. They said the bloating could be something about her being spayed (even though that was when she was a kitten). I guess i’ll just watch to see if she gets better/gains weight. Thanks for the help!

 

[SamAPCat]

here’s another current example of her stomach, for anyone still on this thread.

 

[Caspers Human]

You had her wormed?

They de-wormed her without checking to see whether she was infested?

Remember how I said that some people think cats are ”born with worms?” Some vets might take that to heart and automatically de-worm. I can see some logic in that but I still think it is important to check and see because there are some types of parasites that are harder to treat and it might take a different kind of medicine than usual.

If you don’t run tests, you can‘t be certain, can you?

Even if she was wormed only a month ago, it is possible that the meds didn’t kill all the worms and they came back again, or she got re-infested.

Like I said, sometimes it takes two or three cracks to completely kill all worms. Some types of parasites are harder to kill than others.

If she hasn‘t actually been tested, I suggest getting it done for the reasons I said above.

There are two main kinds of tests. One is where the vet uses a microscope to examine a stool sample from the cat.mmThe other is a lab test there they look for DNA or proteins in the stool sample.

The lab test is more accurate but a good vet who knows his shit (pun intended ) can still do a good job of diagnosing problems or, at least, being able to tell if more tests are needed.

 

[SamAPCat]

You had her wormed?

They de-wormed her without checking to see whether she was infested?

Remember how I said that some people think cats are ”born with worms?” Some vets might take that to heart and automatically de-worm. I can see some logic in that but I still think it is important to check and see because there are some types of parasites that are harder to treat and it might take a different kind of medicine than usual.

If you don’t run tests, you can‘t be certain, can you?

Even if she was wormed only a month ago, it is possible that the meds didn’t kill all the worms and they came back again, or she got re-infested.

Like I said, sometimes it takes two or three cracks to completely kill all worms. Some types of parasites are harder to kill than others.

If she hasn‘t actually been tested, I suggest getting it done for the reasons I said above.

There are two main kinds of tests. One is where the vet uses a microscope to examine a stool sample from the cat.mmThe other is a lab test there they look for DNA or proteins in the stool sample.

The lab test is more accurate but a good vet who knows his shit (pun intended ) can still do a good job of diagnosing problems or, at least, being able to tell if more tests are needed.

Yep, the cat was on a deworming med when we got her. She went through 1 treatment (about 4 months ago). Since we brought her to the vet for them to run 0 tests (though charge way too much of course), is it possible to just bring in a sample to make it cheaper? I’d definitely feel bad if the bloating has been from worms this whole time!

 

[FeebysOwner]

You can take a stool sample in to the vets for them to recheck (just call them to ask), but doing so would be the standard fecal smear/float which doesn't always pick up all the various parasites that exist. That would require a full fecal PCR which I am pretty sure needs to be free of litter. The full fecal PCR also looks for various bacterial/viral issues too. If she is having no stool issues, such as loose or runny, the odds would seem to be less that it is worms, but that is no guarantee. Have you looked at any articles about the various types of worms and the symptoms they present? If not, see article link below.

Did you compare her to the chart above that tabbytom provided? Cats do get what they call a primordial pouch after they mature, and unfortunately not many of the charts show that. But, it is typically seen on the lowest portion of the belly, right in front of the back legs, and doesn't really cause protrusion on the sides.

Worms in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment | PetMD

 

[Caspers Human]

I just want to make it clear that I don't think your cat has worms.
I am just suggesting to rule out the easier problems to solve first.

Casper has a big gorge pouch. It makes him look like he's wearing baggy pants and it waddles back and forth when he runs.

I thought it was primarily males that get a gorge pouch. Females can get it too?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I thought it was primarily males that get a gorge pouch. Females can get it too?

That sounds like a primordial pouch, and both males and females have it.
Primordial Pouch (Cat Belly Flap) in Cats - Cat-World
But, I still am not sure that is what SamAPCat is describing. Let's hope we hear soon from them to see what they think!

 

[stephanietx]

It's very common for kitties to need more than one round of deworming meds to get all the worms out due to various life stages. Also, make sure she's treated for tapeworms as well as other worms because they require different meds.

 

[SamAPCat]

That sounds like a primordial pouch, and both males and females have it.
Primordial Pouch (Cat Belly Flap) in Cats - Cat-World
But, I still am not sure that is what SamAPCat is describing. Let's hope we hear soon from them to see what they think!

Yeah, she definitely has a large primordial pouch, but she also has a very large stomach next to it. It doesn’t really feel like fat though, more like it’s bloated.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Make sure you read through all of the posts above. I know a lot of times when one is reading on their cell phones, older posts are often missed.

 

[solomonar]

Here you have another approach.
The ideal weight shall be around 10 pounds (4-4.5 kg) for a normal breed cat.
Slightly more for a tomcat.
More when cats (es[pecially tomcats) store energy.

Measure your weight by a bath scale.
Then pick the cat and weigh both of you together. Subtract. You get the cat weight.

Do not weigh the cat alone by the bath scale. These scales have very low accuracy in the first 5-10 kg and it may be difficult to keep the cat sitting on the scale :-).

===

Anyway, since you suspect obesity, go for a fasting blood glycemia test and for any more advanced diabetes tests available. Diabetes starts years before the blood glucose rises. If the cat is obese, this most likely means that he is already overfed by carbohydrates (from dry food). A normal glycemia does not mean there is no diabetes present!

 

[SamAPCat]

Here you have another approach.
The ideal weight shall be around 10 pounds (4-4.5 kg) for a normal breed cat.
Slightly more for a tomcat.
More when cats (es[pecially tomcats) store energy.

Measure your weight by a bath scale.
Then pick the cat and weigh both of you together. Subtract. You get the cat weight.

Do not weigh the cat alone by the bath scale. These scales have very low accuracy in the first 5-10 kg and it may be difficult to keep the cat sitting on the scale :-).

===

Anyway, since you suspect obesity, go for a fasting blood glycemia test and for any more advanced diabetes tests available. Diabetes starts years before the blood glucose rises. If the cat is obese, this most likely means that he is already overfed by carbohydrates (from dry food). A normal glycemia does not mean there is no diabetes present!

yep, we have weighed her using this exact method! she is currently around 9.5 pounds. We do feed her dry food, though the amount is very controlled. We currently feed Orijen, so the absurd amounts of protein could definitely be a factor.