Is My Kitten Too Skinny?

[Diana03]

Is my 7 month old cat too skinny or does he have a slim build? He is eating 3 times a day(2 meals meat,1 meal dry kitten food) and he gets lots of Dreamies as a treat. I'm 100% sure he doesnt have internal parasites because he gets a pill for that every month. I sometimes replace one of the meals with a hard boiled egg. He also drinks milk 3-4 times a week. He is EXTREMELY active and happy,his coat is shiny and his eyes are bright.The thing is you can see his muscles very well and in the morning you can also see his hip bones when looking from above,but after he eats they aren't so visible anymore. Friends told me he is too skinny(but they have overweight cats) and i was thinking about fattening him up. Should i leave him the way he is? I really like the slender look he has. His movements are very graceful when chasing his toy, he looks like a panther or something wild.

 

[Purr-fect]

Im not an expert, but I dont think he is too thin.

He has very long legs, making him look slimmer than he actually is.

He is also only 7 months old. Im certain virtually all cats fill out significantly as they age.

So long as he eats well and drinks properly I wouldnt worry about his weight.

 

[Purr-fect]

His face is also very slender. I think his weight suits him. He looks very trim and agile. Enjoy it now, im sure he will gain weight over time.

 

[Diana03]

Thank you very much Purr-fect

 

[orange&white]

He's got a slim build and very little body fat. He looks in perfect shape. I TNR'd two feral kittens this year about a month difference in age. One has a squatty, squishy plump body type and the other is built "lean and mean" and muscular like your healthy boy there. They're both in good shape, just different genetics.

He's very handsome. You enjoy him!

 

[Neo_23]

How much does he weigh and how many calories do you feed him? At 7 months my vet said they should be getting at least 75 kcal per kg of weight.

 

[Diana03]

He's got a slim build and very little body fat. He looks in perfect shape. I TNR'd two feral kittens this year about a month difference in age. One has a squatty, squishy plump body type and the other is built "lean and mean" and muscular like your healthy boy there. They're both in good shape, just different genetics.

He's very handsome. You enjoy him!

Haha,i'm very happy to hear that. Thank you!

 

[Diana03]

Neo, i think he weights around 4 kg,maybe a little more. I haven't checked recently,but 1 month ago he weighted 3,4 kg. And i feed him 300 kcals a day i think. I'm not sure because i don't measure the food. He eats 1 chicken leg per day(or half a chicken leg and some fish) and 1 bowl of dry food. The bowl isn't very big,as you can see in the picture. He also gets 10-15 dreamies and steals food from the dog's bowl. So maybe some days he gets to eat 400 kcals.
*by chicken leg i mean lower and upper part,not sure how it's called in english,sorry.

 

[Neo_23]

Neo, i think he weights around 4 kg,maybe a little more. I haven't checked recently,but 1 month ago he weighted 3,4 kg. And i feed him 300 kcals a day i think. I'm not sure because i don't measure the food. He eats 1 chicken leg per day(or half a chicken leg and some fish) and 1 bowl of dry food. The bowl isn't very big,as you can see in the picture. He also gets 10-15 dreamies and steals food from the dog's bowl. So maybe some days he gets to eat 400 kcals.
*by chicken leg i mean lower and upper part,not sure how it's called in english,sorry.

Sounds like he is doing fine, then. I wouldn't worry about it unless he seems constantly hungry and is scarfing down his food every time you put it down.

 

[Diana03]

Sounds like he is doing fine, then. I wouldn't worry about it unless he seems constantly hungry and is scarfing down his food every time you put it down.

He sometimes eats it immediately,other times he takes a few bites and leaves it there. So i guess he's okay,not starving.

 

[ReallySleepy]

There is a saying that "you can never be too thin or too old". The first part of this clause should be taken with a grain of salt, especially with cats, who are prone to hepatic lipidosis. Still, as long as the cat is simply lean and otherwise looks healthy, I would not worry, and certainly not with such a young cat.

I am underweight myself and have always been so. At 66, having a low BMI is the last thing I am going to worry about!

 

[Diana03]

There is a saying that "you can never be too thin or too old". The first part of this clause should be taken with a grain of salt, especially with cats, who are prone to hepatic lipidosis. Still, as long as the cat is simply lean and otherwise looks healthy, I would not worry, and certainly not with such a young cat.

I am underweight myself and have always been so. At 66, having a low BMI is the last thing I am going to worry about!

Alright,thank you

 

[Willowy]

He's in the lanky teenage stage, plus he has a naturally lanky body type. He's not too skinny. He'll fill out when he gets older, but of course you want to keep an eye on that so he doesn't fill out too much!

 

[destinyz12]

One of my cats looks to be about the same build as yours and I was concerned she might be underweight, but we just had her yearly check up and the vet said she was totally fine. One thing about your post though I want to point out- You mention you give your cat milk 3-4 times a week...is that cows milk or a special cats milk or goats milk? Most cats are lactose intolerant to cows milk. Goats milk is generally ok though if need be.

 

[Diana03]

One of my cats looks to be about the same build as yours and I was concerned she might be underweight, but we just had her yearly check up and the vet said she was totally fine. One thing about your post though I want to point out- You mention you give your cat milk 3-4 times a week...is that cows milk or a special cats milk or goats milk? Most cats are lactose intolerant to cows milk. Goats milk is generally ok though if need be.

Cow milk. I've never seen goat milk in shops here. If i want goat milk i guess i have to ask a farmer for it. But i guess he's okay with cow milk,he never had problems with it and he loves it so much!

 

[PMousse]

Here's a chart I found online. The info is also consistent with what my vet told me. Basically if you can't see his ribs but can feel them with relative easy when you push on his sides slightly, that's good. Also if you look at him from the side and the belly goes upwards his hind legs, that's a good sign too.

Pet Weight Chart - What Shape Is Your Pet? - Charleston Dog Walker

 

[Diana03]

Here's a chart I found online. The info is also consistent with what my vet told me. Basically if you can't see his ribs but can feel them with relative easy when you push on his sides slightly, that's good. Also if you look at him from the side and the belly goes upwards his hind legs, that's a good sign too.

Pet Weight Chart - What Shape Is Your Pet? - Charleston Dog Walker

Cool,thanks! I can easily feel the ribs(cant see them tho), but his belly is flabby,not going upwards. May be because his belly is very fluffy compared to the rest of his body.

 

[fiorya]

My 6 month kitten has a similar build. Very thin, an athletic build. I was always afraid that the vet would tell me she's too thin when I took her in, but every time they weighed her she was normal or even overweight for her age. I think as others have said, they'll fill out once they get older.

 

[Yanaka]

You're lucky he's built so lean! My young male is heavier and he's younger. Keep him that way, it's better for his longevity!

 

[orange&white]

Cool,thanks! I can easily feel the ribs(cant see them tho), but his belly is flabby,not going upwards. May be because his belly is very fluffy compared to the rest of his body.

The flabby belly is his primordial pouch. My orange tabby has a huge pouch. I like to jiggle it.