Underweight Persian Kitten

[hillyy13]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I was just hoping for some guidance/reassurance.

Our ginger Persian kitten Cecil is almost 7 months old and weighs 2.2kg. He has been to the vets numerous times (I should probably mention once for a snotty nose which he had antibiotics for but it cleared up very well)
They have however always been happy with his weight and general progression, I even remember the vet commenting my how well his muscle was developing.

However when looking online various websites suggest he is (quite) underweight for his age. He eats 3 wet food sachets a day (and absolutely scoffs them - he would eat more if we gave it to him!) and loves to play, he seems very healthy overall.

Reading about Persians online has obviously made me think the worst as they are predisposed to health problems - so now I’m sat here thinking my beautiful boy has some sort of liver/kidney/heart problems.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Norachan]

Hi H hillyy13 Welcome to TCS.

If he eats well but seems under weight why don't you just feed him more? All cats are different, some of mine eat a lot more than others but stay on the slim side. Sachets of food are often quite low in calories compared to canned food as they are smaller portions. Try giving him some extra canned food and see if he puts on weight.

Did you get him from a breeder? Registered breeders know about the health problems Persians are prone too. A good breeder will take the utmost care to make sure kittens they breed don't have such a high chance of getting these problems.

If you got him from a less than reputable breeder I can see why you might be worried, but if your vet thinks he is healthy you shouldn't be too concerned.

Just try feeding him a little more and see if that helps.

 

[LTS3]

posiepurrs do you have any suggestions on Persian kitten care and weight?

Generally, kittens should be fed as much as they will eat. They're growing after all and need a lot of food Offer more food. Many people like to feed dry food in addition to canned / wet food to growing kittens. What brand of food are you feeding?

 

[hillyy13]

Hi H hillyy13 Welcome to TCS.

If he eats well but seems under weight why don't you just feed him more? All cats are different, some of mine eat a lot more than others but stay on the slim side. Sachets of food are often quite low in calories compared to canned food as they are smaller portions. Try giving him some extra canned food and see if he puts on weight.

Did you get him from a breeder? Registered breeders know about the health problems Persians are prone too. A good breeder will take the utmost care to make sure kittens they breed don't have such a high chance of getting these problems.

If you got him from a less than reputable breeder I can see why you might be worried, but if your vet thinks he is healthy you shouldn't be too concerned.

Just try feeding him a little more and see if that helps.

Thank you for the advice, I think I am going to up his sachets to 4 a day to see if this helps with weight gain.

We got him from a reputable (PKD negative) breeder who has been breeding for 20 years so I would like to hope so. I am hoping my anxieties are just getting the better of me!

 

[hillyy13]

posiepurrs do you have any suggestions on Persian kitten care and weight?

Generally, kittens should be fed as much as they will eat. They're growing after all and need a lot of food Offer more food. Many people like to feed dry food in addition to canned / wet food to growing kittens. What brand of food are you feeding?

Thank you, I am definitely going to up his sachet intake. For some reason he has never eaten dry food, we have tried everything to get him to eat it (mixing it in with his wet food etc) but he won’t go near it!

We are feeding him an all natural sachet food called Wainwright’s that has no wheats, cereals, no added sugar etc. I checked the packet this morning and it has added vitamins and protein so I’m sure hoping he’s getting the nutrients he needs!

 

[Norachan]

My Persian, Forest Cat in the banner below, goes crazy for steamed chicken breast. Try offering Cecil some of this and see if he likes it. Do the Wainwrights sachets tell you how much protein and how many calories are in each sachet?

 

[hillyy13]

My Persian, Forest Cat in the banner below, goes crazy for steamed chicken breast. Try offering Cecil some of this and see if he likes it. Do the Wainwrights sachets tell you how much protein and how many calories are in each sachet?

Cecil absolutely loves steamed chicken thighs, we give it to him as a treat as we weren’t sure if it had all the nutrients he need, but we will give it to him more as I imagine it’s higher in calories.

The sachets do not have calorie info but it does say 8% protein in each sachet. The recommendation on the box is 3-5 sachets a day for a 7 month old, so maybe little Cecil just needs more of them!

I guess my worry has all stemmed from his illness when we first got him, again the vet did not seem worried that he had a snotty nose but ever since I have worried about everything!

 

[MissClouseau]

You might also consider giving some dry food at the end of the day or in between meals. Maybe free-fed since he is underweight. Where I live usually vets recommend free-feeding for cats under 12-14 months old unless they are getting overweight as every kitten's growth is different.

Wet food might be better and a wet-only diet in the future is OK but in my opinion it's better to get a kitten get use to both dry and wet food in case in the future one is absolutely needed.

 

[hillyy13]

You might also consider giving some dry food at the end of the day or in between meals. Maybe free-fed since he is underweight. Where I live usually vets recommend free-feeding for cats under 12-14 months old unless they are getting overweight as every kitten's growth is different.

Wet food might be better and a wet-only diet in the future is OK but in my opinion it's better to get a kitten get use to both dry and wet food in case in the future one is absolutely needed.

We would love it if we could get him to eat dry food, he has never touched it even when he lived with the breeder. I am hoping as he gets older and all of his adult teeth have come in he will eat it. Until then I need to find other things to free feed him I think!

 

[LTS3]

Wainwright is a UK / European brand of food. As long as vitamins and minerals, especially taurine, is listed in the ingredients then it's a complete diet to feed. Here are other brands of UK foods you could also feed:

My kitten doesn't like "posh" expensive wet cat food!
Best Wet Kitten Food: Pouches/ Trays :-)
UK Cat lovers, please advise new mummy
Commercial Wet Kitten Food UK

Dry food is not necessary to feed A wet food only diet is best for cats. There is more info here about why: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats. For dental health, you can brush your kitten's teeth with pet toothpaste. Some people like to offer raw chicken neck bones and gizzards.

 

[Norachan]

Yes, if you can get through life without getting him addicted to dry he'll be much better off. Dry food is high in carbs, so it helps with weight gain, but it's not that good for cats nutritionally and he'll be healthier on canned. Cats need to get their calories from protein, rather than carbs, so extra canned food, sachets and treats of chicken sound like the best way to go.

Maybe try giving him the maximum 5 sachets a day and a bit of steamed chicken if he wants it? It's practically impossible to overfeed a cat in the first 12 to 18 months as they are still growing.

Don't worry too much about him having a cold when he was younger. Lots of cats get colds with no long term bad effects.

 

[hillyy13]

Wainwright is a UK / European brand of food. As long as vitamins and minerals, especially taurine, is listed in the ingredients then it's a complete diet to feed. Here are other brands of UK foods you could also feed:

My kitten doesn't like "posh" expensive wet cat food!
Best Wet Kitten Food: Pouches/ Trays :-)
UK Cat lovers, please advise new mummy
Commercial Wet Kitten Food UK

Dry food is not necessary to feed A wet food only diet is best for cats. There is more info here about why: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition – Common Sense. Healthy Cats. For dental health, you can brush your kitten's teeth with pet toothpaste. Some people like to offer raw chicken neck bones and gizzards.

thank you, I’ve had a look at the packaging and it has taurine in it, and he seems to like it so we’ll stick to his all wet food diet. I will also invest in some cat toothpaste as I have noticed his breath has been a little smelly the last few weeks!

 

[hillyy13]

Yes, if you can get through life without getting him addicted to dry he'll be much better off. Dry food is high in carbs, so it helps with weight gain, but it's not that good for cats nutritionally and he'll be healthier on canned. Cats need to get their calories from protein, rather than carbs, so extra canned food, sachets and treats of chicken sound like the best way to go.

Maybe try giving him the maximum 5 sachets a day and a bit of steamed chicken if he wants it? It's practically impossible to overfeed a cat in the first 12 to 18 months as they are still growing.

Don't worry too much about him having a cold when he was younger. Lots of cats get colds with no long term bad effects.

We gave him 5 sachets yesterday and this morning we woke up to more poop than we have ever seen!! But he seemed to eat it all so we’ll definitely keep going with it.

I’m trying not to worry, I was off work sick yesterday and he seemed a little quiet that worried me. He was still eating and going to the toilet normally but was just very sleepy. I will put it down to the change in routine or the fact he had a new brand of flea treatment that day and hope he is back to normal when I get home!

 

[Meowmee]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I was just hoping for some guidance/reassurance.

Our ginger Persian kitten Cecil is almost 7 months old and weighs 2.2kg. He has been to the vets numerous times (I should probably mention once for a snotty nose which he had antibiotics for but it cleared up very well)
They have however always been happy with his weight and general progression, I even remember the vet commenting my how well his muscle was developing.

However when looking online various websites suggest he is (quite) underweight for his age. He eats 3 wet food sachets a day (and absolutely scoffs them - he would eat more if we gave it to him!) and loves to play, he seems very healthy overall.

Reading about Persians online has obviously made me think the worst as they are predisposed to health problems - so now I’m sat here thinking my beautiful boy has some sort of liver/kidney/heart problems.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Have you asked the dvm if they think he is underweight? Maybe it is time to test and see if there is an underlying issue going on. 4.5 lbs does seem a bit small for 7 months but maybe he is just going to be a small cat. Does he seem healthy otherwise? My Quinn, who is siamese, was so tiny when I brought him home and they are supposed to be smaller, but he ended up at 11-12 pounds. He was bigger at 7 months though, but I am not familiar with weight of Persian cats.

 

[hillyy13]

Have you asked the dvm if they think he is underweight? Maybe it is time to test and see if there is an underlying issue going on. 4.5 lbs does seem a bit small for 7 months but maybe he is just going to be a small cat. Does he seem healthy otherwise? My Quinn, who is siamese, was so tiny when I brought him home and they are supposed to be smaller, but he ended up at 11-12 pounds. He was bigger at 7 months though, but I am not familiar with weight of Persian cats.

He’s been to the vets several times and been weighed by different vets each time and none of them have mentioned him being underweight. They have always said he’s putting on a good amount each time he goes. I am a little confused as to how three different vets haven’t picked up that he is underweight. He also doesn’t seem underweight when you feel him, he’s not boney!
Do you think it’s time to book a check up in?

 

[Meowmee]

He’s been to the vets several times and been weighed by different vets each time and none of them have mentioned him being underweight. They have always said he’s putting on a good amount each time he goes. I am a little confused as to how three different vets haven’t picked up that he is underweight. He also doesn’t seem underweight when you feel him, he’s not boney!
Do you think it’s time to book a check up in?

Well, if it will make you feel better and you can afford it, I would if it were me, but I have had such bad health issues with my cats so I am paranoid. If they think it is ok it prolly is. Did you ask his breeder?

It says here they aren’t full size until 2 years and males are 9-12 lbs.
The second one says at 6 months they should weigh half their adult weight so 4.5 pounds is about right I think.



How Big Do Persian Cats Get? | Persian Cat Corner
Normal Weight for a Kitten

 

[hillyy13]

Well, if it will make you feel better and you can afford it, I would if it were me, but I have had such bad health issues with my cats so I am paranoid. If they think it is ok it prolly is. Did you ask his breeder?

I’ve just messaged the breeder now asking if this seems normal to her. The other cats in the litter look about the same size as Cecil still. I will see what she says then maybe call the vets. I feel bad always calling them but it’s such a worry to me!

 

[Meowmee]

I’ve just messaged the breeder now asking if this seems normal to her. The other cats in the litter look about the same size as Cecil still. I will see what she says then maybe call the vets. I feel bad always calling them but it’s such a worry to me!

Good idea, the breeder should know. Maybe he is the runt, I added some links about weight and one says they are half their weight at 6- seven months or so so I think you said he is 4.5 pounds so it should be OK.
Oh I totally understand why you’re so worried. We do everything to make sure they are doing well especially as a kitten. I think if the DVM had noticed something was wrong with his growth they would have said so probably. If his siblings are the same, I am sure it is ok. Persians are so gorgeous, love them.

 

[hillyy13]

A

Good idea, the breeder should know. Maybe he is the runt, I added some links about weight and one says they are half their weight at 6- seven months or so so I think you said he is 4.5 pounds so it should be OK.
Oh I totally understand why you’re so worried. We do everything to make sure they are doing well especially as a kitten. I think if the DVM had noticed something was wrong with his growth they would have said so probably. If his siblings are the same, I am sure it is ok. Persians are so gorgeous, love them.

Ah that article does make me feel better, that would mean he is on track if he was to be a 8/9lb adult which he well could be. I have talked myself into thinking he is dangerously underweight!
Tell me about it, I think because of his breed I worry about every little thing. He is the most gorgeous, affectionate little boy I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to him. I have attached a photo

 

[di and bob]

Yes, it is well known that kittens are so active and growing so much they should be fed as much as they want until 12 months of age. I would continue giving him 5 pouches a day and some deli chicken and see how he does. Beautiful cat!