How much does a cat weigh?

The kitten in the house - happiness, as well as a big responsibility. Every owner knows that for any animal it is necessary to ensure proper living conditions so that he feels comfortable. For example, it is imperative to provide in our case a kitten with food that suits its body. After all, health is directly dependent on what a pet eats. And one of the best indicators of health is weight gain. Let us examine in more detail how much a kitten and an adult cat should weigh, and also study the finer points of weight of different breeds.

When a child is born, one of the first indicators that is celebrated is its mass. Good weight is the first sign of health. Not the only, but one of the most important. Animals are the same. There are weight standards corresponding to each breed of cat. Basically they are about the same when the kitten is just born. In adulthood, the norms are already changing. Weight determination and tracking during the life of your pet are required. By weight, you can determine overfeeding or underfeeding, impending or progressive disease, development.

At birth from one mom you can compare the mass of kittens even without special devices. Just look at them. If the kitten is thinner than the others, then a special observation is required: behavior, feeding, and sleep. If it is visually unclear that the kitten is worse than the others, then you can look at how it is applied to the chest.

The approximate weight of a kitten at birth varies from 80 to 150 grams. It depends on the breed and body structure of the baby. The monthly kitten of the bobtail and the Maine Coon will be strikingly different from each other, since in size these breeds are completely opposite to each other.

Consider the table of the average standard weight of a kitten for months to a year.

• In the first month, the average weight of a kitten is 110 grams. It is this weight that is considered quite normal for a baby and characterizes his healthy development. The behavior of newborn kittens can be compared with human children - they only eat and sleep. The daily weight gain of a cat in the first month of life is approximately 10-15 grams, that is, 70-100 grams per week.
• The two-month kitten gains about 300 grams of weight. But the norm is weight gain up to 500 grams. In the second month, the kitten stops eating only mother's milk. Unlimited quantities of water must be present in his diet, and you can also include shredded meat and fish in the diet.
• At 3 months, the weight ranges from 1.2 to 1.7 kg, and the diet includes good nutrition. The main thing is to make a choice: feed the kitten with natural products or specialized food. Combined nutrition should be excluded, as the stomach can not cope.
• At 4 months the mass should be already 2 kg.
• At 5 months, the kitten weighs about 2.5 kg and eats only during the day.
• At 6 months, when molting is already possible, and in girls - puberty, the weight is 3 kg.
• Weight after half a year will be added less intensively - about 100-150 grams per month. Thus, by the age of one year old, the weight of an ordinary kitten will be about 4 kg.

We must not forget that males are most often larger than females. And their mass by the end of the first year of life may be higher by a kilogram.

Table with averaged weight indicators by month of development.

Lifestyle, castration, nutrition, content - all these factors are directly related to the weight of the cat's body. The life of an adult cat differs from a kitten a little if it lives in a family. The main thing is to prevent underfeeding or overfeeding the animal, otherwise problems with the gastrointestinal tract may occur.

Domestic cat usually weighs from 2 to 7 kg. Much depends on the breed, and also - on age. By old age, the pet will weigh less than, for example, at 2 years. A Siamese cat will weigh less than the Norwegian Forest. Persians and Britons will, on average, be about 6 kg by weight. But the weight of the Maine Coon can reach 13 kg.

Outbred cats are most often easier to 1 kg pedigreed. This applies to both females and males.

It is very problematic to weigh the animal, not having special scales, because of the frivolity and waywardness. Moreover, it concerns the cat. But weighing is a mandatory procedure. Consider how to weigh the cat at home. To begin with, the easiest way is scales. But only electronic, as a pet may not wish to stay on them for a long time, and for some weights, only a second of holding in one position is enough to show the result.

The next method is more complicated - bezmen. Take the carrier, preferably soft. Weigh it and then put the animal there. From the figure that appears on the balance sheet, subtract the weight of the carrying. If there is absolutely nothing suitable at home, then there will already be a visual perception. Maybe it will not show the figure of body weight, but it will be clear whether everything is in order with the pet.

The first thing to do is look at the spine. Whether it is visible, whether the vertebrae appear through the skin, how strongly it is felt. Ideally, the spine should be hidden and only slightly look through so that it can be seen only with an armed look. The belly is plump or hollow. Both options are not considered normal. The stomach should be flat, especially not sunken. Run your hand across the rib cage and back to see if you feel a little fat. It should not be such that, besides her, the bones are not palpable, but it must be.

An important point - the bones of the pelvis and ribs. If they bulge too much, it means your animal is gaining heavily in weight. Look at the waist, it should also be available. If it is not there, or it is too “accurate”, and the figure resembles an hourglass in shape, this can mean either obesity or dystrophy.

If everything you checked is OK, then there’s nothing to worry about. But if even one item confused you - carry the animal to the vet. Weight loss, like obesity, is very dangerous. Kitty may have to put on a diet, but this is for his own good.

For your pet worrying, as a child. He eats badly, sleeps restlessly, does not play very actively, and also does not gain the necessary mass. You should never panic, because if everything is noticed on time, there will be a minimum of consequences, and there will be no consequences at all. You should never self-medicate without knowing the root of the problem, although there is something worth trying to do. First you need to try to analyze the time during which the pet did not gain or stopped to gain weight. Try to understand what could be the reason for the lack of mass.

The first thing that may be the cause, if you are the owner of a kitty, is a recent birth. In this case, not weight gain is possible, but even during the recovery period of the cat, weight loss. If the reason is this, then the cat will need about three weeks to recover. Then the weight will again reach the desired mark. If the duration of the recovery was delayed, then you can not do without a veterinarian.

The next big reason is stress. For quad footed cats of almost all breeds, moving is a huge stress. Especially if the cat is aged. Stress can include castration or sterilization, a change of owner, some extreme event (for example, running away from home for a few days or falling from a height). The main thing is that stress does not turn into nervous exhaustion, because there are extremely impressionable and non-withdrawable cats.

A common cause of weight loss is worms. They can appear in any condition of life. Pet for this is enough to lick the dirt from the floor. Every six months, to avoid worm infestation, you should give your pet special prophylactic drops. Of course, if worms have appeared, and it is not difficult to notice them in the feces, treatment is required. If the treatment is timely, it will take no more than a week to completely exterminate the parasites. But in the case of worms, and especially with strong weight loss with them, it is better to consult a veterinarian. He will select the right treatment and give the necessary recommendations.

The cause of exhaustion, in which the master is out of power, is age. By old age, most seals lose weight. Here you can try to support your pet with vitamins and microelements. You need to donate blood and understand what is becoming less in the body.

Oral inflammation, toothache, stomatitis are unpleasant reasons when a pet wants to eat and would be glad, but it hurts. In this case, he can often go to his bowl, but there are tiny portions. Try to examine the jaw for obvious reasons. Red swollen gums, white stomatitic "holes", caries - everything is like that of a person, and all this is not so terrible, if you notice in time.

Diseases. This is definitely not do without a vet. In one article to list all possible diseases is difficult. Yes, and the diagnosis to make their own, without donating blood, without using special equipment, it is difficult. If, in addition to losing weight, you see an unstable behavior of a cat, loss of appetite and other signs, do not hesitate! Immediately go to the veterinary clinic and go through all the necessary procedures to identify the disease.

Perhaps this is just an upset stomach, and nothing terrible will happen. Maybe the cat has just a folded foot, and because of this it is not in the mood, as it hurts. Many unpleasant diseases that have negative consequences. Do not over tighten.

Signs that are not affected in the above, which can be a bell for the owner, are:

• yellowing of all mucous membranes;
• blood and mucus in feces;
• constipation or diarrhea;
• excessive vomiting not woolen lumps;
• bad breath;
• purulent eyes or nose.

If the reasons why your beloved animal does not gain mass, are not so scary, then the first thing that should not be done is to buy food and mixes in ordinary supermarkets. Everything that is sold in them should not be given to animals even as a last resort. In pet stores there are also inexpensive, but professional feed, with which you can deal with weight problems. A feed from the mass market can exacerbate the situation at times.

If you do not want to feed the food from the store, then most of the pet's diet should consist of beef or turkey.

If your cat has become very little, and all the same you have learned the reasons, you should not try to “shove” a kilogram of food into it immediately. Here, as with a person, there may be something even more unpleasant, for example, turning intestines. Portions should be increased gradually. Consider the current weight of your pet, its needs. The course of weight loss treatment can be long.Be patient, as your animal will soon return to normal and be active again. And until that happens, the task is to restore the digestive processes.

And another couple of the most innocent reasons why the cat does not gain weight.

• The portions are too small. Make them a little more and look at the result.
• Pet does not like the taste of food, and he tries to eat it as little as possible. Buy food with different tastes and see which one your baby uses with great enthusiasm, and which one just to eat.
• Pay attention to the location of the food bowl. If it is close to the tray, then most likely, the appetite will be reduced, as the pet has to eat its favorite food next to its toilet.

Kittens are a big but very pleasant responsibility. To grow from a small creature a beautiful, stately cat is a big deal. Follow all recommendations, follow the baby and sometimes visit a veterinarian for prevention.

In the next video you can get acquainted with the dynamics of the weight of kittens.