What is normal for a cat's weight?

[lgnutah]

I have two cats. My 15 year old female weighs 6 lb. My 12 year old Tonkinese male weighs almost twice as much.
The female has always been petite, an is now bonier and more frail in appearance than when she was younger. The male is as solid looking as he always was.
What is "normal"?

[cooncatbob]

Weight loss in an elderly cat is always cause for concern.
Trip to the Vet should be in order.

[SomeRandomChick]

I've seen everything from a 5 pound cat to a 23 pound cat (I'm sure there have been bigger and smaller on extreme ends). There are cats that can be 20 lbs and not be at all overweight too - it has to do with frame, build, muscle mass, etc - it also can be related to breed. Generally females are smaller than males.

On average, I think the vast majority of cats are in the 7-12 pound range. To me 6 pounds is petite, and 14+ is a pretty big cat.

I also agree with an elderly cat losing weight, it may be a good time to see the vet. Especially if you're describing the cat as "bony". It may still be normal for her though, especially if she has regular health checks and the weight loss was gradual. We did have one cat that lived to her 20's, and she got fairly bony towards the end, but had no real health issues otherwise and a good quality of life - she just got more frail and mellow as time went on.

[Carmel]

I'd say from 6-15 pounds depending on the build. If an older cat is losing weight I'd take a trip to the vet, it could be something like hyperthyroidism.

[cooncatbob]

When my Samantha was stricken by cancer at 16 I was chagrined to learn from the Vet that she weighed just under 10 lbs, at her peak she was 17+, being a long haired cat it was not apparent how much weight she'd been loosing.
I still feel regret for not keeping track of her weight, I feel if I had I would have notice the weight loss and gotten her to the vet before her cancer had become so wide spread.

[Church's Mum]

I think normal weight depends on the over-all size of the cat. My oldest, Church, is 17lbs (his heaviest weight was 25lbs - quite obese), but he is a very large cat. He's three feet long fully stretched out. Sadie, my middle one, is 15lbs. She's also a very large cat, especially for a female - 33" long fully stretched. My youngest, Edie, is what we've always called tiny. She's 10lbs, which is actually average. We've always thought of her as tiny simply because she's so much smaller than our other two monsters, and we were always using them as a comparison for Edie's size.

If you can feel the ridges of the back bone when you run your hand over it and feel the ribs when you cup your hands over the rib cage, and the cat appears to have a waist line when you stand looking down on it from over-head its weight is normal. (and I don't mean feel them prominently, but you also shouldn't have to use much pressure to feel them.)

[heyjude]

My older cat, Lynx, is about 14 years old and weighs about 11 pounds now. He has lost quite a bit of weight, and also looks brittle and frail, and does not liked to be picked up anymore. His heaviest weight was somewhere around 20 pounds. He lives with my parents along with their younger cat, Layla, who is a few years old. She's a chubby cat...I think somewhere around 16-18 pounds. Just like Lynx was at her age. I'm not sure if they are considered "normal," as my parents were never big on vet visits.

However, my kitten, Jude, sees his vet very regularly. He's seven months 7 pounds (cute, eh?), and the vet says a normal weight for a cat his age is supposed to be 5 pounds. He did say not to worry though, because some cats just have bigger builds, and some smaller! Jude, for example, is very long when he's stretched out all the way.

I would definitely take your cat to the vet though, just to make sure everything is okay. My mom keeps saying that she thinks our older cat is diabetic...so to ease yourself the worries and make sure your little guy is healthy, a trip to the vet can never ever hurt! Good luck!

-Maddie&Jude

[marie73]

My twins weighed their age for their first few months - 2 months old, 2 lbs., 4 months old, 4 lbs., etc., until they were 7-8 months old. I think your cat is the perfect weight!

My girls are on the smaller size, 7 lbs., 7.5 lbs., 7.75 lbs. and 8.5 lbs. When I first brought Gigi home, she was too tiny, barely 6 lbs.

[YayHappens]

Hi lgnutah,

I just got back from the vet last week with my Tonkinese girls asking what they are supposed to weigh because the range for the breed swings really wide.

I am told it depends on a few things.

-Males will weigh more than females.
-Spayed females will weigh more than intact females.
-If they are eating wet food vs. dry food they will weigh more because of the moisture content.

I also have a small-framed petite female. As an adult when I got her, she was just under 6lbs and it was just about on the edge of anorexic. The other female is cobbier so it was driving me crazy to try and tell between their two body types what their proper weight should be.

I really suggest as others have, to see a vet to have her looked at. Tonks are muscular, athletic cats and should weigh more than you would visually expect them to. I personally think 6lbs for her age is too little. It may indicate a problem, and if you feel she is frail and bony looking, all the more reason to seek the DVMs advice.

Sending well wishes for good health.

[Cats&Plants]

It really depends on the cat and breeding. I have four cats, two are around ten pounds, one is 8 and the last is 13. The smallest and largest are full blood sisters, so right there you can see the range. Their momma was small and petite and their dad we don't know, but I'm going to say he was a big boy lol.

I have noticed that as cats age, they tend to lose weight, they eat less and their metabolism slows. If you have noticed weight loss, you should take her for a vet exam, just to be sure she has no underlying problems.

Good luck!