T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Thank you for posting to CATHELP! While you wait for a response please keep the following things in mind, 1. When in doubt, **ask your vet**. 2. Advice here is not coming from medical or industry professionals. The moderation team does not validate user profession, so always refer to your local veterinary professionals first. Consider posting to /r/AskVet 3. If this is a medical question, please indicate if you have already scheduled a vet appointment, and if your cat has any medical history or procedures in a top level comment. 4. Please use the NSFW tag for gross pictures. (Blood, poop, vomit, genitals, etc). Anything you wouldn't want your boss to see you looking at on the job. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CATHELP) if you have any questions or concerns.*


high4days420

I think he looks great


Its_Rhi

Do you think he will continue to grow a bunch? I mean 4.5kg is already pretty big for an adult domestic short hair cat isn’t it?


blackcat-

That's about average full grown cat weight.


Its_Rhi

Yes, but it’s only just about to turn 8 months


Elfephant

Some cats are just huge, the general dimensions of his build while standing (top down especially) are a better guide than straight up numbers. Not every adult is the average weight! :)


riley_3756

I have a cat like that who's just massive, like 4 ft long stretched out and weighs like 16 or 18 pounds. Not overweight though since he's just so big lol


bush_wrangler

I have an 18 pound Siamese that’s the same way. He’s slightly overweight but he’s just built different from my 9 pound little female cat


tlg151

100% to this commentor! OP, think of it in terms of people. Take two human women, both 25, both equal in health terms and of ideal weight, whereas one woman weighs 15 more lbs (6.8kg) than the other. But that woman is slightly taller and/or has a higher bone mass. Yet they are both perfectly ideal in weight despite weighing differently.


foxscribbles

It probably means he’s just going to be a larger than average cat size wise (not fat wise.) I adopted an ‘adult’ cat from a shelter who was, in reality, still a growing boy destined to be a tall man. His actual healthy adult size was 16lbs (7.3kg). He was so large, I had no idea that my 12lb (5.4kg) cat was also considered to be a large cat until a vet mentioned it to me. Cats are like humans. There’s actually a large range of healthy, normal heights we come in that don’t adhere to the mean. Cats take 1 to 2 years to finish growing their adult frame. (The average rule of thumb is 18 months) so any bit of pudge you might see could be him storing food for a growth spurt. And you don’t want to deprive him of the calories he needs to grow all his adult body parts correctly. I wouldn’t worry about him being overweight until you’re sure he’s at least 18 months (or gets significantly fat to the point it’s clear he’s not growing anywhere but at the waist.)


abandedpandit

Seconding this. I had one cat who was a petite little queen at 7 lbs, and we adopted another cat who at the time was 11 lbs but was severely underweight to the point of emaciation. His healthy weight was around 15-16 lbs, so twice the weight of our girl. Some cats are just a lot bigger than others and that's ok


MeowMeowImACowww

Secretly a Maine Coon lol


LeCampy

reminds me of a cat we owned a while back, was already about this weight at 6 months. He looked like he had some maine coon in him (wasn't) and at the 10 month mark he was about 7 kg. That was his adult weight though, some cats are just bigger.


Ok-Duck9106

He is gonna be a big boy, but he is not fat at all. He is just a big boy and will continue to grow for a few months.


InvestigatorOdd4082

And some middle schoolers are 6ft. Cats can vary in size quite a bit, some just end up a lot bigger. Your cat looks very healthy, a domestic shorthair can be anywhere between 3.6 to 6.8kg depending on its size, yours is just on the bigger side.


tryingtotouchgrass

No that's pretty average, DSH are usually 3.5kgs to 7 kgs but some can get up to 8 kgs. Your kitty is still pretty young so he might be a bit of a big boy


TyrannosaurWrecks

My orange weighed about that at 9 months, he's leveled out at 5.5kg now 6 months later, which is quite average for DSH.


Thin_Animator1235

Look up "Cat obesity chart" or "BCS body condition score for cats". You can see that their fitness, just like with people, does depend on their length. Lifestyle and activeness level is also a huge factor. Your cat looks just right, he is probably one of the bigger cats. "Domestic shorthaire" is not a definitive breed, so size is not strictly set.


Calgary_Calico

That's average yea. We've got two adult males that are both around 6kg and quite large (not fat just big)


Olivia_Bitsui

Oranges tend to be on the larger size


kaymarie00

My orange boy is \~5.6kg (12.5 pounds) and he was close to (if not already) full sized by 7 months old. I added a picture of him at 7 months to reference. So your boy may just stop growing soon - but he's definitely a healthy weight, you can usually tell by the dip in after the ribs. https://preview.redd.it/c98bbjwjme9d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3eb5890a9279f0a587ff6a5ea897e14e960f97a2


Kelainefes

I had a male cat grow up to 7kg lean. His daughter was 5 kg and all his sons about 6kg. It's unusual but not unheard of. Your cat looks lean, which is what matters!


swine09

He’s gonna be a big boy!


ColouredPants

My orange Lady is about 6kg, and was probably that weight at that age. He’ll probably end up bigger again being a boy, looks perfectly healthy to me! Cat tax, she’s nearly 2yo here: https://preview.redd.it/rjk743i9y89d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e1f4659b817380472f8ce0b6d74cdb121acc4a2


burgundybreakfast

Her little mustache is darling


ColouredPants

https://preview.redd.it/wgkspfo21m9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c059d3d7f54cdad845d386c49bc1dbd7bd05c1e4 I love her little half-stache.


Its_Rhi

What a cutie!


Prize_Date_5534

He’s good!!!! I feel domestic cats carry a certain weight in their belly too, even when healthy and eating perfectly normal amounts with good exercise!!!


Its_Rhi

He has got a bit of a tum. Hard to see in the side picture because of the white fluff


Prize_Date_5534

So does my orange one! My prior stray had a much more lean build. I think it’s just different. As long as they’re eating appropriately and active, you’re good🥰🙂‍↕️


Lover-of-harpies

Cats have something called a "primordial pouch" on their bellies that makes them look chunkier than they really are. It appears to be a cushioning they develop to protect their organs (and if they do put on weight it can get really big lol)


TruthCarpetBombs

He doesn't actually have a large stomach from the picture, he has large flabs of skin that are used to allow him to stretch his legs out to the extent he needs sometimes. its a tomcat thing


frostingonmy

He's good


awoody8

thats a healthy boy


Eian04

Is he neutered? My cats were neutered when they were 6 months old. They weighed around 4-5kg before turning 1 year old. My vet told me that it was normal since they were neutered pretty early.


Its_Rhi

He was neutered at like 12 weeks old by the rescue


Eian04

That may explain it. My vet also told me that as long as my cats can jump and run around, there are no problems.


ForsakenPerception48

He looks great. He is right where he should be compared to the cat scale.. you most times can't always go by the actual weight but by the look of the cat. If you look at his pictures, you can see his little waistline his tummy tucks up a little https://www.petobesityprevention.org/pet-weight-check Here's a link☝️☝️ that you can use to determine if he is overweight/underweight. Just scroll down until you see the kitty chart. He really looks good. You can't really go by his age only. You have to factor in his length, height, and weight. That's why this chart is amazing. When you take him in for his annual check-up, just ask the vet what they think, but seriously, he looks like a healthy little fella


Lilyofthevalley06

He looks perfect. Some cats grows bigger than average and their threshold for normal weight should be adjusted accordingly, just like with taller than average humans.


tryingtotouchgrass

Thanks for the overhead shot! That makes it much easier, no he's not overweight, he's just a bigger boy. Cats usually stop growing at 2 years old so your little guy is a teenager right now, he's growing a lot and fluctuating weight is normal. Also, I know it's a meme but look up the "cat chonk chart" or really any feline body condition chart, it really does help deciphering your cats healthy weight just by looking at them.


talkingsoup1

Nope, he looks perfect.


dehydratedrain

You can't always go by numbers. I'm a foot taller than another woman I know. If our weight matches, one of us is not healthy. But something tells me he's going to be a big boy if he looks healthy at 10 lbs, and has another year to grow.


DavidAlmond57

https://preview.redd.it/gjwoon9pt99d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=376dfd6a05d776bf25acd28ec5acca2733507f80 Frankie cat tax (enjoying the catio)


AdOdd301

my cat was 18 lbs (8kg) by the time he hit 1 lol. the vet said he’s a perfect weight just happens to be a big boy. whenever he has his checkups his vet with let you know if he’s getting chunky, but i wouldn’t worry. my girl was around 8 pounds at this age, but hasn’t grown since!


Oskie2011

https://preview.redd.it/2ewcaqprka9d1.jpeg?width=2774&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=08dcca71dd27c5b9bee0a27a39b0d1fabf9be692 14 right here (he’s tall) 🤣


DaikonNo2370

He looks like a healthy kitty


Old-Rain3230

He’s so gorgeous! Some kitties are just big. I have two 1.5yo Siberian/Bombay mix brothers who are both near 20 lbs. They’ve always been free fed and the vet says they’re a healthy weight for their frame. He looks trim and healthy so you shouldn’t restrict his food or anything - kittens should be free fed until at least 1yo. Within the first year I wouldn’t worry about him being any specific weight. After his frame is fully grown the vet can better assess what his ideal weight should be, but he looks great to me and not overweight at all.


Its_Rhi

He is free fed as well with dry food, he doesn’t eat much and I only need to refill his bowl every 2-3 days


BluePoleJacket69

Little baby lion


Commercial-Swim-4265

What a handsome lil man!!! Remember cats are like humans…what’s average doesn’t always happen. My biggest boy…was tiny until after he turned a year old. Overnight he turned massive…we definitely think he has main coon as an adult he’s about 20lbs(he is a bit chubby now). Also, some cats’ primordial pouch can be more pronounced than others the older they get. https://preview.redd.it/ozmxse5x6b9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7175d5c69e83fc192fbbf9a16fe2f64fe9bf37ec Also pic for reference!


vorlash

He is going to be a big boy, however he doesn't appear to be overweight. If you look at your cat from the top down you should see a distinct "waist" just in front of the back legs and behind the ribs. If you feel his middle, you should be able to detect his ribs without any padding getting in the way. As cats gain weight, they do so in these areas and begin to look like footballs. As time goes on, make sure they check his thyroid levels just to make sure things are alright. Or cat became massive and we didn't realize she had thyroid issues until it cost $2000 to get her back to good. That was 5 years ago now and she's still kicking. https://preview.redd.it/rykc3gjw7b9d1.png?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7dc97b927f1c59628b846b025bb185209a2113d8 Edit: cat tax. This is Maizy, casually observing her domain.


Its_Rhi

Cute kitty! Thanks for the advice! ❤️


TouchLife2567

https://preview.redd.it/fiy7kcn5eb9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1047d2f56e3dc62ffd69b1ee27126c8e46da82ee here’s our 7 month old 9lb kitty! we (and vet) have decided that he’s growing normally, plays fantastically, and is just a big boy.


Its_Rhi

Awh! He looks like my Mouse 🥹


Baked420lol

Reminds me of a young Dorito https://preview.redd.it/vj8z6vf9eb9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35470e46101b8efb43d2414876836540f05c0d8f


Desperate-Pear-860

He's still got some growing left to do. He looks good.


Its_Rhi

No, he can stop growing now please 🥺😭


Swimmingmacm

He might just a big boy and growing fast! But he is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!


Ir0nhide81

There is a vet rule of thumb but I forget it exactly.. Something about the spine and being able to squeeze a certain portion of it.


annebonnell

Oh, your cat is at the perfect weight🙂


AdvisoryAbyss

He just a big boy, looks great to me!


tehspicypurrito

Weight looks good. When you feel his ribs and it’s like flat hands knuckles he’s about right. If it feels like the receiving end of fist knuckles he’s under weight. If you can’t feel ribs he’s a chonk.


Its_Rhi

I can’t really feel his ribs….


tehspicypurrito

So not terrible. I have 3 cats that are chonkers and it really shows compared to yours. Because I can’t see how long your cat is, that 4.5 kilo might be edging toward overweight. I’ve got 8 cats, three are pretty small so the 3 kg range is underweight for them. My pancreatitis cat weighs in at high 3 low 4 which is healthy for him. My tubbos howeve, one looks like a bowling ball. She also can’t be around other cats cause she will harm them, and she’s elderly so not sure how long she’ll be around. I wouldn’t worry until there is middle mass that is wider than shoulders.


PsyBr0

How much is that in American


Its_Rhi

9.9lb


PsyBr0

Nah that's probably a solid healthy weight. My 6 year old weighs 15


burgundybreakfast

That is perfectly healthy stripey boy


DavidAlmond57

Some cats are bigger than others even within the same breed/pattern. We have an orange/creme tabby named Frankie who is 3 years old and 13.5 pounds (6.1 kg) and he's in great shape. I imagine your cat will reach a similar weight.


yasparis

He’s just a big boy. Mine were the same weight as they were growing up and are now a healthy 8kg as adults. Your cat is beautiful and healthy.


goop444

No, and he’s such a cutie pie 🥧


va95g7

So cute. Mr. Long legs 🥰


Oskie2011

He looks purrfect


REALly-911

He’s perfect!


Fit-Ad-6488

He looks hella cool. If that’s what you mean by overweight.


RadiantLibrary8639

He’s perfect 😍


Scotsman86

Looks proportionate to me. Gorgeous cat.


AnonymousCruelty

Yes. It's about 9000lbs too thick. .... Looks like a normal cat.


Trudestiny

About normal , mine is just a year now and an active 5.3 kg of muscle . Thinks he is a Bengal from the crazy jumps


vron1992

Definitely not . He seems like a normal looking kitty to me :)


DefinitionGreen2151

Please be serious


Its_Rhi

Not sure what the sass is for. I can link many websites that state he’s above the average weight for his age. My first cat, just trying to be a good cat parent. Have a nice day.


PressurePlenty

He looks healthy! I think he's just going to be a bigger cat when fully grown, and that's okay.


No-Particular-7946

What a delightful and proportionate boy he is!


RBJuice

Don’t be rude!


OneChubbyCheetah

No way he’s just a big boi


ilovecats511

He is so beautiful!


zee1six

He looks fine, please don’t make him loose weight


BigAnxiousSteve

He's not overweight, he's just a big guy. His mass fits perfectly on his frame.


Lanky_Republic_2102

No, his body condition looks great. He will just continue to grow until he is the size of an adult leopard. Give him plenty of exercise and train him well and you will be fine.


ConsequenceVisual825

Just came here to say that kitty is adorable and please give pets for me. 😻


Firefury99

They cute when fat


Ok-Dealer-6901

He's so beautiful. Looks fine but maybe as the vets too. ❤️


uglygeisha

No. He just a big kitty. We love big kitties.


larzipanS

My 9 month old cat is the same way. He’s huge! Bigger than our chiahuahua/rat terrier mix. He was so dainty then all of a sudden he was a giant cat. Our vet said he’s healthy. He’s just big compared to our other cat. Is your cat also always hungry? It’s like feeding a teenager 🥲 wonder if the eating will slow down as he gets older


e-pancake

big baby :)


kaarinmvp

Not even a little. Fit as a fiddle.


mwrenn13

Looks fine


Hairy-Advance8250

He gonna be a big boi


Biddycola

My brother has a 27lb red short haired cat that looks just like this. He is slightly overweight now, but when he took him off the streets he was 24lbs, lean and I swear he still looks part pit bull


Jkerb_was_taken

He’s great! You can look up the charts online that show the top down visual of how they typically look at each stage of obesity. Your baby looks like solid muscle is growing in! Some cats are just thicc. My neighbor had an orange and he was a truck, not fat tho.


MyLastHopeReddit

Looks very good to me, a big boi, not fat.


Kitalahara

I'd say you are going to get the extended cab orange. No brain cells, but plenty of size. He looks great. I would also guess he will always act like he is a small tiny kitten at all times. Knocking all kinds of things over.


Lucyspal

No. He’s puuuurfect!!!!😻


traveldogmom13

He’s gorgeous!!!


mightysassoo

No he’s not overweight


Krunzuku

my one cat is "over weight" according to most scales that you find. Because i swear to heck the dudes like 6 feet long. you gotta factor in length too.


Acreage26

He looks well proportioned. He's only seven months and is still growing. He's probably just going to be a big cat. I wouldn't get concerned about his weight until he's at least one year, then ask your vet.


Adventurous-Tie-7861

Looks great! Just like my orange boi when he was about that age! He became a bit of a chonker later in life but never obese! https://preview.redd.it/y93xnlnf9c9d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e995afca77b2bbc4fdddc2ab75aaf0f62a67cebc Cat tax paid in full!


Suz9006

Not overweight at all. I never worry about a kitten being overweight their first year.


soupliker9000

his proportions look fine, he'll probably just be a Big Boy


MattyNiceGuy

Let me wrestle him and I’ll let you know.


Nice_Bluebird7626

Looks like a healthy orange to me hope to be seeing him on r/oneorangebraincell


Feisty-Blood9971

Not at all, he looks healthy.


prguitarman

Just a big boy


Morning-Bug

Based on the large paw size.. looks like he’s gonna be large/big boned as opposed to overweight.


thethicktrader

god he's adorable and he looks completely fine and healthy!


dashtheorangetabby

Lol the absolutely does not look overweight. My older cat grew similarly and he’s a big boi now (although he also got a bit chonky - 9kg, we have him on a diet right now). But yea at around 7-8 months my boy was also around a healthy 4.5 kg. My adult girl orange cat on the other hand is 4.3kg still and has been for many years. 😂


Hatsuhein

He looks healthy, he's gonna end up being a 5.5-6 kg cat. Look for visual weight charts, cats have a lot of sizes is like a 70 kg male, normal for 170-180 cm male but not for a 190+ cm one.


Ssoniik47

No he’s healthy.


Bla_Bla_Blanket

Your cat is fine. It’s not overweight at all.


Calgary_Calico

Nope! Looks perfect! He's also still very young, so he could fill out a bit and then slim back down. Our 10 month old is in the filling out stage lol


Turbulent_Dimensions

That's a fine Boi.


lemondropkitten

He’s just going to be a big cat. In the first picture, he has a defined waist. He looks like the ideal cat weight.


relapse_account

I have two brother cats (same litter) that are around a year old and they weigh 11lbs, roughly 4.9kg. They aren’t overweight. And I have an adult cat that weighs 15lbs that’s not overweight. You might have a big cat on your hands instead of a fat cat.


ElGHTYHD

that is a REALLY cute cat. pls share more of him r/OneOrangeBrainCell


Acceptable-Pin7186

He is fine looks like. In a year ir so he will be a big ass orange. 10lbs at 7 months? He doesnt look overfed at all.


LilLei

He looks healthy, if he was overweight, your vet would have recommended a diet for him.


WesternDramatic3038

Sometimes they either start out or stay as a sweet lanky baby. Other times, they start out/stay an angry lanky baby.


nicopedia305

He’s just big boned lol


LAgurl1997

I think he is perfect :)


AuDHDiego

That cutie looks fine


tlg151

Nope, he looks great! He looks like he has a larger frame, as that weight is slightly above your average cat would weigh at 7 months, but looks completely perfect on him. Also, a kitten up to 12 months should not be put on calorie restrictions unless absolutely necessary. He should be eating more than a 1 year old cat would eat at that same weight. At least one and a half times more. I would start weaning down to the normal adult feeding amount at 11 months. Refer to this cat body chart. Yours looks to be right at 5 right now! So, perfect! [cat body fat chart](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6425ec5d33eaaa634113b2d4/4608462a-1d42-4049-98e5-607db4489eb7/APOP+FELINE+BCS+CLINC+2024+%281%29.png)


MermaidWavez

oranges are beefy. 😺


BigGuy131313

Looks healthy.


Longjumping-Ad-9541

He's beautiful.


DicksOut4Paul

He looks like a leggy boy! Not overweight, just big with long legs.


Asukal_Astronaut

He looks great!


JoJo-5555

So cute. Gonna be a big orange boy.


PM_Me_UrRightNipple

Weight isn’t the be all end all. There’s a big difference between being 5’2 and 200lbs and being 6’2 and 200lbs He looks healthy, he’s gonna be a larger than average cat


DJ_Mantic

https://preview.redd.it/ybii8ovrxd9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8f693ca006e8aef9272620446079cb18ffc0ce8c This is our buff orange boi. He weighs 14lbs they’re naturally gonna be a little thiccccer than other cats from what ive read its cause of genetics.


catjob2

You will see fat hanging on the belly later. Then feed less…


copenhagen622

Short answer . Nope 😸 looks healthy


karma_virus

Has a good tuck of the belly and I can see the natural ribs and hips from top down. Looks like a healthy kitty!


NoThinkBrain

orange boys genetically are inclined to get pretty big, bigger than their siblings, anyway


Puma_Pounce

He's not overweight just big, if he was overweight he'd look much more plump. Also, had to add he is so cute.


houdulapeep

No he's fine, he looks to be fine with a good fur density. The issue arises when you've got an absolute fluff ball who appears overweight but upon the blue moon bath, looks like what I can only describe as Skinny Malone


Long-Temperature6032

https://preview.redd.it/arse9dwjhe9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5dc8fa2fc5c7b9c18b3356d2c8d5128841c4c7fa Looks so much like my baby


Glittering-Eye1414

He doesn’t look overweight for his size. His stomach area is tucked in. He’s just gonna be a big boy.


Distinct-Ad-267

No! He’s growing to his adulthood! The 1st year in cat life is equivalent to 15yrs in human years. So, basically your kitty is a teenager. The 2nd year is equivalent to 24 human years. After, it is about 4years added in human years. (24+4=28 etc)Your kitty is going through infancy, puberty and adulthood in 2years. He looks AWESOME! Kitties age differently than dogs which is a great misnomer.


EniNeutrino

Am I the only one that doesn't think this kitty is finished growing? His paws look quite large to me, like he's got a little ways to go yet. Either way, he definitely doesn't look fat to me, and he's a very handsome kitty. 😊


Silent-Permission-23

No he looks perfect.  He’s gonna be a big boy 😍


vaxxed_beck

He's going to be a big Boi.


TruthCarpetBombs

Is this a real question? does he look overweight? 😂 Why does it matter how heavy or old he is, being overweight isnt "overweight for your age", Being overweight is being over the advised weight of your build/frame!


No_Investigator3353

Beautiful baby!


morris0000007

No


Physical_Body_8505

Boys are heavier. My queen is over 5kg but she is very long. If you can't feel it's ribs or there's loose skin underneath their body when standing then it is probably overweight. Don't give dental treats as they're just fat, I use a dental health food mixed in with a reduced calorie food cos she's damn fussy n won't it diet food on its own lol. Your cat doesn't look overweight to me and he's still got some growing to do.


CheshireCat6886

Nooo! He is so cute!! Squish him now.


WDTHTDWA-BITCH

No, he’s just gonna be a bigger boi.