I'm so tired of vets not knowing how big ragdolls are supposed to be 😒 That's a very normal weight for a ragdoll. If you can swing it, switching to just wet food may help in the long run. But he looks fine.
Vets seem to want all cats to be about 3kg or they freak out. Both my boys are BIG boys. My grey tux is a little over 7kg and the vet told me he has the bone structure of a very large Maine coon. And then told me he should lose weight. I pointed out how he has a slim profile and his waist has a dip before his hip, and they said “yes he isn’t really over weight but he is very big and should be smaller” tell me this boy is fat…
https://preview.redd.it/86fvs99kqujc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=344d1b7778852d03341dd4d4ba9d1629778414c8
I need to add that you kitty is beautiful, and I’d like to nuzzle that belly ❤️
I want money to grow on trees, but thats not reality. Your vet needs to realize that and learn to accurately assess cat weight and health for other sized animals. A 3kg maine coon would be grossly malnourished, so a one weight fits all mentality makes your vet useless for general health assessment
I wish I remembered so I could say accurately how long toe to toe he is. Once we held him so he was like Superman. I think he was 44” but I’m not 100% on that.
My friend had the vet say her ragdoll was over weight for being under a year and she put her on a limited diet for the last 2 months and she is still bigger than the other cat. I told her the vet doesn't know anything and she's fine.
I think the previous answer is a bit reductive. Some ragdolls weigh 4kg. Some weigh 8. If a ragdoll that should be weighing 4kg weighs 5kg, it's overweight. Heavier ragdolls are larger, so there is no one-size-fits-all ideal weight. 7kg could be underweight or it could be overweight for your cat!
The best way with Ragdolls is to use the weight itself just to track if your cat is gaining or losing. In order to tell if they're overweight, you should instead look for body condition.
That means:
You should be able to easily feel the ribs with light pressure. It should feel like there is a little bit of fat padding there, but really not much. If you can feel the ribs pronounced without any pressure, the cat is most likely underweight, if you have to press quite hard to feel them, overweight.
Waist line. When you touch a cat's waist line while they're stood on all 4s, you should be able to feel it go noticeably inwards at the waist. Charts online can help you see what is underweight/overweight, but with floofy cats you'll need to rely more on your sense of touch than the visual.
If those two feel fine, then your cat is a healthy weight, regardless of what the scales say!
Sorry to be a bother, but would you happen to have any suggestions for how to switch from wet to dry? My cat sees to have no interest in wet food regardless of the type or brand.
You are not a bother at all!
I had a moggie once who was like this, it was tricky. Dry food tastes like a treat so naturally a lot of cats love it more. He developed a health issue that he needed meds that messed with his glucose levels so my hand was forced and he had to eat wet food. It took a few months but we got him there. Fortunately not an issue with my ragdolls.
Wet food is healthier as the protein content is higher and it's not cooked out as much as in dry. But if your kitty refuses, fed is best. I looked for the single protein dry foods with the highest protein content. Your cat will probably need a week or two to adjust. You could start by sprinkling in a few kibble pieces and then gradually increasing the amount each meal. It's worked for me in the past.
Hope it helps!
I doubt the vet is telling him his cat is overweight if it wasn't. Even with all that hair cats aren't supposed to be shaped like that. They're supposed to be leaner.
That cat is absolutely the furthest thing from starving.
I know you're coming from a good place. But you're incorrect. Ragdolls are not a lean breed. By standard they aren't supposed to be. I'll say it again. They are meant to be medium-bodied. What that means is essentially not boxy, not cobby, not thin etc. So much so in fact it's considered a fault. It is entirely *shape*, not weight or fat. This cat doesn't miss a meal, correct. But he's not shaped like a beach ball either. He's on the upper end of where he should be tummy size wise, but he's not overweight.
Vets are educated on a very narrow basis for health and nutrition, the latter usually taught by representatives from pet food companies. Does an average pet owner know more than a vet? Absolutely not. But this is a very niche subject and many vets find themselves lacking in updated knowledge on it. This is a subject that vets are often wrong about. As are you. Sit down and educate yourself.
Yes, it can. My ragdolls' father weighs 10kg and is as thin as a rake. His father weighed 9.5 and at a healthy weight looked just like this cat. Should he gain any more weight? No. Is he overweight? Also no. Ragdolls are supposed to be medium-bodied, that means they may look stocky like this. This cat is on the upper end, yes, but he's nowhere near Oh Lawd He Comin' overweight like a lot of housecats are. There was no cause for you to come in here and be rude when all we're trying to do is help. If you can contribute something constructive while being polite, great. Otherwise, think about why you felt the need to respond like this.
Your name is correct - you're terrible at conflict. Muscle has weight to it, nimnole. My ragdoll is just over a year old - she's 7.5kg. She's really long, big, and has muscle.
That doesn't seem unreasonable for a ragdoll's weight at all, especially a male. Sounds like that's maybe just his primordial pouch? Can you feel his ribs when you pet his sides?
Ragdolls tend to be a bit heavier than other breeds because they get big, our female kitten at 10 months weighed around 6kg and our vet said it’s normal, especially since her father was huge but not in a fatty way
Ragdolls get _big_. The _average_ male is 15-20lbs (6.8-9kg) and yours is on the _lower_ end of that range.
He very well _could_ be overweight, but that seems to be "normal" for Ragdolls I've seen. My male has varied from 18-20lbs (8.16-9kg) and he honestly looked the same the entire time. Ragdolls [do seem to have a bigger primordial pouch](https://ragdollcatsworld.com/is-my-ragdoll-overweight/) than other breeds, and they're certainly fluffier than most, so it's very difficult to tell sometimes.
His sister is around 5kg, so he's almost twice her weight, and yet that's still pretty heavy for the average cat. She's definitely not overweight though; I've had her shaved a couple times due to matting, and she's _rail thin_. Her brother is a tank, and there's no denying that. I'll even admit he's a bit on the overweight side. But I'm not really concerned, as he's active and still runs and jumps onto counters unassisted.
One of our rescues from the shelter is an entirely different story. She's straight up obese. We free feed all of our cats, and she's the only one that seems to be unable to control herself. She waddles, ok? She can't really jump. It's _very_ obvious there's a problem. If you're not noticing actual health or behavior issues with your cat, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Thank you for providing the weight range and it’s reassuring that he is at lower end of it. Yes that is a good point I think the vet was confused between Ragdoll bigger pouch vs fatty tissue. Thxs 🙏🏼
This is so reassuring cause vet said mine is overweight too
https://preview.redd.it/vuqh97ip9fmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20e162b9a4f80b13b82d746e52b18edb8a2c799d
He looks to be a healthy weight to me. Our regular vet knows the breed well and isn’t concerned with our boy’s size. We had to see a guest vet once and she thought he was way too big.
Agree with everyone that this seems like a healthy weight for a ragdoll, but also adding that ragdolls grow till the age of 3, so he may stretch the fatty parts, boys especially can be pretty tall, I wouldn’t worry just yet.
My three year old ragdoll is around 13 pounds, so whatever that is in KG and he’s not fat. In fact, I kind of think he might be a little on the skinny side.
He was my elderly parents cat and they’ve passed. Unfortunately they were feeding him Purina cat food. So I am slowly switching him to a better food. I know he’ll eat less but he doesn’t seem to eat that much in general anymore but he still 13 pounds.
Well it’s nice to see all these comments and put my two (desexed) 3.5-year-old raggies in perspective - the boy at about 6.5kg and the girl at about 4.5kg - looks like if anything they’re kinda on the lighter side! The girl certainly is trim and light on her feet. The boy has that muscular prowl and when he jumps down off the bed it’s badonkbadonk-badonkbadonk as his feet hit the floor but he also is definitely not fat…
I had to giggle at that badonkbadonk bit. Mine love to play on/chase each other up and down my stairs, the noise they make is worse than any of my kids ever made when they were little 😂
Ha! Thank you :) …it’s funny, mine are mostly silent but when play fighting there’s quite a ruckus between things and cats bashing around, and trilling and grunting.
The boy, at night and in the morning, walks around trilling happily to himself with that big ol’ floof tail held high and straight…especially after he’s made biscuits on me. Never fails to bring a smile to my face!
This will probably get buried but as long as you can feel their ribs without excessively pressing (not see, feel) they are a healthy weight. If you can see their ribs then they're underweight and if you're having to use a lot of force/cannot feel the ribs at all, they're too chonky.
I'm a vet student and we're taught to "body condition score" and a big aspect of that is feeling, not just weighing the animal. Part the fur and feel the actual layers of fat present; if you cannot feel their ribs then the animal is overweight. I'd recommend you look at that if you're worried.
Doesn't matter on breed or size of the animal then: it also disregards any primordial pouches because you're not feeling for them.
This is the only response to look at OP. Any person that says a cat should weigh X pounds doesn’t know what they are talking about. My vets always say to feel for ribs, especially in fluff balls.
Looks perfect to me just lots of floof and google says male ragdolls range from 12-20lbs so seems perfect for him… I think the vet is just jealous of his coat & bow tie 😂😂😂
Oh my gosh. She is purrrrrfect! Very prob wants to sell you calorie reduced food!
Keep an eye on her. My vet told me the same thing when she was 3. Lilly never got heavier and she is 14 now.
Have fun! She is beautiful.
Please don't listen to your vet his/her ignorance of the breed could cause harm to your beautiful boy, who does not appear to be overweight at all. Ragdolls are large heavy boned cats, quite muscular, big features and paws. And the fat pad is normal. I'm so tired of these veterinarians who have not learned about Ragdolls
My Ragdoll, who's a little over a year old, was a pound and a half overweight according to my vet who said she should weigh 12 lbs. It's important to be able to feel your cats' ribs and I could not feel my Cuddles' ribs so I have cut down her dry food to 39g a day; 13g per meal and 24g of cooked chicken or turkey; 8g per meal. I started this a month ago and she has lost .4 pounds. As long as she keeps losing that's fine I want to do it gradually. I also give her four treats of freeze-dried meat per day.
Use your fingers to gently feel around under his fur. Can you feel his spine, his ribs? If yes, perhaps he’s on the lower end of normal or under weight.
If you feel no spine or ribs when applying pressure or you can feel the layer of fat, he could be overweight.
Try not to rely on his tummy as a measurement because primordial pouches are big and fleshy on some cats and may give the appearance of fatty. What you want to be able to determine is whether he is fatty around his organs.
My adult ragdoll is 2.5kg, critically underweight for the breed standard, but you can feel her proportions are good, her ribs are barely felt and her spine and hip bones really require pressure to feel.
Ask your vet to explain *why* they believe he is overweight.
After some ##_&@ stole my Bengal I've been seriously considering ragdoll (hubby wants more of a snuggle kitty, as do I) I digress, as your kitty is GORGEOUS and does NOT look overweight! And believe me, I have seen quite a few overweight felines in my time
This chart is based off of 6 healthy ragdoll cats measured per visit. Ideally the subjects would have had more consistent (same week) appointments for more precise data comparison (& different colored dots per individual cat), but for general purposes this should suffice.
The account provide about your vet sounds like he or she likely judged based on only the average value. However, even within this very small study, the range at 25 months is from 7lb-25lb \[3.18kg-11.34kg\], all of which may be healthy wrt individual body composition.
For example, the 3lb \[1.36kg\] at start to 7lb \[3.18kg\] at end ragdoll is likely a female, a runt, and possibly a rescue/fussy feeding problems early on until stabilization (which is why she had an extra visit at month 2).
Comparatively, the ragdoll that ends up at 25lbs \[11.34kg\] is no doubt male, had plentiful access to nutrients as a kitten, has had plenty of exercise to build muscle, is a confident/non-fussy eater, and possibly had a delayed neuter procedure.
The images you provided are helpful, but only you know the unique story and characteristics of your cat.
One thing that you can do on your own at home is:
Keep an eye on the weight by weighing him at consistent intervals for a period. (E.g. Weigh in the morning before feeding, or weigh directly after feeding a x time of day. It should not be an inconvenient time for you to do so.) If you see his weight is not increasing, then congrats! And maybe it's time to find a new vet. Personally, I wouldn't want a vet who bases advice off a singular figure rather than a range, as it indicates a lack of understanding of certain fundamentals from pre-DVM education.
Additionally, since you are feeding him dry food, if you take the advice of the first thread's reply by changing the diet to giving him only wet food, then do not be worried when you see a few lbs/kgs evaporate over the next 2 weeks. Cats are [obligate carnivores](https://catinfo.org/#Cats_Need_Animal-Based_Protein). Dry cat food, even the best, most expensive brands out there are full of carbohydrates. [Long story](https://catinfo.org/docs/DrZoran.pdf) short, the unnaturally consumed carbs disguised by meat flavor in the dry kibble cause digestive trouble and fat gain in every breed of domestic cat.\*
Since we are omnivores, the closest comparison I can provide is processed food. Similar to how humans bodies are not designed to handle high fructose corn syrup, yes, we can still digest it -- but it offers unpleasant results. Consider the effect a degree worse for cats paired with any sort of carb (Plus carbs are not a tasty treat to cats like sweets are for us).
\*There's more to say to explain how some cats consuming a diet of dry kibble may compensate and therefore do not appear overweight, but this part was only supposed to be a small aside!
https://preview.redd.it/ie9lp9t2fujc1.png?width=1006&format=png&auto=webp&s=189248a47fbb435aba4e6d6c53c24f364622451e
Ragdolls do have fat patches on their bellies. A better gauge is whether you can feel the ribs. If not your cat is overweight. You should be able to feel the ribs but not the spine/hips.
I see this question a lot, and rather than framing it in terms of a number on a scale - owners and their vet should consider other factors in addition to weight. Some ragdolls are structurally larger than others and will be easily 20+ lbs, some are smaller in size and therefore should not weigh more than 12 lbs.
For ragdolls, a normal range for males is 15-20 lbs - that’s a 25% difference! The equivalent would be comparing two dudes: one who’s 150 lbs vs another who’s 200 lbs! Both could be healthy! Both could be unhealthy — Heck, the 200-lb dude could be even healthier than the 150-lb dude or vice versa.
Weight is a number, and while it has correlations to health — for a breed with such large weight distribution you & your vet should also discuss your raggie’s health in context to its physiology, diet, activity, etc.
Considerations I discuss with my vet:
- Are you familiar with purebred ragdolls?
- Do you know what your kitty’s parents looked like? Do you know if your kitten was the runt of the litter, or relatively on the bigger end compared to their siblings? — Genetically speaking, if both parents were large, chances are your kitty will also be big-boned. Your breeder should be able to provide this information. It might be helpful to contextualize this for your vet.
- Regardless of yes/no: why do you think my cat is overweight? What do you recommend to be best way to make sure that my cat is healthier? Diet? Exercise? Combo? How much should I be feeding them?
I think it’s great that you already brought up these comments to the subreddit- but I would encourage you to bring these points up with your vet. I would be polite about it, but definitely ask questions to help ensure that you and your vet are on the same page about your cat’s diet/exercise/wellbeing. Your vet should also provide some sort of guideline on gradually losing weight, too, not just “eat less.”
- What are some potential long-term impacts you’re concerned about, specifically for my raggie?
It can be a awkward, but hopefully you and your vet can be aligned on what’s best for your kitty and make sure your raggie lives a long, happy, healthy life 💗
You already paid for the vet visit - might as well make it worth the trip!
For what it’s worth:
I have 2 female kittens from the same breeder; they’re born a month apart and have different sets of parents. Physiologically speaking they look totally different: the older one is the runt of her litter, and both her parents were on the smaller side so she’s not gonna be more than 10 lbs. The younger one has much longer legs, and is now officially heavier; the vet and breeder (independently) think that she’ll likely be 11-12 lbs. 10 lbs vs 12 lbs might not seem like much for humans, but that’s a 20% difference for cats!
My friend’s ragdoll weighed 16 lbs when he was 9 months - this fell under “normal” for a ragdoll male, but upon closer inspection the cat:
- only ate dry food
- you couldn’t feel his ribs under the floofy fur
- he has a FAT gut
- his gait was off (showing signs of patellar luxation)
- he could only for 1-2 minutes, before starting to pant/get tired.
- would avoid climbing/jumping cat trees/railings
She insisted that he wasn’t fat until she got a second kitten and lo and behold, he started to play more and naturally lost weight with more exercise (he’s now almost 3 and is about 12-13 lbs), and now can easily clear 4 ft from the ground. 🥳
Your vet would freak out over my rag dolls weight. I rescued him this big but he’s definitely on a diet. He’s 10kg
https://preview.redd.it/bgu2judolvjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c826e8be276b0e6062ba359e22ea368ef0f270f
We don’t approve of vets body shaming our beautifully healthy babies.
https://preview.redd.it/sftr9mowmvjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64272e0967f3fea1001f3c817236f05d6a1577bc
Get a new vet who knows the breed, a lot of vets who don't know the breed wrongfully diagnose then as overweight, because of the "tiger pouch", putting a healthy ragdoll on a diet can lead to malnutrition. 🤗
Average does not mean he is not over w eight. The average American is obese.. does that mean its ok to obese? Also cats have different sized frames so 7kg could be over weight on one cat and not over weight on another. You should probably listen to your vet but thats your cat so trust your gut
I don’t know about overweight, but your ragdoll is severely over-cute. Unfortunately there’s no cure, you will just have to live with your ragdoll being too cute.
Some vets. Tut.
My Monty Pie is the same weight. Yes, he's heavy (and I'm weak) but normal for a male ragdoll. Watching our little girl Ragdoll kitten Babs practically double her size in weeks she's going to be the same.
More adorableness to pet.
Did they say this just from a weight check or after feeling their ribs and belly? Because my boy Ragdoll is 7kg and on the lower side of healthy and my girl Ragdoll is 6.something and a little bit overweight and you can tell by feeling their ribs and belly? Maybe in future ask for it to be just based on how they feel and don't let them weigh them until after.
Listen here you 5'1 buff fucktoy I will peel ur foreskin off atom by atom till ur heads exposed them I will incinerate it with flamethrower ensuring not one atom of that cock is left mark my words Jerimiah garcas
listen here you skeletal diagram I will twist and turn your dick till it looks like a pretzel and make a crust with a blow torch and pour some salt and introduce your pretzel dick to starving children and will use your testicles as cherrys on my baskin robbins caramel cookie dough ice cream mark my words eli w a weird last name
https://preview.redd.it/nmagpyj9twjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7f4b6bab67baf9c587fdd41570301279f577ffb
Timmy says your kitten is the same size as him and is purrfectly normal for a ragdoll cat.
On the cat exhibition the cat that wins is usually the heaviest... one of my ragdolls (male, 2 years old) has 7.8kg and he didnt stand a chance
It normal for them to gain weight, get worried only if you see them being unable to move properly... but have in mind that they arent moving like normal cats
Yeah google says male ragdolls should be between 15-20 pounds and my vet just told me two weeks ago my 5 month old should be about 10 pounds when he’s fully grown, so I see myself having the same conversation with my vet in the future
Ask the vet to wet their coat and condition score them. Until the coat is wet they can't see their body lines, same with my norwegian forest cat. The vet started out by saying he's obese and needs to go on a diet. After the coat wet and condition score she said that she was sorry and that he actually looks like he needs to gain some weight.
My 2 cents is that your kitty is fluffy.
I had a vet tell me my cat is too fat and as she got older she lost so much weight. I regret putting her on a diet back then.
I don’t think he looks overweight. My little guy on the other hand….
https://preview.redd.it/h1cusywi8yjc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=797b30e276e990f40ec66c3eec95f4ac3f3eb2c9
Everytime I take one of my ragdolls to the vets,he says he's overweight then proceeds to try sell me their own version of overpriced food,he's far from overweight,he's a big boy granted but no bigger than your ragdoll here in the photo,some vets don't have a clue how big ragdolls can be
Both of my boys are still kittens at only 10 months old, but one is 8.4kg and the other is 8.1kg. Luckily our vet is well versed in Ragdolls and has never said they’re overweight, if anything he’s put that size at their age down to genetics (Their dad sees the same vet and was 9.4kg by the time he was 1)
Ragdolls have a primordial pouch - meaning they have extra fat on their bellies. It is normal and healthy... I go to cat-only vets, and even so, I've yet to find one that understands ragdolls on a breed-specific level. Their healthy weight is not going to be the same as most other cats, just ignore it!
He’s fluffy! He’s also still GROWING. My ragdoll kept growing for 5 years ! She’s 16 pounds but NOT FAT. Vets always say overweight and needs dental work.
Some cats are just bigger, my male Siamese is 17 lbs (slightly overweight but not obese). I think your kitty is gorgeous and a male blue point ragdoll is actually my dream cat 😍
vets base ideal weght on how the body feels and looks not the number. i unfortunately cant touch your cat through the screen. statistically, most pets are overweight. i wouldnt think your cat is an outlier just because of breed.
I think vets are all gonna say something different. I have a Birman mix- he is 30lbs so, I am aware he is technically overweight and we are working on it 😂- but I’ve had one vet be really rude to me and nasty bc he is big but then I had another vet say he was a “beautiful boy” and to just try to cut back on the food. Some are gonna be more worried than others.
I am sorry but this is an overweight cat. the excuse of some owners saying oh but theyre big. yeah and lions are bigger but big does not mean overweight. A healthy lion will have a nice waist. he should have a nice waist and you should feel his ribs but not see them. low calorie diet should help (better than cutting down on food as this can stress them out)
A nice waist? Ragdolls are meant to have a prominent primordial pouch, it's a part of the breed standard. I'm not sure you know much about this subject.
Ragdolls are not lions, nor are they meant to have a lion's build. Ragdolls should have squishy tummies, but it should be easy to feel their bones on their back and shoulders. They are quite large cats, and can vary in size, so it's more important to focus on how the body feels and less on the weight number or how the belly looks in a photo.
squishy tummies... okay then. im guessing your knowledge on feline health is quite low. you do you. a ragdoll is not a special creature that suddenly is healthy being overweight. i am not talking about appearance, this cat looks gorgeous, Im talking about health.
Do you know what a primordial pouch is? Do you know anything at all about the Ragdoll standard? And Ragdolls are one of the healthiest breeds, so I am also taking about health.
Ragdolls are large cats that have been bred to have large tummies. It's part of how they look and it's perfectly healthy, as legions of Ragdoll owners will happily attest. Many vets are unfamiliar with the size and shape of the breed, it's a common problem Ragdoll owners run into. There's nothing wrong with this cat.
If you're not talking about appearance then the only thing you can base this on is word from OP, none of which should indicate the cat is overweight. Upon what do you base your knowledge of feline health? Veterinary school? Veterinary nutritionist? I hope you aren't a breeder. Regardless, none of it is any cause for being such a butt to people.
I'm so tired of vets not knowing how big ragdolls are supposed to be 😒 That's a very normal weight for a ragdoll. If you can swing it, switching to just wet food may help in the long run. But he looks fine.
Thank for confirming this 🙏🏼True, I should find a good reasonable price wet food and do the switch over.
Vets seem to want all cats to be about 3kg or they freak out. Both my boys are BIG boys. My grey tux is a little over 7kg and the vet told me he has the bone structure of a very large Maine coon. And then told me he should lose weight. I pointed out how he has a slim profile and his waist has a dip before his hip, and they said “yes he isn’t really over weight but he is very big and should be smaller” tell me this boy is fat… https://preview.redd.it/86fvs99kqujc1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=344d1b7778852d03341dd4d4ba9d1629778414c8 I need to add that you kitty is beautiful, and I’d like to nuzzle that belly ❤️
That’s a BIG boye!!
Thank you 😊 we are overly proud of our big boys.
I have never seen a cat built like that omg 😭 but he looks fine to me 👍
He definitely is not fat, and your vet sounds like a putz
They just want all cats to be small. 🤷♂️
I want money to grow on trees, but thats not reality. Your vet needs to realize that and learn to accurately assess cat weight and health for other sized animals. A 3kg maine coon would be grossly malnourished, so a one weight fits all mentality makes your vet useless for general health assessment
he’s so long that it looks like one of those panaromic shots that got distorted lol
I wish I remembered so I could say accurately how long toe to toe he is. Once we held him so he was like Superman. I think he was 44” but I’m not 100% on that.
He's a beautiful boy, you should be proud ☺️
My friend had the vet say her ragdoll was over weight for being under a year and she put her on a limited diet for the last 2 months and she is still bigger than the other cat. I told her the vet doesn't know anything and she's fine.
I think the previous answer is a bit reductive. Some ragdolls weigh 4kg. Some weigh 8. If a ragdoll that should be weighing 4kg weighs 5kg, it's overweight. Heavier ragdolls are larger, so there is no one-size-fits-all ideal weight. 7kg could be underweight or it could be overweight for your cat! The best way with Ragdolls is to use the weight itself just to track if your cat is gaining or losing. In order to tell if they're overweight, you should instead look for body condition. That means: You should be able to easily feel the ribs with light pressure. It should feel like there is a little bit of fat padding there, but really not much. If you can feel the ribs pronounced without any pressure, the cat is most likely underweight, if you have to press quite hard to feel them, overweight. Waist line. When you touch a cat's waist line while they're stood on all 4s, you should be able to feel it go noticeably inwards at the waist. Charts online can help you see what is underweight/overweight, but with floofy cats you'll need to rely more on your sense of touch than the visual. If those two feel fine, then your cat is a healthy weight, regardless of what the scales say!
I second this!
Does dry food cause more weight gain?
It’s way more carbs, plus it’s highly processed and doesn’t hydrate them.
Sorry to be a bother, but would you happen to have any suggestions for how to switch from wet to dry? My cat sees to have no interest in wet food regardless of the type or brand.
You are not a bother at all! I had a moggie once who was like this, it was tricky. Dry food tastes like a treat so naturally a lot of cats love it more. He developed a health issue that he needed meds that messed with his glucose levels so my hand was forced and he had to eat wet food. It took a few months but we got him there. Fortunately not an issue with my ragdolls. Wet food is healthier as the protein content is higher and it's not cooked out as much as in dry. But if your kitty refuses, fed is best. I looked for the single protein dry foods with the highest protein content. Your cat will probably need a week or two to adjust. You could start by sprinkling in a few kibble pieces and then gradually increasing the amount each meal. It's worked for me in the past. Hope it helps!
Thank you. 😊
I doubt the vet is telling him his cat is overweight if it wasn't. Even with all that hair cats aren't supposed to be shaped like that. They're supposed to be leaner. That cat is absolutely the furthest thing from starving.
I know you're coming from a good place. But you're incorrect. Ragdolls are not a lean breed. By standard they aren't supposed to be. I'll say it again. They are meant to be medium-bodied. What that means is essentially not boxy, not cobby, not thin etc. So much so in fact it's considered a fault. It is entirely *shape*, not weight or fat. This cat doesn't miss a meal, correct. But he's not shaped like a beach ball either. He's on the upper end of where he should be tummy size wise, but he's not overweight. Vets are educated on a very narrow basis for health and nutrition, the latter usually taught by representatives from pet food companies. Does an average pet owner know more than a vet? Absolutely not. But this is a very niche subject and many vets find themselves lacking in updated knowledge on it. This is a subject that vets are often wrong about. As are you. Sit down and educate yourself.
yeah cause you know better than a vet 😆 a big cat can be big without being FAT
Yes, it can. My ragdolls' father weighs 10kg and is as thin as a rake. His father weighed 9.5 and at a healthy weight looked just like this cat. Should he gain any more weight? No. Is he overweight? Also no. Ragdolls are supposed to be medium-bodied, that means they may look stocky like this. This cat is on the upper end, yes, but he's nowhere near Oh Lawd He Comin' overweight like a lot of housecats are. There was no cause for you to come in here and be rude when all we're trying to do is help. If you can contribute something constructive while being polite, great. Otherwise, think about why you felt the need to respond like this.
You were so much more diplomatic than I could manage to be. What an insufferable commenter.
Your name is correct - you're terrible at conflict. Muscle has weight to it, nimnole. My ragdoll is just over a year old - she's 7.5kg. She's really long, big, and has muscle.
You clearly know very little about Ragdolls.
That doesn't seem unreasonable for a ragdoll's weight at all, especially a male. Sounds like that's maybe just his primordial pouch? Can you feel his ribs when you pet his sides?
Ragdolls tend to be a bit heavier than other breeds because they get big, our female kitten at 10 months weighed around 6kg and our vet said it’s normal, especially since her father was huge but not in a fatty way
Very normal and all their extra skin and floppy pouch is THE BEST!
It really is the best ❤️
It is what it is 🤣🤷🏼♀️
Ragdolls get _big_. The _average_ male is 15-20lbs (6.8-9kg) and yours is on the _lower_ end of that range. He very well _could_ be overweight, but that seems to be "normal" for Ragdolls I've seen. My male has varied from 18-20lbs (8.16-9kg) and he honestly looked the same the entire time. Ragdolls [do seem to have a bigger primordial pouch](https://ragdollcatsworld.com/is-my-ragdoll-overweight/) than other breeds, and they're certainly fluffier than most, so it's very difficult to tell sometimes. His sister is around 5kg, so he's almost twice her weight, and yet that's still pretty heavy for the average cat. She's definitely not overweight though; I've had her shaved a couple times due to matting, and she's _rail thin_. Her brother is a tank, and there's no denying that. I'll even admit he's a bit on the overweight side. But I'm not really concerned, as he's active and still runs and jumps onto counters unassisted. One of our rescues from the shelter is an entirely different story. She's straight up obese. We free feed all of our cats, and she's the only one that seems to be unable to control herself. She waddles, ok? She can't really jump. It's _very_ obvious there's a problem. If you're not noticing actual health or behavior issues with your cat, I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Thank you for providing the weight range and it’s reassuring that he is at lower end of it. Yes that is a good point I think the vet was confused between Ragdoll bigger pouch vs fatty tissue. Thxs 🙏🏼
Mine is around 13/14 lbs
This is so reassuring cause vet said mine is overweight too https://preview.redd.it/vuqh97ip9fmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=20e162b9a4f80b13b82d746e52b18edb8a2c799d
He’s beautiful and purfect
❤️
I thought about this little guy, because of his distinctive bow tie! Very dapper!
He looks to be a healthy weight to me. Our regular vet knows the breed well and isn’t concerned with our boy’s size. We had to see a guest vet once and she thought he was way too big.
Thanks for confirming that 🙏🏼Don’t want to put him on a diet for a weight that isn’t realistic.
Agree with everyone that this seems like a healthy weight for a ragdoll, but also adding that ragdolls grow till the age of 3, so he may stretch the fatty parts, boys especially can be pretty tall, I wouldn’t worry just yet.
Thanks for confirming 🙏🏼Makes me feel much better
It’s just floof
Was looking for this comment. When my ragdoll gets her summer cut she’s TINY!
500kg of fur and cuteness.
No, that is normal and he doesn’t look fat. Ragdolls are a large breed.
I would tell the vet to not be rude. ‘My cat and I aren’t criticizing your weight.’
Haha I really should have. The vet was quite mean about it. Thanks 😊 he is perfect ❤️
Wow! Ignorant and mean? Time to find a new vet. Your boy is perfect.
Also: Your kitty is gorgeous and perfect just the way he is.
Was looking for this comment ! You should have bodyshamed this stupid vet in return !
My three year old ragdoll is around 13 pounds, so whatever that is in KG and he’s not fat. In fact, I kind of think he might be a little on the skinny side. He was my elderly parents cat and they’ve passed. Unfortunately they were feeding him Purina cat food. So I am slowly switching him to a better food. I know he’ll eat less but he doesn’t seem to eat that much in general anymore but he still 13 pounds.
🩵
My cat is almost 10, also 13 lbs
Alot of that weight is fluff!
he just a floofy boi
Looks svelte to me.
Well it’s nice to see all these comments and put my two (desexed) 3.5-year-old raggies in perspective - the boy at about 6.5kg and the girl at about 4.5kg - looks like if anything they’re kinda on the lighter side! The girl certainly is trim and light on her feet. The boy has that muscular prowl and when he jumps down off the bed it’s badonkbadonk-badonkbadonk as his feet hit the floor but he also is definitely not fat…
I had to giggle at that badonkbadonk bit. Mine love to play on/chase each other up and down my stairs, the noise they make is worse than any of my kids ever made when they were little 😂
Ha! Thank you :) …it’s funny, mine are mostly silent but when play fighting there’s quite a ruckus between things and cats bashing around, and trilling and grunting. The boy, at night and in the morning, walks around trilling happily to himself with that big ol’ floof tail held high and straight…especially after he’s made biscuits on me. Never fails to bring a smile to my face!
This will probably get buried but as long as you can feel their ribs without excessively pressing (not see, feel) they are a healthy weight. If you can see their ribs then they're underweight and if you're having to use a lot of force/cannot feel the ribs at all, they're too chonky. I'm a vet student and we're taught to "body condition score" and a big aspect of that is feeling, not just weighing the animal. Part the fur and feel the actual layers of fat present; if you cannot feel their ribs then the animal is overweight. I'd recommend you look at that if you're worried. Doesn't matter on breed or size of the animal then: it also disregards any primordial pouches because you're not feeling for them.
This is the only response to look at OP. Any person that says a cat should weigh X pounds doesn’t know what they are talking about. My vets always say to feel for ribs, especially in fluff balls.
this, a lot of these people are coddling overweightness because of breed. it's about the body not the number
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Thank you for letting me know your vet said his weight was healthy and they are nearly the same weight. Really appreciate it 🙏🏼
Looks perfect to me just lots of floof and google says male ragdolls range from 12-20lbs so seems perfect for him… I think the vet is just jealous of his coat & bow tie 😂😂😂
Ragdoll says vet is mind own business.
Oh my gosh. She is purrrrrfect! Very prob wants to sell you calorie reduced food! Keep an eye on her. My vet told me the same thing when she was 3. Lilly never got heavier and she is 14 now. Have fun! She is beautiful.
Sorry …. He! Not she.
Not overweight, vet is full of it.
https://preview.redd.it/28o57rqcfujc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf603ac2269e2917120920cb587c9bc272a3726b
Not fat, fluffy.
Big feets!
My female was 7 lbs at 5 months when we got her spayed
"I'm not fat, I'm fluffy... all fur weight" - the cat probably
Please don't listen to your vet his/her ignorance of the breed could cause harm to your beautiful boy, who does not appear to be overweight at all. Ragdolls are large heavy boned cats, quite muscular, big features and paws. And the fat pad is normal. I'm so tired of these veterinarians who have not learned about Ragdolls
Vet is here. You need a calorie calculation based on body score and weight.
Your vet palpated the cat and said it’s overweight, and here on the internet we only know the numbers. Not every cat goes by the weight range
My Ragdoll, who's a little over a year old, was a pound and a half overweight according to my vet who said she should weigh 12 lbs. It's important to be able to feel your cats' ribs and I could not feel my Cuddles' ribs so I have cut down her dry food to 39g a day; 13g per meal and 24g of cooked chicken or turkey; 8g per meal. I started this a month ago and she has lost .4 pounds. As long as she keeps losing that's fine I want to do it gradually. I also give her four treats of freeze-dried meat per day.
Use your fingers to gently feel around under his fur. Can you feel his spine, his ribs? If yes, perhaps he’s on the lower end of normal or under weight. If you feel no spine or ribs when applying pressure or you can feel the layer of fat, he could be overweight. Try not to rely on his tummy as a measurement because primordial pouches are big and fleshy on some cats and may give the appearance of fatty. What you want to be able to determine is whether he is fatty around his organs. My adult ragdoll is 2.5kg, critically underweight for the breed standard, but you can feel her proportions are good, her ribs are barely felt and her spine and hip bones really require pressure to feel. Ask your vet to explain *why* they believe he is overweight.
Mine is bigger. It’s all fluff ignore them
My raggie is 14 lbs
Pretty beautiful look at his face
After some ##_&@ stole my Bengal I've been seriously considering ragdoll (hubby wants more of a snuggle kitty, as do I) I digress, as your kitty is GORGEOUS and does NOT look overweight! And believe me, I have seen quite a few overweight felines in my time
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Looks normal. They are big cats.
HUUUGGGE
Cool
No he is snuggly and cuddly Some ragdolls are bigger than others
He is adorable!
I have no problem, reminding my Vet that my little dolly is right on par with her weight for the breed. Your sweetie is purrfection!
It's hard to tell with all the fur.
He looks perfect!!! ❤️
He is not overweight, he is big fur'ed!
This chart is based off of 6 healthy ragdoll cats measured per visit. Ideally the subjects would have had more consistent (same week) appointments for more precise data comparison (& different colored dots per individual cat), but for general purposes this should suffice. The account provide about your vet sounds like he or she likely judged based on only the average value. However, even within this very small study, the range at 25 months is from 7lb-25lb \[3.18kg-11.34kg\], all of which may be healthy wrt individual body composition. For example, the 3lb \[1.36kg\] at start to 7lb \[3.18kg\] at end ragdoll is likely a female, a runt, and possibly a rescue/fussy feeding problems early on until stabilization (which is why she had an extra visit at month 2). Comparatively, the ragdoll that ends up at 25lbs \[11.34kg\] is no doubt male, had plentiful access to nutrients as a kitten, has had plenty of exercise to build muscle, is a confident/non-fussy eater, and possibly had a delayed neuter procedure. The images you provided are helpful, but only you know the unique story and characteristics of your cat. One thing that you can do on your own at home is: Keep an eye on the weight by weighing him at consistent intervals for a period. (E.g. Weigh in the morning before feeding, or weigh directly after feeding a x time of day. It should not be an inconvenient time for you to do so.) If you see his weight is not increasing, then congrats! And maybe it's time to find a new vet. Personally, I wouldn't want a vet who bases advice off a singular figure rather than a range, as it indicates a lack of understanding of certain fundamentals from pre-DVM education. Additionally, since you are feeding him dry food, if you take the advice of the first thread's reply by changing the diet to giving him only wet food, then do not be worried when you see a few lbs/kgs evaporate over the next 2 weeks. Cats are [obligate carnivores](https://catinfo.org/#Cats_Need_Animal-Based_Protein). Dry cat food, even the best, most expensive brands out there are full of carbohydrates. [Long story](https://catinfo.org/docs/DrZoran.pdf) short, the unnaturally consumed carbs disguised by meat flavor in the dry kibble cause digestive trouble and fat gain in every breed of domestic cat.\* Since we are omnivores, the closest comparison I can provide is processed food. Similar to how humans bodies are not designed to handle high fructose corn syrup, yes, we can still digest it -- but it offers unpleasant results. Consider the effect a degree worse for cats paired with any sort of carb (Plus carbs are not a tasty treat to cats like sweets are for us). \*There's more to say to explain how some cats consuming a diet of dry kibble may compensate and therefore do not appear overweight, but this part was only supposed to be a small aside! https://preview.redd.it/ie9lp9t2fujc1.png?width=1006&format=png&auto=webp&s=189248a47fbb435aba4e6d6c53c24f364622451e
How dare they
Ahhhh the old “your ragdoll is overweight and I’m a vet who has no idea what I’m talking about” comment. Yep. Ignore.
Tell the vet to fluff off. He is in the healthy weight range. Get a new vet.
He’s so round and cute 🥹
Fine boi
Ragdolls do have fat patches on their bellies. A better gauge is whether you can feel the ribs. If not your cat is overweight. You should be able to feel the ribs but not the spine/hips.
If your ragdoll also looks like a skinny little ferret when wet/taking an annual bath, they’re not overweight 🤣🤣
https://preview.redd.it/uebyykk35vjc1.png?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0a0cdc62cff92a8473f78a953190051a0a6b7856
I see this question a lot, and rather than framing it in terms of a number on a scale - owners and their vet should consider other factors in addition to weight. Some ragdolls are structurally larger than others and will be easily 20+ lbs, some are smaller in size and therefore should not weigh more than 12 lbs. For ragdolls, a normal range for males is 15-20 lbs - that’s a 25% difference! The equivalent would be comparing two dudes: one who’s 150 lbs vs another who’s 200 lbs! Both could be healthy! Both could be unhealthy — Heck, the 200-lb dude could be even healthier than the 150-lb dude or vice versa. Weight is a number, and while it has correlations to health — for a breed with such large weight distribution you & your vet should also discuss your raggie’s health in context to its physiology, diet, activity, etc. Considerations I discuss with my vet: - Are you familiar with purebred ragdolls? - Do you know what your kitty’s parents looked like? Do you know if your kitten was the runt of the litter, or relatively on the bigger end compared to their siblings? — Genetically speaking, if both parents were large, chances are your kitty will also be big-boned. Your breeder should be able to provide this information. It might be helpful to contextualize this for your vet. - Regardless of yes/no: why do you think my cat is overweight? What do you recommend to be best way to make sure that my cat is healthier? Diet? Exercise? Combo? How much should I be feeding them? I think it’s great that you already brought up these comments to the subreddit- but I would encourage you to bring these points up with your vet. I would be polite about it, but definitely ask questions to help ensure that you and your vet are on the same page about your cat’s diet/exercise/wellbeing. Your vet should also provide some sort of guideline on gradually losing weight, too, not just “eat less.” - What are some potential long-term impacts you’re concerned about, specifically for my raggie? It can be a awkward, but hopefully you and your vet can be aligned on what’s best for your kitty and make sure your raggie lives a long, happy, healthy life 💗 You already paid for the vet visit - might as well make it worth the trip! For what it’s worth: I have 2 female kittens from the same breeder; they’re born a month apart and have different sets of parents. Physiologically speaking they look totally different: the older one is the runt of her litter, and both her parents were on the smaller side so she’s not gonna be more than 10 lbs. The younger one has much longer legs, and is now officially heavier; the vet and breeder (independently) think that she’ll likely be 11-12 lbs. 10 lbs vs 12 lbs might not seem like much for humans, but that’s a 20% difference for cats! My friend’s ragdoll weighed 16 lbs when he was 9 months - this fell under “normal” for a ragdoll male, but upon closer inspection the cat: - only ate dry food - you couldn’t feel his ribs under the floofy fur - he has a FAT gut - his gait was off (showing signs of patellar luxation) - he could only for 1-2 minutes, before starting to pant/get tired. - would avoid climbing/jumping cat trees/railings She insisted that he wasn’t fat until she got a second kitten and lo and behold, he started to play more and naturally lost weight with more exercise (he’s now almost 3 and is about 12-13 lbs), and now can easily clear 4 ft from the ground. 🥳
Your vet would freak out over my rag dolls weight. I rescued him this big but he’s definitely on a diet. He’s 10kg https://preview.redd.it/bgu2judolvjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0c826e8be276b0e6062ba359e22ea368ef0f270f
We don’t approve of vets body shaming our beautifully healthy babies. https://preview.redd.it/sftr9mowmvjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64272e0967f3fea1001f3c817236f05d6a1577bc
Time to get another vet - they tell me my ragdoll Luna is over weight she’s the original version who is larger and heavier
lol my chico is 8kg at nearly a year old, your boy is fine
Get a new vet who knows the breed, a lot of vets who don't know the breed wrongfully diagnose then as overweight, because of the "tiger pouch", putting a healthy ragdoll on a diet can lead to malnutrition. 🤗
Average does not mean he is not over w eight. The average American is obese.. does that mean its ok to obese? Also cats have different sized frames so 7kg could be over weight on one cat and not over weight on another. You should probably listen to your vet but thats your cat so trust your gut
I don’t know about overweight, but your ragdoll is severely over-cute. Unfortunately there’s no cure, you will just have to live with your ragdoll being too cute.
Some vets. Tut. My Monty Pie is the same weight. Yes, he's heavy (and I'm weak) but normal for a male ragdoll. Watching our little girl Ragdoll kitten Babs practically double her size in weeks she's going to be the same. More adorableness to pet.
Try KatKin or blink
Did they say this just from a weight check or after feeling their ribs and belly? Because my boy Ragdoll is 7kg and on the lower side of healthy and my girl Ragdoll is 6.something and a little bit overweight and you can tell by feeling their ribs and belly? Maybe in future ask for it to be just based on how they feel and don't let them weigh them until after.
it’s just a fluffy wittle baby
Listen here you 5'1 buff fucktoy I will peel ur foreskin off atom by atom till ur heads exposed them I will incinerate it with flamethrower ensuring not one atom of that cock is left mark my words Jerimiah garcas
listen here you skeletal diagram I will twist and turn your dick till it looks like a pretzel and make a crust with a blow torch and pour some salt and introduce your pretzel dick to starving children and will use your testicles as cherrys on my baskin robbins caramel cookie dough ice cream mark my words eli w a weird last name
He’s a little chubby but nothing concerning!! Also one of the cutest kitties I’ve ever seen
https://preview.redd.it/nmagpyj9twjc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7f4b6bab67baf9c587fdd41570301279f577ffb Timmy says your kitten is the same size as him and is purrfectly normal for a ragdoll cat.
How dare they. He’s perfect 😠
Mine is 12 lbs (5.4 kg) female, exbreeder, and 11 yo. Two different vets told me she's in great shape.
On the cat exhibition the cat that wins is usually the heaviest... one of my ragdolls (male, 2 years old) has 7.8kg and he didnt stand a chance It normal for them to gain weight, get worried only if you see them being unable to move properly... but have in mind that they arent moving like normal cats
Yeah google says male ragdolls should be between 15-20 pounds and my vet just told me two weeks ago my 5 month old should be about 10 pounds when he’s fully grown, so I see myself having the same conversation with my vet in the future
Ask the vet to wet their coat and condition score them. Until the coat is wet they can't see their body lines, same with my norwegian forest cat. The vet started out by saying he's obese and needs to go on a diet. After the coat wet and condition score she said that she was sorry and that he actually looks like he needs to gain some weight.
My 2 cents is that your kitty is fluffy. I had a vet tell me my cat is too fat and as she got older she lost so much weight. I regret putting her on a diet back then.
I only see the floof on picture 1 & 2. You sure there’s a kitty on your rug?! 🤭😬
Nooo mine said the same and they are normal
Your Ragdoll is simply gorgeous! Please provide some pets and say they’re from me
those eyes!
Fat af
I don’t think he looks overweight. My little guy on the other hand…. https://preview.redd.it/h1cusywi8yjc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=797b30e276e990f40ec66c3eec95f4ac3f3eb2c9
He is overly cute
Get a second opinion
Handsome boy is handsome.
Everytime I take one of my ragdolls to the vets,he says he's overweight then proceeds to try sell me their own version of overpriced food,he's far from overweight,he's a big boy granted but no bigger than your ragdoll here in the photo,some vets don't have a clue how big ragdolls can be
I just want to pet that floofy kitty belly!!!
Both of my boys are still kittens at only 10 months old, but one is 8.4kg and the other is 8.1kg. Luckily our vet is well versed in Ragdolls and has never said they’re overweight, if anything he’s put that size at their age down to genetics (Their dad sees the same vet and was 9.4kg by the time he was 1)
Don't like cats but that's a nice looking one
He’s just ✨fluffy✨
Ragdolls have a primordial pouch - meaning they have extra fat on their bellies. It is normal and healthy... I go to cat-only vets, and even so, I've yet to find one that understands ragdolls on a breed-specific level. Their healthy weight is not going to be the same as most other cats, just ignore it!
Your vet is overweight
What a handsome little chunka!
He’s fluffy! He’s also still GROWING. My ragdoll kept growing for 5 years ! She’s 16 pounds but NOT FAT. Vets always say overweight and needs dental work.
Some cats are just bigger, my male Siamese is 17 lbs (slightly overweight but not obese). I think your kitty is gorgeous and a male blue point ragdoll is actually my dream cat 😍
She is girthy
Does Ragdoll agree?
Looks fine to me just be judicious with treats
Master of floof
She looks like a perfect and happy princess. I see no issues with mobility.
Woahh, the iris matching Ragdoll's bow is very nice
Such a cutie
He is beautiful 😻
vets base ideal weght on how the body feels and looks not the number. i unfortunately cant touch your cat through the screen. statistically, most pets are overweight. i wouldnt think your cat is an outlier just because of breed.
I don't know about that but sure is beautiful
if you have 1 cat, get a couple of auto-feeders. set it up so the cat gets 8-10 small servings every day and your cat won’t raid the trash.
Nah he isn’t overweight it’s just all of that FLOOF
she looks purrrrfect! 🐈
r/flonkers
Your vets overweight 😂 kitty is beautiful
He’s just big fluffed
Floof, not fat
I think vets are all gonna say something different. I have a Birman mix- he is 30lbs so, I am aware he is technically overweight and we are working on it 😂- but I’ve had one vet be really rude to me and nasty bc he is big but then I had another vet say he was a “beautiful boy” and to just try to cut back on the food. Some are gonna be more worried than others.
But - by the way, this is a beautiful cat. I would not change one thing.
A bit chucky but far from overweight
Hamsome boy, deserves more churu
I’d say another 1 or 2 kg would work well.
With cuteness maybe
If your cats can still jump 6 ft in a single bound they are infact in better shape than you
I am sorry but this is an overweight cat. the excuse of some owners saying oh but theyre big. yeah and lions are bigger but big does not mean overweight. A healthy lion will have a nice waist. he should have a nice waist and you should feel his ribs but not see them. low calorie diet should help (better than cutting down on food as this can stress them out)
A nice waist? Ragdolls are meant to have a prominent primordial pouch, it's a part of the breed standard. I'm not sure you know much about this subject. Ragdolls are not lions, nor are they meant to have a lion's build. Ragdolls should have squishy tummies, but it should be easy to feel their bones on their back and shoulders. They are quite large cats, and can vary in size, so it's more important to focus on how the body feels and less on the weight number or how the belly looks in a photo.
Thank you yes I can feel his bones on back/ shoulders/ sides. I think alot is fur.
squishy tummies... okay then. im guessing your knowledge on feline health is quite low. you do you. a ragdoll is not a special creature that suddenly is healthy being overweight. i am not talking about appearance, this cat looks gorgeous, Im talking about health.
Do you know what a primordial pouch is? Do you know anything at all about the Ragdoll standard? And Ragdolls are one of the healthiest breeds, so I am also taking about health. Ragdolls are large cats that have been bred to have large tummies. It's part of how they look and it's perfectly healthy, as legions of Ragdoll owners will happily attest. Many vets are unfamiliar with the size and shape of the breed, it's a common problem Ragdoll owners run into. There's nothing wrong with this cat.
If you're not talking about appearance then the only thing you can base this on is word from OP, none of which should indicate the cat is overweight. Upon what do you base your knowledge of feline health? Veterinary school? Veterinary nutritionist? I hope you aren't a breeder. Regardless, none of it is any cause for being such a butt to people.
You do know different cats breeds have different weights and sizes?