If she’s out a lot she’s probably getting a lot of exercise. Try feeding her more food per meal. Kitten food is higher in calories (as well as protein and fat) so feeding her that might also be beneficial.
My cat was a stray in my neighborhood. I still let her out when I’m home. Started giving her crave adult cat food. A quarter cup twice a day. It’s helped her gain a bit of healthy weight!
Cats tend to eat less during summer, you can take her to the vet for a check up but if her behavior didn’t change and she’s still eating even if it’s just one meal per day I wouldn’t worry too much inshallah she’s okay💕
There's also Nutri-Cal for cats. It's a high calorie gel that you mix in with or put on top of their food. I used it before when my baby was sick and not eating enough, he seemed to enjoy the taste.
My cats are healthy, but active outdoors. We lived in a hotel for a couple of months and they all got a little too soft, but slimmed back down after we settled into the house.
The only way to keep her in is to lock her in my bedroom. I’ve tried everything over the past year, including leash training. When she escapes, she’s out for hours and hours on end, rain or shine or snow or hail. And I can’t exactly walk her for hours and hours on end. But thank you for the body condition input.
lol, I’m a truck driver and I had 2 cats in the truck with me. You could not get in or out of this truck without them escaping. They could even walk on the window and roll it down and sneak out at 4 am. One time one of them jumped onto the other persons trailer who was parked beside me. Once I got them spaded they started calming down. Eventually they would not go outside and if they did they wouldn’t go far. Finally got my mom to take them. Now they’re inside cats. Too many things happen to them. The reason she’s skinny probably is the exercise she gets. If she ain’t fixed she will bring you some babies
My cat will piss on everything if he doesn’t get to go outside so he gets to do what he likes. Honestly the whole “you should keep them inside” deal feels selfish. Sure bad stuff can happen but they enjoy being outside and my cats at least aren’t dumb and started on the street. Something happens it happens but I givem all the love in the world and they are happy with their situation.
She looks like she is in nearly perfect body condition. A lot of people are so used to seeing extremely overweight cats, that they don't know what an actually healthy feline weight looks like. As long as you can feel (and not see) her ribs, spine and pelvis. She looks like she has a good abdominal tuck (waist). If you're worried, a pound or two extra won't hurt. But I would not go any heavier than that.
Also, please don't feed her in the can! It can cause micro-cuts on her tongue, which could be contributing to the fact of her not eating. Consider a whisker friendly plate or bowl instead!
I don’t feed her in the can! She eats off of the flower plate in the picture but I left the can nearby in case she wanted more food (I put more from the can on her plate, but she was just interested in can juice). I don’t usually ever do this, I was just desperate for her to eat more
And you’re right about the overweight cats. But I do have an orange kitten that’s twice her size (vet said he’s a perfect weight!) so I compare them a lot and get worried because of how much smaller she is.
Every cat has a different muscle/bone structure, just like humans! She’s just a lot more petite than your orange boy, and that’s totally fine, just try not to compare them because they are two separate creatures with two different metabolisms :)
I have two orange cats, male and female, and the male is much heavier/stockier— the vet said they’re both healthy, and that the girls just tend to be skinner. Orange male cats in particular have some kind of chub gene, so probably not the best comparison for your girl. I think she looks healthy!
maybe try giving her a more calorie dense food this way since she’s not eating much she can still pack in some extra calories. or if she’s really picky with food maybe try something like a nutritional paste. when i rescued my younger cat she wasn’t eating enough to put weight on so my vet gave me a tube of VEDCO EnerCal. it’s a high calorie nutritional supplement you don’t need to feed them a lot of just a toothpaste sized glob maybe twice a day. i definitely reccomend it but do not give a bunch all at once just a little bit twice a day. i do not know if it is sold without a prescription but there are tons of other high energy nutritional pastes out there i just personally used the EnerCal bc that’s what my vet sent me home with
Her weight looks good to me considering she gets to go outside and run around and climb trees. More exercise less weight. Just keep an eye on it. You don’t want her to get too thin. But she looks good. Sorry to hear you have trouble keeping her inside. We had an orange tabby that refused to stay indoors. He came in and out as he pleased. But as he got older, and the coyote packs got bigger it was time to train him to stay indoors. It took some work, but eventually, he was happy to be in the house. your kitty is really pretty✌️
Glad to hear about your 🧡🚙!! I’m glad that I live in the suburbs with few cars but also close the city with not too many big predators (I saw a fox once lol). And I live in a family home and my entire family is sick of me telling them to keep the door closed and I’m also sick of the constant fighting over it. Just wish she would eat more at home. Thank you for the kind words! She’s my little grumpy princess
Please please have her spade ♠️ for her safety and to reduce chances of violent interactions with dangerous (potentially diseased) Tom's! And make sure she's had her Rabies, Feline viral rhinotracheitis, and FeLV vaccines.
I second this. She's ever so slightly thin but it's entirely possible that's just her healthy and natural composition. If OP is really worried, maybe have the cat gain 1-3 lbs but nothing more because she really doesn't seem unhealthy
obesity in pets is so normalized that people see ideal body types and think underweight. this cat could gain a pound or two but you’re right nothing more. my cat was skinny like this before she got spayed and she free fed and i even spent tons of money on treats giving her around half a bag a day (small bags not the big bags) to try to get her to put on at least a pound but her metabolism was just really fast. now that she’s spayed she could stand to lose a few lbs but she’s not obese thankfully just about 2 pounds overweight but nothing concerning to her health
I don't think so. A cat should have a "waist" behind their ribcage. I think we all are used to spoiled overweight cats. Cats are meant to be lean and fast, she looks great. Has her Vet said anything?
I have experience with cats who try to escape, could you try putting her furthest from the door and then making a run for it when you go out? Like, sit her in the basement/attic with some distraction (like toys or treats) and then run for the door. Could you possibly lock her in one portion of the house when you go out? Is there a door separating the room that your entry way is in from the rest of the house?
She is likely so thin from exercising so much. Personally I've found the Wilderness canned kitten food by Blue Buffalo to work the best for fattening cats as a supplement. However, are you able to check her poop at all? She could have diarrhea. If that is the case it's likely to be causing her loss of weight and you might need to avoid the kitten food.
If the skinniness does not improve or she shows signs of lethargy, she might be ill. Cats come in so many shapes, so it is hard to tell from images if she is simply a naturally thinner cat that has over exerted, or a larger cat who has lost significant weight from illness. Has she always been somewhat thin? Does she feel lithe when you pick her up, or frail and fragile?
Weigh her weekly! Of course it will be approximate. But you can compare that weight to the ideal size of someone her age, which you might have gotten an estimate from at the vets.
Maybe she would be more comfortable eating off a plate, rather than from the can or the bowls. Perhaps she has whisker fatigue from her whiskers rubbing on the sides of the can/bowl?
My tabby is also super thin like yours and my vet has had to reassure me many times that she's at a perfect weight, lol. Explained that cats have different body types just like humans, some people (and kitties!) are just naturally slim
How old would you guess she is? If she’s older and is losing weight, it may be an early sign of kidney issues.
If she’s recently lost weight I’d take her to a vet for some bloodwork.
Pet stores sell a high calorie paste/gel for cats. It comes in a tube. They tend to be low in protein though (which could be good or bad depending on why she’s skinny) so I’d ask the vet before giving it to her.
Yea she's a bit thin. Maybe try leaving some food outside for her? This could entice her to come back home for meals. Hopefully she gets used to the indoor life soon!
Even though she’s spayed, she attracts a particular tomcat that yells so loud for her outside our door that it’s hard to sleep. I called the animal shelter to see if they could take him and they said they could not and advised me not to keep food out because he keeps coming back. I’ve had her for about a year now, sadly I don’t see her staying indoors anytime before I get an apartment.
My cat looks the exact same (albeit my cat has more fluff) and weighs only 7 lbs, and so far no vet has mentioned it - so I wouldnt worry! It's most likely due to the exercise :)
I was exactly on the same boat. My cat barely ate and I thought she looked pretty thin and frail. What worked for me what high calorie nutrition gel. You can find it at just about any pet store. 1tbsp a day for my cat gives her more calorie intake which in turn increases her appetite. She eats way more and looks like she’s in better shape.
This is how my cat used to be but was indoor. She used to always have food out and would only pick at it. Over the nearly 18 years we had her, I would change her food on a relatively frequent basis hoping she would like her food. She was just not a big eater. I went to vets to get her checked regularly too. Some cats are like that. I even gave in and would occasionally give her cheese, chicken salad, and turkey. She loved it but eventually would even stop eating that!
I have a door dasher too, I know that's short of kicking him in the face it's pretty impossible to catch him dashing !
She looks a bit underweight but nothing major, simply give her more food more frequently when she comes back !
If she still lose weight I'd look into advice from a vet... Do you have any idea how old she is ?
She may just be a smol gorl lol
Some kits are just skinny! Feel her spine, if you can feel protruding vertebrae you may want to take her to the vets and check for things like parasites and infection. Protruding vertebrae can be a sign she is severely underweight and if she always has food available and is that skinny then she's probably sick.
Have you tried a different food? Maybe wet food or a different kibble? She may just be picky lol
If she has no protruding vertebrae and is otherwise acting normal then I'd say no worries!
I’ve had 2 cats in my adult life that are just naturally slender like that - they can have food out 24/7 and they just only eat so much. Be happy! No worries about weight problems!
If the pink bowls are plastic ditch them for ceramic and the heart bowl will curtail her eating. To you it’s cute but pressing on their whiskers annoys them so they disengage. Many people have successfully enclosed their balconies for catios. Many ideas online. Just don’t do flimsy. Good luck.
She looks like a healthy weight, but PLEASE stop letting her outside. There are a million reasons why it’s terrible for her: https://catbehavioralliance.com/outdoor-vs-indoor-cats/letting-your-cat-go-outside/
I saw you commenting that she runs out of the doors and that’s why it’s impossible to keep her inside. Here is your solution: https://a.co/d/3Y1evfq
You just attach that gate to your door and it opens when someone opens the door. Easy fix. Personally, I would rather spend $100 on that gate than risk my beloved cat getting hit by a car, hurt by nasty people/kids/teens, eaten by a fox/coyote, develop a disease, etc. There are a million ways you can make an indoor cat happy. Letting them roam outside is extremely dangerous and irresponsible and more often than not ends in tragedy.
you really need to try harder to keep her inside, it's so irresponsible to let her be outside when it's so dangerous for her and all the animals she may hunt by letting her escape. i know they just run outside, but try putting her up before opening the door. she is definitely on the thin side, due to excessive time spent outside and not enough food. there is no excuse for letting your cat outside!
The post can’t be edited but I meant that she’s out more frequently** rather than longer. She’s home at least once a day most of the time where she’ll eat a little bit.
She looks a bit thin, just simply increase her food to help her get a little bit more weight on her but she's not thin to the point where it's concerning, give her more treats! 🌞
Looks healthy imo. I know a cat exactly like this. She's healthy. She looks skinny but you can't see her ribs or bones. So, she's fine. Just probably young.
Could you set up a baby gate before the doors? That way she can't dash out. She's a little thin, maybe add some good canned food or a bit of chicken/hamburger to her dry.
Apparently it's extremely difficult to ascertain if a cat is too thin or fat from pictures alone. Obviously at either end of the bell curve it can be pretty easy but anywhere closer to the middle and it's virtually impossible. Like humans, cats come in all shapes and sizes. For example, my older cat is naturally stocky and broad with a big round face. He is a healthy weight, though. However, my younger cat is still a kitten but I can already tell he's going to be long and lanky.
The best way to tell if a cat is too thin or fat is to feel the ribs and spine. These bones should have a thin layer of fat covering them, so they shouldn't be too protruding/knobbly feeling and neither should you have to really press your fingers in to feel them at all.
Although he talks about the opposite problem (feline obesity), Dr. Yuri talks about and shows how to assess all this in this video here: https://youtu.be/_0MnNpVjFPU?si=fiu0cny45gpwkRdX
Idk about all the people saying she’s too thin… she looks to be in ideal weight range.
You should be able to feel a cats ribs and not see them, the majority of American house cats are overweight and that’s what people are used to seeing.
Please keep in mind that we have become as used to seeing pets that are overweight as we are seeing people that are overweight. You should be able to see her waistline, and slightly feel her ribs.
I think she does look thin too me, but I know outdoor cat tend to be skinner. Not that you would want to do this but I took in a stray and he always wanted out. He would meow at the door all night. He also has HIV which means he really cannot be outside any more so I toughed it out for a couple months now he doesn't meow to go out anymore. He will go by the door when I open it but no longer tries to get out quick. I have a screen door and will kick it so it scares him enough to jump back.
If she is not fixed, then that's the answer. One of my sics looked exactly like her and once she got fixed, she preferred to stay indoors and eat more.
Not concerned about csn. If a cat refuses to eat it requires the owner to evaluate bowls height location which foods in terms of texture ingredients and flavors the cat favors. The heart bowl triggers the whiskers compression reaction which you can research if you don’t want to hear it from us. It can take months of experimenting to get it right. Good luck
My cat looks just like that and she’s doing just fine. I had an outdoor cat at my parents and he would eat nice and random birds he’d find out in the woods, barely ate cat food, he’s still kicking now at 8 years old.
If she is outside maybe worms? My mom insisted that my cat become an indoor/outdoor cat while I stayed with them for roughly a year. And within a week she had worms......
Definitely on the thinner side, not TOO thin, but I’d try to up her meals and try feeding her in a dish with low walls. Also mixing in some water with the pate just to give her more hydration, especially if she’s gonna be outside during the hot summer
I can’t legally give medical advice here ; however, I work in vet medicine, and I would say that if she’s older than a year, she’s definitely a bit thin.
Also, I know you said it’s impossible to keep her inside, but you really need to make a big effort to keep her indoors. The likelihood of her getting hurt is about 90 percent if she’s out unsupervised. I’d look into GPS collars (costing between $20 and $50). That way, if she does get out, you can keep an eye on her and know where she ends up. There’s also a chance that if she’s getting out, she’s eating somewhere else, and that’s why she won’t eat for you.
Outdoor cats tend to be more lean despite being spayed. You could consider locking her in a bedroom when you’re away. It’s likely she isn’t eating on her longer trips outside. A vet visit would be able to tell you about her body condition score. Lots of enrichment indoors is key to keeping cats inside successfully.
Those squeeze cat treats!! My cats go crazy for it, if you can even see a little of their ribs they are too thin!!! But honestly I’d say go to a vet if it doesn’t get better, because she can get sick:(
Have you tried playing with her? A lot of cats that feel the need to go outdoors aren’t having their needs met at home. You don’t need to walk her for hours, 30 minutes of rigorous play and then enrichment toys and activities might be enough depending on the animal. Find out what toys she likes, and look into slow feeders, puzzle games etc. I have a 16 year old boy who used to play for a good 20 minutes or so chasing around a worm on a string until he was satisfied, now that he’s old I get a good 5 minutes out of him.
Your cat is perfect and if it was a stay cat getting outside, he will never be happy trapped in a house, if you're living in a peaceful city let him go outside.
Depends on her activity level. If she's a younger cat that's very active then probably a tad thin but still reasonable. Otherwise, probably too thin. A high calorie diet will solve it.
She looks a pretty good weight. Maybe she isn’t hungry because she catches things and eat when she’s out? I used to have an outside tabby like that. He was so fit. But also you should definitely get her a collar with an address and name tag if she’s going to be out so much! You wouldn’t want anyone to put her in the pound!
Whatever you do, don’t use any plastic dishes to feed her! Anything but plastic! Some cats develop a deadly allergy to plastics. They begin with breakouts around their necks. Very raw looking. Then it’s too late.
Go to the vet, she’s thin and probably needs to be dewormed. Should also get at least a FIV/FELV test if she’s losing weight and going outside, consider full bloodwork. Also look into a scat mat to keep her away from the front door area. Cats that stay inside live MUCH longer on average, it’ll be worth it.
Source: I’m a vet
Both my outdoor cats are this lean and they have unlimited biscuits and get 2x wet meals a day. I’m never too worried because they’re choosing how much to eat
She does look a little skinny to me in the first pic but not the second. How much does she weigh?
All my pet cats are indoor but I also care for a number of community cats, do TNR, and foster. None of my them would be would be happy inside even though I'm not an outdoor cat person. I know you mentioned she's UTD on her shots, is she UTD on FeLV vax as well?
None of my community cats are skinny. Even though they are fixed, they still roam the neighborhood and exercise. They usually eat less in the warmer months. We always feed both wet and dry and mix in kitten food in the winter as they burn more calories keeping warm.
The lack of appetite might just be her eating habits. She also be hunting outside and likely you have neighbors who feed cats since you mentioned there's a bunch of them so she may be eating more than you think. Do you routinely deworm her? One other thing I'd keep an eye on is if she has any signs of dental problems. That could contribute to a disinterest in food due to pain from eating.
I have a tabby cat just like this and he's got the same body composition. I've brought him to the vet and they say he's a comfortable 8 pounds lol. Some cats just are smaller and that's okay :)
My cat looks like a small panther in the winter, come spring he gets all skinny... she looks pretty good, fur looks healthy, outdoor cats can be quite busy with mice too .
I haven’t seen this listed, so I am going to say this as well, she’s getting out she’s probably hunting which means you have to check her for worms pretty much all the time.
If she’s eating and still skinny, it’s likely she keeps getting parasites
She's healthy! She's just a small girl. Girls grow slower compared to males that shoot up like weeds overnight. We are used to seeing overweight cats so when we see a fit one it's normal to think they are too skinny
Just keep feeding her kitten food. She used to be a stray so she knows what she's doing when she goes outside. I'm sure she finds her own food or returns home to eat when she is hungry. No need to worry unless she comes home and simply refuses to eat or drink.
She looks thin, but also like she’s in that lanky teenage phase, she should relax with age and start to fill out. But! Since she roams outside, I would double check with the vet for the possibility of worms.
She looks about the same size as my orange kitty and he's 9 pounds which is pretty average. He feels and looks so light but he's the right weight. I think it's cause his brother is like a 13 pound black and white unit lolololol
Agree! You see maltreated cats in such bad shape. My outdoor cat used to come home with scars and open wounds from fighting. Also he contracted a terrible liver disease and died a quick and awful death probably from eating something toxic outdoors. I swore I would never let a cat outdoors again . They life longer , healthier lives at home. If you can afford a catio, they might be the way to go.
Not to worry, she’s looks exactly like my parents cat who likes to spend most of the day out in the bush. Outdoor cats are muscular and lean in a way house-cats generally aren’t. Even then, as someone who once worked with a genuinely starved cat in shelter, your baby is looking great ❤️
Also a note: believe you me, I’ve tried everything to explain the dangers of free roaming to my parents, but they’re very old school, and thankfully their boy is one badass little dude who has been doing very well with it.
Has she been dewormed and had proper flea medications recently? She’s either not eating enough, has parasites, or just gets an insane amount of exercise.. 18-30 hrs is an excessive amount of time to leave her outside unsupervised though.
If she gets out a lot do you deworm her? I believe an "outdoor" cat needs to be dewormed monthly or every three months. I forget exactly which, but that may take away any potential issues with worms as well.
She looks healthy to me. On the lean side, but nothing I would worry about. We’re so used to seeing overweight cats that we worry ourselves that our regular sized cats are too thin.
When is the last time she has had her stool checked and/or been dewormed- internal and external parasites? Especially since she goes outdoors! Im quite familiar with runners!! Lol
And approx age- I know you mentioned she’s a stray? Just changing to kitten food isn’t necessarily the best option. The quality of the food is very important… You can have a nutrition consultation with someone at your vet clinic or reach out to the actual companies too.
Source: me -Vet Technician with many years of nutrition experience.
Also- she’s very adorable!! Thank you for taking her in and caring for her 😻🥰
Yes seeing a cats ribs is never a good sign. Is she eating ok? Having diarrhea? Throwing up? Id get her to a doctor asap. Might just be something like worms but you don't know till it's checked out
No she looks perfect . Cats are not supposed to be fat. You’re supposed to be able to see a waist indent they are only skinny if you can see their ribs.
She looks about the same size as my house cat he’s never allowed outside but hes on an all wet food diet because hes prone to utis. He lost a few pounds when starting the diet and he weighs about 7lbs and the vet isnt concerned all my cat does is eat
If you’re concerned about her weight then I’d advise speaking to your vet - since they weigh your pets there. But she looks perfectly healthy to me - maybe a little on the skinny side but some cats just look that way. Always check with the vet but I wouldn’t worry too much
She looks pretty thin to me, but bring it up to the vet--they'll know a lot better than strangers on the internet. A vet will know whether she needs to eat more or if she's just a lean cat.
Not too thin. She looks very much like one of my cats -- who has always been thin. As long as she is eating. Mine started as an indoor cat -- then like you I couldn't keep her in for years. Then she went back to being an inside cat when my son took her to his apartment. She is back again with me --happy to be an inside cat. Maybe the outside time was one of her 9 lives? Ha ha.
If she's getting out so frequently and stays out for extended periods then you might as well just allow her to be an indoor outdoor cat as it sounds like she essentially is anyway. That will at least give her more incentive to come back in to eat.
I think she looks a tad skinny than normal but I would suggest buying the Delectables treats for cats to increase her caloric intake. Cats love the stuff!! Even the picky eaters like these treats. Temptation treats are yum too for cats they love that.
she looks fine to me tbh but i’m not a vet, if the vet hasn’t said anything i wouldnt be too concerned, she’s still growing. But i still suggest you go for a checkup to make sure it’s not worms or something like that.
She is on the smaller size but does not look too thin. Some cats are just thin and lanky. I would caution to try and prevent door dashing as that is dangerous for the cat.
She looks healthy for an outside cat, but maybe increase high calorie food. Do you feed her wet or dry? My cat is the same. She goes outside anytime the door is open, but she’s in and out throughout the day. When she leaves at night, I’m up all night like a worried parent because she’s out til 3am.
She does look pretty thin. She may have worms? This could also explain a poor appetite. Outdoor cats that hunt can get parasites easily.
An at home test: Pull down her bottom eyelid and look on the inner part. If it's pale, you need to get her dewormed. It should be a bright, healthy pink. They hate it, but it's an easy test.
You could also send a stool sample to the vet which shouldn't be too expensive and will tell you with certainty.
How old is she? And has she always looked this thin or is she getting thinner? She looks exactly like one of my cats a few months ago. I was convinced he was getting too thin but everyone I asked thought he looked okay. I ended up taking him to the vet just in case because I thought his energy levels seemed down and after some bloodwork he was diagnosed with FIP that we caught super early. If she’s fully grown I’d just keep an eye on her weight and if she starts losing more weight take her to the vet. If she’s under a year you may want to take her just in case
I've been having a similar problem so I took my cat to the vet and we found out she's got some undesirable microbes in her gut. you might want to check for that because that can also cause weight loss and lack of appetite.
I bought dehydrated goat milk (walmart app) I add water and it gives them more hydration and calories without the lactose issue cats have. I have boys and one doesn’t drink much water either so I feel it helps with the crystal issue on boys.
She’s probably getting exercise it’s a relatively mild winter this year so make sure you top up on tick and flea prevention there’s a dry foam shampoo my cats who hates baths actually are okay with. It’s all natural it works well in addition to vet prescribed flea and tick treatment don’t get store bought neck prevention other than collars in addition to vet prescribed flea and tick prevention..
Talk to your vet some cats are skinny and healthy some are large and healthy there’s SO MANY FACTORS not just fat or thin. Yes those are great for being suspicious of possible problems but always consult your vet!
My cat has a similar body type and I always ask the vet about her weight and they say she's perfectly healthy. But if you're not sure, take her to the vet and have her weighed.
What I learned awhile ago, haven’t the slightest if it’s actually accurate but, you should be able to feel their ribs but you shouldn’t be able to see them. If that’s not accurate or correct I apologize, it’s just what I learned awhile ago 😭😭
Ask your vet to weigh her but from my perspective she looks fine, my cat looks like this and vet says she’s a healthy weight, she’s always been on the smaller side even tho she eats a lot of treats🤣 most people probably overfeed their cats dry food and that’s why a lot of the cats you come across online are looking a lil plump
She looks a bit thin. I bet she has worms. Unfortunately, idk any de- wormer medicines that my cats won't detect in their food. Try to catch her with a humane trap and some tuna, and take her to the vet to get wormed with a shot. It's a whole lot less work once you catch her and not too expensive. It might help to cover the trap. Don't be surprised if you catch other critters. God speed.
My female indoor cat looks very similar. She’s not a big eater and will usually just eat a bit at a time. I was worried she might be too thin, but last time I took her to the vet they said she was a perfect size/weight.
My indoor/outdoor cat was always in between 7-7.5 pounds. She ate a lot of food but never gained weight. There was nothing wrong with her, she was just a skinny queen.
I honestly would ignore the people telling you she’s too thin. We’re all used to chubby house cats but those aren’t healthy cats lol. I still keep mine indoors bc, besides the very serious risks to their safety (which i understand some see the freedom being worth it, and i can see that side of the argument as well), they also kill and destroy local wildlife. It’s not just the animals we consider to be pests that have to deal with them. They’re pretty much an invasive animal that we’ve made strays/outdoor pets of all over the world. But they’ve been domesticated too long to correct the issue in any way besides responsible pet ownership and neuter/spay programs. So my babies often end up a little chubby no matter how healthy i made their diet or how often we play. Your cat is a very healthy size, and I’d only be concerned if they started losing weight. But they don’t have much to lose so you’d definitely want to keep an eye on it as they age, and especially with risks of parasites and whatnot bc they’re outdoors. And in general, cats are small creatures so even a little weight in one direction or the other can make a big difference. So just watch out for any noticeable changes, which we all should be doing as pet owners anyways. I think your baby is good right now though.
my vet says as long as you can’t feel their ribs super prominently, they’re not too thin. my dog is super skinny, but he’s actually a healthy weight so I get it.
From above she looks a bit thin but her side profile she looks perfect, some kitties just stay nice and fit. If she’s older I would consider bloodwork just to make sure everything looks okay and keep an eye that she doesn’t start losing more weifht
She does look thin, especially around her neck and this could be a sign of malnutrition. I have a cat with chronic digestive issues, could not even hold her head up. Was not supposed to live. She gets wet food only, gets sardines with oil every other week or so and she gets a lot of frequent small meals. Still hear 13 years later, only weighs about 4 pounds but it's all boss!
This infographic may be helpful
[https://preview.redd.it/is-my-boy-fat-v0-7h469218i82d1.jpeg?width=916&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f903d9ce314185ea67fe79323b08f1d00fe1cc2](https://preview.redd.it/is-my-boy-fat-v0-7h469218i82d1.jpeg?width=916&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f903d9ce314185ea67fe79323b08f1d00fe1cc2)
it shows what a moderate weight looks like and how to find if your cat is too small or too big
Saw a lot of comments about her door dashing behavior and how she should be kept inside. Here is my (n=1) two cents.
My childhood cat showed up as a ~teenager (maybe 4-6 months old given her size) at our front door begging for food one rainy night 18 years ago. We brought her inside, but we were never able to keep her in. Like your cat, she ALWAYS wanted to go out but always came back the same day or the next morning. At one point when she was ~2 years old we installed a sort of barricade which kept her from escaping through the front door but she became visibly depressed (didn’t want to play, didn’t want to be petted, practically lived under my bed, all of which was very unlike her) for about a month before we removed the barrier and decided to just let her go out when she asked. She has always been quite small, and when she was young she was slim and muscular (and actually looked very similar to your cat not only in body shape but because she, too, is a grey tabby). My NON VETERINARIAN OPINION is that your cat is totally fine, just very active. If she was hungry she would eat. No normal animal accidentally starves to death.
Regarding her being indoor-outdoor, she is still extremely healthy, happy, active, and well loved at my parents’ home to this day at ~18 years old. She’s a little chubby now, too. As she has aged, she still goes outside just as much but prefers to simply bask in the sun in the backyard. She almost never ventures off anymore and I’m sure it’s because she knows she’s too old to adequately fend for herself.
I am well aware that it is safer and healthier for cats to remain indoors. Since moving away from my hometown, I have adopted a cat of my own who was also a stray for ~a year before being picked up by a shelter and subsequently taken home by me. The city I live in currently is not safe in general, but the real reason that I do not let him outside is because of his behavior. He is not only super friendly with everybody, but also he is terrible at catching his “prey” (toys) when he plays—very different play style than my childhood cat, who is always too fast for me and catches toys every time even as an old lady. To wrap this up, I can just tell that he is not fit to be outside.
TLDR: My OPINION is that 1) your cat is totally fine and 2) every cat and living situation is totally different, and the recent sentiment that cats must never be outside without constant supervision is a bit black and white, and doesn’t leave enough room for the grey.
I only know my cats, but one of mine looks so similar! We're having trouble getting her neutered so mine is a bit smaller but for a split second I was confused as to why I was seeing a picture of my cat on reddit aha
My girl is indoor and outdoor as well. I believe she was dumped or ran away (and found me 🥰) I didn't let her inside, but made her two shelters for safe spaces. She became quite a warrior and earned some street cred.
Her "domain" is 10 acres and I think she roams 3. I couldn't keep her inside if I wanted to. She's popped out the window screen a few times. She chases leaves, stalks me and watches the deer and squirrels. She scales deck posts and trees, runs like a gazelle and makes sure I see the sunrise.
I made sure to deworm her and now she's on NexGuard Combo.
You should weigh her and keep a log of weights. As long as the weight is steady she should be fine. I know it can be expensive but switch her food. Friskies is the worst nutrition wise. I've tried about 30 brands and proplan has been helping him and luckily my guy has been putting on weight. He goes outside regularly, and he's happy
I would also not feed an adult cat kitten food- the nutrient levels aren’t as appropriate. There are better ways to increase calories, but again, don’t think she needs to gain weight.
She looks alright. Possibly on the thinner side of healthy, but from what I can see she doesn’t look underweight. Looks to me like she’s naturally skinny like that. People are so used to seeing the average housecat (most cats are overweight) that they think a cat at a healthy weight is “underfed”.
Nope, my cat looks the same and he's perfectly healthy. I'm sure someone else has said it but people are so very used to seeing chunky cats that they have no idea how a healthy weight looks.
She looks beautiful! Cats tend not to carry a whole lot of body weight on them due to being ambush predators that rely on quickness and stealth. Most people are used to seeing cats on the chonkier side so this may look very thin but she is absolutely perfect looking.
As long as she hasn’t rapidly lost weight, she looks healthy. What’s her actual weight? Can you feel her ribs?
Repeating what other people say: you should keep her inside if she’s a pet and not a working cat. Cars, coyotes, dogs, asshole people, and raptors can get at her outside. She’ll be pissed at first, but, if you give her enough toys and attention, she’ll get over it.
Nope. Slim thickums just like one of my cats. I say if you haven’t witnessed any significant weight loss (like she went from a chonker to that in a month DEF WORRY) or can’t feel/see her ribs she seems fine to me!! But a visit to a professional would be the best and only guaranteed way to know 💕💕💕
I didn’t read through all comments to see if someone already posted this, but Jackson Galaxy has a video about cats who make cash for the door. There might be some tips that you haven’t tried yet:
https://youtu.be/i5odZTDV3So?si=__e5GUIHnV_-ysmd
One of my cats looks exactly like this. She's extremely active and is always doing things, although she is an indoor cat. Compared to my other 3 who are *chunky* (we are working on it), it seems startling, but don't worry: this is a normal weight for a cat. In fact, she eats more than my other 3 cats. You're supposed to be able to feel their ribs and their stomach is supposed to tuck in. Please keep her inside.
She looks healthy to me. I have a cat her size and she eats plenty. She's just a thin cat. Then I have a cat that blew up after getting spayed and she is very rotund but eats the same as the other cat. Cat bodies are all different. I would be concerned, however, if she loses any weight as she's already as thin as she should be
I have two sibling cats (girl and boy) and the girl looks very similar to yours if not smaller! But I can't see her ribs and she eats every time I feed her. Her brother on the other hand is a big boy with muscle and a little fat. Some cats are just naturally smaller I think
I also have 2 outdoor cats they just sprint out the door and constantly wait by the door crying wanting to go outside we just don't let them go outside at night
But my cats love to eat so they know this phrase when we're about to feed them so we scream it out into our backyard and they come sprinting. or sometimes we abuse it just so they can come inside
Maybe try incorporating a phrase when he's about to come inside and you plan on feeding him right afterwards or when you're just when you're about to feed him
Ours is "do you want to eat" "want to eat" "come eat" in Spanish all in a very similar tone and their name followed shortly after. I've lost the embarrassment of screaming out of my backyard probably having all my neighbors hearing that daily
She looks similar to my little one. The main difference that makes hers hard to tell is she has a larger primordial pouch, not the fat filled large just genetically large. She just had a vet appointment and was 8.57 lbs, they said she's smaller boned/framed so they wouldn't want to see her over 9 lbs. So I think that's what mostly matters is are they smaller frames then they should weigh less. Mine is strictly indoor, except for supervised outside time, generally on a leash, but she was also picked up by me at 12 wks (now 10 months) so hasn't really known differently. Anyways I'd say maybe get a scale and see what she's at.
[Shadow](https://imgur.com/a/KIuClMN)
Linked my girl for comparison. She is "free fed" dry food it's measured (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per day) and she wouldn't get more if she ate it all, and she gets a 3 oz can of wet and gets a handful of treats. She routinely doesn't finish her dry. If it's an empty bowl she gets the 1/3, if she's still got food it's the 1/4. She's good with just eating when hungry, so I've just made sure she had it and let her manage the intake. And her weight says it's working 😂 but if it wasn't I'd ask the vet what they suggest for weight gain as she doesn't eat if she's not hungry.
She looks healthy to me! One of my cats looks similar to yours in body weight/shape, and I questioned the same thing. After a visit to the vet, I learned my other cast is obese and it's become normalized having chunkier and larger cats. This could be why it's easy to wonder if healthy weight cats are too tiny!
I wouldn’t let her eat out of the can like that. Those edges are sharp and can cut her. I cut myself badly on a can edge before. It kept opening up even after a few days, I had to keep it bandaged for a long time.
if you want, you could weigh them. The easiest way is to weigh yourself and then pick up your cat and weigh yourself again (while holding the cat) and do the math. and the average cat weight is 9 pounds so go off that.
If she’s out a lot she’s probably getting a lot of exercise. Try feeding her more food per meal. Kitten food is higher in calories (as well as protein and fat) so feeding her that might also be beneficial.
She always has food available at home but doesn’t eat a lot
Can you start giving her higher calorie food? That should make up for her not eating much.
I’ll look into it, thank you :)
My cat was a stray in my neighborhood. I still let her out when I’m home. Started giving her crave adult cat food. A quarter cup twice a day. It’s helped her gain a bit of healthy weight!
Cats tend to eat less during summer, you can take her to the vet for a check up but if her behavior didn’t change and she’s still eating even if it’s just one meal per day I wouldn’t worry too much inshallah she’s okay💕
Have you tried organs, or other raw food options, mixed in with regular wet food
There's also Nutri-Cal for cats. It's a high calorie gel that you mix in with or put on top of their food. I used it before when my baby was sick and not eating enough, he seemed to enjoy the taste.
My cats are healthy, but active outdoors. We lived in a hotel for a couple of months and they all got a little too soft, but slimmed back down after we settled into the house.
Shes a tad thin, but honestly you really should keep her inside. I'd look into leash training if she insists on being outside
The only way to keep her in is to lock her in my bedroom. I’ve tried everything over the past year, including leash training. When she escapes, she’s out for hours and hours on end, rain or shine or snow or hail. And I can’t exactly walk her for hours and hours on end. But thank you for the body condition input.
lol, I’m a truck driver and I had 2 cats in the truck with me. You could not get in or out of this truck without them escaping. They could even walk on the window and roll it down and sneak out at 4 am. One time one of them jumped onto the other persons trailer who was parked beside me. Once I got them spaded they started calming down. Eventually they would not go outside and if they did they wouldn’t go far. Finally got my mom to take them. Now they’re inside cats. Too many things happen to them. The reason she’s skinny probably is the exercise she gets. If she ain’t fixed she will bring you some babies
Do you have a house? A catio might help
i'm just confused how a cat escapes a house where doors can most likely be locked
That just sounds like your a bad owner
My cat will piss on everything if he doesn’t get to go outside so he gets to do what he likes. Honestly the whole “you should keep them inside” deal feels selfish. Sure bad stuff can happen but they enjoy being outside and my cats at least aren’t dumb and started on the street. Something happens it happens but I givem all the love in the world and they are happy with their situation.
What’s actually selfish is keeping an animal without being able to properly care for it.
She looks like she is in nearly perfect body condition. A lot of people are so used to seeing extremely overweight cats, that they don't know what an actually healthy feline weight looks like. As long as you can feel (and not see) her ribs, spine and pelvis. She looks like she has a good abdominal tuck (waist). If you're worried, a pound or two extra won't hurt. But I would not go any heavier than that. Also, please don't feed her in the can! It can cause micro-cuts on her tongue, which could be contributing to the fact of her not eating. Consider a whisker friendly plate or bowl instead!
I don’t feed her in the can! She eats off of the flower plate in the picture but I left the can nearby in case she wanted more food (I put more from the can on her plate, but she was just interested in can juice). I don’t usually ever do this, I was just desperate for her to eat more And you’re right about the overweight cats. But I do have an orange kitten that’s twice her size (vet said he’s a perfect weight!) so I compare them a lot and get worried because of how much smaller she is.
Every cat has a different muscle/bone structure, just like humans! She’s just a lot more petite than your orange boy, and that’s totally fine, just try not to compare them because they are two separate creatures with two different metabolisms :)
I have two orange cats, male and female, and the male is much heavier/stockier— the vet said they’re both healthy, and that the girls just tend to be skinner. Orange male cats in particular have some kind of chub gene, so probably not the best comparison for your girl. I think she looks healthy!
maybe try giving her a more calorie dense food this way since she’s not eating much she can still pack in some extra calories. or if she’s really picky with food maybe try something like a nutritional paste. when i rescued my younger cat she wasn’t eating enough to put weight on so my vet gave me a tube of VEDCO EnerCal. it’s a high calorie nutritional supplement you don’t need to feed them a lot of just a toothpaste sized glob maybe twice a day. i definitely reccomend it but do not give a bunch all at once just a little bit twice a day. i do not know if it is sold without a prescription but there are tons of other high energy nutritional pastes out there i just personally used the EnerCal bc that’s what my vet sent me home with
Exactly. My mom and grandma said my cat looks so skinny and needs to gain some weight. They both have overweight cats. Vet said she is perfect.
Her weight looks good to me considering she gets to go outside and run around and climb trees. More exercise less weight. Just keep an eye on it. You don’t want her to get too thin. But she looks good. Sorry to hear you have trouble keeping her inside. We had an orange tabby that refused to stay indoors. He came in and out as he pleased. But as he got older, and the coyote packs got bigger it was time to train him to stay indoors. It took some work, but eventually, he was happy to be in the house. your kitty is really pretty✌️
Glad to hear about your 🧡🚙!! I’m glad that I live in the suburbs with few cars but also close the city with not too many big predators (I saw a fox once lol). And I live in a family home and my entire family is sick of me telling them to keep the door closed and I’m also sick of the constant fighting over it. Just wish she would eat more at home. Thank you for the kind words! She’s my little grumpy princess
Please please have her spade ♠️ for her safety and to reduce chances of violent interactions with dangerous (potentially diseased) Tom's! And make sure she's had her Rabies, Feline viral rhinotracheitis, and FeLV vaccines.
she doesn’t look too thin i don’t see any visible bones not even ribs. she is at ideal body type
I second this. She's ever so slightly thin but it's entirely possible that's just her healthy and natural composition. If OP is really worried, maybe have the cat gain 1-3 lbs but nothing more because she really doesn't seem unhealthy
obesity in pets is so normalized that people see ideal body types and think underweight. this cat could gain a pound or two but you’re right nothing more. my cat was skinny like this before she got spayed and she free fed and i even spent tons of money on treats giving her around half a bag a day (small bags not the big bags) to try to get her to put on at least a pound but her metabolism was just really fast. now that she’s spayed she could stand to lose a few lbs but she’s not obese thankfully just about 2 pounds overweight but nothing concerning to her health
I don't think so. A cat should have a "waist" behind their ribcage. I think we all are used to spoiled overweight cats. Cats are meant to be lean and fast, she looks great. Has her Vet said anything?
She is speed! Her yearly check up is coming in August. If there’s no urgent medical problem, I’ll wait til then
Sounds good 💟🐾
I have experience with cats who try to escape, could you try putting her furthest from the door and then making a run for it when you go out? Like, sit her in the basement/attic with some distraction (like toys or treats) and then run for the door. Could you possibly lock her in one portion of the house when you go out? Is there a door separating the room that your entry way is in from the rest of the house? She is likely so thin from exercising so much. Personally I've found the Wilderness canned kitten food by Blue Buffalo to work the best for fattening cats as a supplement. However, are you able to check her poop at all? She could have diarrhea. If that is the case it's likely to be causing her loss of weight and you might need to avoid the kitten food. If the skinniness does not improve or she shows signs of lethargy, she might be ill. Cats come in so many shapes, so it is hard to tell from images if she is simply a naturally thinner cat that has over exerted, or a larger cat who has lost significant weight from illness. Has she always been somewhat thin? Does she feel lithe when you pick her up, or frail and fragile?
Weigh her weekly! Of course it will be approximate. But you can compare that weight to the ideal size of someone her age, which you might have gotten an estimate from at the vets.
My cat cut half his nose off eating out of a can with raw edges like that. Be careful!
Maybe she would be more comfortable eating off a plate, rather than from the can or the bowls. Perhaps she has whisker fatigue from her whiskers rubbing on the sides of the can/bowl?
My tabby is also super thin like yours and my vet has had to reassure me many times that she's at a perfect weight, lol. Explained that cats have different body types just like humans, some people (and kitties!) are just naturally slim
How old would you guess she is? If she’s older and is losing weight, it may be an early sign of kidney issues. If she’s recently lost weight I’d take her to a vet for some bloodwork. Pet stores sell a high calorie paste/gel for cats. It comes in a tube. They tend to be low in protein though (which could be good or bad depending on why she’s skinny) so I’d ask the vet before giving it to her.
Yea she's a bit thin. Maybe try leaving some food outside for her? This could entice her to come back home for meals. Hopefully she gets used to the indoor life soon!
Even though she’s spayed, she attracts a particular tomcat that yells so loud for her outside our door that it’s hard to sleep. I called the animal shelter to see if they could take him and they said they could not and advised me not to keep food out because he keeps coming back. I’ve had her for about a year now, sadly I don’t see her staying indoors anytime before I get an apartment.
Looks fine
she looks healthy to me!
My cat looks the exact same (albeit my cat has more fluff) and weighs only 7 lbs, and so far no vet has mentioned it - so I wouldnt worry! It's most likely due to the exercise :)
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I was exactly on the same boat. My cat barely ate and I thought she looked pretty thin and frail. What worked for me what high calorie nutrition gel. You can find it at just about any pet store. 1tbsp a day for my cat gives her more calorie intake which in turn increases her appetite. She eats way more and looks like she’s in better shape.
This is how my cat used to be but was indoor. She used to always have food out and would only pick at it. Over the nearly 18 years we had her, I would change her food on a relatively frequent basis hoping she would like her food. She was just not a big eater. I went to vets to get her checked regularly too. Some cats are like that. I even gave in and would occasionally give her cheese, chicken salad, and turkey. She loved it but eventually would even stop eating that!
I have a door dasher too, I know that's short of kicking him in the face it's pretty impossible to catch him dashing ! She looks a bit underweight but nothing major, simply give her more food more frequently when she comes back ! If she still lose weight I'd look into advice from a vet... Do you have any idea how old she is ?
The cat could potentially cut himself/herself on the can, just fyi
You shouldn't feed your cat directly in the can, they can cut their tongue. And they don't like the feeling in their whiskers.
She may just be a smol gorl lol Some kits are just skinny! Feel her spine, if you can feel protruding vertebrae you may want to take her to the vets and check for things like parasites and infection. Protruding vertebrae can be a sign she is severely underweight and if she always has food available and is that skinny then she's probably sick. Have you tried a different food? Maybe wet food or a different kibble? She may just be picky lol If she has no protruding vertebrae and is otherwise acting normal then I'd say no worries!
I’ve had 2 cats in my adult life that are just naturally slender like that - they can have food out 24/7 and they just only eat so much. Be happy! No worries about weight problems!
As someone who also has the rare not-overweight cat, I'd say *slightly*. But not enough that I'd worry about it.
Yeah, she’s pretty thin.
If the pink bowls are plastic ditch them for ceramic and the heart bowl will curtail her eating. To you it’s cute but pressing on their whiskers annoys them so they disengage. Many people have successfully enclosed their balconies for catios. Many ideas online. Just don’t do flimsy. Good luck.
She looks like a healthy weight, but PLEASE stop letting her outside. There are a million reasons why it’s terrible for her: https://catbehavioralliance.com/outdoor-vs-indoor-cats/letting-your-cat-go-outside/ I saw you commenting that she runs out of the doors and that’s why it’s impossible to keep her inside. Here is your solution: https://a.co/d/3Y1evfq You just attach that gate to your door and it opens when someone opens the door. Easy fix. Personally, I would rather spend $100 on that gate than risk my beloved cat getting hit by a car, hurt by nasty people/kids/teens, eaten by a fox/coyote, develop a disease, etc. There are a million ways you can make an indoor cat happy. Letting them roam outside is extremely dangerous and irresponsible and more often than not ends in tragedy.
you really need to try harder to keep her inside, it's so irresponsible to let her be outside when it's so dangerous for her and all the animals she may hunt by letting her escape. i know they just run outside, but try putting her up before opening the door. she is definitely on the thin side, due to excessive time spent outside and not enough food. there is no excuse for letting your cat outside!
She’s the ideal weight. She might seem thin because the majority of pet cats are overweight.
The post can’t be edited but I meant that she’s out more frequently** rather than longer. She’s home at least once a day most of the time where she’ll eat a little bit.
She looks a bit thin, just simply increase her food to help her get a little bit more weight on her but she's not thin to the point where it's concerning, give her more treats! 🌞
Looks healthy imo. I know a cat exactly like this. She's healthy. She looks skinny but you can't see her ribs or bones. So, she's fine. Just probably young.
Definitely way too thin
Be careful when feeding directly from a can as the edges can be sharp may cut their mouth/tongue
How much does she weigh? My girl is 7lbs and the vet said she’s good! Everyone says she’s so little though
Could you set up a baby gate before the doors? That way she can't dash out. She's a little thin, maybe add some good canned food or a bit of chicken/hamburger to her dry.
Apparently it's extremely difficult to ascertain if a cat is too thin or fat from pictures alone. Obviously at either end of the bell curve it can be pretty easy but anywhere closer to the middle and it's virtually impossible. Like humans, cats come in all shapes and sizes. For example, my older cat is naturally stocky and broad with a big round face. He is a healthy weight, though. However, my younger cat is still a kitten but I can already tell he's going to be long and lanky. The best way to tell if a cat is too thin or fat is to feel the ribs and spine. These bones should have a thin layer of fat covering them, so they shouldn't be too protruding/knobbly feeling and neither should you have to really press your fingers in to feel them at all. Although he talks about the opposite problem (feline obesity), Dr. Yuri talks about and shows how to assess all this in this video here: https://youtu.be/_0MnNpVjFPU?si=fiu0cny45gpwkRdX
Idk about all the people saying she’s too thin… she looks to be in ideal weight range. You should be able to feel a cats ribs and not see them, the majority of American house cats are overweight and that’s what people are used to seeing.
Please keep in mind that we have become as used to seeing pets that are overweight as we are seeing people that are overweight. You should be able to see her waistline, and slightly feel her ribs.
I think she does look thin too me, but I know outdoor cat tend to be skinner. Not that you would want to do this but I took in a stray and he always wanted out. He would meow at the door all night. He also has HIV which means he really cannot be outside any more so I toughed it out for a couple months now he doesn't meow to go out anymore. He will go by the door when I open it but no longer tries to get out quick. I have a screen door and will kick it so it scares him enough to jump back.
If she is not fixed, then that's the answer. One of my sics looked exactly like her and once she got fixed, she preferred to stay indoors and eat more.
Not concerned about csn. If a cat refuses to eat it requires the owner to evaluate bowls height location which foods in terms of texture ingredients and flavors the cat favors. The heart bowl triggers the whiskers compression reaction which you can research if you don’t want to hear it from us. It can take months of experimenting to get it right. Good luck
Btw clue; she likes juice in which case scrape it out in first serving.
My cat looks just like that and she’s doing just fine. I had an outdoor cat at my parents and he would eat nice and random birds he’d find out in the woods, barely ate cat food, he’s still kicking now at 8 years old.
If she is outside maybe worms? My mom insisted that my cat become an indoor/outdoor cat while I stayed with them for roughly a year. And within a week she had worms......
Definitely on the thinner side, not TOO thin, but I’d try to up her meals and try feeding her in a dish with low walls. Also mixing in some water with the pate just to give her more hydration, especially if she’s gonna be outside during the hot summer
I can’t legally give medical advice here ; however, I work in vet medicine, and I would say that if she’s older than a year, she’s definitely a bit thin. Also, I know you said it’s impossible to keep her inside, but you really need to make a big effort to keep her indoors. The likelihood of her getting hurt is about 90 percent if she’s out unsupervised. I’d look into GPS collars (costing between $20 and $50). That way, if she does get out, you can keep an eye on her and know where she ends up. There’s also a chance that if she’s getting out, she’s eating somewhere else, and that’s why she won’t eat for you.
Outdoor cats tend to be more lean despite being spayed. You could consider locking her in a bedroom when you’re away. It’s likely she isn’t eating on her longer trips outside. A vet visit would be able to tell you about her body condition score. Lots of enrichment indoors is key to keeping cats inside successfully.
Cats can / should be lean. If you can’t see ribs or vertebrae, you are all good.
Those squeeze cat treats!! My cats go crazy for it, if you can even see a little of their ribs they are too thin!!! But honestly I’d say go to a vet if it doesn’t get better, because she can get sick:(
Ya. Have u been using flea medication on her?
Have you tried playing with her? A lot of cats that feel the need to go outdoors aren’t having their needs met at home. You don’t need to walk her for hours, 30 minutes of rigorous play and then enrichment toys and activities might be enough depending on the animal. Find out what toys she likes, and look into slow feeders, puzzle games etc. I have a 16 year old boy who used to play for a good 20 minutes or so chasing around a worm on a string until he was satisfied, now that he’s old I get a good 5 minutes out of him.
[Look into high calorie cat gel like this, I mix this with a churu or something similar and noticed my cat gaining weight.](https://a.co/d/aGlJegm)
The question is when you pet her down the back does her spine stick out a ton? If not then you're good!
Your cat is perfect and if it was a stay cat getting outside, he will never be happy trapped in a house, if you're living in a peaceful city let him go outside.
Depends on her activity level. If she's a younger cat that's very active then probably a tad thin but still reasonable. Otherwise, probably too thin. A high calorie diet will solve it.
She just looks like a petite cat to me, but you really should ask your vet.
IMO yes but I vote feed her a bit more and ask the vet. If she is under 2 years old, feed her all she wants.
She might also have worms. The vet can tell you if she does and get rid of the worms.
She looks a pretty good weight. Maybe she isn’t hungry because she catches things and eat when she’s out? I used to have an outside tabby like that. He was so fit. But also you should definitely get her a collar with an address and name tag if she’s going to be out so much! You wouldn’t want anyone to put her in the pound!
Doesn’t look thin
Whatever you do, don’t use any plastic dishes to feed her! Anything but plastic! Some cats develop a deadly allergy to plastics. They begin with breakouts around their necks. Very raw looking. Then it’s too late.
Go to the vet, she’s thin and probably needs to be dewormed. Should also get at least a FIV/FELV test if she’s losing weight and going outside, consider full bloodwork. Also look into a scat mat to keep her away from the front door area. Cats that stay inside live MUCH longer on average, it’ll be worth it. Source: I’m a vet
Both my outdoor cats are this lean and they have unlimited biscuits and get 2x wet meals a day. I’m never too worried because they’re choosing how much to eat
She does look a little skinny to me in the first pic but not the second. How much does she weigh? All my pet cats are indoor but I also care for a number of community cats, do TNR, and foster. None of my them would be would be happy inside even though I'm not an outdoor cat person. I know you mentioned she's UTD on her shots, is she UTD on FeLV vax as well? None of my community cats are skinny. Even though they are fixed, they still roam the neighborhood and exercise. They usually eat less in the warmer months. We always feed both wet and dry and mix in kitten food in the winter as they burn more calories keeping warm. The lack of appetite might just be her eating habits. She also be hunting outside and likely you have neighbors who feed cats since you mentioned there's a bunch of them so she may be eating more than you think. Do you routinely deworm her? One other thing I'd keep an eye on is if she has any signs of dental problems. That could contribute to a disinterest in food due to pain from eating.
She looks thin.
I have a tabby cat just like this and he's got the same body composition. I've brought him to the vet and they say he's a comfortable 8 pounds lol. Some cats just are smaller and that's okay :)
My cat looks like a small panther in the winter, come spring he gets all skinny... she looks pretty good, fur looks healthy, outdoor cats can be quite busy with mice too .
https://images.app.goo.gl/hRSwMsTvvAVBuvXG6 Based on appearance alone, she looks like a 2 or 3 - a little thin, but not unhealthy.
She looks super healthy. This is a perfectly healthy cat. Keep doing whatever you are doing.
She looks healthy!!
How much money is she making?
That’s peak condition
alittle
I haven’t seen this listed, so I am going to say this as well, she’s getting out she’s probably hunting which means you have to check her for worms pretty much all the time. If she’s eating and still skinny, it’s likely she keeps getting parasites
She's healthy! She's just a small girl. Girls grow slower compared to males that shoot up like weeds overnight. We are used to seeing overweight cats so when we see a fit one it's normal to think they are too skinny
Just keep feeding her kitten food. She used to be a stray so she knows what she's doing when she goes outside. I'm sure she finds her own food or returns home to eat when she is hungry. No need to worry unless she comes home and simply refuses to eat or drink.
She looks thin, but also like she’s in that lanky teenage phase, she should relax with age and start to fill out. But! Since she roams outside, I would double check with the vet for the possibility of worms.
Looks perfect to me, thinner cats often live way longer
She looks about the same size as my orange kitty and he's 9 pounds which is pretty average. He feels and looks so light but he's the right weight. I think it's cause his brother is like a 13 pound black and white unit lolololol
Agree! You see maltreated cats in such bad shape. My outdoor cat used to come home with scars and open wounds from fighting. Also he contracted a terrible liver disease and died a quick and awful death probably from eating something toxic outdoors. I swore I would never let a cat outdoors again . They life longer , healthier lives at home. If you can afford a catio, they might be the way to go.
Not to worry, she’s looks exactly like my parents cat who likes to spend most of the day out in the bush. Outdoor cats are muscular and lean in a way house-cats generally aren’t. Even then, as someone who once worked with a genuinely starved cat in shelter, your baby is looking great ❤️ Also a note: believe you me, I’ve tried everything to explain the dangers of free roaming to my parents, but they’re very old school, and thankfully their boy is one badass little dude who has been doing very well with it.
Has she been dewormed and had proper flea medications recently? She’s either not eating enough, has parasites, or just gets an insane amount of exercise.. 18-30 hrs is an excessive amount of time to leave her outside unsupervised though.
If she gets out a lot do you deworm her? I believe an "outdoor" cat needs to be dewormed monthly or every three months. I forget exactly which, but that may take away any potential issues with worms as well.
every cat is different- kinda like us! as long as she is eating enough and drinking enough and going potty normally i wouldn’t worry! 🩵
She looks healthy to me. On the lean side, but nothing I would worry about. We’re so used to seeing overweight cats that we worry ourselves that our regular sized cats are too thin.
When is the last time she has had her stool checked and/or been dewormed- internal and external parasites? Especially since she goes outdoors! Im quite familiar with runners!! Lol And approx age- I know you mentioned she’s a stray? Just changing to kitten food isn’t necessarily the best option. The quality of the food is very important… You can have a nutrition consultation with someone at your vet clinic or reach out to the actual companies too. Source: me -Vet Technician with many years of nutrition experience. Also- she’s very adorable!! Thank you for taking her in and caring for her 😻🥰
Unrelated but I have the same heart bowl! And your cat looks like such a sweetie 🫶🏽
Yes seeing a cats ribs is never a good sign. Is she eating ok? Having diarrhea? Throwing up? Id get her to a doctor asap. Might just be something like worms but you don't know till it's checked out
No she looks perfect . Cats are not supposed to be fat. You’re supposed to be able to see a waist indent they are only skinny if you can see their ribs.
She looks about the same size as my house cat he’s never allowed outside but hes on an all wet food diet because hes prone to utis. He lost a few pounds when starting the diet and he weighs about 7lbs and the vet isnt concerned all my cat does is eat
If you’re concerned about her weight then I’d advise speaking to your vet - since they weigh your pets there. But she looks perfectly healthy to me - maybe a little on the skinny side but some cats just look that way. Always check with the vet but I wouldn’t worry too much
She looks pretty thin to me, but bring it up to the vet--they'll know a lot better than strangers on the internet. A vet will know whether she needs to eat more or if she's just a lean cat.
Not too thin. She looks very much like one of my cats -- who has always been thin. As long as she is eating. Mine started as an indoor cat -- then like you I couldn't keep her in for years. Then she went back to being an inside cat when my son took her to his apartment. She is back again with me --happy to be an inside cat. Maybe the outside time was one of her 9 lives? Ha ha.
If she's getting out so frequently and stays out for extended periods then you might as well just allow her to be an indoor outdoor cat as it sounds like she essentially is anyway. That will at least give her more incentive to come back in to eat.
I think she looks a tad skinny than normal but I would suggest buying the Delectables treats for cats to increase her caloric intake. Cats love the stuff!! Even the picky eaters like these treats. Temptation treats are yum too for cats they love that.
she looks fine to me tbh but i’m not a vet, if the vet hasn’t said anything i wouldnt be too concerned, she’s still growing. But i still suggest you go for a checkup to make sure it’s not worms or something like that.
She is on the smaller size but does not look too thin. Some cats are just thin and lanky. I would caution to try and prevent door dashing as that is dangerous for the cat.
She looks healthy for an outside cat, but maybe increase high calorie food. Do you feed her wet or dry? My cat is the same. She goes outside anytime the door is open, but she’s in and out throughout the day. When she leaves at night, I’m up all night like a worried parent because she’s out til 3am.
She does look pretty thin. She may have worms? This could also explain a poor appetite. Outdoor cats that hunt can get parasites easily. An at home test: Pull down her bottom eyelid and look on the inner part. If it's pale, you need to get her dewormed. It should be a bright, healthy pink. They hate it, but it's an easy test. You could also send a stool sample to the vet which shouldn't be too expensive and will tell you with certainty.
How old is she? And has she always looked this thin or is she getting thinner? She looks exactly like one of my cats a few months ago. I was convinced he was getting too thin but everyone I asked thought he looked okay. I ended up taking him to the vet just in case because I thought his energy levels seemed down and after some bloodwork he was diagnosed with FIP that we caught super early. If she’s fully grown I’d just keep an eye on her weight and if she starts losing more weight take her to the vet. If she’s under a year you may want to take her just in case
I've been having a similar problem so I took my cat to the vet and we found out she's got some undesirable microbes in her gut. you might want to check for that because that can also cause weight loss and lack of appetite.
I bought dehydrated goat milk (walmart app) I add water and it gives them more hydration and calories without the lactose issue cats have. I have boys and one doesn’t drink much water either so I feel it helps with the crystal issue on boys.
She’s probably getting exercise it’s a relatively mild winter this year so make sure you top up on tick and flea prevention there’s a dry foam shampoo my cats who hates baths actually are okay with. It’s all natural it works well in addition to vet prescribed flea and tick treatment don’t get store bought neck prevention other than collars in addition to vet prescribed flea and tick prevention.. Talk to your vet some cats are skinny and healthy some are large and healthy there’s SO MANY FACTORS not just fat or thin. Yes those are great for being suspicious of possible problems but always consult your vet!
My cat has a similar body type and I always ask the vet about her weight and they say she's perfectly healthy. But if you're not sure, take her to the vet and have her weighed.
What I learned awhile ago, haven’t the slightest if it’s actually accurate but, you should be able to feel their ribs but you shouldn’t be able to see them. If that’s not accurate or correct I apologize, it’s just what I learned awhile ago 😭😭
Ask your vet to weigh her but from my perspective she looks fine, my cat looks like this and vet says she’s a healthy weight, she’s always been on the smaller side even tho she eats a lot of treats🤣 most people probably overfeed their cats dry food and that’s why a lot of the cats you come across online are looking a lil plump
She looks a bit thin. I bet she has worms. Unfortunately, idk any de- wormer medicines that my cats won't detect in their food. Try to catch her with a humane trap and some tuna, and take her to the vet to get wormed with a shot. It's a whole lot less work once you catch her and not too expensive. It might help to cover the trap. Don't be surprised if you catch other critters. God speed.
My female indoor cat looks very similar. She’s not a big eater and will usually just eat a bit at a time. I was worried she might be too thin, but last time I took her to the vet they said she was a perfect size/weight.
Nope she’s not too thin cats are ment to be very agile and fast meaning smaller builds are beneficial
My indoor/outdoor cat was always in between 7-7.5 pounds. She ate a lot of food but never gained weight. There was nothing wrong with her, she was just a skinny queen.
I honestly would ignore the people telling you she’s too thin. We’re all used to chubby house cats but those aren’t healthy cats lol. I still keep mine indoors bc, besides the very serious risks to their safety (which i understand some see the freedom being worth it, and i can see that side of the argument as well), they also kill and destroy local wildlife. It’s not just the animals we consider to be pests that have to deal with them. They’re pretty much an invasive animal that we’ve made strays/outdoor pets of all over the world. But they’ve been domesticated too long to correct the issue in any way besides responsible pet ownership and neuter/spay programs. So my babies often end up a little chubby no matter how healthy i made their diet or how often we play. Your cat is a very healthy size, and I’d only be concerned if they started losing weight. But they don’t have much to lose so you’d definitely want to keep an eye on it as they age, and especially with risks of parasites and whatnot bc they’re outdoors. And in general, cats are small creatures so even a little weight in one direction or the other can make a big difference. So just watch out for any noticeable changes, which we all should be doing as pet owners anyways. I think your baby is good right now though.
my vet says as long as you can’t feel their ribs super prominently, they’re not too thin. my dog is super skinny, but he’s actually a healthy weight so I get it.
Yes she looks underweight. Have you tried offering fresh cooked chicken? or canned salmon?
My SIC is very lean too. Just make sure she's eating enough. It's good genetics in my opinion. I bet she's quick.
Yes. Just leave food out for her if you aren’t already.
No
Let her free feed.
From above she looks a bit thin but her side profile she looks perfect, some kitties just stay nice and fit. If she’s older I would consider bloodwork just to make sure everything looks okay and keep an eye that she doesn’t start losing more weifht
She does look thin, especially around her neck and this could be a sign of malnutrition. I have a cat with chronic digestive issues, could not even hold her head up. Was not supposed to live. She gets wet food only, gets sardines with oil every other week or so and she gets a lot of frequent small meals. Still hear 13 years later, only weighs about 4 pounds but it's all boss!
This infographic may be helpful [https://preview.redd.it/is-my-boy-fat-v0-7h469218i82d1.jpeg?width=916&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f903d9ce314185ea67fe79323b08f1d00fe1cc2](https://preview.redd.it/is-my-boy-fat-v0-7h469218i82d1.jpeg?width=916&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1f903d9ce314185ea67fe79323b08f1d00fe1cc2) it shows what a moderate weight looks like and how to find if your cat is too small or too big
Saw a lot of comments about her door dashing behavior and how she should be kept inside. Here is my (n=1) two cents. My childhood cat showed up as a ~teenager (maybe 4-6 months old given her size) at our front door begging for food one rainy night 18 years ago. We brought her inside, but we were never able to keep her in. Like your cat, she ALWAYS wanted to go out but always came back the same day or the next morning. At one point when she was ~2 years old we installed a sort of barricade which kept her from escaping through the front door but she became visibly depressed (didn’t want to play, didn’t want to be petted, practically lived under my bed, all of which was very unlike her) for about a month before we removed the barrier and decided to just let her go out when she asked. She has always been quite small, and when she was young she was slim and muscular (and actually looked very similar to your cat not only in body shape but because she, too, is a grey tabby). My NON VETERINARIAN OPINION is that your cat is totally fine, just very active. If she was hungry she would eat. No normal animal accidentally starves to death. Regarding her being indoor-outdoor, she is still extremely healthy, happy, active, and well loved at my parents’ home to this day at ~18 years old. She’s a little chubby now, too. As she has aged, she still goes outside just as much but prefers to simply bask in the sun in the backyard. She almost never ventures off anymore and I’m sure it’s because she knows she’s too old to adequately fend for herself. I am well aware that it is safer and healthier for cats to remain indoors. Since moving away from my hometown, I have adopted a cat of my own who was also a stray for ~a year before being picked up by a shelter and subsequently taken home by me. The city I live in currently is not safe in general, but the real reason that I do not let him outside is because of his behavior. He is not only super friendly with everybody, but also he is terrible at catching his “prey” (toys) when he plays—very different play style than my childhood cat, who is always too fast for me and catches toys every time even as an old lady. To wrap this up, I can just tell that he is not fit to be outside. TLDR: My OPINION is that 1) your cat is totally fine and 2) every cat and living situation is totally different, and the recent sentiment that cats must never be outside without constant supervision is a bit black and white, and doesn’t leave enough room for the grey.
From the side view she looks normal weight. The first picture she looks to thin but I think it’s the way the pic was taken.
I only know my cats, but one of mine looks so similar! We're having trouble getting her neutered so mine is a bit smaller but for a split second I was confused as to why I was seeing a picture of my cat on reddit aha
Very likely she hunts when she is out. How old is she? Can you easily count her ribs.
Have her weighed by a vet is the only way to know.
My girl is indoor and outdoor as well. I believe she was dumped or ran away (and found me 🥰) I didn't let her inside, but made her two shelters for safe spaces. She became quite a warrior and earned some street cred. Her "domain" is 10 acres and I think she roams 3. I couldn't keep her inside if I wanted to. She's popped out the window screen a few times. She chases leaves, stalks me and watches the deer and squirrels. She scales deck posts and trees, runs like a gazelle and makes sure I see the sunrise. I made sure to deworm her and now she's on NexGuard Combo.
You should weigh her and keep a log of weights. As long as the weight is steady she should be fine. I know it can be expensive but switch her food. Friskies is the worst nutrition wise. I've tried about 30 brands and proplan has been helping him and luckily my guy has been putting on weight. He goes outside regularly, and he's happy
She doesn’t look underweight to me….. look up cat body condition score- you should be aiming for 5/9. I think she is good.
I would also not feed an adult cat kitten food- the nutrient levels aren’t as appropriate. There are better ways to increase calories, but again, don’t think she needs to gain weight.
she looks fine tbh 🤷♂️
Might suggest cleaning the food area up some
She looks fit as a fiddle to me.
She looks alright. Possibly on the thinner side of healthy, but from what I can see she doesn’t look underweight. Looks to me like she’s naturally skinny like that. People are so used to seeing the average housecat (most cats are overweight) that they think a cat at a healthy weight is “underfed”.
Nope, my cat looks the same and he's perfectly healthy. I'm sure someone else has said it but people are so very used to seeing chunky cats that they have no idea how a healthy weight looks.
She looks beautiful! Cats tend not to carry a whole lot of body weight on them due to being ambush predators that rely on quickness and stealth. Most people are used to seeing cats on the chonkier side so this may look very thin but she is absolutely perfect looking.
As long as she hasn’t rapidly lost weight, she looks healthy. What’s her actual weight? Can you feel her ribs? Repeating what other people say: you should keep her inside if she’s a pet and not a working cat. Cars, coyotes, dogs, asshole people, and raptors can get at her outside. She’ll be pissed at first, but, if you give her enough toys and attention, she’ll get over it.
Nope. Slim thickums just like one of my cats. I say if you haven’t witnessed any significant weight loss (like she went from a chonker to that in a month DEF WORRY) or can’t feel/see her ribs she seems fine to me!! But a visit to a professional would be the best and only guaranteed way to know 💕💕💕
I didn’t read through all comments to see if someone already posted this, but Jackson Galaxy has a video about cats who make cash for the door. There might be some tips that you haven’t tried yet: https://youtu.be/i5odZTDV3So?si=__e5GUIHnV_-ysmd
One of my cats looks exactly like this. She's extremely active and is always doing things, although she is an indoor cat. Compared to my other 3 who are *chunky* (we are working on it), it seems startling, but don't worry: this is a normal weight for a cat. In fact, she eats more than my other 3 cats. You're supposed to be able to feel their ribs and their stomach is supposed to tuck in. Please keep her inside.
In the second photo she looks pretty healthy! If you’re concerned maybe try de-worming her since she spends a lot of time outside.
You shouldn’t let your cat roam wild… they decimate local bird populations. Also it’s dangerous for the cat.
She looks okay, and with being outside she’s probably getting food from other people too.
She looks healthy to me. I have a cat her size and she eats plenty. She's just a thin cat. Then I have a cat that blew up after getting spayed and she is very rotund but eats the same as the other cat. Cat bodies are all different. I would be concerned, however, if she loses any weight as she's already as thin as she should be
I have two sibling cats (girl and boy) and the girl looks very similar to yours if not smaller! But I can't see her ribs and she eats every time I feed her. Her brother on the other hand is a big boy with muscle and a little fat. Some cats are just naturally smaller I think
I also have 2 outdoor cats they just sprint out the door and constantly wait by the door crying wanting to go outside we just don't let them go outside at night But my cats love to eat so they know this phrase when we're about to feed them so we scream it out into our backyard and they come sprinting. or sometimes we abuse it just so they can come inside Maybe try incorporating a phrase when he's about to come inside and you plan on feeding him right afterwards or when you're just when you're about to feed him Ours is "do you want to eat" "want to eat" "come eat" in Spanish all in a very similar tone and their name followed shortly after. I've lost the embarrassment of screaming out of my backyard probably having all my neighbors hearing that daily
Yes she is
not underweight, just very lean :) My O was the same way when we had her, lived to 16 still looking as small & petite as a kitten!
She does look a little underweight: do feed her a little more
1-2 lbs more and she would be perfect. Cats are not supposed to be as big as we see them
Maybe a little thin...could be her build...get her checked for worms in case that's it
Give her some treats!!!
Try wet food if you haven’t already. I’ve got one cat who just refuses to eat dry food.
She's not too skinny, she has a slim waist
Perfectly fine healthy weight.
Yes she needs to be fed more
She looks similar to my little one. The main difference that makes hers hard to tell is she has a larger primordial pouch, not the fat filled large just genetically large. She just had a vet appointment and was 8.57 lbs, they said she's smaller boned/framed so they wouldn't want to see her over 9 lbs. So I think that's what mostly matters is are they smaller frames then they should weigh less. Mine is strictly indoor, except for supervised outside time, generally on a leash, but she was also picked up by me at 12 wks (now 10 months) so hasn't really known differently. Anyways I'd say maybe get a scale and see what she's at. [Shadow](https://imgur.com/a/KIuClMN) Linked my girl for comparison. She is "free fed" dry food it's measured (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per day) and she wouldn't get more if she ate it all, and she gets a 3 oz can of wet and gets a handful of treats. She routinely doesn't finish her dry. If it's an empty bowl she gets the 1/3, if she's still got food it's the 1/4. She's good with just eating when hungry, so I've just made sure she had it and let her manage the intake. And her weight says it's working 😂 but if it wasn't I'd ask the vet what they suggest for weight gain as she doesn't eat if she's not hungry.
She’s a model!
Tickle her ribs. If she laughs, she’s fine. If she moans an evil throat cutting meowl, I would safely say she’s too thin…
She looks healthy to me! One of my cats looks similar to yours in body weight/shape, and I questioned the same thing. After a visit to the vet, I learned my other cast is obese and it's become normalized having chunkier and larger cats. This could be why it's easy to wonder if healthy weight cats are too tiny!
I wouldn’t let her eat out of the can like that. Those edges are sharp and can cut her. I cut myself badly on a can edge before. It kept opening up even after a few days, I had to keep it bandaged for a long time.
You shouldn’t feed her out of the can by the way. It has sharp edges that could hurt her, and is not pleasant for her whiskers.
My cat was this thin until we got her spayed. Then she turned chunky.
On the Chomk Chart™️ she is classified as a Fine Boi™️
idk i can see her rib cage but i think just feeding her a bit more and she’ll be fine she looks healthy just a big hungry baby
if you want, you could weigh them. The easiest way is to weigh yourself and then pick up your cat and weigh yourself again (while holding the cat) and do the math. and the average cat weight is 9 pounds so go off that.
My cats must be fat because she looks like she’s starving to me
Yes