Average Cat Weight: How Does Your Cat Compare?

What is the average cat weight?

Well, it depends on their breed. Many of us may find ourselves Googling ‘average cat weight’ to see if our cats are under or overweight.

Unfortunately it’s not that easy – there’s no mean weight for all cats. A Siamese cat, for instance, has a far more slender build than a regal Maine Coon.

So how do you know if your kitter is the right weight? We have some suggestions below…

Cat weight chart

Pet Obesity Prevention has a handy weight chart to check average cat weight by breed; for example:

Ideal Weights of Cat Breeds
Domestic Cat	3.6 – 4.5kg
Persian	3 – 5.4kg
Siamese	2.2 – 4.5kg
Maine Coon	4.5 – 11.3kg

Another way recommend to see if your kitter is the right size is with Purina’s Body Condition System. By evaluating your cat’s ribs, waist and abdomen, you can see if they’re too thin or too heavy. Check it out:

How do you weigh your cat?

Now that you know what your cat should weigh, how can you actually go about weighing them?

If your cat is unlikely to perch quietly on the scale while you weigh them, the simplest way to do it is to weigh yourself first. Then, pick up your kitter and weight yourself again.

Simply subtract your individual weight from your weight holding the cat and you should have your cat’s weight.

If you don’t own a scale, your vet will usually weight your kitter when you go in for a routine pet care checkup.

Why does average cat weight matter?

Just like humans, weight can have an impact on your cat’s quality of life and lifespan.

According to the experts, ‘overweight and obese cats now outnumber those at a healthy weight.’ In fact, over a third of Kiwi pets are overweight. That’s not good! National Pet Obesity Day on the 13th of October is intended to raise awareness of just how dangerous obesity in cats can be.

Felines above the average cat weight for their breed are more prone to different types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension. They may also experience osteoarthritis and a faster degeneration of affected joints. Read how diabetes in dogs and cats is closely linked to obesity and why that should be avoided.

On the flipside, being underweight can be a sign of an underlying health problem. This can range from anxiety and stress to serious conditions like cancer or heart disease, so it’s always best to check with your vet if your cat is underweight.

Or it may be that you’re just not feeding them the right amount or the right kind of food. Again, check with your vet.

Above average coverage for your cat

Cat insurance eases the cost of non-routine vet visits, hospital bills, medicine, dental treatment and more, depending on your plan. Keeping Felix healthy all-round will help it maintain the ideal weight and live a long life (find out how long do cats live here).

At PD Insurance we’ll give you one or more months of pet insurance free if you sign up online, depending on your cat’s age. And we don’t have lock-in contracts!

Click below to start the process.