How Much Should a Cat Weigh? Ideal Weight Chart and Body Score

How much should a cat weigh? For most adult cats at a healthy body condition, somewhere between 6 and 13 lb. Where your cat falls depends mostly on breed and sex. Because a big-framed cat and a small, overweight one can weigh the same, vets judge weight with a body condition score (BCS) as well as the scale.

This post gives the average weights by breed size, explains the 9-point score, and shows how to turn it into a calorie target with our cat calorie calculator.

Cat weight chart by breed size

A German study weighed 614 adult cats (539 pure-bred, 75 without a pedigree) and used only the cats at ideal condition, a BCS of 5, to work out normal weights:

Breed size group	Examples	Females	Males
Very light	Siamese, Oriental Shorthair	6.2 lb (2.8 kg)	7.9 lb (3.6 kg)
Light	—	7.1 lb (3.2 kg)	9.3 lb (4.2 kg)
Medium	—	7.7 lb (3.5 kg)	9.5 lb (4.3 kg)
Large	Norwegian Forest, Siberian	8.8 lb (4.0 kg)	11.2 lb (5.1 kg)
Giant	Maine Coon	10.8 lb (4.9 kg)	13.4 lb (6.1 kg)

Source: Kienzle and Moik, British Journal of Nutrition 2011. Pounds converted by us. The study notes that males and females of one breed don’t always fall in the same group.

The useful takeaway: even giant-breed males averaged about 13 lb at ideal condition. A 16 lb domestic shorthair is far more likely to be carrying fat than to be “just big”.

What is a body condition score?

The WSAVA body condition chart scores cats from 1 (emaciated) to 9 (severely obese). Here is what the key scores look and feel like:

Score	What you feel and see
3 (thin)	Ribs easily felt with minimal fat; obvious waist; lower spine obvious
4	Ribs felt with minimal fat; noticeable waist; slight belly tuck
5 (ideal)	Well proportioned; ribs felt with a slight fat covering; waist seen behind the ribs; minimal belly fat pad
6	Ribs felt with slight excess fat; waist and belly fat pad present but not obvious; no tuck
7	Ribs not easily felt; waist hard to see; moderate belly fat pad, slight rounding
8	Ribs not felt; no waist; obvious rounded belly; fat over the lower back
9 (obese)	Heavy fat over the back, face and limbs; swollen belly; extensive fat pad

Adapted from the WSAVA cat body condition chart (2020). WSAVA notes a score of 6 may be acceptable in some cats, especially older cats.

To check at home: run your palms along your cat’s sides. You should feel the ribs about as easily as you feel the knuckles on the back of your hand. Then look from above for a gentle waist behind the ribs.

How overweight is my cat?

The AAHA 2014 weight guidelines use a rule of thumb: each point above 5 is roughly 10% above ideal weight. So a BCS 7 cat is about 20% over. Cornell defines obesity as 20% or more above normal weight.

Real cats may be heavier than that rule suggests. In the Kienzle study, cats scored 6, 7 and 8 weighed on average 120%, 154% and 214% of the normal weight for their breed. Treat the 10% rule as a first target, then re-score as weight comes off.

Worked example: a 13 lb cat with a BCS of 7

Your vet scores your neutered 13 lb cat at 7 of 9. Using the 10%-per-point rule, ideal weight is about 13 ÷ 1.2 = 10.8 lb.

In the cat calorie calculator, enter 13 lb, choose “Needs to lose weight (vet plan)” and enter 10.8 lb as the ideal weight. It bases the plan on the ideal weight: resting energy at 10.8 lb (4.9 kg) is about 231 kcal, times 0.8 = about 185 kcal a day (range about 166–203).

Then the cat food calculator turns that into food: at 90 kcal per can, 185 kcal is about 2 cans a day of wet food. Weigh your cat every 2–4 weeks with your vet and adjust. If weight isn’t moving after a month, ask before cutting further.

Why does a healthy weight matter for cats?

APOP’s 2022 survey found 61% of cats seen by vets were overweight or obese, and about a third of owners of overweight pets thought their pet was a normal weight. Cornell lists osteoarthritis, diabetes and extra strain on the heart among the problems that excess weight can make worse, and points to free feeding of dry food as a major cause.

Practical steps that help:

• Feed measured meals, not a bowl that’s always full.
• Count treats: keep them to about 10% of daily calories.
• Weigh monthly, especially in the first two years and after neutering. Our post on when cats stop growing explains why weight creeps up after the first birthday.
• Use the label: calories per can or cup vary a lot. Our post on how many calories a cat needs shows how to read them.

Can a cat be too thin?

Yes. A score of 3 or below, with ribs and spine easy to see, is underweight. Unplanned weight loss is common in older cats with illnesses such as kidney disease or an overactive thyroid. If you aren’t sure of your cat’s age, the cat age calculator shows when it reaches the senior stage, when regular weigh-ins matter most.

When to call your vet

Book a visit if your cat:

• scores 7 or more, or you can’t feel its ribs
• is losing weight without a diet, even slowly
• is drinking or peeing more, or eating more but losing weight
• hasn’t eaten for more than a day, especially if overweight
• is on a diet and losing more than expected, or seems tired and off food

Never put an overweight cat on a crash diet. Merck notes that cats that stop eating can develop hepatic lipidosis, a life-threatening liver disease, and overweight cats are at higher risk. Dog owners can find the canine version of this check in our post on whether your dog is overweight.