Of course, all of us as cat owners often think about the health and well-being of our pets.
And one of the important factors affecting their condition is the cat’s weight. But how can you tell if a cat is overweight?
To help you answer this question, we have developed an online cat body mass index (BMI) calculator. It will help you understand whether your cat is overweight or, on the contrary, underweight or under-muscularized.
The BMI determines whether your cat is at an optimal weight.
The calculator is based on a scientifically proven calculation algorithm for “The Feline Body Mass Index” (FBMI).
The result of the calculations will be a “kitty” that is in the appropriate weight range.
Calculator guide:
- How to measure values for a calculator
- What does the result mean? What are the ranges of the weight index
- How can I help my cat lose weight?
How to measure values for a calculator
The BMI calculator for cats is based on an index that estimates your cat’s body fat content based on its body proportions.
It’s fairly simple and only requires two measurements.
To use the calculator, follow these instructions:
- Make sure your cat is standing with its head upright.
- Measure the circumference of your cat’s rib cage. Ideally, this should be done at the level of the 9th rib, located at the cat’s front legs.
- Measure the length of your cat’s lower back leg from knee to ankle.
- Enter the measured values into the BMI calculator for cats. The result will be found using the following formula:
where,
- rib cage – rib cage circumference;
- leg – lower hind leg length;
- FBMI – body mass index of the cat.
To simplify the use of our calculator, we have prepared a picture illustrating how to measure these two parameters:
What does the result mean? What are the ranges of the weight index
The ranges of the cat’s weight index can be presented in the form of a table. As you can see, it is quite simple.
| Index value | Explanation |
| < 15 | Underweight |
| 15 – 29,9 | Normal weight |
| 30 – 42 | Overweight |
| > 42 | Obesity |
Let’s try to explain with a concrete example.
If you have a cat with a chest circumference of 30 centimeters and a lower back leg length of 14 centimeters, its BMI would be 17.1.
Next, we look at the range in which the 17.1 index falls. It is between 15 and 29.9, which means that your cat has a normal weight.
In fact, our cat BMI calculator does all of these calculations.
How to help a cat lose weight?
Unfortunately, obesity is becoming more and more common among domestic cats.
Of course, it’s hard to resist our furry friends, especially when they ask for a treat and look us in the eye with pity.
Just like in humans, maintaining a healthy cat weight can help prevent several health problems.
Once you’ve decided to act, you can use this cat weight calculator to periodically check your cat’s progress.
Here are a few things you can do to help your pet:
- Reduce the number of treats. Most cats will appreciate other rewards, including time with you! And trust me, they’ll be happy.
- If you do prefer treats, then reduce the amount of regular food slightly. However, never starve your cat. “Extreme diets” are bad for both humans and pets.
- Replace dry food with canned food, which tends to have a higher protein content. This will keep your cat fuller for longer. Or maybe it’s time to switch to organic food altogether.
- Play with your cat more often. You can consider it as a nice physical exercise for your furry friend. It’s also a way to burn extra calories 🔥. How about playing with a laser pointer?
- Try to reduce your cat’s food intake to 2 times a day. At the same time, also adjust the amount of food that is recommended by the manufacturer. And in the case of a raw diet, the daily food should be about 3-5% of the cat’s weight.
However, keep in mind that this is only a guideline.
Causes of overweight can vary, so be sure to consult your veterinarian to rule out more serious conditions.
And that’s all for today!
Write in the comments, whether this cat weight index calculator is useful to you. Maybe you will have more wishes.
