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The Role of Protein, Fat, and Fiber in Your Cat's Diet

This article is part of a series on how to spot signs of a healthy cat. You can learn more about the key signs here.

Assessing your cat’s body condition is an important step in evaluating their overall nutritional well-being. Particularly in cases where your cat appears to be obese or thin, it is important to evaluate their total health before consulting a vet for a proper nutritional management program. Look for the following signs that your cat is overweight, underweight or just the right size.

Thin Cat

• Ribs, lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones are easily visible
• Thick neck and narrow waist
• Obvious abdominal tuck
• No fat in flank folds; folds are often absent

 Underweight Cat

• Backbone and ribs can be easily seen or felt
• Minimal fat covering
• Minimal waist when viewed from above
• Slightly tucked abdomen

Ideal-weight Cat

• Ribs are easily felt, but not visible
• A slight waist can be seen behind the ribs when viewed from above
• Abdomen is tucked up and flank folds are present

 Overweight Cat

• Slight increase in fat over ribs, but still easily felt
• Abdomen is slightly rounded and flanks are concave
• Flank folds hang down with moderate amount of fat — you might notice a jiggle when your cat is walking

 Obese Cat

• Ribs and backbone aren’t easily felt under a heavy fat covering
• Abdomen is rounded; waist is barely visible or absent
• Prominent flank folds sway from side to side when your cat is walking