Thin Cats: Everything You Need To Know About Underweight Cats
Compared to dogs, the weight differences in cats are relatively small. Nevertheless, the ideal weight also varies quite considerably and can be 2.5 or 9 kilos, depending on the breed and sex.
Whether a cat is too thin can therefore not be determined without an individual assessment.
When a cat is too thin
If your cat is not severely underweight, it’s usually not easy to tell if she is actually too thin.
In an ideal weight cat, the ribs should be relatively easy to feel under a small layer of fat with a little pressure. If there is no fat above the ribs, your cat is likely to be too thin.
If the ribs are difficult or impossible to feel because of the fat, your cat might be overweight.
A visual inspection can help to determine if your cat is underweight. When viewed from above, the side lines should be relatively straight and only the slight curve of a waist should be visible. However, if your cat is excessively arched inwards, she may be too thin.
When looking from the side, your cat should normally have a small belly. If this is not present and the chest and belly are in a straight line, this is also a sign of underweight.
Why your cat is too thin
If your cat is too thin, this can have many different reasons. Diseases are often responsible for the underweight. Sometimes it can also be caused by poor feeding or excessive stress.
If your cat is too thin, it could be due to a number of reasons, including
- The cat has worms or Giardia.
- The cat food is of poor quality.
- The quadruped is exposed to excessive stress.
- The cat suffers from gum disease or other dental problems.
- The cat is in heat or is raising its offspring.
- The quadruped is already very old.
- The cat is suffering from renal insufficiency.
Too thin cat can be a case for the veterinarian
If your cat suddenly starts to eat very badly and loses a lot of weight in a short time, a visit to the vet is advisable. Because in this case the underweight is very likely related to a health problem.
Too thin cat because of dental problems
If a cat suffers from dental problems, this is often associated with unpleasant pain. This can lead to the four-legged friend refusing all or part of his food and thus losing weight quickly.
If your cat shows signs of tartar or gum inflammation, the veterinarian can help you to eliminate these problems professionally.
After successful treatment, appetite usually comes back, so your cat should soon no longer be too thin. To avoid dental problems, we recommend regular dental care with I love my cat Dental. The powder helps to remove plaque and eliminate bacteria so that your cat's teeth remain healthy for a long time.
Too thin cat due to intestinal parasites
Intestinal parasites such as worms and giardia are widespread in cats. They cause massive digestive problems and may even cause intestinal obstruction in your cat.
The parasites deprive your four-legged friend of important nutrients. If your cat is too thin due to intestinal parasites, we recommend immediate deworming. It is best to use I Love My Cat Vermal for this purpose. This natural preparation effectively helps to fight intestinal parasites without unnecessarily straining the organism of your four-legged friend.
Underweight as a symptom of kidney failure
Chronic renal insufficiency is one of the cat diseases that are particularly common in cats from the age of nine years. In addition to many other symptoms, renal insufficiency in cats leads to a lack of appetite and weight loss, among other things.
In order to prevent kidney failure, we recommend that you regularly support the kidneys of your four-legged friend with I love my cat Kidney Power to help them detoxify.
Stressed cats are often too thin
Cats are extremely sensitive animals, which react very sensitively to stress. In order to avoid that excessive stress hits your four-legged friend on the stomach, you have to make sure that you create a pleasant environment.
Your cat should have plenty of privacy and not be exposed to constant noise. If you have children, you should also make sure that they don't push or annoy the house cat too much.
When old cats become thinner and thinner
Loss of appetite is not uncommon in old cats. It can have different causes and inevitably leads to the old cat becoming thinner and thinner.
To some extent, it can help to warm up the food for four-legged seniors a little or to feed them some of it directly from the hand to give them a taste. Apart from that, it is especially important for old cats that the food is easily digestible and consists of high-quality ingredients.
Weight loss due to hormone fluctuations and suckling
Normally cats get in heat twice a year. During this time hormone fluctuations can cause the four-legged friend to temporarily stop eating and lose some weight. This is normal and not really a cause for concern. Nevertheless, you should consider neutering your cat.
Suckling the newborn kittens is not only exhausting. It also consumes a lot of energy. Although cats begin to build up reserves for this phase during pregnancy, suckling often leads to significant weight loss, especially if there is not enough food.
Too thin cat due to low quality cat food
A high quality food ensures that your cat is provided with all necessary nutrients in the right amount. Poor quality products, on the other hand, can promote deficiency symptoms and increase the risk of intolerance and food allergies in your cat.
In order to counteract nutrition-related problems and to prevent your cat from becoming too thin, we recommend feeding your cat a species-appropriate diet with the high-quality cat food and natural food supplements from I love my cat.
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