Is it possible for a kitten to be overweight?

Zack is 23 days old, the only survivor of a premature litter of a rescued stray. He seems behind in his development by 5 - 7 days, but otherwise seems very healthy. He finally, just in the past few days, starts to look more like a kitten and less like a alien. He also survived a nasty early eye infection...

As he is the only kitten, he gets all the milk he wants! And he seems... well.. FAT! Mom is small, and really struggles to carry him around. (She tries alot - she likes to take him to visit her favorite spots in the house and in the yard.) He is walking - tottering around every day a little more, but his little (BIG) tummy gets in the way!

I don't think he is constipated - mom continues to stimulate and consume his bowel movements, and the tummy is not hard at all.

Should I put him on a diet??

at 23 days old, no kitty should be on a diet.

He needs that fat lil tummy to help build strong bones and a healthy kitty.

Do you have a scale that you can weigh him on? The only thing I wonder about is worms.

At his age I would not worry about him being a little on the tubby side - as he grows he will adjust and I'm sure he will be fine. Just keep an eye on his weight after he is neutered (at 3-4 months old).

I don't keep kittens on kitten food past 5 months old - they wind up too fat on the extra calories. But he doesn't need to be on a diet as a kitten.

just weighed him - 400 grams (14.1 oz), at 23 days.... checking the tummy, it actually seems more like loose flesh hanging - not bloating...

Unfortunately, I haven't been weighing him to compare... but it doesn't seem like 400 grams is over average weight.

I have a litter of 5 and they at 16 days weighed between 297-348 grams

Leslie

Do you know how much he weighed at birth? My three started out between 3 and 4 ounces, and at three weeks were all between 14 ounces and 1 pound. I sounds like your little boy is right in there.

Oh, yes I know, all of my bottle babies have been quite "chubby" too I agree, it's all going to help him later, so I wouldn't worry- on the contrary, it's a pretty good thing