Is he fat? and what's with the tummy?

withoutaname · Feb 23, 2014

I tried to weigh him with our weighting scale. This was a few weeks ago, and if it's correct, then he is around 4,7 kg. Is this normal for a 8 month old male, if you take in consideration how he looks on pictures.

The thing that worries me the most is his stomach. He has this sack of skin almost touching the floor!

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withoutaname
Feb 23, 2014

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withoutaname
Feb 23, 2014

And here are a lot of pictures of his stomach..:

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Feb 23, 2014

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Feb 23, 2014

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Feb 23, 2014

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Feb 23, 2014

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smartyfoj · Feb 23, 2014

So for others going to comment from the US 4.7kg is about 10.5 pounds. I'd say your cat is definitely a bigger cat but my understand is that most cats male and female have a pouch that hangs down and makes them look overweight. I've heard if you can feel the ribs and count them then cat is not overweight but with such a fluffy kitty as yours it may be hard to tell. Personally I'm always paranoid that my cats might be overweight so I'm not the best judge but it doesn't appear from the photos that your cat is overweight by a lot if he is at all. Whenever your next appointment with a vet is you can always talk them about weight management and what your cat's ideal weight is based on his body type.

withoutaname · Feb 24, 2014

Yes the tummy makes him look quite bigger... If it wasn't for that I probably wouldn't even care. Next appointment with the vet is next year, but I'll see what I can do

stephanietx · Feb 24, 2014

He's really not that large and he's at a good weight. Most likely just a "fat pack". My kitties have it and they are all at excellent weights.

mrsgreenjeens · Feb 24, 2014

He honestly doesn't look overweight to me

lamiatron · Feb 24, 2014

is that skin or fur??? i don't think your kitty is overweight. he looks healthy and happy to me!

my Charlie has the same thing, some extra fur around the tummy area...and so does my Jet. My Jet is a fluffy black kitty like yours...but they're both at a good weight.

I don't think you have anything to worry over.

However you should always go with your gut! If you're really concerned, taking your kitty to the vet, he/she might be able to clear some things up for you and give you peace of mind.

withoutaname · Feb 24, 2014

Lamiatron said:
is that skin or fur???

I think it's skin. When I feel it, it's almost like my grandmothers arms. You know, the skin than hangs down from the upper arm. But it's not quite as much.

lamiatron · Feb 24, 2014

withoutaname said:
I think it's skin. When I feel it, it's almost like my grandmothers arms. You know, the skin than hangs down from the upper arm. But it's not quite as much.

both my kitties have the same thing...so i don't think its something to worry about!

honestly i've never wondered about it. its not like cats can do core exercises to tighten it up! lol.

but like i said, if you feel this is outside of normal, and your gut tells you its worrisome, definitely take your kitty to the vet to have him checked out.

jin xiong lor · Feb 24, 2014

Generally, some guidelines say that a good way to know if your cat is overweight is if you can't see his waistline from a top view of him. And if you can't feel his ribs without poking deep into his skin , he could be overweight.
But from those pictures, he appears to be healthy for his size (:

bigperm20 · Feb 24, 2014

I have a big fluffy kitty myself. She has the same pooch on her belly. I think it looks more prominent on long haired cats dues to their skin being looser. I definitely wouldn't put him on a diet. He's still a kitten so he should be able to eat plenty.

If it bothers you buy some string toys like Da Bird and a laser pointer. You can exercise him without leaving the couch. I don't think it will make a difference in the belly but he'll be healthier. The walks you appear to be giving him are good, but they probably don't get his heart rate up.

withoutaname · Feb 25, 2014

I think you're all right about this, it's probably nothing to worry about. If I worry again, I'll see if I can ask a vet.

As for activity; I've been really busy lately, so I haven't been able to play with him every day. But fortunately my family sometimes play with him, and he is very good at keeping himself busy.

When it's windy, he runs after leaves, so I try to make sure there's wind when we go out. We have played ball with him outside before, but since it's difficult doing it alone, I have to wait until someone else has time.

cat nap · Feb 25, 2014

He looks gorgeous to me. I guess its because you have to brush him often.

That pouch hanging down is called a "primordial pouch". You can find more info from this old thread, http://www.thecatsite.com/t/156249/floppy-belly-pouch-is-this-normal .

My cat is a senior 14 yr old and also has this loose hanging down fur, so I searched TCS and found that many cats have it. It is supposed to be for protection if they have to fight and use their back legs to kick with, and also for stretching while jumping. Still, ask your vet, but I think he is a healthy weight.

southpaw · Feb 25, 2014

tinybash · Feb 25, 2014

He looks perfect to me. Gorgeous kitty

mycatwasthebest · Feb 25, 2014

I don't think its the weight that's important, the only concern would be if this wasn't a normal pouch. u said he's not going to the vet til NEXT YEAR...why?

he has all his shots now?

withoutaname · Feb 26, 2014

mycatwasthebest said:
I don't think its the weight that's important, the only concern would be if this wasn't a normal pouch. u said he's not going to the vet til NEXT YEAR...why?

he has all his shots now?

Well there's only one vaccine he needs, and he's gotten that as a kitten (to times), so the next and last one is next year, and then he doesn't need any more shots

coco and rose · Feb 26, 2014

Your black cat looks absolutely gorgeous. My 4 month boy already has a little pouch and he's growing very fast and his little testicles are just coming out. I hope his pouch doesn't get that big, but at this stage, and until he is 2 years old, I won't worry about whether he's two big. He is a baby that needs to eat well while he grows up. He plays a lot with his 3 month old sister and I reckon he uses a lot of the energy in his food. I wouldn't have the heart to not feed him when he's looking hungry.

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coco and rose
Feb 26, 2014

withoutaname · Feb 26, 2014

He didn't get the pouch until a couple of months ago, but then again he didn't reach puberty until then. He's a late bloomer

I too can't resist giving him food! And the person who suck the most is my dad. He acts like a grandfather and gives him food whenever he looks at him.

My cat never cries for food, he just follows us and rub himself on us, then he starts walking towards the kitchen, looks at us, rubs himself at us again, and walks closer to the kitchen and repeats this. When in the kitchen, he starts to purr and cuddle, and then he just sits there looking right in our eyes. When he looks right in your eye, it really seems as if he is trying to talk to you.

Haha, I find myself using every excuse to start talking about him..

coco and rose · Feb 26, 2014

withoutaname said:
He didn't get the pouch until a couple of months ago, but then again he didn't reach puberty until then. He's a late bloomer

I too can't resist giving him food! And the person who suck the most is my dad. He acts like a grandfather and gives him food whenever he looks at him.

My cat never cries for food, he just follows us and rub himself on us, then he starts walking towards the kitchen, looks at us, rubs himself at us again, and walks closer to the kitchen and repeats this. When in the kitchen, he starts to purr and cuddle, and then he just sits there looking right in our eyes. When he looks right in your eye, it really seems as if he is trying to talk to you.

Haha, I find myself using every excuse to start talking about him..

Haha, can't blame you. I'm the same! And yep, Banjo does the same to me. But I KNOW he will be a very very big cat, because he's only a kitten and look at his size! I think it has to do with the breed, but I will definitely not overfeed him, but just let him be. He's very active so I am really not worried. His sister Coco, looks a lot like your adorable black cat and she is also growing but will be much smaller than Banjo. She eats at the same time than Banjo does, but eats less. They are playing, running after each other and jumping on each other all the time, so it's energy well spent

lamiatron · Feb 27, 2014

Coco and Rose said:
Jet is my black kitty, and Charlie is my tabby

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