Underweight... Or Not?

[samts16]

So a friend of mine was asking me about cat weights since she got her first kitten so i checked up on my Leo's weight as well. He's 3yrs old now but for the last year and a half he's stuck at around 11lbs and i checked on those online info-graphics that he should be around 20lbs according to his age
so i'm wondering if he's underweight or some other problem. he just got neutered a couple of weeks ago and had a bad case of infection some months ago due to worms. he lost some during that time but the weight has been same after that.
i should mention that he only eats dry kibble. i've tried feeding him boiled chicken, broth and rice but he absolutely refuses to eat. even the wet can food.
i'd be happy for any suggestions or comments

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Like people, cats can vary widely according to body type, but 20 pounds is LARGE for a cat, what you would expect in a Maine Coon, which is the largest of the fully domestic breeds. For most cats, Leo is on the low end of normal. And dry kibble tends to be higher in calories than wet (which is why I've been trying for years to get my cat to eat wet food, no dice). Is he actually boney? Hip bones protruding, backbone easily felt, face overly thin? If not, he's just perfectly him.

 

[samts16]

Well.. he isnt that bony but i guess in my own paranoid mom eyes i see him that way. His hip and spine dont protrude likes he's just bones but they are more on the lean side.
Also he's been a super active cat since the day we got him. He rests and naps fine but for most of his awake time he runs up and down the stairs, climbs cupboards and curtains. Even the day he got anaesthesia he was moving around.
I was actually contemplating to add some homecooked stuff to his diet to make him a bit chubbier. But that has so many implications regarding balance. Is it possible that i do that along with the dry kibble? Like once or twice a day meal of homecooked stuff ? Would that be okay?

 

[Gizmobius]

I think it really all depends on how your cat looks and how he carries the weight. My vet gave me a cat body chart when I first took my kitten in for his first check up and I go by that more than anything else. He's 8 months old and just about 10lbs but you wouldn't expect that by looking at him. He still looks very small to most people but he's at the ideal weight according to the chart.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You can supplement, but if you are going to home-cook, do your research on what and how. Don't let him get too chubby, like humans, he will pay for it with his joints later in life.

 

[samts16]

Exactly i dont want to cause him more harm on a whim of mine

 

[maggiedemi]

My male cat is 3 years old and he weighs about 13 Pounds. 20 pounds sounds like a lot! That would be a Maine Coon.