Why Is My Cat Not Gaining Weight? How to Help Your Cat Gain Weight?
Why Is My Cat Not Gaining Weight? How to Help Your Cat Gain Weight?
"Eat a lot but don't gain weight," is a dream many humans share. However, when it comes to cats, many owners find themselves worried. Why does my cat eat a lot but doesn't seem to be gaining weight? Is something wrong? How can I help my cat gain weight?
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Underweight
Before we dive into weight gain strategies, it's important to determine if your cat is actually underweight. The current popular aesthetic for cats is "fat is beautiful" (without any positive connotation), so an owner's perception of their cat being thin might be influenced by personal subjective feelings.
Image Source: Cat Research Institute
A cat's weight can vary depending on breed and body length, so it's not always accurate to use weight alone to judge if a cat is overweight or underweight. Instead, it's recommended to use the Body Condition Score (BCS) developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) to assess your cat's body condition.
Image Source: Cat Research Institute
A cat with a BCS of 5 is considered to be at an ideal weight. They have a well-proportioned body, no abdominal fat, and ribs are not visible but can be felt. In everyday life, owners can ask themselves two questions to assess their cat's "body condition":
Can you still feel your cat's ribs when they're overweight?
Place your hand on both sides of your cat's chest. If you can feel the ribs without much effort, your cat is likely at their ideal weight. If you can easily feel the ribs with a light touch, your cat may need to gain weight.
Can you still see your cat's waistline when they're overweight?
When looking down from above, your cat's waistline should be distinct, and their body should be generally oval-shaped. From the side, they should have a well-proportioned body with no abdominal fat. This indicates a healthy body weight.
After comparing your cat's body condition to these guidelines, you might find that your cat is actually at a healthy weight and not truly "thin." In this case, you can focus on maintaining your cat's current weight. However, some cats are indeed thinner than the ideal body condition and are eating well, but still not gaining weight.
Eats Well, But Doesn't Gain Weight
The most common reason for this is insufficient calorie intake.
Changes in Nutritional Needs
Your cat's nutritional needs can change depending on various factors.
Age: As cats get older, their ability to digest fat and protein decreases, while their energy needs increase, potentially leading to weight loss. This change typically occurs around 13 years of age. Similar to human teenagers, kittens go through a period after weaning where their weight remains relatively stable while their length increases – the "growing spurt" phase. During this time, nutrients are primarily used for length growth and organ development, resulting in an apparent "thinning" appearance. After approximately 6 months of age, body development slows down, and weight gradually increases.
Special Periods: During pregnancy and lactation, cats need more food to replenish their energy stores. Especially during estrus and early pregnancy, cats may experience increased food intake without corresponding weight gain. Simply put, you're not feeding enough. Give them more food!
Food Quality
When buying cat food, consider the specific meat sources used, as well as the nutritional content, protein level, and calorie content. Prioritize foods with higher nutritional content. For example:
Aside from calorie content, choose foods that are primarily sourced from protein and fat: Dry food should have at least 35% protein and 17% fat.
Look for ingredients like "chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef" instead of just "meat."
Minimize foods with excessive carbohydrate "fillers."
Disease Influence
If your cat is experiencing health issues, they may eat a lot but still lose weight. This could be due to hyperthyroidism (increased basal metabolic rate), gastrointestinal problems (malabsorption of nutrients), diabetes (nutritional malabsorption), parasitic infections, tumors, dental problems, and other factors. Even for healthy cats, weight loss should not exceed 1-2% of their total body weight per week. Therefore, any unexplained weight loss exceeding 2% should be reported to your veterinarian, especially if your cat is eating normally but still losing weight.
How to Help Your Cat Gain Weight?
Now that you understand the reasons why your cat may not be gaining weight, you can address each issue to help your cat achieve a healthy body condition.
Firstly, Rule Out Any Health Issues
A healthy body is essential for weight gain, so ensuring your cat is healthy is the foundation of weight gain. Besides endocrine problems like hyperthyroidism and diabetes, it's also advisable to rule out any parasitic infections. Regular deworming medication may not be effective against roundworms, coccidia, or some tapeworms, which can cause diarrhea and malabsorption, leading to weight loss. Stool tests (sometimes multiple tests are needed) can help identify these parasites.
Secondly, Pay Attention to Food
Find food that meets your cat's nutritional needs to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need, not just what you think they need. For example, most cats enjoy chicken breast, but a diet solely consisting of chicken breast is deficient in various nutrients and calories. Chicken breast can be used as a treat or for hydration purposes, but it is not suitable as a primary food source.
If your cat needs to gain weight, consider increasing their food intake by 25%, promoting weight gain through increased calorie intake. For an adult cat weighing between 3.6kg and 5kg in good health, the estimated daily calorie intake is 180-220 kcal. During weight gain, increase calorie requirements to 230-270 kcal/day [RER x 1.3 (weight gain factor)].
You can also increase calorie intake through food with higher calorie content or high-quality protein. For example, pregnant or elderly cats with low food interest may benefit from adding small amounts of kitten food, as it is higher in calories and protein. However, considering the high protein content, it may not be suitable for cats with kidney problems. Therefore, it is best to consult your veterinarian who knows your cat's specific health condition before feeding any new food.
Lastly, Be Patient with Weight Gain
Whether you're trying to help your cat lose weight or gain weight, it's a long-term process, not a quick fix. Achieving a healthy body condition for your cat requires consistent effort from you, the owner. However, each cat is an individual, so it's recommended to monitor your cat's weight weekly after adjusting food intake and make necessary adjustments based on your cat's specific condition.
Currently, the popular aesthetic for cats is "fat is beautiful," leading to many healthy-weight cats being perceived as "too thin" and subjected to unnecessary weight gain efforts. Remember that each cat's body condition, size, and health are unique. As long as they are healthy, they are beautiful.
Source: Cat Research Institute, Author: Lide
"Eat a lot but don't gain weight," is a dream many humans share. However, when it comes to cats, many owners find themselves worried. Why does my cat eat a lot but doesn't seem to be gaining weight? Is something wrong? How can I help my cat gain weight?
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Underweight
Before we dive into weight gain strategies, it's important to determine if your cat is actually underweight. The current popular aesthetic for cats is "fat is beautiful" (without any positive connotation), so an owner's perception of their cat being thin might be influenced by personal subjective feelings.
Image Source: Cat Research Institute
A cat's weight can vary depending on breed and body length, so it's not always accurate to use weight alone to judge if a cat is overweight or underweight. Instead, it's recommended to use the Body Condition Score (BCS) developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) to assess your cat's body condition.
Image Source: Cat Research Institute
A cat with a BCS of 5 is considered to be at an ideal weight. They have a well-proportioned body, no abdominal fat, and ribs are not visible but can be felt. In everyday life, owners can ask themselves two questions to assess their cat's "body condition":
Can you still feel your cat's ribs when they're overweight?
Place your hand on both sides of your cat's chest. If you can feel the ribs without much effort, your cat is likely at their ideal weight. If you can easily feel the ribs with a light touch, your cat may need to gain weight.
Can you still see your cat's waistline when they're overweight?
When looking down from above, your cat's waistline should be distinct, and their body should be generally oval-shaped. From the side, they should have a well-proportioned body with no abdominal fat. This indicates a healthy body weight.
There's a simple way to check: touch your cat's ribs. If they feel like the back of your hand, your cat is at a healthy weight. If they feel like your knuckles, your cat is underweight. If their ribs feel like your palm, your cat is likely overweight.
After comparing your cat's body condition to these guidelines, you might find that your cat is actually at a healthy weight and not truly "thin." In this case, you can focus on maintaining your cat's current weight. However, some cats are indeed thinner than the ideal body condition and are eating well, but still not gaining weight.
Eats Well, But Doesn't Gain Weight
The most common reason for this is insufficient calorie intake.
Changes in Nutritional Needs
Your cat's nutritional needs can change depending on various factors.
Age: As cats get older, their ability to digest fat and protein decreases, while their energy needs increase, potentially leading to weight loss. This change typically occurs around 13 years of age. Similar to human teenagers, kittens go through a period after weaning where their weight remains relatively stable while their length increases – the "growing spurt" phase. During this time, nutrients are primarily used for length growth and organ development, resulting in an apparent "thinning" appearance. After approximately 6 months of age, body development slows down, and weight gradually increases.
Special Periods: During pregnancy and lactation, cats need more food to replenish their energy stores. Especially during estrus and early pregnancy, cats may experience increased food intake without corresponding weight gain. Simply put, you're not feeding enough. Give them more food!
Food Quality
When buying cat food, consider the specific meat sources used, as well as the nutritional content, protein level, and calorie content. Prioritize foods with higher nutritional content. For example:
Aside from calorie content, choose foods that are primarily sourced from protein and fat: Dry food should have at least 35% protein and 17% fat.
Look for ingredients like "chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef" instead of just "meat."
Minimize foods with excessive carbohydrate "fillers."
Disease Influence
If your cat is experiencing health issues, they may eat a lot but still lose weight. This could be due to hyperthyroidism (increased basal metabolic rate), gastrointestinal problems (malabsorption of nutrients), diabetes (nutritional malabsorption), parasitic infections, tumors, dental problems, and other factors. Even for healthy cats, weight loss should not exceed 1-2% of their total body weight per week. Therefore, any unexplained weight loss exceeding 2% should be reported to your veterinarian, especially if your cat is eating normally but still losing weight.
How to Help Your Cat Gain Weight?
Now that you understand the reasons why your cat may not be gaining weight, you can address each issue to help your cat achieve a healthy body condition.
Firstly, Rule Out Any Health Issues
A healthy body is essential for weight gain, so ensuring your cat is healthy is the foundation of weight gain. Besides endocrine problems like hyperthyroidism and diabetes, it's also advisable to rule out any parasitic infections. Regular deworming medication may not be effective against roundworms, coccidia, or some tapeworms, which can cause diarrhea and malabsorption, leading to weight loss. Stool tests (sometimes multiple tests are needed) can help identify these parasites.
Secondly, Pay Attention to Food
Find food that meets your cat's nutritional needs to ensure they are getting the nutrients they need, not just what you think they need. For example, most cats enjoy chicken breast, but a diet solely consisting of chicken breast is deficient in various nutrients and calories. Chicken breast can be used as a treat or for hydration purposes, but it is not suitable as a primary food source.
If your cat needs to gain weight, consider increasing their food intake by 25%, promoting weight gain through increased calorie intake. For an adult cat weighing between 3.6kg and 5kg in good health, the estimated daily calorie intake is 180-220 kcal. During weight gain, increase calorie requirements to 230-270 kcal/day [RER x 1.3 (weight gain factor)].
You can also increase calorie intake through food with higher calorie content or high-quality protein. For example, pregnant or elderly cats with low food interest may benefit from adding small amounts of kitten food, as it is higher in calories and protein. However, considering the high protein content, it may not be suitable for cats with kidney problems. Therefore, it is best to consult your veterinarian who knows your cat's specific health condition before feeding any new food.
Lastly, Be Patient with Weight Gain
Whether you're trying to help your cat lose weight or gain weight, it's a long-term process, not a quick fix. Achieving a healthy body condition for your cat requires consistent effort from you, the owner. However, each cat is an individual, so it's recommended to monitor your cat's weight weekly after adjusting food intake and make necessary adjustments based on your cat's specific condition.
Currently, the popular aesthetic for cats is "fat is beautiful," leading to many healthy-weight cats being perceived as "too thin" and subjected to unnecessary weight gain efforts. Remember that each cat's body condition, size, and health are unique. As long as they are healthy, they are beautiful.
Source: Cat Research Institute, Author: Lide
This article is original, please keep the link when forwarding:https://www.5zo.net/showinfo-4-88699-0.html