Is your cat a healthy weight?
Enter your cat’s weight and body condition to estimate its ideal weight and see whether it’s carrying too much.
Run a hand over the ribs and look from above and the side: at an ideal 5/9 you can feel the ribs easily and see a waist. Not sure? Your vet can score it.
Estimated ideal weight
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Enter your cat’s weight and body condition.
Good to know
General guidance only — an estimate, not veterinary advice. Always check with your vet about your pet’s growth, weight and diet.
How this was calculated
Vets judge a cat’s weight with a 9-point body condition score (BCS), where 4–5 is ideal. Each point above 5 is roughly 10% over the ideal weight, so we estimate ideal weight as current weight ÷ (1 + (BCS − 5) × 0.1). It’s an estimate to guide you — your vet can score the body condition precisely.
Source: WSAVA Body Condition Score (9-point) guidelines. Full method on our methodology page.
Built by the PawGauge team, reviewed against cited veterinary sources. Last reviewed 29 June 2026.
About our figures →How to check your cat’s body condition
Run both hands over the ribs and look at your cat from above and the side. Match the shape from above to the closest picture — at an ideal 4–5/9 you can feel the ribs easily and see a waist.
Based on the 9-point body condition score — WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines. A guide only; your vet can score your cat precisely.
Reading your cat’s body condition
Scales tell you a number; body condition tells you what it means. On the 9-point scale used by vets, an ideal cat (4–5/9) has ribs you can feel under a light layer, a visible waist when you look down from above, and only a small belly tuck. Above that, the ribs get harder to find and the belly rounds out; below it, the bones become prominent.
This calculator turns your score into an estimated ideal weight so you have a target to aim for. It’s a guide, not a diagnosis — body type varies between cats, and conditions from dental pain to thyroid disease can change weight. If your cat is over or under, your vet can confirm the target and rule out medical causes.
Cat weight questions
- How do I know if my cat is overweight?
- Use the body condition score. At an ideal 4–5 out of 9 you can feel the ribs with light pressure and see a waist from above. If the ribs are hard to feel and there’s a rounded belly or no waist, the cat is likely overweight.
- What is my cat’s ideal weight?
- It depends on frame, not just breed. This tool estimates it from the current weight and body condition: a cat at BCS 7/9 is about 20% over ideal, so a 12 lb cat would have an ideal near 10 lb. Your vet can refine the target.
- What is a healthy weight for a cat?
- Many domestic cats are healthy around 8–11 lb, but it varies a lot by build — a petite Siamese may be 6–8 lb while a Maine Coon can be 12–18 lb. Body condition is more reliable than a single “average” number.
- How do I help my cat lose weight safely?
- Slowly. Aim for gradual loss under veterinary supervision and never cut calories drastically — rapid weight loss in cats can cause hepatic lipidosis, a life-threatening liver disease. Your vet can set a safe target and pace.