My 5-month-old cat is small but active. Should I worry about her weight?

What a cutie! She looks healthy but being so small is a concern. I do recommend a veterinary exam when she’s due for vaccinations and checking a fecal sample for intestinal parasites. Some kittens grow at a slower rate so I’m not overly concerned about it yet, but if she doesn’t grow then she may have a medical problem that should be addressed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Tobi.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jastin. First, I would have her evaluated by her veterinarian to determine if she is in fact underweight or just small in stature. Some perfectly healthy cats are petite and do not grow to the size typical of the breed. However, there are numerous disease that can affect weight gain and growth. You want to ensure there is not a medical issue that needs addressing. In the meantime, ensure that she is eating kitten food as this will be higher in calories, fat and protein. It will aid in growth. Offer her canned food as well to supplement her dry kibble. This will help her to take in extra calories. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Voldy is around 3lbs which is not completely out of the ordinary for a 4 month kitten. From the pictures alone, he appears well muscled and does not appear to be underweight (although a physical exam would be better at determining this). Kittens should weigh about 5 pounds at 6 months old, so I would continue feeding him a kitten food from Royal Canin and make sure he gets a kitten vitamin daily to encourage healthy growth. If you notice Voldy is not gaining any more weight or is eating less, you may want to have him seen by his veterinarian for exam just to make sure there are no underlying medical issues. I hope this helps!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. 3kg can be a normal weight for a cat, however this depends on her size. If you can feel her ribs but just barely, this is usually a good indication of a good weight. If you can feel her ribs very easily she is likely too thin, and if you can't feel her ribs she is too fat. Most cats will self-regulate amount to eat, so just leave food down for her. If she is happy, playing, energetic and having good poops, then the food is probably fine. Just make sure she is dewormed and has a product for fleas. Make sure you use a cat product, dog products can be fatal to cats. Best of luck with Noushmc.

Poor Canelo. I am sorry that it has been difficult to get him to gain weight. With him being young and petite and intact then I would not be too concerned. Of course, without doing an exam I cannot say this for sure. If he is really skinny and all of his bones are showing then yes, I would be more concerned. If his bones are not showing and you cannot see his ribs then I would be less concerned. Some cats are more petit and slender especially if they are very active and outdoors. I would also recommend to have him neutered as that may also help him gain weight. Finally, if he is really skinny and you are able to see his bones, I would recommend to ensure your vet tested his thyroid (high thyroid isn't common is young cats but possible). Then I would recommend to increase the amount of food you are feeding and if he is still not gaining weigh then the next step would be abdominal x-rays or ultrasound. I hope this helps some. I would love to talk to you more on the forum or if you would like to set up a consult.

Some cats can have a smaller frame than an average size cat and still be completely healthy. Other causes of being smaller than other cats could include congenital malformations, decreased nutrition, intestinal parasites, or other medical illness. Without a medical examination, we won't be able to tell you whether you should be worried or not. When you get the availability, I would have her looked at by a vet.

If your vet says not to worry about Noushi, then I wouldn't worry. The vet would tell you if you needed to worry and have her gain weight back. She may be at her perfect weight now, and gaining excess weight she doesn't need will lead to health problems. Best of luck.