If you are a weight-conscious person, you’re probably familiar with BMI – the Body Mass Index, a tool used to identify ideal weight. Likewise, cat parents can be aware of the weight and body condition of their feline friends, to ensure optimal health of their cat. One way to do this is by using a BMI calculator for cats; another option is to go by the Body Condition Score. The cat body condition score is a way to check if your cat’s weight falls within the normal or healthy range, or if they are rather underweight or overweight. Using this information you may seek advice from your vet, for example about how much your cat should eat in a day or how to help an overweight cat lose weight. You may also want to start tracking your cat’s physical activity.
Table of contents
- What is the cat body condition score and how does it work?
- Understanding your cat’s body condition score
- 1) Malnourished
- 3) Underweight
- 5) Ideal weight
- 7) Overweight
- 9) Obese
- How can I help my cat maintain a healthy weight?
What is the cat body condition score and how does it work?
The cat body condition score is a tool you can use to determine the amount of body fat on your cat – to see if they are too thin, too fat, or at a healthy cat weight. It can be applied to other animals as well, such as dogs or dairy cattle. (Do you have a dog? Check out the dog body condition score.)
As the name suggests, the BCS for cats rates the cat’s physical condition with a score from 1-9. On this scale, a BCS of 1 means the cat is malnourished or emaciated (in other words, dangerously underweight) whereas a score of 9 indicates cat obesity.
Determining your cat’s body condition score involves visually assessing your cat’s body as well as feeling the cat’s rib cage gently with your hands. Run both hands, palms down, across your cat’s rib cage, and take a look at your cat from the side and above. Compare what you notice about your cat’s physical condition with the images in the body condition score chart for cats below.
Keep in mind that a body condition score of 4.5-5 is considered the healthy range for our feline friends.
Note: The above is a condensed version of the body condition score chart for cats, based off of a similar chart from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association. You can read more about each rating and what it means for your cat below. For the scores which are left out (2,4,6,8), you can imagine them as a mixture of the scores immediately before and after. For example, a cat with a body condition score of 4 will look similar to cats with a score of 3 and 5.
Understanding your cat’s body condition score
Have you determined your cat’s body condition score using the chart above? Great! If not, check your cat as soon as possible. Next, it’s important to know what your cat’s body condition score means for you and your feline friend.
