# Is my British Shorthair female overweight?



## Jennywren13 (Jan 6, 2012)

Hi all, 
I'm new here but would really appreciate some advice...
I took my female British Shorthair cat Bella to the vets this week and they said she is overweight and needs to go on a diet. She is just under 2 years old and weighs 5.5 kilos. I asked what she should weigh for her breed and age and was told I need to get her down to 4 kilos. She is a big cat and I think at 4 kilos would look thin for her build. 
I'm temporarily living abroad and although very competent and friendly I wasn't sure if the vet really understood the breed. She said that Bella must be lazy and eating too much. She does spend a lot of time sleeping but also speeds around the house with our kitten for hours. She currently eats 2 pouches of Royal Canin wet food during the day and some BSH dry in the evening.
Any help would be very welcome...


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

hi and welcome to the forum , im not sure about bella s weight ,but from what i ve heard its the dry food that puts the weight on them , id try cutting it down and eventually removing it from diet altogether, they dont need it and has been linked to weight and health issues, she sounds like a healthy cat to me ,but id love to see some pics and i know everyone else will too , hopefully someone will be along soon to advise on actual weight for her size /age . hope you like it here, lots of good advice and friendly people


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

You can't tell from what she weighs, or what she eats. You need to condition score her - you can find some pictures for this if you use Google.

However, can you easily feel her ribs when you stroke her? Does she have a waist when you look down from above, taking account of what her coat adds? If the answer to either is yes then she is overweight.


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

OrientalSlave said:


> You can't tell from what she weighs, or what she eats. You need to condition score her - you can find some pictures for this if you use Google.
> 
> However, can you easily feel her ribs when you stroke her? Does she have a waist when you look down from above, taking account of what her coat adds? If the answer to either is yes then she is overweight.


O S one of us is really tired, as im thinking you put the last bit the wrong way round ,if its me then i apoligise


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## Jennywren13 (Jan 6, 2012)

Thank you for the replies, I've just been feeling for her ribs etc.. and thinking she could do with loosing some fat. Just not sure if getting down to 4 kilos is right...Hopefully I've attached some pictures here but will try again if not (-:


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## Lulu77 (Jan 21, 2013)

Hi There
This is one of the most useful body condition charts I've found Signs of Pet Obesity - Natural Balance Pet Foods

Good luck with it. Between mine I have a 2 and a 4 so I guess together they're just perfect!


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## nannette (Jul 18, 2013)

It' hard to see on a picture, she doesn't seem so fat, but for me, even if she needs to lose some weight, loosing 1,5 kg is too much, it's more than 25% of her actuel weight !


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

We were at the vets yesterday for boosters. This time last year Cookie was 4.55kg she is now 5.2kg 

The vet did say she probably shouldn't put anymore weight on, but then vets have been saying that since I first took her when she was less than 4kg 

I think Cookie is a nice build and although not a skinny waist I am sure she goes in a little in the right area - she is like me though and loves her food


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## Tao2 (Sep 9, 2012)

Lulu77 said:


> Hi There
> This is one of the most useful body condition charts I've found Signs of Pet Obesity - Natural Balance Pet Foods
> 
> Good luck with it. Between mine I have a 2 and a 4 so I guess together they're just perfect!


Like your system Lulu. I have a 1 and a 5, so, like yours, mine are perfect!!!


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

Jennywren13 said:


> Thank you for the replies, I've just been feeling for her ribs etc.. and thinking she could do with loosing some fat. Just not sure if getting down to 4 kilos is right...Hopefully I've attached some pictures here but will try again if not (-:


oh bella lives up to her name, i think she looks beautiful


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## gskinner123 (Mar 10, 2010)

I personally don't think she is overweight and wish I had a pound for every time one of my (British Shorthair) kitten, or rather cat, owners tells me their vet has said the same  

I do think though that from around 3-4 years old you need to keep an eye on their weight and the best way to do that is to limit dry food to the absolute minimum or, better still, cut it out altogether. British have a tendency to gain weight on what appears to be thin air.. but dry food is the biggest culprit.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

moggiemum said:


> O S one of us is really tired, as im thinking you put the last bit the wrong way round ,if its me then i apoligise


You are right, I put yes instead of no! She should have a waist, you should be able to feel her ribs fairly easily when you stroke her.


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## Jansheff (Jan 31, 2011)

Hi I don't have a BSH so it's difficult for me to comment on yours but I know that in comparison with mine they are larger and more solidly built. I just wanted to say though that my two Burmese are exactly 4 kg and don't have an ounce to spare on them anywhere, in fact i often think that I'd Like them to put on a little, but it doesn't happen even though they eat well. They are also pretty small cats, even for Burmese. If my two are small, look skinny and weigh 4kg, I would think that would be pretty low for a BSH. 

My moggy Raffles is a much larger cat, and I've had him on a diet since February as he'd gone from 4.6 to 5.3 in a year. It's a slow business though - so far we've lost about half of it.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Jennywren13 said:


> Thank you for the replies, I've just been feeling for her ribs etc.. and thinking she could do with loosing some fat. Just not sure if getting down to 4 kilos is right...Hopefully I've attached some pictures here but will try again if not (-:


She's lovely but a photo really only shows gross obesity or emactiation and she's obviously not either...

If her ribs are hard to find when you stroker her then yes, she could do with losing some weight, but to whatever weight they are relatively easy to find, which might well be more than 4 kg.


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## we love bsh's (Mar 28, 2011)

I think she looks great how she is,just watch it doesn't go any higher, gorgeous cat btw.


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## pipje (Jun 29, 2011)

I also don't think she is overweight but certainly not skinny either. BSHs have a 'cobby' build so they tend to look 'fat' (everytime someone visits me they say uh wow, this one likes to eat huh). I think 5.2kg is not too bad for a girl but she probably shouldn't put on more unless she grows larger (size, not weight). 

As all the other experienced people say, dry food is said to be like 'junk food' so cats tend to bulk up on that. Wet/raw would be good but make sure it's complete (I'm not sure if the RC packets are complete or not).


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Lulu77 said:


> Hi There
> This is one of the most useful body condition charts I've found Signs of Pet Obesity - Natural Balance Pet Foods
> 
> Good luck with it. Between mine I have a 2 and a 4 so I guess together they're just perfect!


Think that is especially good as it describes how to check the ribs have the right amount of covering.


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

Looks just fine to me


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Do remember than BSH are meant to look large and cobby. If they were skinny they wouldn't be right.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

:yikes: I just ran my hand down Cookie's side and can't feel her ribs


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## jo-pop (May 27, 2011)

Cookieandme said:


> :yikes: I just ran my hand down Cookie's side and can't feel her ribs


Did you see that BSH boy mine was next to at the show we met at? I bet you couldn't feel his ribs. Personally I think that cat was very overweight


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

jo-pop said:


> Did you see that BSH boy mine was next to at the show we met at? I bet you couldn't feel his ribs. Personally I think that cat was very overweight


Yes I recall you told me how "porky" he was 

I stroked a very big boy at the supreme and I doubt you could feel his either, he must have weighed a ton sat on the lap of his owner.


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