# Is my Ragdoll kitten underweight???



## Raggiemum71 (Sep 16, 2013)

Firstly, hi, this is my first post.

I have a male Ragdoll kitten who is 4.5 months old. I have seen so many photos of Ragdolls on the internet and lots of videos on youtube and my kitten looks so skinny and underweight compared to all the others I've seen. 

I took him to the vet today as I am worried he is so thin and he only weighs 2.3kgs and the vet said he should be at least 2.5kgs.

How can I fatten him up? He seems to have a good appetite and now I'm starting to worry about him.


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## thatsafunnylookingcat (Apr 21, 2012)

In my experience boys go through a lanky teenager stage! So it could be that he is just young and will fill out as he gets older. Is he neutered yet? Neutering often makes them put on a bit of weight. What do you feed him and how much?


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Some cats are simply thinner than others, and at his age he will be going through growth spurts when they get longer & thinner and then grow into themselves.

What are you feeding him?


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## Raggiemum71 (Sep 16, 2013)

He's on Royal Canin Kitten dry kibbles which I leave out all day and a small bit of Iams kitten meat in the morning and evening, however I have caught him eating my older cat's food and seems to prefer that to his own kitten food :frown2:

He hasn't been neutered yet, the vet said I should get him neutered in about 3 to 4 weeks time.


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## ApolloHermes (May 13, 2013)

Hermes was our smaller one - he's now bigger and heavier then Apollo! So dont worry.


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## sharonchilds (Jul 7, 2011)

Raggiemum71 said:


> He's on Royal Canin Kitten dry kibbles which I leave out all day and a small bit of Iams kitten meat in the morning and evening, however I have caught him eating my older cat's food and seems to prefer that to his own kitten food :frown2:
> 
> He hasn't been neutered yet, the vet said I should get him neutered in about 3 to 4 weeks time.


Hi Raggiemum
The best thing you can do for your kitten is to get him off the dry and give him wet food... I have a 4 yr old Raggie with kidney disease who will only eat dry 
and he desperately needs the wet for his condition.
He came to me eating dry and i really didnt know any better at the time, all my others are on wet food.
Do you have any pics of your little furball?


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## Raggiemum71 (Sep 16, 2013)

My cats/kittens love wet food, but dry kibbles are always left out for them also.

My kitten is definitely a Ragdoll but his body looks more like a Siamese as he's so slender, not at all like other Ragdolls. He has a good appetite and is very active and is always getting into mischief so maybe because he's so active that is why he's burning off calories, not sure. I chose Ragdolls because I love that they're a big breed but Coco (that's his name) is just so skinny.

I'm not sure how to download photos on here.


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## Trogers (Jul 11, 2012)

I have two 7 month old ragdolls. The girl is 4kg and the boy is 4.8kg.
I weigh them every 2 weeks to check they're putting on weight, this might be a good idea for you. If you can see how much he's putting on it might give you peace of mind


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## Raggiemum71 (Sep 16, 2013)

This is Coco, he's meant to be a blue mitted Ragdoll, but his body is so slim he reminds me of a Siamese.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

So he is 18 weeks old and 2.3 kgs - at the 100g a week plus 100g as an ideal -he's doing really well. He would be underweight if he was less than 1.9kg. Give him time a lot of cats develop slowly.

I would however, get him off the dry and onto a good quality (not Sheba etc) wet.


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## Raggiemum71 (Sep 16, 2013)

Could you recommend a good brand with high meat content for him please? There are so many different types out there and it gets confusing. Thanks.


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

Weeel, the very best is raw - I use Natural Instinct and Nutriment. Then I supplement that with Bozita tins, Aminonda Carny tins, Smilla (cos they like it) and Grau (which is better but they won't eat it often). Others good ones are Catz Finz, Hermanns. 

Others will be along to tell you more.


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## CharlieChaplin (Dec 30, 2012)

Don't know much about rag dolls - but I know a little food 

Best thing for any cat is to get them off the dry. Dry is generally high in fillers (even the better brands such as applaws) and carbs. Which a cat is not evolved to digest. They need meat protein and moisture from their food. They have no natural thirst drive and because of this need to get their moisture from their food, otherwise they can become dehydrated. This can lead to UTI's, which is especially prevalent in male neutered cats.

So get them off the dry before they are addicted. Feed them high quality wet foods such as; Grau (grain free) catz fine foods, Animonda Carny, bozita (tins), Lily's kitchen, feringa, terra faelis.

These are all available from zooplus;
Wet & Canned Cat Food: Free Delivery on orders £25+ zooplus!

Alternatively, anything on the happy kitty company is good quality. They do a trial pack for £12 including delivery
The Happy Kitty Company

Decent food from shops is Lily's kitchen, natures menu and butchers

The key to a cats diet is variety so if one food lacks something the other food may be a better source.

Always transition the food slowly to avoid upset tummies. Make sure food is complete and NOT complimentary. Try to feed your little one often as he is a growing boy. Give him as much as he seems to need - don't restrict him.

You could always try raw, but this isn't just feeding them raw meat - it's balanced and made specially with the right ratios. You can buy is ready made from nutriment or natural instinct. Or even make your own once you feel confident enough!

Feeding raw chicken wings helps kitties teeth stay healthy.

With high quality foods it's not necessary to just feed just kitten varieties.

HTH


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## Raggiemum71 (Sep 16, 2013)

Thanks for your replies. 

I am taking him back to the vet today to get him weighed (I think I'm getting paranoid about him now) and also book him in for neutering. 

I have changed his wet food to James Wellbeloved turkey and he loves it. He's always had a good appetite in the time I've had him (6 weeks this Saturday) but he's still skinny. He's very active though, always running around with my moggies.

I've been reading up about illnesses he could have which has been a huge mistake as it's scared me. He doesn't seem to have any other symptoms but I'm not a vet so don't really know. I just wish he'd plump up and look like all the other Ragdolls I've seen.

I will let you know how much he weighs when I get back, he weighed 2.3kgs the last time he was weighed 13 days ago.


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## Charlie Mathias (Jul 21, 2014)

Hi I joined this site because I seen your message about your 4.5 month old Raggie looking skinnier or smaller to other ragdolls at that age. Well thats exactly how I feel about my boy Charlie who was 4 months old yesterday. His head seems tiny like a siamese, he has obviously grown since we got him at 11 weeks old, but he has gone longer with gangly legs. His hair seems short around his head and legs but he is every inch a raggie. Im not sure when this was posted but I would like to know how yours is now and if he filled out etc, if thats ok, Im not even sure how to even use this site yet either haha. Thanks Tracy xx


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