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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Is my cat too thin? How can I make her gain weight?

23 replies

bxccasmithh · 19/02/2017 22:56

My cat is 3 1/2 years old, Female, and half Maine coon. She is flead and wormed regularly and I am always trying her on different foods to try and bulk her up. I can feel her backbone thoroughly and her pelvis bones don't feel as though they have any fat covering them.

I'm really worried as she eats well, her blood tests came back normal and the vets "special" food is coming in at £40 for 10 days which I cannot afford, as much as I'd love to. Can ANYONE recommend anything? She is a very happy cat I'm just worried she is too thin. I love her to pieces and want the best for her. She is quite a large cat and weighs in at 3.2kg. She is vaccinated and her oral hygiene is good. Her sister (same litter) is a slim cat as well however her body is covered better and I cannot feel her backbone or pelvis that well (she is 3.7kg and very healthy according to the vet)

OP posts:

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Fluffycloudland77 · 20/02/2017 07:01

They've not quite matured yet if my understanding of Maine coons is right? Don't they take 4 years to finish growing?.

If their still in the "all legs" phase they could still bulk out suddenly.

fledglingFTB · 20/02/2017 07:17

Try DIY raw food, much cheaper. I have a MC and I've just made 26 days worth of food for £16. So affordable, and good for them.

When I went to a breeder the younger cats were long and lithe whilst the older cats were ginormous, the breeder spoke about them "filling out nicely" as they age

fledglingFTB · 20/02/2017 07:19

... also a picture might help

DumbledoresApprentice · 20/02/2017 07:23

I have a Maine Coon from a rescue (so could well be a cross of some kind) and she sounds similar to yours. She's 3 years old and weighs a little more than yours (about 3.5kg) but under all her fluff I can definitely feel her spine etc. The vet said she was perfect in terms of weight and told me to keep weighing out her food.

MyGodLikeChin · 20/02/2017 07:24

I have a Maine coon cross male. He is over 5kg and you can feel his spine and pelvis. He eats very very well (greedy), they do continue to grow well into 4 years old.
Mine doesn't look skinny though, very furry. Vet says he's fine.
My Bengal cross girl weighs over 4kg and is fine according to vet but they are also a larger breed.
Yours sounds healthy and she will gain weight.
We don't use any special food here-they don't like anything other than felix wet and whiskers dry. They would rather not eat if I try anything else.

Okite · 20/02/2017 07:25

My tiny cat weighs 3kg, and she's about half the size of a Maine coon so I can understand why you think your cat is too thin. You said she eats well - how much food does she have? Have you asked your vet?
Even 3.7kg seems very slight for a Maine coon, my friend has some and they are more like 5-6 kg.

DumbledoresApprentice · 20/02/2017 07:39

Female Maine Coons are usually a lot smaller than Males though. About 4-5kg is much more usual for a fully grown female with males about 5-7kg.

DumbledoresApprentice · 20/02/2017 07:44

Just did a quick google and found that the size difference between the sexes is even greater than I thought.
"The Maine Coon is the largest breed of domestic cat. On average, males weigh from 13 to 18 lb (5.9 to 8.2 kg) with females weighing from 8 to 12 lb (3.6 to 5.4 kg)."

TheoriginalLEM · 20/02/2017 07:49

it might be worth a vet check. Does she eat a lot? She may be hyperthyroid although there are often other symptoms.

Okite · 20/02/2017 09:47

On average, males weigh from 13 to 18 lb (5.9 to 8.2 kg)
😱 at the thought of an 8kg cat!

DumbledoresApprentice · 20/02/2017 16:07

The big males are enormous and that's usually what you see pictures of
online when you google them. I was quite surprised by how normal sized my girl was when I collected her having only ever seen a big male one in the flesh. Now I've met a few other people with females and theirs are broadly similar in size to mine (who still has a year of growing to do).

Okite · 20/02/2017 18:45

My friend has a male and a female but hers are pretty similar in size. They all look enormous to me, my cat is very petite! I'd love a big whopper of a cat.

DangerousMouse · 20/02/2017 21:32

I've got a 9.5kg maine coon, to me he feels thin as his pelvis is all bones, but he just carries his weight in other areas, he really is a whopper though, and its so funny seeing him next to our 4kg moggy!

DumbledoresApprentice · 20/02/2017 21:43

Wow! That's big (are you sure they didn't accidentally give you a Great Dane instead of a cat?)

DangerousMouse · 20/02/2017 22:23

Not the most flattering picture, but gives you an idea of his size!

Is my cat too thin? How can I make her gain weight?

DumbledoresApprentice · 20/02/2017 22:29

I'm totally in love with him. He's a fluffy monster.

acatcalledjohn · 20/02/2017 22:35

Do you buy the food from the vet? If so, have a look at online retailers as they will be much cheaper. I use zooplus for prescription diet food (£19 at the vet, £13 online), someone else I know uses pet planet for her cat's prescription diet.

3.2kg does sound tiny for a half Maine coon. We have a small brown tabby boy who comes in at just under 4kg, and the other tabby we have is almost 6kg.

Hope you manage to get her to fill out a bit.

DangerousMouse · 20/02/2017 22:36

He's lovely isn't he?! His name is The Reverend... off to name change now! Sorry for the hijack OP

cozietoesie · 20/02/2017 22:57

Seniorboy is about 3.2 - maybe slightly less today - but that's down to his breed and age. (Poor lad can hardly move for having some food put in front of him.) I understand your concern but hopefully she'll fill out with a little age on her.

His vet has a big colour chart on the wall about 'Fat Pets' and the worst-offending foods to give them. I'm busy taking mental notes - but as 'tips' and not cautions.

Original poster

bxccasmithh · 21/02/2017 08:21

Thanks all for your responses! She's off to the vets Wednesday for more blood work with someone new. Ill keep you updated

OP posts:

acatcalledjohn · 21/02/2017 08:32

She's beautiful!

Elfblossom · 04/01/2019 22:43

Hello ... sorry to reawaken an old thread but, This thread came up Google results for 'my cat is too skinny' and oddly enough, my girl is a half Maine Coon too!

I have 2 from the same litter, both girls, both neutered at 7 months old. Both 95% indoor cats, I don't keep them in if they really want to go out and they are in the garden more in summer but neither are too bothered about going out in the winter.

Merry (black & white) is 4kg feels chunky when you pick her up etc but Happy (grey & white) is only 3.1kg - vet checked - all okay health wise, regularly flea & worm treated, vaccinated, eats well (i don't routinely give treats as one of my other girls is overweight! ) and is active and playful etc ...

She is just very slim, slinky and boney! The vet isn't concerned at all but I just feel cringy when I stroke her as you can feel every vertebrae and bone.

Any advice welcome!

MiniMum97 · 08/03/2019 22:22

Hey how cute are your two!

I cane across this thread too as googling because my half Maine Coon seems to have lost weight and you can feel his pelvis and spine when you stroke him. He is eating but does not quite seem his normal self. He's not going out as much and is in sleeping a lot. He also seems a bit down.

Interesting that others have noticed the thin issue with other half Maine Coons so am hoping it's nothing.

It's been going on a couple of weeks so we are going to take him to the vet if he doesn't perk up in the next couple of days.

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