How To Fatten Up A Cat – Feeding & Weight Management

When your cat is skinny and underweight, it’s natural for you to worry a little. Cats look more beautiful and adorable when they are healthy, fat, and fluffy. So, seeing your skinny underweight feline friend, you ask yourself: how to fatten up a cat?

You can fatten up a cat by feeding your cat nutrient-rich food and gradually increasing the amount. You can also increase the feeding frequency and offer your cat treats in between meals and provide nutritional supplements. However, you can give kitten foods and homemade fresh diets to fatten up your cat.

In this article, we will be explaining how to fatten up your skinny underweight feline partner. We will also be answering some other frequently asked questions and provide some necessary information you should consider when it comes to fattening up your cat.

Ways To Fatten Up A Cat

There are a few effective ways to fatten up a cat. After correctly identifying that your cat’s poor health is due to lack of nutrition, you can increase the amount of food, choose protein and vitamin-rich cat foods, offer treats between meals, and give homemade diets.

You can also feed your cat canned kitten foods. However, some nutrient supplements can help your cat to gain weight and be healthy. 

Consult A Vet To Check Health Condition

You must consult a vet before starting fattening up your cat. Because sometimes, your cat’s underweight may indicate some health problems, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes. A vet can help you identify the actual reasons behind your cat’s poor outlook. If your cat’s health condition is fine and it is skinny due to poor diets and food habits, you can start the fattening up journey right away.

Increase The Amount of Food And Frequency Of Feeding

You should gradually increase the amount of food you give to your cat. In most cases, a cat becomes skinny when it doesn’t get a proper amount of food. So, to fatten it up, you should slowly increase the amount of food and the frequency of feeding.

Make sure your cat is exposed to food whenever it gets hungry. To put weight in your underweight cat’s body, you need to feed it at least four to six times a day.

Choose High-Quality Nutrient-Rich Food

To fatten up your feline friend, you must choose high-quality cat foods that are rich in protein and other necessary nutrients. Always read the labels carefully to know the ingredients in your cat’s food.

Try to avoid foods that are rich in grain or meal. Instead, give your cats protein-rich foods whose first ingredient is meat or fish.

Give Your Cat A Homemade Diet

Offer your cat a balanced homemade food to make it healthier and fluffy. A homemade diet also improves the metabolism and skin condition of your cat.

Commercial cat foods can be of low-quality ingredients, chemicals, preservatives, and other unhealthy fillers. Instead, fresh homemade foods like boiled and unsalted eggs, chicken, tuna, sardine, or anchovies can give your cat a proper healthy diet. It helps your cat to gain weight quickly.

Offer Treats In Between Meals

It will help if you give your feline companion treats and titbits between meals to maintain a healthy weight. Small treats like cat biscuits help fatten up your skinny cat.

But whatever treats you offer, make sure it is less than 10% of their daily calorie intake and doesn’t replace main meals.

Give Your Cat Nutritional Supplements 

To fatten up your cat, you can give it nutritional supplements that are high in calories and rich in antioxidants, omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids, and prebiotics.

You can also use fish oil supplements. It makes the cat foods tasty and nutritious and helps your cat gain weight. It also shines up your cat’s fur coat and improves its skin condition.

Give Your Cats Kitten Foods 

Give your furry friend canned kitten foods to fatten it up. Kitten foods can be a great meal choice because they possess a lot of protein and fat than adult cat food.

Moreover, if your cat is a picky eater, it will love high-quality grain-free kitten foods. You can mix the kitten food with kibble as well. It’s a very effective way to fatten up your skinny underweight feline partner.

What Causes Weight Loss In Cats 

There can be many reasons behind a cat’s weight loss. It is most likely that your cat is not eating the right amount of nutritious foods. Maybe your cat is not enjoying the foods you are offering.

The feeding environment can be noisy. The cat may also lose its appetite due to tooth and gum problems, or it can be depressed, facing physical illnesses, or discomfort.

However, constant weight loss may indicate that your cat is experiencing health issues like renal problems or hyperthyroidism. So, when you see your cat getting skinny day by day, you must consult a vet to identify the actual reasons behind it.

How Much Should A Cat Weigh

Adult domestic cats generally weigh between 9 and 11 pounds (4–5kg). But the ideal weight for cats may vary by their breed and structure. For example, an adult Maine Coon can weigh 25 pounds and be healthy.

On the contrary, a healthy Siamese cat may weigh only 5 pounds. It is always better to consult your vet to figure out exactly how much weight is considered healthy for your cat.

How To Fatten Up An Old Cat

To fatten up your old cat, make the cat foods more palatable and feed your cat frequently. Generally, cats tend to eat less when they become old. Offer smaller amounts of food four to six times a day.

Give nutrient supplements that contain omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, antioxidants, and prebiotics. Make sure the food serving space is noise-free and pleasant.

Sometimes, older cats constantly lose weight due to health issues like hyperthyroidism, chronic renal problems, and diabetes mellitus. So, consult your vet and be sure that your older cat is not having any of those problems.

How To Fatten Up A Skinny Stray Cat

To fatten up a skinny stray cat, you must give it a good amount of nutrient-rich foods and drinking water. Sometimes, due to a lack of proper diets, stray cats can be highly underweight and skinny.

So, to fatten it up, feeding high-protein diets is highly important. As stray cats used to eat foods from outside sources, offering them homemade food can be a great choice. You can also feed chicken broth and fish oil to make the unhealthy stray cat fat and healthy.

How Much Should I Feed My Underweight Cat

You should feed your skinny cat four to six meals a day if you want to fatten it up. An average cat needs 180–220 Kcal per day to maintain its weight.

But if you desire your underweight feline companion to gain weight and be fluffy, then it should be 230–270 Kcal a day. However, you may consult your vet to check the cat’s condition and then determine the right amount of food to fatten it up.

What Can I Give My Cat To Gain Weight

Give your cat foods that are nutritious, tasty, and rich in vitamins to gain weight. The foods can be a mixture of dry kibble and soft canned food. You can also give your cat fresh homemade foods like boiled and unsalted eggs, fish, and chicken.

Chicken broth and fish oil are two essential items to fatten up your underweight cat in the shortest possible time. However, you can increase the amount of food you give to your feline companion and offer treats between meals or throughout the day.

Things To Consider 

When it comes to fattening up your cat, there are some other things you should keep in mind. You must offer your feline friend high-quality foods and give easy access to drinking water. Keep a sharp eye on your cat’s food habits and the feeding environment as well.

Make The Feeding Environment Safe

Make the feeding area safe and noise-free. Be sure that you are not offering food to your feline friend near the air conditioner, noisy motors, or barking dog. When you have more than one cat, be sure that everyone is getting the proper amount of food. 

Offer Your Cat Warm Food

Try to offer foods that are warm and delicious. Heat the food only 10 seconds in the microwave to enhance its aroma. Cats don’t like stale foods. So always offer them fresh and warm foods. 

Mix Up Soft Kitten Food With Dry Kibble 

Mix up canned kitten food with dry kibble and give it to your cat. Sometimes, your cat may find trouble overeating dry food. So, balance your cat food in a way that helps your feline friend enjoy the mouthful. 

Consult A Vet If Your Cat Stops Eating Completely 

If your cat shows reluctance to eat food or does not eat 24–72hrs, you must consult a vet to identify the reasons behind this. Cats do so when they experience oral problems or severe discomfort in their body. In that case, consult your vet immediately to help your feline partner overcome the issues.