We all look at our cats closely when we think something is wrong with them. When your cat’s shoulder blades stick out more than other cats you’ve seen, you may feel worried. You start your research on why your cat’s shoulder blades stick out.
Your cat’s shoulder blades stick out because your cat is injured or underweight. Protruding shoulder blades could also be because of your cat’s body shape.
We never want to worry about our cats, but sometimes certain aspects make us reconsider things. Keep reading to learn why your cat’s shoulder blades stick out and how to stop or prevent them from sticking out!
Reasons Why Your Cat’s Shoulder Blades Stick Out
There are three main reasons why your cat’s shoulder blades stick out.
Injury
A cat can have an injury that causes its shoulder blades to stick out more than usual.
An injury is not an overly common reason your cat’s shoulder blades stick out, but it can be one of the first things you should consider.
Injuries in your cat can include broken or sprained shoulders and pulled muscles.
Such an injury can cause your cat’s shoulder blades to look different than usual and cause them to stick out.
Low Weight
Weight fluctuates depending on several factors, but a low weight can mean that your cat’s shoulder blades will stick out.
Your cat’s weight depends on things like:
- Age
- Breed
- Size
- Gender
- Health and health issues
Most cats generally weigh around 10-15 pounds as an adult, but again, a variety of things can affect how much your cat weighs.
If your cat is too skinny and does not weigh enough, then your cat’s bones will be more prominent. This includes its shoulder blades, meaning that they will stick out more.
Body Shape
Your cat’s body shape also dictates how much its shoulder blades stick out.
If your cat has a certain body shape, then its shoulder blades may be more noticeable, though that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with your cat.
For instance, my mom has a relatively lanky cat with long legs. He is not underweight, but he is slender. When he walks, you can see each shoulder blade raising and lowering as he walks around. The vet says there is nothing wrong with him, yet you can see his shoulder blades!
Ways To Stop Your Cat’s Shoulder Blades From Sticking Out
If you are concerned that your cat’s shoulder blades will stick out, there are a few things you can do to stop your cat’s shoulder blades from sticking out.
Change The Cat’s Diet
A rich diet may be what your cats need to gain more weight and muscle, thus allowing their shoulder blades to become less visible.
Check out this chart to learn about some tips when feeding your cat to bulk them up and why these foods are a good choice:
| What To Do | Why It’s Good |
| Add wet cat food | Add wet cat food to your cat’s bowl if you often feed your cat dry food. This will be like a treat but will give your cat more calories |
| Switch up the protein in the food | Switching protein in your cat’s diet can help them get more and varied nutrients. If your cat likes tuna, try giving them some chicken flavor and vice versa |
| Give your cat some correctly prepared “human” food | You can give your cat some human food to add to your cat’s diet. Make sure to use food that is prepared without salt and spices, which will not be good calories to give your cat |
| Add supplements | Supplements are a great way to help your cat get other nutrients that it may not be able to get otherwise, especially if your cat doesn’t eat large portions |
In addition to adding things to your cat’s diet, I recommend finding a food that your cat likes. They’ll eat more if they’re enjoying it!
Change The Cat’s Exercise Routine
More exercise may strengthen your cat’s body, allowing him to gain muscle and have less obvious shoulder blades.
Try some of these ideas to strengthen your cat’s whole body:
- Use a toy on a wand to help your cat move and jump
- Keep your cat’s energy up with cat nip
- Get your cat a cat tree so they can climb and stay active
- Make your cat run with a laser pointer
- Adopt another cat to keep your cat active
Talk To Your Vet
You can always talk to your vet to stop your cat’s shoulder blades from sticking out.
If food and exercise changes don’t stop your cat’s shoulders from sticking out, you can converse with your vet.
Food and exercise cannot always fix things alone, but your vet can affect other action plans.
For example, let’s say that your cat’s shoulder blade is inflamed from an injury. Surgery or other rehabilitation methods may be the best way to help your cat.
Accept Your Cat’s Body Shape
Since your cat may be shaped a certain way, you may need to accept your cat’s body shape!
Every cat is shaped differently, acts differently, and looks different, so you might have just ended up with a cat with some pokey shoulder blades.
As long as your cat is happy and healthy with its shoulder blades, then you can stop worrying about your cat!
My name is James, and welcome to FAQCats!
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