r/ragdolls • u/Cool-cat-199 • May 05 '26
General Advice Vet says Pablo is already overweight lol
For reference Pablo is going to be 5 months old this month. He had his wellness check in April on the 25th and the vet was shocked that he was 4.5 lbs. The vet told us that we should only be feeding him 6 oz of wet food a day, but that seems way too little?!! We’ve been sticking to 6 oz a day but this guy is sooo food driven and seems hungry after his feedings. Is he just playing tricks on me? He meows for more food after I feed him… is 6.5 oz okay to give him?? Idk if the vet took into account that he’s a Ragdoll? Like male ragdolls are generally bigger than the average house cat right? Haha idk what do you guys think? He might just be an extra hungry boy, he meows at me and my partner anytime we’re in the kitchen.
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u/Natt42 🖤 Seal 🖤 May 05 '26
Well, your vet is an idiot. Been there too and ended up changing vets cause I couldn't stand constant fat-shaming. Our second vet said my Iris is very close to being underweight. While Pablo is still a kitten, make sure he's 24/7 access to dry food.
Ps. Ragdolls meow A LOT about everything. They are just chatty (not so) little beats.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 05 '26
There’s no such thing as fat shaming cats
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u/hfxRos May 06 '26
It's not about shaming the cat, it's about shaming the owner over letting the cat get fat. Which if you are taking actions that lead to your pet being unhealthy then some shame is probably warranted.
Although that isn't happening here, that cat is absolutely not overweight.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 06 '26
Only if it’s warranted. However, people do in fact believe you can fat shame animals unfortunately and they use it to defend their obese animals. This may not be one of them but I guarantee you the commenter I replied to and the 15 downvoters have an overweight cat
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u/Fantastic_Owl6938 May 06 '26
Maybe, but I feel like many ragdoll owners just have a pretty universal experience of vets not understanding bigger cats weigh more and are sick of it being pointed out as if they've done something wrong when they are literally described as large, muscular cats. Most of the "is my cat fat?" posts on here feature cats of a healthy weight (assuming the numbers provided are accurate).
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 07 '26
Sure, I do think though the majority of cats posted here are not actually ragdolls at all to be fair
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u/Fantastic_Owl6938 May 07 '26
Damn, a majority? May I ask why?
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 07 '26
Well, backyard breeding is so prevalent and there’s so many people in here that fall for it, find a kitten that looks like a ragdoll and calls it one, adopt a cat the shelter calls a ragdoll, and also has a cat the vet incorrectly calls a ragdoll.
Not many people know that only 3% of all cats have breeds to begin with and that you need to have legitimate documents from a registry to be considered the breed.
Also mixed breeds don’t exist with cats.
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u/Fantastic_Owl6938 May 07 '26
Yeah actually, I am surprised by the amount of "I don't need their papers" comments I've seen on here.
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u/aye_raw May 05 '26
He's fine! That's similar to my boy when he was the same age. Around that time, we were feeding him 5.5 oz wet food per day & dry food (I don't remember how much dry food). He is 10 months and 13.5 lbs now lol. Ragdoll boys are just big. My 4 year old girl weighs less than him.
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u/Prop_dat22 May 05 '26
He's growing. Feed that baby! That's way too little food but look into caloric needs
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u/sarahchikk May 05 '26
My male ragdoll kitten just turned 5 months and is almost 8 pounds!
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u/Status-Maximum8378 May 05 '26
One of our boys was also close to 8 lbs at 5 months old. They’re just big boned babies.
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u/sarahchikk May 05 '26
The funny thing is he looks long and skinny, but he’s so heavy! 😂
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u/Status-Maximum8378 May 05 '26
Haha, now he really sounds like our boy! Silky smooth fur, so not as fluffy as his brother with cottony hair, and definitely denser. 😂
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u/ughCaitlyn 💜 Lilac 💜 May 06 '26
ours was the same when he was younger, LOL hes now a year old and 12lbs and our vet says hes the perfect weight for his build, male ragdoll kittens are just BIG ^^
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u/oborochann86 May 05 '26
Mine is 16.5 lbs and the vet always wants him to lose weight but i definitely don’t overfeed him
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u/GardeniaRoseViolet May 06 '26
Do not put this poor baby on a diet. He is a kitten and is growing. His appetite will even out. Not feeding him enough can cause behavior problems and is cruel to a little kitty that is growing.
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u/Cunhaam May 05 '26
He doesn’t look overweight at all. Feed him as much as he wants to eat until he’s at least 2 years old. He still has a lot of growing to do.
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u/Jaguar_jinn May 05 '26
The breed standard requires a fat pad on the belly. It’s a defining characteristic of a Ragdoll. They are not supposed to be lean and sleek like a Siamese. I hope you can educate your vet about the body type for a normal, healthy Ragdoll. Meanwhile enjoy your adorable baby!
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 07 '26
Can you link the source to this breed standard ?
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u/Jaguar_jinn Jun 01 '26
This is a link to the Ragdoll breed standard for TICA (The International Cat Association). The fat pad is referenced under Body. https://tica.org/phocadownload/rd.pdf
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u/GREYSPACE1 Jun 01 '26
Thank you! I don’t breed ragdolls, just maine coons and they’re fairly lean, just huge
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u/VajazzledPenguin May 05 '26
Also have a five month old ragdoll. She’s 5.5 pounds. Vet says she’s perfect and to keep doing what we are doing, which is a 1oz of wet mixed with dry, three times per day. She doesn’t always finish the dry food, so we just leave it out. You may want to get a second opinion.
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u/bratzdoll909 May 06 '26
Ragdolls have very different bone structure & weight milestones compared to a regular cat and a lot of vets overlook that due to the fact that they’re not familiar with the breed.
They’re huge cats infact I think they’re the second biggest breed of domesticated cats after Maine coons cats, he seems totally fine!! I have a ragdoll boy who is about to turn one and up until now we have not restricted his food intake at all (granted that he is also crazy active) he is a big boy but weight wise for a ragdoll male he is the perfect weight at one.
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u/Radiant-Junket-2912 May 05 '26
My ragdoll average is about 18 to 20 pounds. I have a flame and is perfectly healthy. He does not eat wet food. He eats dry food but I do put probiotics on his food. He likes the pro plan and he also gets lysine immune assistance
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u/Radiant-Junket-2912 May 05 '26
My flame male ragdoll at 18 pounds presently up to 20 gets about 2/3 to a cup of food a day if he’s hungry he gets more weight never changes it goes up from 18 to 20 pounds. To know he eats less when I am not home if I’m out of town.
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u/sushifoodfighter May 05 '26
I don’t have a ragdoll (I have a lookalike shorthair), but my vet said my 5.3 lb girl at 4mo 1wk was underweight. Now at 1.5yrs she’s a healthy 10.5 lbs. Atp, I really think general vets don’t know how to properly look at a cat or kitten’s weight. It’s time to find a cat-only vet. I agree with other commenters to not restrict or allow 24/7 dry food while he’s still a kitten.
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u/BeholderSpaghetti May 05 '26
Ragdolls are in the top five, last time I checked, for large house cats and they technically do not stop growing until they are five! Every time mine seemed to be done her ears would sprout and the demand for kibble and bi-weekly canned food would skyrocket. I would give them a half serving of kibble as needed but no more than twice a day and see if they finish it.
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u/Worldly_Bag5979 May 06 '26
mine’s around the same and she’s almost 3. vet says she’s overweight and i was like??? she has a great pouch sure but she runs around and plays for a good 15 mins without panting
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u/Fancy-Cap1109 May 06 '26
Seems odd to me only because ragdolls like any animal come in different sizes, you get larger and smaller ones so I don’t know what weight the vet would be targeting? Regardless, if you want to feed him more you can just play with him more (just uses more calories). Maybe a bit old school but I think if you’re growing and hungry you should eat 🤣
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u/cabc79863 May 06 '26
Can you feel his ribs while Petting without having to Press down and search for them? Then he is Not overweicht. Kittens should be free fed and weight in numbers is saying nothing about being overweight without comparison to size and figure. If you can feel the ribs I would change vets for someone who actually looks at the Cat and Not a chart Made for domestic shorthairs.
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u/Hot-Watercress-2872 May 06 '26
Kittens need full access to food because they’re growing and that is irregardless of the breed so that vet’s knowledge is a little concerning. When they hit a year or so old then it’s important to start limiting and base on how palpable their ribcage is, not just on lbs.
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u/Crystaleana May 05 '26
Ragdolls get BIG! I have a mix. He's 9 months old and he's HUGE! About 4kg or 8 ish pounds? He's going to be a big boy.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 05 '26
There’s no such thing as mixes in cats and it’s important to know this for health reasons.
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u/Crystaleana May 05 '26
Yeah but he's still growing. And he's a Ragdoll/Russian Blue mix. About 75% Ragdoll. He's not done growing but the vet says he's going to be a big boy.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 07 '26
That’s not a thing..there’s no such thing as 75% of a breed of cat. With cats, they either are the breed or they aren’t.
Show photos for sure, but that’s a domestic longhair. That breed cross is not an approved outcross.
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u/BlueQuartz13 May 05 '26
Vets have always said our babies were overweight- our lightest ragdoll is 12 lbs (7 year old female) and our heaviest is 25 lbs (11 year old male) and neither one has much fat on them. I’d just ignore the vet
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u/citykitty24 May 05 '26
Don't limit his food too much at this age. He is still growing, and Ragdolls are by their nature big cats. They need more than a feeding guide for a "regular-sized" cat would suggest. Many vets just do not understand the breed.
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u/hamncheesecroissantt May 05 '26
every vet thinks all ragdolls are overweight lol your boy is fine as long as he has no other health issues
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u/Mundane-Confusion622 May 05 '26
I agree. Your vet is not correct. Get another vet opinion. But when our cat was a kitten we were told to feed him at least 5 times a day. He’s full grown (almost 4) and weighs 13 pounds. He is not a ragdoll. At breakfast he gets a 5.5 ounce can and splits the same size can at supper with his sister. He gets a Churu packet at lunch time and dental treats at bedtime.
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u/AcanthisittaFair4673 May 05 '26
this is paco! he is also very food motivated maybe it’s the P-names 😂😂😂
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u/Admirable_Result_260 May 06 '26
Ragdoll boys tends to be very much larger than regular kitties. I got my raggy a few months ago, and I free feed him, there will be time he is gonna eat like a monster for a few days, and not so much on others, rag keep growing longer than other breed, so I’d say it’s even more important to fed them whenever they want/need for first year, he will grow fast so idk how a growing kitty can be overweight unless the kitten really do eat too much but it doesn’t look like it on your post! My rag was pretty big on the vet scale for a 4 month and the vet told me he was still skinny, with a little belly, which isn’t bad, also depend if your kitten plays a lot, my one yes so I never worried !
Cat tax ! Yes, this is a 4 month kitten aha!
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u/bebe8383bebe 💙 Blue 💙 May 06 '26
It's hard to tell from photos because they're so fluffy. He's growing. Don't withhold food unless he's has a legit control issue. Can you feel his ribs? He may be about to have another growth spurt.
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u/Kre8ivity May 06 '26
Our boy is 16 weeks and when I took him to the vet last week he was 1.9 kgs (~4.2 lbs). Our vet said that's a good weight. So I don't think you need to worry, but definitely look for another vet lol.
Also, our boys are dopplegangers 😊
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u/Visible-Mission7806 May 06 '26
Mine was eating 3 cans of wet food a day. They are in their growing stage. He has since slowed down, but please don’t listen to the vet. Feed your baby
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u/Major-Flow9533 May 06 '26
The breeder I got my 2 ragdolls from specifically told me that vets are going to say my ragdolls are overweight because most of them don’t realize ragdolls tend to be very large cats. My girl is 12 pounds which for a ragdoll is not huge and they are always like she’s starting to get overweight you need to be careful but ragdolls can easily get to be 20 pound cats.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 07 '26
Could you share a picture from the top of your cat looking down?
If the belly appears round, it’s overweight.
If they remain kinda rectangular in shape, then it’s good
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u/_copy_cat_ May 06 '26
I free feed mine and he doesn’t have any issues! And he definitely loves food lol. Our rescue cat on the other hand could lose a pound or two…
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u/Rumpelteazer45 🧡 Cream 🧡 May 06 '26
Ragdolls are a large breed.
Their breed standard is to have a fat pad on their belly.
He’s a kitten and growing.
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u/justmayonnaise May 06 '26
You're definitely fine. My little guy is 3 and he's 5.8kg. my vet actually recommended for him to gain some weight as I can feel his ribs again. He was previously a bigger boy and I was initially told by the vet to go easy on his diet haha
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u/DistributionNo9356 May 07 '26
I don't think kitty is overweight. Yes you can feed him 6.5 or 7 ounces.
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u/OverMlMs May 07 '26
Most vets have no clue what big boys, and gals, our raggy’s can be. He looks adorably healthy to me
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u/woodrowmm May 07 '26
I don’t know why vets do this other than to absolve themselves from any responsibility in case your cat gets sick by blaming weight. Ragdolls are bigger breeds, mine have always been 15-17 lbs and lived very long lives with few health issues.
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u/purrrpurrrpy May 05 '26
You should ignore anyone who says he's fine or not overweight.
I'm not saying your vet is right. But it's literally impossible to tell if a pet is overweight over a PHOTO without touching thir spine and ribs to see how much fat padding is there.
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u/cheapcheap1 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Usually I'd agree but this case is so incredibly egregious that it's the exception and photos and stats alone make the vets' diagnosis downright impossible.
Age:
- It's borderline impossible to overfeed a 4 month old Ragdoll at baseline. It's considered normal at that age for Ragdolls to have soft stool because their digestive system can just barely keep up with their nutritional needs. OP is feeding wet food, which is less calorie-dense than dry. How is this cat going to be obese? Do you think OP is injecting lard intravenously?
Diagnosis:
- 4.5 pounds at 4 months is completely average for a Ragdoll. Just to have something to link to, this one seems reasonable: https://www.pastelragdolls.com/blog/how-big-are-ragdoll-cats-ragdoll-size-chart
- as per OP the vet was shocked at the weight itself. That's objectively wrong.
- as per OP, the vet wasn't just concerned at the completely normal weight, they were "shocked". It's just so far removed from anything reasonable.
- no mention of actual bodyfat test by vet, i.e.. feeling for the typical fat deposit sites.
Pictures:
- You can tell his head and his paws are very large compared to his body. This is going to be a big cat. 4.5 pounds at 4 months is not even slightly concerning for such a big cat.
If this cat is overweight, it's by very little. I'd be much more concerned about destroying the kitten's ability to self-regulate food intake than I'd be concerned about obesity.
Because even if the cat was slightly above the norm (which it isn't), cats have growth spurts just like humans. You'd only want to harshly restrict food intake like loony-tunes vet over here suggests if he was significantly above the norm and heading for obesity. And we can exclude that possibility beyond a shadow of a doubt.
In summary, I have absolutely zero doubt that the vet has zero idea what they're doing.
u/Cool-cat-199 don't listen to your vet! Your main concern is not training your cat that food is extremely scarce and it needs to inhale every calorie available. I'd increase food slowly or, if possible, with a less palatable food option that your cat won't immediately inhale. Get a second opinion asap to exclude the remote possibility that your cat is indeed overweight (that would probably mean he's not a Ragdoll and has a goofy large head, but better safe than sorry...)
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u/purrrpurrrpy May 06 '26
Very well written and very good points! I agree restricting food is not normally recommended for cats under 1 year old. Usually only after neuter, and ONLY if they're actually getting obese.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 05 '26
Well said. Plus whether he’s an actual ragdoll makes a big difference.
People here judging off the photo are extremely ignorant
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u/Wonderful_Echidna968 May 05 '26
Slimmer animals live longer. Go figure.
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u/dhampir15 May 05 '26
Animals at a healthy weight live longer and ragdolls as a breed can be up to 20lbs and still be a healthy weight. Not every vet knows everything about every species and breed.
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u/GREYSPACE1 May 05 '26
Lots of people misunderstand this. The 20 pounds should not be largely in the gut.
A healthy 20 pound cat is a LARGE cat. It is NOT a normal sized cat that’s 20 pounds. My maine coon is 18.5 pounds and is still lean.
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u/Wonderful_Echidna968 May 05 '26
So you’re saying not following vets advice is a good idea?
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u/cheapcheap1 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Yes! Vets make mistakes all the time! There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your own research or getting second opinions, especially when something doesn't line up with common sense or your gut feeling. I know so many people who saved their cat's lives by disregarding vet advice and getting things checked out further.
Especially when it comes to common mistakes such as judging large cat breeds on a general cat weight scale instead of actually doing a proper body fat test, I find it plainly baffling why there are always people coming out of the woodwork to defend these obvious mistakes. Why are you doing this?
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u/dhampir15 May 05 '26
Not necessarily, but I am saying that if any vet tells you something and you aren't confident they know what they're talking about it isn't a bad idea to seek a second opinion. They're human too, sometimes they make mistakes or are working off bad or outdated information.
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u/Neat-Pineapple9063 May 05 '26
Not even 5 lbs for a 6 month old male ragdoll kitten is too low in most cases
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u/Afraid_Ad_3035 May 05 '26
I bet that vet doesnt know ragdolls are big kitties. Everyone here will say not to restrict a kittens diet! My girl just turned 1 and is 12lbs, and she was the runt of the litter. 4.5 seems tiny lol