Body Condition Score ...

It is important to monitor your cat’s weight to ensure they are at an ideal body condition as this helps to prevent conditions relating to feline obesity, such as diabetes. It is also important to ensure your cat is not underweight as if they are, there is likely to be a reason for this which… Read more »

It is important to monitor your cat’s weight to ensure they are at an ideal body condition as this helps to prevent conditions relating to feline obesity, such as diabetes. It is also important to ensure your cat is not underweight as if they are, there is likely to be a reason for this which needs to be investigated.

Body condition scoring (BCS) is one of the ways we can assess your cat’s health. When your cat comes for an appointment we use sight and touch to assess the BCS. By feeling your cat’s waistline and ribs, along with viewing your cat from above, we can determine if they are an ideal body condition. Feeling your cat’s waistline is especially important in long haired cats as it can be easy to assume they are under, or overweight!

Cats with a BCS of 3 or less should be examined by a veterinary professional to find out the cause of weight loss, and for advice on the best diet option to promote weight gain.

If your cat is a BCS of 6 or above it is really important we start looking at their diet to ensure we can begin a safe weight loss programme with regular monitoring to ensure BCS, and the rate of weight loss, is measured.