Signs Your Cat is Too Thin:
1. Ribs visible on shorthaired cats; no palpable fat;
severe abdominal tuck; lumbar vertebrae and wings
of ilia easily palpated.

2. Ribs easily visible on shorthaired cats; lumbar
vertebrae obvious with minimal muscle mass; pronounced
abdominal tuck; no palpable fat.

3. Ribs easily palpable with minimal fat covering; lumbar
vertebrae obvious; obvious waist behind ribs; minimal
abdominal fat.

4. Ribs palpable with minimal fat covering; noticeable waist
behind ribs; slight abdominal tuck; abdominal fat pad absent.

Ideal Body Weight:
5. Well-proportioned; observe waist behind ribs; ribspalpable with slight fat covering; abdominal fat pad minimal.

Signs Your Cat is Too Heavy:
6. Ribs palpable with slight excess fat covering; waist and
abdominal fat pad distinguishable but not obvious;
abdominal tuck absent.

7. Ribs not easily palpated with moderate fat covering; waist
poorly discernible; obvious rounding of abdomen; moderate
abdominal fat pad.

8. Ribs not palpable with excess fat covering; waist absent;
obvious rounding of abdomen with prominent abdominal fat
pad; fat deposits present over lumbar area.

9. Ribs not palpable under heavy fat cover; heavy fat deposits
over lumbar area, face and limbs; distention of abdomen with
no waist; extensive abdominal fat deposits