Expert: Jessica - 9/24/2010

Question
Good day Jessica. This is my first time asking a question here.

I have a 2years old male cat. For some reason, he is quite small in comparison to other male cats that live around here. In fact, he is a little bit smaller than his mom, a feral cat. Even his sister is as large as him.

So I wonder if this is normal or not. For your information, he is neutered before he reach 1years old. So is it because the effect of neutering him too early or is there any other reasons actually? Thank you for your time

Answer
Hi Faiz,

It is felt by some that early neutering in some large breed cats could cause a cat not to reach his full potential size.  However, this is generally agreed by vets to be false.  Statistics show that neutered cats actually tend to be an average of 2 pounds heavier than unneutered males, although this can sometimes be caused by fat.

Cats come in all shapes and sizes, and even those from the same litter can differ greatly, so it's difficult to say how large he SHOULD be.  What's of most concern is his body tone.  If he is well muscled, this will generally indicate that he's of a healthy size.  He should have relatively firm, fleshy muscles on his legs and sides with a comfortable fatty layer over his back and ribs.  The back and ribs should be easily felt through the fatty layer, but not visible when you look at him or uncomfortably jutting out when you pet him.  A shiney, sleek coat should also be noted.

If your kitty looks overall shabby and skinny, then something is likely to be wrong.  It may be a severe case of parasitic worms or a more serious illness but is not related to his early neuter.  It would be ideal to get him to a vet.

Best of luck!

Jessica