How to weigh your cat accurately?

[Rodge2]

My cat has a tendency to put on weight. Recent trip to the vet revealed that he has put on 1 kg in 6 months! That means he's now 6 kg. He is quite a big cat, and tends to look okay at around 5.2 kg - but 6!!! I need to be able to weigh him accurately, particularly because he is now on arthritis medication and the dosage is related to weight. Also to stop this happening again. Has anyone tried those human digital scales for doing this and do they weigh accurately at low weights? Thanks.

[factor-fiction]

If you put a basket on the scales, weigh it, then add the cat and see how much the weight goes up, but the accuracy may not be good enough. Maybe cooking scales would be better- would your cat sit in a bowl?

[factor-fiction]

Or take him to Tesco and put him on the self service till scales

[wolf63]

What about one of those things that you use to weigh suitcases. If he will go into his carrier you could just weigh him and the carrier and work out how much of it is cat.

My little boy has been getting steroid injections which give him the munchies - he isn't a huge cat but he is getting to look podgy.

Let us know how you get on - if you survive the ordeal.

[woofgang]

can you hold the cat? if you can its easy. 1. Weigh self. 2. pick up cat, step on scales again. 3. subtract 1. from 2. result is weight of cat.

[factor-fiction]

^ "...unexpected animal in bagging area... "

[ubasses]

weigh yourself, pick up cat, take original weight from new weight. whats left is the cat's weight

[woofgang]

ha ha ubasses I beat you to it :-)

[wolf63]

All these answers look good in writing.

But when dealing with cats nothing is simple.

;-)

[Rodge2]

Haha :) factor 30 - yes especially if there was some food in it! The problem about cooking scales I have found is that they generally only go up to 5 kg, and he's heavier! He is quite cooperative about sitting on the scales, the problem is that ordinary bathroom analogue scales with a dial aren't sensitive enough to detect the low weight accurately. So i was wondering if digital ones are better?

[mccfluff]

*trying to imagine putting murph in a bowl*

[ubasses]

must of been seconds Woofgang lol.
yes digital scales are much more accurate and can be switched from imperial to metric.

[Canary42]

"Domestic" scales very iffy - take him to the vet again for accurate weighing.

[rowanwitch]

bit like the M and Ms ad... a cat basket on bathroom scales plus cat remove cat tend to scratches re weigh basket difference was cat safer than holding struggling moggy and you don't have to face your own weight either

[woofgang]

lol rowanwitch i love that ad

[rowanwitch]

You get in the bowl.....

[wolf63]

The best ad is the one for Dreamies where the cats knock holes in the wall to get to the Dreamies. My two love Dreamies - Frankie inhales them.

[espookid]

best is a fishermans scale as you are in the land of the salmon

[Rodge2]

espookid - will they weigh more than about 8 kg? - to allow for him and the cat box

[Rodge2]

I'd rather not take him to the vets for weight checks canary, because it is like heavyweight wrestling getting him into the box, and he clearly hates it - so I'd rather do it at home if poss.

[rowanwitch]

The cat in my current Avatar weighed 9.5 kilos of fluff covered muscle I weighed him on my Wii