We all wish our pets could live forever. While we can’t control time, we can help them live longer, healthier lives by keeping them in good shape. Research shows that overweight dogs and cats have significantly shorter lifespans than pets at a healthy weight. Extra pounds put stress on the body, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, joint pain, breathing issues, and even cancer. Maintaining a lean body condition is one of the best ways to support your pet’s long-term health.
Body Condition Score (BCS): What It Is & Why It Matters
The Body Condition Score (BCS) is a 1-9 scoring system to help determine a dog's or cat’s weight. Understanding what your pet’s current condition is is the only way to determine if they are underweight or overweight. Overweight and obese pets are more susceptible to health issues over time, so it’s essential to be aware of their condition to ensure they are thriving.
According to the BCS, a healthy weight ranges between 4 and 5 on the point scale. You want the ribs to be easily palpable with minimal fat covering and have a defined waist (or “tuck”) from both side and above views. To better understand your pet’s weight status, refer to the Body Condition Score (BCS) for cats or dogs. It’s a simple, effective way to assess what a healthy weight should look and feel like.
Determining Your Pet’s Ideal Weight
Ideal weight varies for every pet based on their breed, body structure, sex, age, and any underlying health conditions. While weight can give you a general idea, Body Condition Score (BCS) is often a more helpful tool for determining if your pet is at a healthy weight. BCS evaluates your pet’s overall shape and fat coverage through both visual and physical assessments. Think of weight and BCS as two pieces of the same puzzle: weight provides a number, while BCS gives context to that number.
It’s important to keep track of both over time to ensure you’re either adjusting where needed and there aren’t dramatic changes. You may also want to consult your veterinarian if your pet has medical issues that could affect their ideal weight or body composition.
As a basic starting point for dogs, you can look up the breed’s standard weight range. Resources like the American Kennel Club (AKC) provide helpful benchmarks; however, keep in mind that these ranges are a rough guideline, as there can be many variables between the same breed! For cats, weight ranges are more general. Most healthy adult cats fall between 8–12 lbs, although breed and frame size play a role. A smaller breed, such as an Abyssinian, will weigh significantly less than a Maine Coon. Still, most common breeds—like Domestic Shorthairs, Tabbies, Siamese, and Persians—fit within that average range.
To weigh at home: step on a scale, note your weight, then step back on while holding your pet. Subtract your weight from the total to get theirs. For example, if you weigh 125 lbs and holding your cat brings the scale to 131 lbs, your cat weighs 6 lbs.
Are you unsure which Body Condition Score best matches your pet? Try this simple hand test and watch our video guide to help you visually assess your pet’s body condition at home.
When to Adjust Food Intake
Your pet’s nutritional needs aren’t fixed—they shift with age, activity level, and seasons. A 6-month-old puppy needs far more calories than a 7-year-old dog. A cat that lounges all day won’t burn as much energy as one that sprints around the house or runs on a cat wheel all day. And just like us, pets often burn more calories in summer when they’re more active than in the colder months.
Here is what affects your pet’s calorie needs:
> Life Stage
Growing puppies and kittens burn a lot of energy and require more nutrients to support healthy development. They require nearly double the calories per pound compared to adult dogs and cats. Their food intake steadily increases until they reach their adult weight.
For example, a 4-month-old Golden Retriever weighing 22 lbs (with an expected adult weight of 60 lbs) will already eat the same amount as a full-grown 60-lb adult. A 6-month-old kitten weighing 5 lbs, compared to an adult cat weighing 10 lbs, would both require 5 oz/day.
We recommend weighing your puppy and recalculating feeding amounts monthly until it is 6 months old, then every other month until its first birthday. Growth is fastest in the first 5 months, so it’s important to keep a close eye on it during that time.
> Activity Level & Season Changes
Active pets burn more calories and require additional nutrients to fuel their movement, build muscle, and recover. Less active pets need fewer calories to avoid gaining excess weight. If your pet’s activity level changes, whether due to a new routine, a busy weekend, or seasonal shifts like summer hikes or winter downtime, adjust their food intake accordingly. For example, if your dog joins you on a long hike, it’s okay to feed a bit more that day. Similarly, if your cat becomes less active in colder months, slightly reducing their daily intake can help prevent weight gain.
Here’s an example of how this might look for three different cats, all weighing 10 lbs:
Highly Active Cat (frequent running, hiking, and play): 6 oz/day
Moderately Active Cat (plays often, naps often): 5 oz/day
Low Activity Cat (senior or health-compromised): 3 oz/day
The key takeaway here is to pay attention to your pet’s daily and seasonal activity patterns and adjust their portions as needed to maintain a healthy weight. Even small changes, such as adding a few extra ounces after an active day or scaling back slightly during slower periods, can help maintain your pet's ideal body condition.
How to Adjust Food Intake
If your pet falls into the “Underweight” category after a body condition check, increase its daily food intake by about 10–20% for dogs and 25% for cats.
Example 1: A 50 lb dog that should weigh 60 lbs needs roughly 15% more food. Our feeding calculator recommends 24 oz/day for a 50 lb dog with average activity, but 28 oz/day for a 60 lb dog.
Example 2: A 5 lb cat that should weigh 8 lbs needs about 25% more. That increases from 3 oz/day to 4 oz/day.
If your pet is overweight or obese, use the same approach, adjusting their food based on their ideal weight, not their current weight. For minor weight loss, start by cutting out extra treats or chews and sticking to measured meals. If further adjustments are needed, reduce their total daily food intake by about 10% and reassess their progress every 6–8 weeks. Weight loss should be gradual to ensure safety and proper nutrition, generally no more than 1–2% of body weight per week for cats and 1–3% for dogs.
As always, consult your veterinarian for personalized guidance. While a 10% reduction is a good general starting point, your vet can help determine the safest and most effective plan based on your pet’s unique needs.
Feel free to use our feeding calculator to estimate the right amount of Viva based on your adult pet’s age, activity level, and ideal weight. The calculator provides a starting point, and you can adjust it based on how your pet responds.
Conclusion
Helping your pet reach and maintain a healthy weight is one of the most impactful things you can do for their overall well-being. Small, consistent changes—guided by body condition, activity level, and life stage—can make a big difference. When in doubt, consult your vet and use tools like our Feeding Calculator to stay on track.