My cat eats well, has a big belly, but I can feel his backbone. Why?

Question

My rescue kitty is over a year old. He eats extremely well and he has a big belly, but I can feel the vertebrae in his back. He purrs and seems happy. He just won't gain weight anywhere but his belly. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year and 8 months old | 10 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Feeling Gideon's backbone is not normal for a healthy young cat. There may be some issues going on with him that go beyond just feeding him more. Underlying disease or parasites or some type of maldigestion syndrome may be occurring. It may also just be his body type, but I would encourage you to have Gideon seen by your veterinarian to make sure all is well. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My cat eats well, has a big belly, but I can feel his backbone. Why?

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