I love this post, it is a subject near and dear to my heart as a fluffy cat owner who's friends and family put their hands on said cat and call them "too skinny" because you can feel their bones and they don't have the stereotypical pendulous bellies down to their knees.
To help keep my clowder fit and trim, I really love using a Body Score Chart; because visually, you can tell with some cats, (especially the leaner, lighter boned Abyssinian or Bengals), but most you wont be able to eyeball a cat and tell if its skinny, fat, or just right. And its honestly impossible with a fluffy cat to tell, just by looking, where they sit weight wise.
You want to put your hands on them, feel their bodies, and honestly judge - or if you worry you might be biased, have a friend or your vet help you - whether you can feel the ribs (the knuckles along the back of your flat hand should be a good indicator for what the ribs should feel like), can see a waist tuck, or feel between their legs for minimal (think tablespoon size) of fat padding on their bellies.
As Tales says in another post, always go to your vet if you have concerns about your cats weight. Cut back their food too much, too quickly, and they can get really, really sick. No one wants that. Always work with a vet when it comes to nutrition and diet, always consult your vet first if you believe that there is a medical issue with your pet.
And if you believe your vet is not listening to your concerns about your pets weight, you can go for a second opinion with another vet. That is perfectly allowed too.
Royal Canin has a great chart to help you (see below) or you can google for the Purina or Royal Canin body score charts yourself. You want the charts that have 9 scores on them, as that will help you narrow down even cats who might seem good but could lose maybe a few hundred grams or more.
And for dog owners, there are absolutely Body Score charts for dogs - just be aware that with dogs, breed REALLY matters and you ABSOLUTELY should work with your vet on what an appropriate weight looks like for your dog. What a Great Dane looks like at an appropriate weight will differ to a greyhound and a bulldog.
The basics of: waist visible, should be able to feel the ribs, and a visible tuck all stay the same as with cats through.
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