Without all the facts you’d be forgiven for scratching your head in puzzlement when you see an otherwise slim cat sporting a wobbly apron of what appears to be excess skin on their belly. Why do cats have these saggy, hanging bellies that swing from side to side as they go about their business?
One common myth is that this excess flab develops soon after neutering or spaying, but if you look at large cats in the wild you‘ll realise that this is not the case at all. Many of the big cats also sport excess layers of skin flapping about on their underbelly.
The technical term for this extra layer of sagging skin is the primordial pouch. Whilst spaying or neutering is not the cause, sometimes the pouch will becomes more prominent due to the bit of extra weight that animals commonly put on after the procedure.
Aging may also cause the pouch to increase in size as the cat’s metabolism slows down and it starts to store excess fat. The pouch may also appear to be more prominent in previously overweight cats that have been put on a diet to shed extra pounds. This is only because the overall excess fat may have effectively hidden the pouch from view. In any case, the primordial pouch is a natural part of a cat’s anatomy and serves a variety of purposes – especially in the wild.
Image: Nicolo Lazzati via Flickr
If you have ever watched cats fight (even if they are playing) you’ll notice that they regularly kick at their opponent’s abdominal area with their hind legs – which is known as ‘bunny kicking’. The excess skin serves as an added layer of protection to shield them against injury. If you carefully observe a cat’s movement you’ll also notice that the extra skin gives a cat the ability to stretch out when in full flight.
Another theory suggests the primordial flap may enable the stomach to stretch and hold an extra measure of food whenever it may be necessary. After all, a cat in the wild can never be sure of its next meal, so the extra storage space provides the room to horde a little more energy.
Image: Adrian Scottow via Flickr
So, there you have it. . . mystery solved. The primordial pouch is a necessary part of your cat’s anatomy. It’s still wise though, to pay attention to your cat’s weight and overall health so they can remain a healthy member of your family for many years to come.
My cat is 16 months old and I noticed she had a very saggy belly from quite a young age. She got spayed 12 days ago so that is definitely a myth because she had it long before.
Thank you all for the information about belly flab, my cat of about 5 months old has this flab and I started to be concerned. But reading all the reports I’m content. Thank you all
My 9 month old male Maine coon cross was “fixed” a couple of months ago and since then I’ve noticed his saggy tummy. I was beginning to worry something had gone wrong with op and about to take him to the vet. He is a large cat being a Maine coon and makes his little rag doll sister (same age and op the same time) look tiny. They’re both long haired so it’s only when I was having a cuddle with him I noticed it. He’s still eating, running around, playing with his toys and chasing his sister so think he’s ok. This post has helped put my mind at rest though so thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for this info. I always wondered why my cats have these. We call them fat sacks.
Thanks for shedding light on this aspect of kitty anatomy. I’m glad it’s not the result of spaying or neutering, that actually prevents some people from spay/neuter!
Huh! I am one of those people who always thought it was the result of spaying or neutering. I stand corrected. Primordial pouch. Good to know. Thanks!
Well my female cat developed this after she was spayed her brother was neutered at the same time both were still kittens and neither one of them had that pouch beforehand so in my case I still think it has something to do with her being spayed and I’m wondering if it’s milk glands or something that developed anyway there is no milk there.
Thankyou I was so worried I had neglected my cat and she had a prolapse from bring spayed I love her belly but it swings when she walks bless her
I’ve always been curious about this. I wonder if this is more common for certain breeds or it if it’s just a general property of cats.
I have three cats. Only one of them have the Primordial pouch that sags really bad. She also is the only one that got spayed right at 12 weeks. The others were around 5 and 6 months. So I do believe this is from being spayed so young.
You’re mistaken, that was just a coincidence. Many cats develop a significant pouch even before they’re spayed/neutered.
I have 2 cats. One spayed early one later. Both have pouch.
Wow, I had no idea! I am SO thankful for this post. As both of my cats have gotten older, I have noticed the extra flabby skin. For the past year I’ve been really wondering what’s going on because one of my cats is in really great shape. I thought it was odd, but now I know why! My other cat is disabled so it’s hard to tell with him, but he does have an extra little pouch.
Thank you!!!
Wonderful post! Callie the Cat has primordial pouch and we never knew where it came and thought it was either from her getting older, she is gaining weight, or she lost weight. Thank you so much for helping us to solve this mystery! 🙂
Although you have set my mind at ease with the above information,I still worry about it.
Is it a nuisance,is it stopping her sitting comfortably,does it need to be removed?
No it doesn’t need to be removed. It’s natural and normal and could cause discomfort being removed, such as when she stretches. It’s there for a reason, if she didn’t need it she wouldn’t have it.
Exactly, Patty. Removing it is not only unnecessary, but could potentially cause discomfort and affect mobility since the cat won’t be able to stretch as much. Not sure why people are so concerned about a normal, natural part of feline anatomy.
Growing up our thin kitty had this; I always wondered about it because it seemed so weird for a skinny cat to have extra flab. Thank you for this information – glad to know it’s normal.
This is fantastic information! Truffles has a lot of flab down there and I always wondered why since she’s so slim.