Why does my cats belly sag

If you've noticed your cat's belly sagging more than usual, you're not alone. Your first thought may be that your cat gained a little weight, but a cat's hanging belly can also be indicative of other heath-related issues.

Rest assured, all cats have an abdominal flap, called a primordial pouch, that swings from side to side when they walk around. But what is a cat's primordial pouch, and why do they have it?

Believe it or not, the primordial pouch is an important part of your cat's biological composition. As its name indicates, the pouch exists in a cat's earliest stage of development and is a fundamental part of their bodily structure. Cats are born with this sagging belly, and all cats, both male and female, have primordial pouches. Some pouches are more prominent than others. Even non-domestic big cats have them!

The pouch is an abdominal flap along their belly made up of extra loose skin and some fatty tissue. It's similar to the excess skin that cats have on their necks — called the "scruff" — which is where mama cats pick up their kittens with their teeth.

Why Do Cats Have a Primordial Pouch?

Now that you have a better understanding of a cat's primordial pouch, let's take a look at why they have them. A cat's hanging belly serves your feline friend in a few ways:

• Protection: The pouch's loose skin does more than just sway back and forth; it safeguards your cat's vital organs, including the liver. Whether it's two house cats roughhousing or two tigers tussling in the savanna, cats can and do get aggressive. Cats are kickers, as you see when your feline friend performs the bunny kick on a catnip toy (or your hands, arms and feet). When the claws and teeth come out, the primordial pouch is an extra layer of armor to avoid serious injury.
• Flexibility: Being the talented acrobats that they are, cats also benefit from the excess skin when they're escaping from predators. Cats have incredibly powerful hind legs, and the belly flap extends their bodies, allowing them to twist, wiggle and leap high into the air. This comes in handy, too, when they're jumping onto your kitchen counters.
• Food Storage: As Pennsylvania SPCA animal advocate Carol Erickson says, similar to when humans wear loose-fitting pants when they eat too much, the elasticity of a primordial pouch also allows a cat's abdomen to expand for food storage. This becomes especially helpful for wild cats because they tend to eat one large meal per day, but it comes in handy for house cats, too. Think of it as your cat's favorite pair of leggings or sweatpants.

What Causes a Cat-Hanging Belly?

For cats with primordial pouches that are more prominent, other factors may be at play. Here's what may be causing a more outstanding cat-hanging belly.

Obesity

Often, cat parents mistake the primordial pouch for a food belly. And while this is true for wild big cats who eat, say, an entire gazelle for dinner as opposed to a quarter-cup of cat kibble, the abdomen of an overweight or obese cat is fatty and does not sway as freely as the pouch.

An effective way to tell the difference between an overweight cat tummy and a primordial pouch is to assess your cat's body condition. International Cat Care explains that in an overweight or obese cat, you can't easily feel their ribs or other bony areas because of a "thick layer of fat." A primordial pouch does not have this layer of fat (even the thinnest cat has a pouch), and you can probably feel your cat's ribs and joints when touching their abdomen. Your veterinarian will do an assessment during your cat's wellness checkups and help determine whether or not your kitty is overweight.

Pregnancy, Spaying and Neutering

If your lady cat wanders outside the home and isn't spayed, there's a chance that their sagging belly is indicative of pregnancy. In a pregnant cat, the distended belly presents at around week five. If you suspect a pregnancy, avoid touching your cat's belly, as it can harm the babies. Pregnancy can and should be confirmed with a trip to the vet.

If your cat is spayed or neutered, they may gain weight after the surgery, as explained by the experts at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. These procedures do not affect the primordial pouch, but the hormonal fluctuations after these procedures can lead to overeating and, in turn, tummy weight gain. As Tufts recommends, discuss a new food plan with your vet, and if you have young pets, be mindful of a kitten's special nutritional requirements.

Aging

Another reason for the belly expansion is due to another biological effect that cats share with their humans: the loss of skin elasticity with age. The excess skin on the abdominal flap may sag more, which is why a primordial pouch is more prominent on older cats. Your cat's metabolism slows down as they age (another characteristic they have in common with pet parents), which makes it more difficult to lose weight, making it all the more important that you prevent weight gain before it happens. Talk to your veterinarian about potentially switching your cat to a cat food formulated for senior cats starting around the age of seven.

When to Call the Vet

As your cat ages, their abdomen can be a helpful indicator of health issues. If you feel lumps in the pouch, for instance, and your cat isn't pregnant, make an appointment with your vet. A female cat can develop breast cancer, which will present as lumps in her abdominal area, but not all lumps are cancerous, emphasizes Pet Health Network. Some cats develop benign fatty tumors called lipomas that are somewhat rare but do occur. You and your vet should regularly observe your cat's pouch so that if something unusual shows up, you can get it treated right away.

Ensure that you stay on top of your cat's health and wellness, and take comfort knowing that it's normal for your cat's primordial pouch to jiggle more with each passing year. When it comes to the question of what is a cat's primordial pouch, talk to your vet to learn more about the signs of any other health factors.

Christine O'Brien

Christine Brovelli-O'Brien, Ph.D., is an award-winning writer, educator, and long-time cat mom. She's a professional member of the Cat Writers' Association (CWA) and has written for industry-leading companies and organizations, including What to Expect When You're Expecting and NIU STEM Read. Find and follow Christine on Instagram and Twitter @brovelliobrien

If you’ve ever noticed a cat’s belly hanging down, you may have pondered why. You may have even been a little concerned, but don’t be as it’s completely natural.

If you’ve ever stood there asking “why does my cat have a flabby belly?” while you stare into the distance thinking you’ve been putting too much wet food into the cat bowl, we’ve got the answer right here for you. It’s called the primordial pouch and it isn’t necessarily linked to whether you have a fat cat or not.

In fact, it’s so harmless, it’s an extra layer of protection that us humans could probably do with as we only have the one life rather than our “mew-mew” friends who have nine!

Here at Hiputee, we don’t want to leave you hanging like a primordial pouch, yourself. So, here’s everything you need to know about your cat’s stomach hanging down:

Ok, so we’ve already touched on this but, having a hanging belly can be for one of three reasons. For one, if your cat is pregnant, she’ll have a rather large belly to carry around her kittens.

Another reason would be if you really did leave too much to munch on in the cat bowl. However, the most common answer to this question is simply the primordial pouch.

To be able to identify the primordial pouch, it might help to hear how it’s most commonly referred to: a saggy bag, a primordial flap, an abdominal fold, a hanging tummy and a loose pouch. It typically hangs down from the mid-belly through to between the back legs and will sway when the cat walks.

Whereas a fat cat and a pregnant cat will look far more rotund and won’t carry the same ‘wobble’ when they walk. And, instead of feeling firm, a primordial pouch has been likened to feeling of a water balloon.

Not every cat shares the same primordial pouch. For example, it’s more commonly seen in male cats than females, it’s often seen after a large cat has cut down the pounds and they also don’t typically appear until a cat has reached maturity.

While every cat has one, a primordial pouch cat breed may have a much more prominent pouch hanging down below.

Of course, there are other reasons that would link why a cat would have a more prominent hang than others, but some breeds have their special cat tummy hanging down more than others.

Here are some of the cat breeds more likely to have a prominent primordial pouch:

• Bengal
• Maine Coon
• Egyptian Mau
• Japanese Bobtail
• Pixie Bob
• Tabby

The primordial pouch is an evolutionary feature for all cats and kittens out there. It’s even a very prominent feature on your cat’s distant cousins in the wild. Yes, we mean the lions, the tigers, the leopards, the bobcats and all the other big cat breeds. Be sure to have a look next time you’re out on a safari! Luckily, it’s not just there for the sake of it, either.

6 Reasons & Advantages To Your Cat’s Stomach Hanging Down:

When your cats play fight (or even get into a real fight) and begin to kick their belly in an effort to get the other cat off them, it’s called ‘bunny kicking’. Luckily, the primordial pouch is made of a thicker skin layer as well as a layer of fat to protect your cat’s organs.

When your cat is slightly bloated, they have the ability to store food in the abdominal fold to help avoid any unwanted throwing up. However, in these instances, the excess food can also be laid as fat when it becomes a regular eating habit.

In the same sense as storing food for temporary bloating, a primordial pouch cat evolved to store big dinners after a hunt without knowing when the next meal will come around. This is why you’ll see very prominent abdominal folds on a wild cast such as a lion.

Despite being more common in male cats, when a female cat has a little saggy belly, it does help with their route in pregnancy as the skin doesn’t need to stretch as far. It also hangs more after the litter has been born.

If you’ve ever noticed your cat to be like an accordion with the ability to go from a cute and small fluff ball saying “mew-mew” to a suddenly long fluff tube, it’s because they have the skin to allow it. This stretching ability also helps your cat get some fast pace when running off into the distance with long leaps.

The final benefit to having the primordial pouch on your cat is the insulation the extra skin and fatty layer provides. With this insulation, it makes it easier for our furry friends to stay warm in colder weather and heal after a cat fight.

And that concludes our info-fantastic introduction to the primordial pouch. If you do have any concerns with your cat and their primordial pouch, we advise taking them to the vet for a quick check-up.

While we have a lot of answers here at Hiputee, we’ll always recommend a visit to the vet in order to rule-out any illnesses, pregnancies, fat stores, parasites and so on because it’s always better to have a happy and healthy family member!