# belly buttons on cats **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366 "2008-11-05T22:44:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rickJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@rickJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rickJ)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/1 "2008-11-05T22:44:13Z")
Cecil, How about letting us know what the exceptions to the belly button rule are. Do platypuses have belly buttons? Echidnas? ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/2 "2008-11-05T23:50:23Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1/do-cats-have-belly-buttons](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1/do-cats-have-belly-buttons) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/3 "2008-11-06T02:22:53Z")
Seeing as how they lay eggs, I rather think not. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/4 "2008-11-06T04:16:34Z")
Neither monotremes (whom some classifiers now exclude from Mammalia to begin with) nor marsupials have umbilical cords; consequently, they do not have navels. In theory, no placental mammal should lack a navel, though I suppose it is possible that there may be some species in which it is (or very nearly is) indetectable. ---
**Author:** ![ciroa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@ciroa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ciroa)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/5 "2008-11-07T10:08:22Z")
Amnionic? What’s up with Unca Cecil? Isn’t that “amniotic”? I don’t blame him, but to find a typo in a SD answer is a cosmic success. Yes, I know Obama won, maybe that explains it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/6 "2008-11-07T11:23:56Z")
> [@ciroa](#): > > Amnionic? Either is [acceptable](http://www.answers.com/amnionic). ---
**Author:** ![psythe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@psythe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psythe)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/7 "2008-11-07T17:54:09Z")
While cats and dogs certainly do have an umbilical scar Cecil is correct in saying that they don’t have belly buttons per se. I think the reason for this is that the umbilicus is chewed/pulled off by the dam (anything that’s left shrivels up as its vasculature naturally closes). I believe when human babies are born the umblicus is cut and tied; I’ve always assumed that this is why you get that little knotlike scar, rather than it being a human/primate specific thing. Anyone got any pictures of other primate navels (come on now, own up)? ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/belly-buttons-on-cats/471366/8 "2008-11-07T18:04:47Z")
> [@rickJ](#): > > .. > How about letting us know what the exceptions to the belly button rule are. At least included the obvious exceptions of [Adam and Eve](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalos_(theology)). I’m guessing that means that the first cats didn’t have belly buttons either.