My mother has a couple cats, one of which has this wierd thing going on with it’s netherregions area. What I mean is, the area below the stomach and between the legs is hanging down in kind of a loose baggy way, while the rest of the body is pretty firm and tight(as tight as fur and skin can be on a cat, anyway). Almost like an udder, but I know that cats don’t have udders.The cat is female and has been spayed.
Does anyone know why this is, or what this is? It’s been there for years and seems to have no ill effects on the cat, but is wierd to look at. My mother thinks it has something to do with the cat being fixed, but if so, why?
I’ve always thought the “udder” was the cat equivalent of stretchmarks: some cats get fat or pregnant, then get skinnier or have the kittens, and the belly never quite snaps back. Possibly it is also an effect of gravity on aging cat flesh. Could this be reversed with cosmetic surgery? Is your mother’s cat self-conscious about her condition? Has she tried toning exercises?
Our neutered male cat maxed out at 18 pounds some years ago… at the time, passersby would see him on our stoop and stop to inquire when his kittens were due. Now, due to a stringently enforced diet (or “cat abuse program,” according to the cat) he’s a svelte 12.4 pounds, but his udder comes close to overbalancing him when he runs.
I have heard that the development of the pouch is a genetic thing, and not related to spays, weight-loss, etc. My 1.5-year-old neutered male has a pretty good pooch on him, and he’s never been overweight (he’s 12 pounds now). On the other hand, the spayed female (8.5 pounds) has a trim, taut belly - very little pooch, unless she arches her back a lot.
The cat doesn’t seem to care, and ironically is probably the most self-confident of the 3(as opposed to the male who is bigger but also incredibly insecure and a “scardy cat”, as well as another female who can be bitchy at times).
Weight doesn’t seem to come into it since the cat was spayed as a kitten and thus has never had kittens. It also seems to have no problems with weight control(Skinny but healthy skinny), unlike one of the other cats who is rather large.
I’ve got a 15-year old neutered male with the same thing, though he’s not overweight. It’s an “udderly” normal part of aging, when you live on a planet with gravity.
If it gets any worse, I’m gonna tie him to a small skateboard.
We have a Siamese-cross who showed signs of developing this pouch by the time she was 8 months old. She’s never been pregnant or overweight, and she’s always been a petite cat. Other cats I’ve had have developed the sag with age, but in this one, it seems to have been inborn.
