Is this cat fat?

[builder]

Thanks! At first I thought it was inherited because I have two of these sisters with the same pouch and both were spayed at the same time. I don’t think their brother has one, but he will not get close enough to see.

[3furbabies]

Originally Posted by builder

Thanks! At first I thought it was inherited because I have two of these sisters with the same pouch and both were spayed at the same time. I don’t think their brother has one, but he will not get close enough to see.

I don't get where these pouches come from. All three of mine look like they have a gut when viewing them to the side but from above they all have a waste line and look thin. Weird.

[Galathiel]

Hmm was just reading about the pouch. It's also called a primordial pouch and is quite natural and many cats, both male and female, have them. Here's what was said, "The primordial pouch is a multi-functional flap. It provides a little extra protection against kicks, which are common during cat fights as a cat will try and rake with it's rear claws. In wild cats, the ancestors of domesticated felines, this pouch appears to be present to provide extra room in case the animal has the opportunity to eat a large meal and the stomach needs to expand. It's also been said that this stomach pouch allows the cat to bend and expand, allowing for faster running and higher jumping."

[laurief]

I call that the lion's pouch, and it really doesn't have anything at all to do with the cat's overall weight. Some cats develop really pendulous pouches, while others have very little or no pouch at all. I've noticed that with my "pouch" cats, the older the cat gets, the lower the pouch hangs (not unlike a few of my own body parts that have definitely sagged with age).

Laurie

[catloverami]

Certain breeds/lines of cats tend to get the belly pouch, so I think it's genetic and not related to spaying......both my Devons have it and I remember some of my Manx had it too.

[builder]

Originally Posted by Galathiel

Hmm was just reading about the pouch. It's also called a primordial pouch and is quite natural and many cats, both male and female, have them. Here's what was said, "The primordial pouch is a multi-functional flap. It provides a little extra protection against kicks, which are common during cat fights as a cat will try and rake with it's rear claws. In wild cats, the ancestors of domesticated felines, this pouch appears to be present to provide extra room in case the animal has the opportunity to eat a large meal and the stomach needs to expand. It's also been said that this stomach pouch allows the cat to bend and expand, allowing for faster running and higher jumping."

thanks, that makes a lot of sense.

[Arkona]

Hard to tell from this unflattering angle!

[jadis]

I have always called it a "cat flap". Zoey is fairly thin but has a flap, the other two don't have much of a flap.

[October]

Originally Posted by Galathiel

Hmm was just reading about the pouch. It's also called a primordial pouch and is quite natural and many cats, both male and female, have them. Here's what was said, "The primordial pouch is a multi-functional flap. It provides a little extra protection against kicks, which are common during cat fights as a cat will try and rake with it's rear claws. In wild cats, the ancestors of domesticated felines, this pouch appears to be present to provide extra room in case the animal has the opportunity to eat a large meal and the stomach needs to expand. It's also been said that this stomach pouch allows the cat to bend and expand, allowing for faster running and higher jumping."

Thanks for posting this. That's the first explanation I've heard for the pouch -- which both of my cats have had, one female and one male.

[Arianwen]

My vet also feel that it can bear some relation to a camel's hump (don't throw me out for that comment!!). He feels that it can be a fat store that some cats (especially those who come from long lines of feral stock) use to help them carry them through the lean seasons. He ahs also told me that some cat owners are now paying to have these pouches removed for cosmetic reasons - something of which he basically disapproves.