Soft belly in cats: causes, remmidies


Does your cat have a soft belly? There is a specific reason why that part of the body is so soft but what can be done to tone it?

Do we think our cat is obese because his belly is hanging down? Well the cat has no weight problems, but his is only a physical peculiarity called ‘primordial bag’. So there is no need to put it on a diet: that patch of soft skin between the front and hind legs is completely normal. But what causes this relaxed body part in the cat? And above all is there a remedy to tone his skin? Here are all the answers.


The primordial bag in the cat: what it is

When the cat is on all fours it is easy to notice that its skin almost seems to make a curve downwards that join the front and back legs. This flap of skin dangling between the paws is not fat, but a part of the cat’s body that has an important function. In fact, it allows the cat to make jumps and be more agile when running: thanks to this extra skin the capacity of extension of the feline’s body increases and thus also its speed in escaping dangers. It also acts as a ‘shield’ when the cat is fighting with a prey and holds it tightly in its claws, preventing it from scratching.

Causes of soft belly: sterilization

Then we might think that all cats are born with this kind of pouch under the belly: but in reality this is not the case because only after the cat has been sterilized is this physical mutation so evident. It is a skin relaxation due to the removal of the testicles, in the case of a male cat, or of the ovaries in the case of the female. When a cat sterilizes its attitude changes precisely because of this ‘absence’ of testosterone or estrogen: it will be easy for the cat to complain, or to mark the territory along with other unusual behaviors. However, in addition to these obvious mood changes, there is also this physical consequence: on the other hand these sex hormones are also responsible for the elasticity of the skin and the tone of the tissues.

Causes of soft belly: absorption

After the surgical sterilization operation, our cat’s metabolism also tends to slow down considerably. So if before the calories were disposed of at great speed, now they tend to deposit on the bottom of their belly. On the other hand, the same happens to us when we put on a few extra pounds! Furthermore, as a consequence of the operation, there could also be an increase in hunger: our cat could therefore eat compulsively and ask us for some more snacks.

Causes of soft belly: constitution

However, some could swear that his feline’s belly was soft even before subjecting him to sterilization. In this case it could happen that the cat is physically led to gain weight in that particular area of ​​the body, although it is easier for this ‘extra’ belly to be of another nature. If we have any doubts we could ask our trusted veterinarian who, with some in-depth tests, could rule out the presence of hernias or bruises and diagnose the cat with obesity.


Soft stomach: remedies

But what can we do if the primordial bag is an ‘inevitable’ consequence of the sterilization operation? In reality not much since it is not a question of the success or failure of the operation that determines the formation or not of this pocket. At the most we can continue to take care of his diet without giving him too many snacks and sticking to the daily ration of baby food. And if we think, with good reason, that the cat leads a too sedentary life, let’s stimulate him to go outside and let him do more physical activity with toys and pastimes made especially for him. In this way the cat will not return to having the same initial tone but at least there will not be the risk of obesity and fat accumulation.

Liposuction for cats

Some owners, perhaps more attentive to the aesthetics than to the health of their cat, just can’t accept this new aspect. And not a few have thought of subjecting him to a liposuction operation: fortunately no cases of operations of this kind have been formalized which, in addition to being extremely risky for the feline route, would also be useless as the fat would tend to reform itself and in short time. But then why change its aesthetics at the expense of greater agility and speed?


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