Not sure about loose skin?? Just plain weird

[outadablue]

Hey there feline friend,

I've never had pets until now, my son wanted a kitten, so we rescued two of them. When we first got them 5 months ago, they were so tiny and prescious. Well, needless to say, they have probably doubled in size. Artie is 10 mos old and 10 pounds. Sasha is 7 mos old and 6.5 pounds. I feed them 1/2 cup each every morning and every evening. Lately, I have noticed this (for lack of a better word) "kangaroo pouch" hanging between their hind legs on the stomach. I can grasp a whole handful of this loose, hanging, skin/fur, pouch. I'm wondering is that is a normal stage in their development? Will they grow into this fleshy part of their stomach? I'm probably going to be on this forum alot asking dumb questions like this all time. Having these 2 new little angels/devils in our lives has enriched us beyond what I could have ever imagined. I want to make sure I do everything right, for their sake and their health and well being. Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight. Take Care....

 

[kittee]

I don't know the offical term for it but I call it the "dwaddle!"
Just like the bottom part of a turkey's neck right? Hehe.

It's from over feeding. It's their belly fat.

Usually happens more with spayed neutered kitties though. Pixel has a small one herself.

Here is a body fat chart for kitties. http://www.cathelp-online.com/health/bscore.php

 

[white cat lover]

We call it an "udder" here. Also known as "spay sway". It is normal.

My cats are all at healthy weights, under 10 lbs. And I think every one of them has it. Including the farm cats.

 

[epona]

Perfectly normal and most cats develop this - cats are creatures that fight over territory, and so they have a small pad of fat over the abdomen to protect it from bites, and loose skin so that if they are caught in a fight they can twist around to strike with their claws even if their rival has a mouthful of their skin!

It is the first place a cat puts on extra fat if they start to gain too much weight so do keep an eye to make sure that's not happening, but as they mature the skin will hang underneath due to gravity! It's much more noticeable the shorter the hair is - but a little bit of a saggy belly is perfectly normal.

 

[siggav]

It's sometimes called a primordial pouch. It's basically a fold of loose skin that like Epona mentioned acts as minor protection when the cat is fighting. It has nothing to do with being overweight.

Nikita has had a pouch like that since she was a 4 month old kitten and she has never been fat. It's not found in all cats but it is in a lot of cats. It also helps them be able to stretch out completely when running and jumping.

..and again like Epona said when cats gain weight that pouch is one of the first places where the fat starts to build up so it's good to keep an eye on it.

 

[goldenkitty45]

Ling and Charlie have it - its extra skin for stretching in running - its normal. Spayed females tend to have it more then most cats. Even my cornish rexes who have a tuck up had a little of the extra pouch (not much tho).

None of my cats are overweight so that has nothing to do with things. There's a difference in the "pouch" and an overweight cat; who is round in all areas - not just the "pouch".

 

[yosemite]

Quite normal. Bijou has a lovely "spay sway" and he wasn't even spayed.

 

[beturtlement]

Oh boy, I'm glad I found this post. I, too, am a new first cat owner. I've only had him around three months, he's around nine months old. I just noticed today that the skin on his tummy was getting a li'l loose, but he's a very long, slender, and ACTIVE cat. Glad to know this is normal!

 

[jupeycat]

Fable's got a big jungle belly, he's always been a big cat and was the biggest in his litter. We're hoping to take him to the vets this week for a check up, we want to get him weighed esepcially after reading this thread!

 

[kalikat]

Blossom is 15 m/o on Saturday & she doesn't have this pouch yet, though I've seen many cats who do. Does this mean that she won't get one if I keep her weigh in the normal range? A tv personality in Aust. did an interview in her home & her cats pouch was nearly dragging on the floor. He was quite old.

 

[goldenkitty45]

I keep my cat at the proper weight and almost everyone has gotten that pouch (male or female) over time.

 

[outadablue]

Thank you everyone who has responded to this post. I really appreciate it. The reply from KITTEE, who sent me the cat weight chart confirmed to me that it just can't be a weight thing. Both of my newly rescued kittens were very slight and frail, upon adopting them. Since that time I have followed feeding guidelines carefully, since I had never even had a pet before this. Both of my kittens are a #2 on that chart and have never, ever been close to being over weight. They are 2 kittens from 2 separate places, one a stray at 6 weeks and one kitten from a priviledged situation, who somehow could'nt be kept. They both play fight and wrestle and run and jump constantly and then cuddle together at the end of the night. Both of them started having the loose, hanging skin at about 4-6 months and have never been fat! I guess it's just there to stay. I'll love them, loose skin and all, so again thanks for the replies and the encouragement and the help. I love this site. It has been more educational and fun to read than any book I could get from Amazon.com. I'll be a member forever.

 

[kittee]

Sorry did not mean to imply everyone's cat was overweight. *smile*

I apologize that my post came off that way. My little girl is a bit pudgy and her dwaddle is due to that and being spayed.

 

[mandm1213]

wow. i'm glad i looked at this too, because bryne has that pouch but i never thought of asking what it was. everyone always asks why she's so fat, but it's not that she's fat, she just has that little pouch.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by Kittee

Sorry did not mean to imply everyone's cat was overweight. *smile*

I apologize that my post came off that way. My little girl is a bit pudgy and her dwaddle is due to that and being spayed.

Actually I don't think that's why your little girl has the dwaddle.

Bijou is a boy and he has it. I don't think it has anything to do with that.

 

[dragoriana]

Charlies spay sway got a little bigger when we moved. But actually dropped a bit of weight so the pouch is more noticable. But when he lays on his back it's all taught and cute.

 

[lilyluvscats]

I knew I had read this before.....Manny has the little hanging pouch now. The funny thing is I don't think I ever had a cat with it before and I've had many many cats in my 55 years lol.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by outadablue

Hey there feline friend,

I've never had pets until now, my son wanted a kitten, so we rescued two of them. When we first got them 5 months ago, they were so tiny and prescious. Well, needless to say, they have probably doubled in size. Artie is 10 mos old and 10 pounds. Sasha is 7 mos old and 6.5 pounds. I feed them 1/2 cup each every morning and every evening. Lately, I have noticed this (for lack of a better word) "kangaroo pouch" hanging between their hind legs on the stomach. I can grasp a whole handful of this loose, hanging, skin/fur, pouch. I'm wondering is that is a normal stage in their development? Will they grow into this fleshy part of their stomach? I'm probably going to be on this forum alot asking dumb questions like this all time. Having these 2 new little angels/devils in our lives has enriched us beyond what I could have ever imagined. I want to make sure I do everything right, for their sake and their health and well being. Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight. Take Care....

Totally normal, and not necessarily related to the cat being fat or not. Some breeds have it more than others... Ragdolls are one of them. Lucky is a very fit cat, not at all fat, and she does have it, and so does Bugsy.

 

[lilyluvscats]

I felt up my other 2 cats and they all have it lol.( and BruBru is a very long lean muscular cat) Manny's is just most noticeable lol

 

[anjhest]

Leo has a significant pouch. I blame it on gravity. From the top he looks quite slim! But when he sits down, it all pools around him. I think it's kind of cute.