Anatomical feature
Why cats have a small bumpy belly – and urgently need it
You can sunbathe peacefully – and then maybe the neighbor’s tomcat will come by and look for trouble. In fights, cats are well protected with their fat pads on their stomachs.
© Gerard Lacz / Picture Alliance
Many cats carry a bit of belly – it sags and swings slightly as they walk. The little cushion has an important function.
With some cats it is particularly easy to see when they are lying on their side: a small belly peeks out. It looks like excess skin or a fold of fat with fur on it. Is it simply excess weight that accumulates at this point? Or was the cat’s skin sewn together incorrectly after surgery at the vet’s office?
Far from it – at least if it is a normal-weight cat. Because this small hanging belly is quite normal in cats and even fulfills important anatomical functions. And not only domestic cats have it, but also their wild relatives and ancestors such as wild cats or tigers.
The English, of course, have a much prettier word for a cat’s belly
There are a number of expressions for the small cushion on the underside of the house tiger in articles about this phenomenon, two of which are “Ur-Wampe” or “Fat Apron”. In English-speaking countries one speaks of “primordial pouch”, which means something like “original pouch” or “original pouch” and thus sounds much more elegant than something with “belly”.
Since we are not elegant Englishmen, let’s try the “fat apron” – and get a little closer to the function of the small flap: because the additional flaps of skin on the stomach actually serve to protect the internal organs of the cat and act like a kind of protective padding , in order to ward off attacks – such as being hit by fellow animals or sharp claws. The cat has additional protection from the small fat pad. Anyone who has ever witnessed a cat fight can imagine that an additional crumple zone is a good idea.
Extra skin – the cat can stretch and climb better
But the “Ur-Wampe” does not only serve to protect the cat, as explained in a number of articles. It actually gives the house tigers more freedom of movement. The additional skin with the small fat pad allows them to stretch and expand better, which is helpful when climbing, for example.
Some people think that the small folds of fat on the belly of female animals are specifically due to castration (keyword: “not sewn together properly after the operation”). This is wrong, but the small “flabby belly” only occurs in adult animals. And the older the tomcat or the cat, the weaker the connective tissue. In addition, castration changes the animals’ hormones, which also weakens the connective tissue and thus promotes the formation of abdominal folds, writes the cat care center in Dortmund, for example.
The small belly has nothing to do with being overweight
Adult cats with a small flabby belly are usually very healthy and anatomically well built. However, too much fat should not accumulate there. Being overweight is just as unhealthy for cats as it is for humans. And if the stomach swells or if you can feel altered tissue, for example, you should definitely take your cat to the nearest veterinary practice.
Swell: Cat care Dortmund“Livescience.com“,
Watch the video: This 30-year-old TikToker is suddenly torn from her dreams. Night after night they keep their cats from sleeping – dark circles included. The cat owner shares a video of the nocturnal restlessness on social media.