My cat’s getting fat! Or is she?

Is your cat really just fat or is it something else?

What you're seeing might just be the primordial pouch.  Never heard of that?  It's a real thing!

A primordial pouch is a lose flap of skin that runs along a cat's belly but is most visible toward the abdomen.  Not all cats have them but they are very common and many cats develop one during their lives, even thin cats.  

A big misconception is that cats get this pouch from being spayed or neutered but that's not the case. You can see them in un-fixed cats, too. So what is the purpose of the primordial pouch?   First and foremost it's protection.  If you've noticed cats when they fight, they sometimes kick each other with their hind legs and those back feet have claws.  The pouch of extra skin near their abdomens protects vital organs in a fight.  

No doubt the pouch is an evolutionary thing that evolved to keep cats alive.  In addition to protecting their organs, there are other things a primordial pouch does for a cat.  It can help a cat stretch out to complete a long jump or to run extra fast.  It expands if a cat has a very large meal or, in times when a cat can't find food, the pouch stores fat.

There are ways to tell the difference between your cat having a pouch and being overweight.  Really obese cats have a noticeably round belly that doesn't jiggle from side to side like a pouch does.
If you run your hands down your cat's sides and you can't feel the ribs your cat is overweight.  If you find your cat is obese, you should address that problem right away since it can be the cause of several diseases, including diabetes.

CLICK HERE for a very helpful article that explains the primordial pouch and how to tell if your cat is getting fat.

CLICK HERE to read about what diseases feline obesity can cause.