Emily Chan
Your cat may have a big belly that seems saggy or swings when it walks, but that doesn’t mean your cat is overweight.
All cats have them—they’re officially known as primordial pouches, and they vary in size according to breed, genetics, age, and individual cats.
A primordial pouch is technically not a tummy; it’s a bit of skin, fur, and fat that serves as a protective layer for a cat’s abdomen.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, these pouches are healthy and perfectly normal. They do not cause any discomfort or medical issues.
Over the years, experts have tried to figure out why cats have a big pouch surrounding their tummies. There are three main theories as to why cats have primordial pouches.
“One that I find convincing is that cats have the extra fat to protect their internal organs from trauma such as those caused when fighting with other cats,” said Dr. Cristina Bustamante, an associate veterinarian with Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Florida.
Another theory is that the pouch enables cats to run faster. The stretchy skin enhances flexibility, giving felines the ability to take longer strides, which will help them escape from predators or catch prey more easily.
The third possibility for the pouch’s function is that it acts as an extra space for storing food after eating a large meal. Cats in the wild do not receive daily feedings twice a day like pet cats do.
They eat whenever the opportunity comes up, so they may store fat in their pouches from previous meals to provide them with days of sustenance in case they can’t find any more food right away.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
