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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2004wobble belly?
I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's not a tumor or anything, just lose skin according to the vet. Is there any way to get rid of it or make it smaller? On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, most of them had "wobbles" as well. It's pretty normal. Not much you can do. Karen > I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not > weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, > most of them had "wobbles" as well. >From: "Karen" kchuplis@alltel.net >It's pretty normal. Not much you can do. > >Karen Sounds like the feral pouch I've heard described as loose skin so when the cat gorges on food, his stomach expands. I've also heard it's for helping them stretch when they're running. My Mickey is a very muscular cat and eats a raw diet and he has one of these pouches. Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm > I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not > weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, > most of them had "wobbles" as well. All my indoor cats have had that, even the ones that weren't fat. The one with the least amount of it is my most active girl, so I guess maybe exercise helps. I have yet to see one of the barn cats with a flabby belly. Whether it's the diet rich in mice, the outdoor air, or the exercise, I dunno.  Signature-- ~kaeli~ If you don't pay your exorcist, you get repossessed. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace > I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not > weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, > most of them had "wobbles" as well. Orchid has just answered this question in Alt.cats so am copying his/her reply here: "It's called a primordial pouch, or sometimes, a 'spay sway'. Primordial pouches exist to give the cats extra protection in that area (cat fights involve a lot of savage kicking with the hind legs at about that area) and to allow a longer leg extension when jumping. A primordial pouch is just a flap of empty extra skin between the hind leg and the torso. 'Spay sways' come from the weight that altered cats put on because their metabolisms slow down. Add that slowdown to the American tendancy to overfeed our pets, and you get a primordial pouch that is filled with fat that shouldn't be there, aka a 'spay sway'. Felis lybica (the African Wildcat) is actually quite different from the big cats, predation-wise. Big cats are desgined to gorge and fast -- they make one big kill maybe once or twice a week. Little cats, like F. Lybica, are designed to kill many small things throughout the day, eating every day at least, more often twice or three times. This is why domestic cats are susceptible to Hepatidic Lipidosis when they do not eat for two or more days. Their bodies are deisgned for several small meals a day, not one huge one once a week. In zoos, big cats are fasted once a week for health reasons -- small cats *never* are. I would recommend putting him on canned food for urinary tract health, but rest assured that, if the skin is emtpy, it's a primordial pouch and supposed to be there. Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid " Thanks for all the info, I really appreciated it. As someone else suggested, is it more common in cats with ferals in their blood lines? Maus's mom was a feral when we adopted her (she was pregnant then). Also, do you have any suggestions as to which canned food to feed? I have tried different kinds but Maus refuses to eat them. He likes his dry food and he likes nipping on certain human foods, but he doesn't eat any of the things people generally think cats would like (tuna, for example, or canned cat food). > > I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, > not [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage > Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid " > Also, do you have any suggestions as to which canned food to feed? I have > tried different kinds but Maus refuses to eat them. He likes his dry food > and he likes nipping on certain human foods, but he doesn't eat any of the > things people generally think cats would like (tuna, for example, or canned > cat food). My husband told me that switching them from dry to canned isn't good for their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them on dry food. There are dry foods I think that are out there for Urinary tract stuff, I would call a vets office for advice though before persuing. Just to be on the safe side. >> Also, do you have any suggestions as to which canned food to feed? I have >> tried different kinds but Maus refuses to eat them. He likes his dry food [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them on >dry food. Your husband is wrong. :) Dry food in and of itself is not good for their digestive system, as cats are designed to get the water they need to live from their prey. A mouse is ~70% water, as is canned food. Dry food is >10% water, which is why cats on dry food only are generally dehydrated, as cats do not have the thirst reflex that humans and dogs do. A cat fed only dry food will increase its water consumption, but not enough to totally make up for the water they are losing out on. Now, when changing a cat's food at all (brand to brand, type, anything) it should be done gradually to avoid any reactions of the digestive system (and the accompanying loose stool). >There are dry foods I think that are out there for Urinary tract >stuff, I would call a vets office for advice though before persuing. Just to >be on the safe side. The lowest quality, junkiest canned cat food is better than the highest quality dry in terms of urinary health. Cats on dry food have more concentrated urine, which is a major factor in the generation of crystals that block the urinary tract. Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid So what canned food do I feed to a cat who turns his nose up at anything that comes in a can, including tuna? > >> Also, do you have any suggestions as to which canned food to feed? I have > >> tried different kinds but Maus refuses to eat them. He likes his dry food [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage > Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid > So what canned food do I feed to a cat who turns his nose up at anything > that comes in a can, including tuna? The stuff that comes in a pouch? [no clue] Signature-- ~kaeli~ Is it possible to be totally partial? http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace "kaeli" <tiny_one@NOSPAM.comcast.net> wrote in message > The stuff that comes in a pouch? I tried that once. It had gravy and chunks, and all my girls would do was lick the gravy off the chunks and leave the chunks. Little heathens. :) >So what canned food do I feed to a cat who turns his nose up at anything >that comes in a can, including tuna? The problem you're having is that he has imprinted on dry food as the only thing that is food. When kittens are between 4 weeks old and about 12 weeks old, they are learning what is food. They instinctively eat whatever Mom brings back to the nest as this stage of their lives. Once they go past about 16 weeks old, it is very difficult to introduce them to new things, though not impossible, as they simply don't recognise it as food. To wean an imprinted cat onto new kinds of food, follow these steps: Each step generally takes about a week, but go at the pace of your cat. Some will take longer, others will transition more easily. 1. Start by picking up the bowls and feeding on a schedule instead of allowing free-feeding. Generally adult cats do well on 2-3 times a day. Put the bowls down, leave them down for 15-20 minutes, and then pick them up again whether all the food is gone or not. 2. Add a little bit of canned food to the dry, and mix it in well. By a little bit, I mean 1-2 teaspoons at most. When the cat is eating everything at the normal rate, 3. Slowly increase the amount of canned and decrease the amount of dry. Start off with a 10% canned, 90% dry ratio, and move in 10% steps. If he balks, drop back to the accepted ratio, and increase even more gradually until he's at the next step. When he is eating canned food normally, you can choose to put down a bowl of dry for snacking. My boys have a snack bowl available that we put about 1/4 of a cup into for two 13-pound cats. They get the majority of their calories from canned food (and some occasional raw). Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid > So what canned food do I feed to a cat who turns his nose up at anything that comes in a can, including tuna? The quality is not supposed to be good--but the only kind my girls love is Fancy Feast Chopped Grill Feast. It is the only one they eat all of and lick the saucer clean. But I imagine all cats are different. I think what they like is that it is ground and so easy to eat, and it has this strong roast beefy smell. If I had it to do over again, I would have tried all the premium ones first. It's going to be hard to get them off of it. > >My husband told me that switching them from dry to canned isn't good for > >their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them on [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > system, as cats are designed to get the water they need to live from > their prey. Actually I mis-spoke. My apologies when I wrote that what I was trying to say was switching them back and forth from dry food to canned food wasn't good for their digestive system. That's what I was told. Am I wrong? If not please let me know because my cats do enjoy certain canned foods and I wouldn't mind giving it to them as a treat once and a while. >> >My husband told me that switching them from dry to canned isn't good for >> >their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >not please let me know because my cats do enjoy certain canned foods and I >wouldn't mind giving it to them as a treat once and a while. Why not give them a mix? That's what I give my cat and I know lots of other cat owners who do the same. She loves the wet food but being able to feed her both means I can use an auto feeder if I know I'm not going to be home at my regular time - result - happy cat and a less guitly human! :o) circa Wed, 28 Apr 2004 08:11:05 +0100, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Ellie Pea (elliepea@hotmail.com) said, > >Actually I mis-spoke. My apologies when I wrote that what I was trying to > >say was switching them back and forth from dry food to canned food wasn't [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > going to be home at my regular time - result - happy cat and a less > guitly human! :o) That's what I do. Wet food morning and night, dry food always available. My kitties luuuv me for it. :-) Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. >> >My husband told me that switching them from dry to canned isn't good for >> >their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >not please let me know because my cats do enjoy certain canned foods and I >wouldn't mind giving it to them as a treat once and a while. That is indeed incorrect -- most cat owners feed a mixture of dry and canned foods and there are no ill effects. However, I would recommend giving it more often than just as a treat -- why not give it every day? Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid circa Tue, 27 Apr 2004 22:18:56 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Leigh Bain (thebains@cox.net) said, > Actually I mis-spoke. My apologies when I wrote that what I was trying to > say was switching them back and forth from dry food to canned food wasn't > good for their digestive system. That's what I was told. Am I wrong? If > not please let me know because my cats do enjoy certain canned foods and I > wouldn't mind giving it to them as a treat once and a while. Canned food is better. Switching isn't harmful. 'nuff said. Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. circa Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:20:45 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Leigh Bain (thebains@cox.net) said, > My husband told me that switching them from dry to canned isn't good for > their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them on > dry food. Your husband may want to do some research. The above isn't true. Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. > circa Mon, 26 Apr 2004 20:20:45 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, > Leigh Bain (thebains@cox.net) said, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > > Your husband may want to do some research. The above isn't true. It certainly isn't, in my experience. My fat cat is losing weight now that I am feeding her mostly canned, and my skinny girl is beefing up with muscle, she looks better than ever, bright eyes, minky feeling coat. It's amazing. They both get dry if they want it, but both tend to cut back on dry because they love the canned food. No digestion problems, gassiness, etc. circa Thu, 29 Apr 2004 17:03:39 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Mary (rosefan@email.com) said, > > > My husband told me that switching them from dry to canned isn't good for > > > their digestive system. Once they are on dry food it's best to keep them [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > they want it, but both tend to cut back on dry because they love the canned > food. No digestion problems, gassiness, etc. Ditto. Going to a primarily canned diet made a big difference in my cats. Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. circa Tue, 27 Apr 2004 02:49:06 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, [ medic ] (medic554@nospam.com) said, > Thanks for all the info, I really appreciated it. As someone else suggested, > is it more common in cats with ferals in their blood lines? Not in my experience. Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. >Thanks for all the info, I really appreciated it. As someone else suggested, >is it more common in cats with ferals in their blood lines? Maus's mom was a >feral when we adopted her (she was pregnant then). I doubt it, although I imagine there is a genetic component. I say this because I used to know a breeder of British shorthair cats, and her line of cats tended to have pouches. Brits are one of the oldest breeds and I doubt would have had ferals in their bloodlines for a long, long time. >I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not >weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, >most of them had "wobbles" as well. *grin* I was going to post, but I see Gee beat me to it. :) As an additional note, not all cats have primordial pouches -- many do, but the gene for it doesn't express in some. My personal guess is that the closer a cat is to feral ancestry (where the pouch is a very useful thing to have) the most likely they are to have them. The exception to that is Bengals and Savannahs, where the infusion of wild genes is via an ALC or a Serval and where the pouch is a desired trait (to increase the wild look). Both my Bengal boys have full primordial pouches with extra skin runnning from under their forelegs back to their hind. You can see it very clearly when they're stretched out, but they aren't fat at all. Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid >>I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not >>weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] >See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage >Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid My Siamese (RB16 yr) had this when she first adopted me. It disappeared after a few years . She became indoor-only -- could that be the reason it disappeared? MLB >My Siamese (RB16 yr) had this when she first adopted me. It >disappeared after a few years . She became indoor-only -- could that >be the reason it disappeared? MLB Mmm. I don't think so -- my boys are indoor-only (okay, they go out on leashes, but I don't think this counts) and they very much have them. Now, they might go away, but they've had them since they were tiny kittens so I think that's unlikely. I've never heard of the PP going away -- do you remember what was happening around the time she lost it? Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid wobble belly is one of the cutest things about my cat. it makes me laugh when she runs and her belly sways side to side. ESPECIALLY cuz she is a tiny cat, weighing in at about 7lbs, but still...the jiggly pouch...hilarity at its finest! :) she knows im typing about her, pam "Enjoy every second of your life...it may end at any time and you may come back as some loser with bad taste." -my friend JoeyJojo ***notice spam blocker*** circa Mon, 26 Apr 2004 19:38:43 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, [ medic ] (medic554@nospam.com) said, > I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not > weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, > most of them had "wobbles" as well. I call those "neuter udders". I think they're cute. :-) Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. Cats have extra skin between their legs to make jumping, stretching & running easier. I've always called it a "ruff," and as far as I can see, all cats have them. Kittens' ruffs don't show as much because they're still growing, but all adult cats that I've ever seen have had them. Short of plastic surgery (please don't go there) I'm thinking your cat's ruff is here to stay -- M9 > I have a 4 year old male cat named Maus. He's a fairly large (in build, not > weight) cat, but he's always had a kind of wobbly pooch on his belly. It's [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > On a side note, I used to have a number of other cats and for some reason, > most of them had "wobbles" as well. > Cats have extra skin between their legs to make jumping, stretching & > running easier. I've always called it a "ruff," and as far as I can see, > all cats have them. Cats do have a ruff, but it is not the extra skin that you describe here. The "ruff" on a cat is the thick collar of fur around the neck, especially noticeable in some longhaired cats. MaryL Yeah, I know -- I've just always called that furr between the legs a "ruff" also. Personal quirk. -- M9 > > Cats have extra skin between their legs to make jumping, stretching & > > running easier. I've always called it a "ruff," and as far as I can see, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > MaryL circa Tue, 27 Apr 2004 00:45:04 -0500, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, minerva nine (minervanine@yahoo.com) said, > Cats have extra skin between their legs to make jumping, stretching & > running easier. I've always called it a "ruff," and as far as I can see, > all cats have them. Kittens' ruffs don't show as much because they're still > growing, but all adult cats that I've ever seen have had them. Short of > plastic surgery (please don't go there) I'm thinking your cat's ruff is here > to stay -- M9 It's my understanding that ruffs are the things that lions have around their necks, not pouches under cats' bellies. Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated.
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