Female cat with saggy tummy

[Mrs TP]

Our female cat is approx 8mths old and was neutered 3mths ago. Over the last week I have noticed she has a really saggy belly although generally she is an incredibly sleek cat. Her twin brother was neutered at the same time and has always been a much chunkier cat but remains sleek and does not have a saggy belly. Is her saggy belly the result of neutering and just one of those girl/boy differences or should I be more concerned? Her belly is not lumpy and she does not seem at all bothered when it is stroked. It really seems like saggy skin.

[Saffron]

This is generally quite normal and nothing to worry about, as you say there are no lumps etc and Kitty seems happy. All cats have relatively loose skin, for example compared to humans. On some cats this will be more pronounced than others.

It's not gender related, and not related to spaying/neutering either. Some cats do have weight gain after spaying/neutering, although that doesn't sound like the case for your Kitty, and a little weight gain wouldn't be a big deal anyway. The floppy skin may become more pronounced with age, and that's normal too. (And in that respect, unfortunately, cats ARE like humans!)

Kitty can go on being a happy member of your family with no cause for concern. If you notice anything unusual or Kitty seems unhappy, check with your vet or the nice people at Celia Hammond animal trust. xx

[zeban]

Echoing Saffron- it's completely normal, no need to worry.

[Mrs TP]

Many thanks Saffron and Zeban for putting my mind at rest - these are my first kittens and so learning every step of the way.

[Ernie&Kopka]

I too am re enforcing what Saffron said. My two "girls" are both now 7 and have the very same thing...nothing to worry about. I guess it's just one of those post neutering side effects...;)

[Saffron]

Although the saggy tummy is not strictly related to neutering, post-neutering weight-gain can exaggerate the look. In evolutionary terms, it is thought that cats have very loose skin to decrese the chance of injury when they are fighting or hunting. B/c the belly is outside the protection of the boney ribcage, the skin there is particularly loose. Any other cats or prey taking a bite at the soft belly, would only get a mouthful of skin. This gives the cat some extra protection there.

Also, many cats store fat in the belly region. It's like kitty love-handles. Sometimes, but not always, neutering can cause cats to gain weight b/c the change in hormone profile changes their metabolism. As long as you're cat is not grossly obese, a little flab on the belly is just fine.

Incidentally, our cats are the opposite. Our unspayed female has the tummy flab, and spayed female is fit as a fiddle.