A cat’s fat tail, or a primordial bag: what is it and why is it needed

Photos of chubby cats evoke tenderness and a desire to stroke their tummy. But not always fullness in the abdomen indicates an overweight cat. For a fold of fat, many take the primordial sac. If a cat’s belly sways closer to its hind legs when running, this is it.

Mysterious fold

Primordialis in Latin is primary, genetically inherent. It is a fold of skin covered with short hair and sometimes filled with fat. It is found in representatives of the cat family, including lions, tigers, and jaguars. But not every cat has skin hanging on its stomach: how noticeable the fat tail will be depends on the physique of the animal and on the individual size of the bag.

Kittens up to six months, and sometimes longer, do not have this fold. Around this time, pet furries are spayed, and many believe that the primordial sac appears after this manipulation. And here also the appetite of a sterilized cat increases, excess weight quickly grows. This is how the legend about a certain fat fold is born and multiplies, which appears due to “hormonal imbalance”. But no: all fluffies have a primary bag, even unsterilized ones with normal weight. Why and what is fat tail in cats on the stomach in general – so far there are only theoretical assumptions.

Additional armor

According to one assumption, the primordial sac acts as an additional protective layer. A layer of skin, wool and fat covers the vulnerable stomach from the teeth and claws of the enemy, from mechanical damage during movement. This theory is very fond of the owners of cats with a fighting character, who have just noticeable fat tails, – egyptian maus, japanese bobtail, bengals, bobcats, savannahs, pixiebobs, etc. They believe that the fat tail speaks of the masculinity and courage of the pet.

Flexibility factor

This skin flap is quite long and elastic. When a cat jumps or reaches for something, it stretches a lot, the lower part of the body seems to lengthen and nothing interferes with the movement. In the wild, this extensibility plays an important role. Pets do not need it so much, because they do not have to run away from predators or catch prey.

Stocks for a rainy day

Another theory says that this fat tail actually acts as a “supply bag”. If domestic cats receive a balanced and tasty food 2-3 times a day, then in the wild it is far from possible to get food every day. But when there is a lot of food, the thrifty body processes it into fat and stores it in a skin bag in order to extract energy from there on hungry days.

Could it be obesity

Sometimes it is difficult to understand why a cat’s belly hangs down – is it a fat tail or an extra volume of the belly due to excess accumulation of fat. The anxiety of the owners in this case is by no means unfounded: excess weight is fraught with the development of many diseases, including the kidneys and heart.

To check if this is obesity, you need to look at the cat from top to bottom, smoothing the coat if it is fluffy. A cat with a normal build has a “waist” – a narrowing of the body just below the ribs and above the pelvis. If it is not there, and even more so if the sides protrude, most likely the fluffy beauty needs a diet and more activity. To determine what it is, knowledge will help anatomy and structural features of the cat.

When to be concerned

There are situations where the sight of a primordial pouch is alarming. You need to pay attention to the following signs:

• a seal appeared under the fold, a bump;
• the primordial fat tail looks edematous, its color has changed – it has become bluish, red-pink, veins of blood vessels are visible;
• the abdomen and primary sac are firm, and the cat reacts painfully when pressed.

Such phenomena require immediate treatment to the veterinarian. It can be anything from indigestion or a minor injury to a tumor. But such situations are quite rare if the cat lives at home and does not walk by itself.

See also:

• Anatomy and structural features of a cat
• Bloated belly in a cat – causes and treatment
• Cat Health Facts