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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

large tummy pouch

10 replies

potatopaws · 09/02/2025 12:37

Most people who meet my cat think she is fat, because she has a very large and noticeable dangly tummy. I feel like I’m being judged as a bad pet owner. Honestly I don’t think she is overweight. She has had a noticeable pouch since she was a little kitten, but as she has grown, so has it.

She is a domestic shorthair, 2.5 years old and weighs 3.8Kg. She has a waist when I look from above. She is very active and goes outside everyday, she loves to climb. She isn’t skinny, but I don’t think she is overweight either? No fatty pad by her tail, and I can feel her ribs if I press gently.

I feed her the best diet I can, she eats Katkin, 150cal plan, with a scattering of biscuits (probably about 6-10 individual biscuits) on top at every meal and probably 2-3 freeze-dried chicken treats a day.

I feel quite embarrassed that she has such a big pouch, with comments from cat-loving friends “subtly” asking what I feed her and if she eats a lot of treats, and I am starting to second-guess myself because maybe she SHOULDN’T have a big pouch after all, it’s not genetic and 150cals is too much for her? Katkin don’t do smaller daily plans.

Anyone else have a normal weight cat with a big tummy pouch? Any advice what I should do, does it sound like I may be overfeeding her? I could stop the biscuits and treats I suppose, but she loves them so I’d feel mean.

OP posts:
DrSpartacularsMagnificentOctopus · 09/02/2025 12:56

It's her primordial pouch, totally normal, and not a sign of being overweight:

www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/why-do-cats-have-a-primordial-pouch

Mumof1andacat · 09/02/2025 13:06

My female has a very prominent primordial pouch. She is tiny. Weights around 4kg. Vet not concerned. It's just how she is.

potatopaws · 09/02/2025 13:14

Thanks. Do either of you find you have to keep explaining to people that your cat is normal and healthy? I feel like most people just see her and judge me 😞

OP posts:
stormsandsunshine · 09/02/2025 13:19

One of my two kittens (6 months old) has a noticeable primordial pouch, to the point that DD commented yesterday that she looks pregnant. She is actually quite a slim cat and still growing - definitely not overweight. Her sister has no visible pouch. It is just a genetic thing.

RavenT · 09/02/2025 13:20

I've had 4 cats. Two cats didn't have this, the other 2 did. My current cat has it, he's an active healthy boy and not overweight. I get so pissed off when my neighbour calls him 'chunky'. 😡

DrSpartacularsMagnificentOctopus · 09/02/2025 13:41

potatopaws · 09/02/2025 13:14

Thanks. Do either of you find you have to keep explaining to people that your cat is normal and healthy? I feel like most people just see her and judge me 😞

Nobody really sees my cat as she's a former semi-feral who scarpers at the sight of strangers! But it wouldn't bother me if anyone commented.

Allergictoironing · 09/02/2025 14:52

Boycat had quite a prominent primordial pouch, his litter sister Girlcat doesn't. He definitely wasn't over weight and in fact when he was losing weight rapidly because of his CKD, if anything it looked larger because he was so skinny at the end.

justsaying2023 · 13/02/2025 13:38

My girl has a large primordial pouch it makes me chuckle as she is a very slight cat (not underweight just looong) no-one else sees more than the tip of her tail as she disappears though. Her litter siblings don't have much of a pouch but her mum does and the second litter she had bore a couple of "pouchers" :)

EarlierDistraction · 13/02/2025 13:43

One of ours (12yo) has always had this, I didn't know it was a known thing, we totally ignore it.

eurochick · 13/02/2025 13:44

I like wobbling my cats' pouches😀.

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