Fat pad under the belly

tutti_bella

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Need to know if its normal for a 5 month old kitten to have a fat pad underneath her belly, closer to her hind legs. It's visible like a hanging pad of fur and when touch, feels like loose fatty skin?
 

laureen227

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she's been spayed, right? then it's the infamous 'spay sway'. all of my girls have one... actually, even Chip kinda has one
 
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tutti_bella

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Nope, her spa day is scheduled early next month.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by tutti_bella

Nope, her spa day is scheduled early next month.
she hasn't been outside, has she? i ask, because she's old enough to have had a 1st heat...
Firefox went in for her spay at right about 7 months, & was in heat.
 
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tutti_bella

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She's an indoor cat only - and we live in a high rise on the top floor ... so, nope, no chance for any hanky panky. LOL .. she's not in heat yet, no signs or symptoms at all. I just thought that she might be a little chubby down the belly. She weighs at about 7 lbs, last time I checked. I could easily see her defined waistline when view from the top. So have no idea what the fat pad is or if its suppose to be there at all.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by tutti_bella

She's an indoor cat only - and we live in a high rise on the top floor ... so, nope, no chance for any hanky panky. LOL
Maybe she's been inviting boys up while you're away? (Imagine kitties meowing over an intercom to each other!)


It's generally a pound for each month of age, so 7lbs for 5 months sounds a little chubby but not overly so - maybe she'll be a big cat. Is she a very active kitten? Or do you have one that prefers to kick back and relax?
If you're concerned about her putting on too much weight this young, and it becoming a problem later, you could try measured out scheduled meals - if you don't do that already. It might actually be easier to get her used to that as a kitten instead of waiting till she's older.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

If you're concerned about her putting on too much weight this young, and it becoming a problem later, you could try measured out scheduled meals - if you don't do that already. It might actually be easier to get her used to that as a kitten instead of waiting till she's older.
or maybe switching her over to adult food? [assuming she's still getting kitten food]
 
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tutti_bella

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Maybe she's been inviting boys up while you're away? (Imagine kitties meowing over an intercom to each other!)
That would be really too funny!

She's a very active kitten - loves to chase, pounce, stalk, run, jump, you name it. Her favorite thing to do is to climb her cat tree a couple of times a day just so she can them perform her high flying gravity defying jump! If you have missed an older thread I started, she eats a lot!

I do have a schedule feeding and she eats up to 12oz of food a day - divided between 4 feedings! If she gets treats, then I will reduce her meals. Exclusive wet food with a few dry in between, like a little less than 1/3 of a cup. I've been told to allow a kitten to eat as much as she wants and beginning next month when she gets spayed and turns 6 months old, I think I'll have to gradually reduce.
 
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tutti_bella

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Originally Posted by laureen227

or maybe switching her over to adult food? [assuming she's still getting kitten food]
I thought she should be fed kitten food up till a year old?
 

strange_wings

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I would keep giving her kitten food, she's still growing and needs the higher nutrition for that. Just make sure what goes in isn't that much more calorie wise then what she's working off in play.
How big is she? Maybe she's just a big kitten.
A little fat pad isn't abnormal and there's nothing wrong with her having a small one - though I think most of us see it after a cat is spay or neutered and closer to 9 months old.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by tutti_bella

I thought she should be fed kitten food up till a year old?
that's traditional... altho Cable, Java & Firefox ate adult food solely far earlier. [witih adults in the same household, me the sole feeder, & gone all day, i didn't have much of a choice!] didn't seem to affect them - Java's the longest, but Cable weighs more. & Firefox seems to be growing just fine [9 months old now].
 

jellybella

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A "spay sway" isn't really due to the spay. It's a natural feature of many cats. Theory I've heard is that it provides protection for delicate organs should another cat "bunny kick" them in the abdomen. If you've ever seen a real cat fight you'll know why they have extra padding on their bellies.

I wouldn't worry unless she no longer has a visable waist or you can't feel her ribs.
 

anmccleod

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Is it located where we have belly buttons? Has it been there since birth??

She could have an umbilical hernia, this is caused by momma not removing the umbilical cord like she should, it leaves a small whole, and as kitty grows it leaves her with a hole in the lining of her belly. The hernia can either 1) fill with fat or 2) fill with an intestinal organ (extreme cases only!)

Generally the hernia is fixed when kitty gets spayed, and costs anywhere from $5-$50 dollars on top of the spay cost.

Isabel has an umbilical hernia, and my papillon Comet had one when he was born as well. Seems I am prone to aniamls with hernias.
 

cococat

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I fed my cat very high quality cat food for all stages at 7 months old. Around 9 months old I started feeding scheduled meals if I remember correctly.
A fat pad could be a normal thing, depending upon how much she is fed, how much she gets exercise, and stuff like that I would think. You would probably want to exercise her more, feed a bit less.
But my cat, a Sphynx, has a tiny bit of a fat pad and always has, she wasn't spayed until she was an adult. Just a tiny pooch which is normal for her breed as you can basically see all, she doesn't have hair. She is 7 lbs., a smaller cat by build.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by anmccleod

She could have an umbilical hernia, this is caused by momma not removing the umbilical cord like she should, it leaves a small whole, and as kitty grows it leaves her with a hole in the lining of her belly. The hernia can either 1) fill with fat or 2) fill with an intestinal organ (extreme cases only!)
I have one of these! It never filled with anything and is just a hole in the abdominal muscles. It used to be a little wider then the size an adult thumb (when I was little) but has shrunk to only being about the size of my finger tip now. If I purposely force my stomach out it looks like a little bump above my belly button.


I would think that would be very noticeable in a cat and wouldn't resemble a fat pad at all.
 

anmccleod

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As Isabel has grown it has gone from a the size of a pea, to the size of a dollar coin. So I could see it resembling a fat pad...

Most people don't ever notice it on her unless I point it out, which I usually do.
 
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tutti_bella

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I guess I will just have to point this out to my vet on her upcoming visit.

Also, her coat is turning light brown as opposed to darker brown ... I love it! She is so beautiful now.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by JellyBella

A "spay sway" isn't really due to the spay. It's a natural feature of many cats. Theory I've heard is that it provides protection for delicate organs should another cat "bunny kick" them in the abdomen. If you've ever seen a real cat fight you'll know why they have extra padding on their bellies.

I wouldn't worry unless she no longer has a visable waist or you can't feel her ribs.
Our big boy Bijou has a rather large spay sway and believe me, he hasn't been spayed.


My understanding is the same as JellyBella - it is protection for their organs. Mika is very tiny but still has a sway. Some cats get them, some don't. I wouldn't worry about it - just more of them to love.
 

skyecat0117

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Skye has had hers for a while now. It's my favorite part of her. I love to nuzzle it when she lets me
 
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