Do Cats Have Belly Buttons?

Has the thought of cats having belly buttons ever crossed your mind? Do cats have belly buttons? In most cases, no. However, some animal enthusiasts have pondered on the question and only got surprised with the answer. So, let us settle this once and for all.

Yes, they do. That raised more questions than answering, no? You are probably wondering then: where? Do they look like ours? Do they hide their belly buttons so that we cannot see them?

In this article, we will answer all of those questions with the utmost sincerity to these amazing animals. So, let us dive into these burning questions.

Do Cats Have Belly Buttons?

Cats do have belly buttons. However, they may not be like what we humans have. There is no such thing as “innies” or “outies” when it comes to the belly buttons like humans. However, there is one particular condition that makes the appearance seem a little different than other cats. But all cats possess belly buttons for sure.

Can You Feel A Cat’s Belly Button?

You can also feel a cat’s belly button in their abdomen region. We will later discuss where you can find it, to be exact. However, you can certainly feel the belly button of a cat.

However, as the cat ages, it becomes harder to feel the belly button as it shrinks in size.

Some of the veteran cat specialists and vets have a hard time finding it. If you look at the perfect spot, the belly button looks like a very small scar.

There is another thing that makes it even more confusing. When the cat is still young, you can see the scar with bare eyes. But age makes it difficult. But we will come to that later.

How Does A Cat’s Belly Button Look Like?

Cat’s belly button looks like a small circular scar that is a few inches in diameter. Even the fiercest of cats generally have a bald spot near the belly button. It is more of a spot where fur does not grow.

So, if you are looking close enough, you can guess the potential location of the belly button by looking for the hairless spot.

However, if the cat did not have any grooming sessions for a long time, it may become difficult to understand right away.

Where Is Cat’s Belly Button Located?

Cat’s belly button is actually on their stomach. If you want to be more specific, you might need to find their rib cage.

The belly button is located just below the ribcage on their abdomen. Remember that you are looking for a scar, and the belly button should feel like a small circular scar at that location.

However, you might be awestruck to know that even the experts have difficulty noticing the belly button.

Especially if your female cat is, locating the belly button becomes far too difficult. Spaying also leaves a small scar nearly at the same location, and it is very difficult to identify one from the other.

However, vets often need to find out exactly where the belly button is, and that is why you may have noticed something different nowadays.

Recently, vets have started to drop a small amount of tattoo ink when they spay the cat.

As a result, you might have noticed a dark blue-colored area in the abdomen if the cat underwent spaying recently.

It removes the need to use high-end methods like ultrasonography to determine the location of both belly button and spay scar.

And if you get confused between two scars on their abdomen, you will know which scar is not the belly button by looking at the ink.

Can Cats Have An Outie Belly Button?

In the last sections, we have mentioned that the belly button looks like a scar on their abdomen. However, there could be some changes to that condition depending on the health of the cat.

If you ask whether a cat can have an “outie” belly button, the answer is no.

We cannot classify a cat’s belly buttons as “innies” and “outies.” However, cats can have something that might resemble an “outie.” It is a medical condition, and it is called “umbilical hernia.”

Umbilical Hernia is a common medical condition amongst cats.

However, it does not mean that you do not need to be concerned if your cat has it. If you suspect that the cat has an umbilical hernia, you should consider visiting the veterinarian as soon as possible.

There can be two types of umbilical Hernia.

One of those is harmless, but the other can cause serious health complications. So, here are the two types of umbilical Hernia that you should know about:

Complicated Umbilical Hernia:

It is the direst case of this disease, and it might need an operation in extreme cases. In these cases, the lower intestinal tubes poke out through the umbilical cord opening. As it can cause severe indigestion issues, you need to consult a vet as soon as possible.

Uncomplicated Umbilical Hernia:

When the swelling of the belly button is present without the lower intestinal cavity protruding out, it is quite safe for the cat.

As it does not hamper healthy living, your vet should give you and your cat a pass on this one.

So, if you ever notice a protruded belly button on your cat’s abdomen, you know what you are dealing with here.

As umbilical Hernia is often genetic, you can expect the same condition in the offspring as well.

Can Cats Hide Their Belly Button?

Cats cannot determine whether you are going to touch their belly button. As a result, they have no way of hiding their belly button as well. We can say that cats do not hide their belly button.

It would help if you also kept in mind that whenever they expose their belly to you, it is not an open invitation to touch their belly button.

Cats are extremely insecure about their belly and touching them there could result in any clash from them.

You have to be entirely sure that the cat will not mind if you touch their belly.

So, it is not like the cat is hiding their belly button by being aggressive. It is just their instinctive nature to protect themselves from harm.

Conclusion:

It is quite hard to imagine, but cats also have belly buttons. It is quite common amongst mammals.

You have to remember that the umbilical cord works the same way for cats and humans.

However, in the case of cats, the belly button becomes smaller and smaller as they age.

It is quite different for humans, and it is why we often get confused when we see a cat’s belly button. In this article, we have tried to answer some of the equations that you might have regarding a cat’s belly button.