A few weeks ago, I wrote all about cat's primordial pouches, and that made me wonder ... do cats have belly buttons? I never saw a cat belly button - of course the fur can make it hard to see, and my cats only allow belly rubs in small doses, so I've never felt it either, but cats must have belly buttons, right?
To find the answer to "do cats have navels", I went to Rover.com and they say that yes, cats have belly buttons, and a cat belly button is there for the same reason that humans have belly buttons - they mark the place where the umbilical cord connected them to their mother before they were born. In fact, all mammals have umbilical cords. These provide nutrients and oxygen to the growing baby before birth. Like people, kittens are born with umbilical cords attached to their bellies, which then fall off and form a belly button.
However, unlike people, the kitten belly button heals to just a small flat scar, unlike our belly buttons that form a small depression or a bump - cat's don't have "innies" or "outies" like we do! And rover.com says scientists aren't really sure why a cat's belly button heals to a smaller scar then ours, but some ideas have to do with how thick their skin is, or how the umbilical cord was attached.
So, with a cat navel being so small and with their bellies covered in fur, it's no wonder I've never seen one! If you are wondering just where is a cats belly button, Rover.com says it will be on their belly just below the last rib, and will only be about a half centimeter around. You might be able to see their fur swirl around it, or feel the small scar, but catster.com notes that a cat belly button is found along their midline or "linea alba", and is a popular incision site for surgery, so if your cat has been spayed, that scar might be in the same spot as their belly button scar. It is also possible that the belly button of your cat has healed so much that you can't feel it at all.
With all that said, if you have a kitten that seems to have an "outie", it is a good idea to bring them to the vet! This could be a sign of an umbilical hernia, which is where the belly button hasn't closed up. This could allow stuff that should be in the abdomen, like intestines to bulge into the skin where the belly button should be! The bump may stick out more when the cat is standing, meowing or crying. This may heal on it's own, but your vet will better be able to tell if surgery might be needed. VCA hospitals says that it is rare, but it is possible that if some intestine is caught sticking out, it could lose the flow of blood which then becomes an emergency, so better safe than sorry!
If a newborn kitten has an umbilical cord that is red or irritated, this is also a time to take them to the vet! This could be a sign of an infection, and could also be dangerous to your kitten!
Summing up - yes, cats have belly buttons, and even though they serve the same purpose as they do in people, they don't look the same as a person's belly button! If your cat allows you to touch their belly, you might feel it, but don't worry if you don't, and in fact if it seems like your cat does have a belly button sticking out, that could be a sign for concern!
Cover photo by Vera Barus on Unsplash
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