Hey,

I have a male cat who is about 2 1/2 years old. He has these lumps (for lack of a better word) under his belly area. They’re soft and don’t appear to cause him pain and they are ‘moveable’; I just noticed recently that they appear to have gotten larger. (I check them frequently)

He has gained some weight recently. They are on the underside of his belly where it meets the hind legs, one on each side, they appear to be the same size. I never really worried about them before, I always assumed if it was cancer there wouldn’t be identical ‘lumps’ on both sides.

Rosie
Tennessee

It sounds like you are describing abdominal fat pads. Abdominal fat pads are symmetrical deposits of adipose tissue (fat) that occur commonly in adult cats. They tend to be more prevalent in overweight individuals, but they can occur in cats with ideal weights. Abdominal fat pads often develop either at maturity or after a cat is spayed or neutered. Abdominal fat pads are harmless.

Abdominal fat pads are common enough that they have earned a number of nicknames. Kitty beer belly, dangling participle, and FUPA are among the many I have heard.

Although I’m quite confident that the soft lumps you have noticed are abdominal fat pads, I recommend that you have your vet check them out next time your cat is in the office. He or she hopefully will confirm my online diagnosis.

Photo by Matt Raymond.