Do cats have bellybuttons?
One particular night I couldn’t sleep and a thought popped into my head “Do cats have belly buttons?”. It was the early hours of the morning so having a peak was ill advisable. To do so would be idiotic at this time in the morning. So I lay in bed thinking about it.
So, I went through the possibilities in my head. Let’s just say I am way over 21 and have a lot of feline experience. I’ve had cats in my life pretty much since day one. Some of the cats have enjoyed a stroke and some have not. During the sessions, I have never noticed if cats have bellybuttons. Be it a “sticky-out” one of the more common “circular hole” types.
Did you know that not all mammals have belly buttons!
Somebody Clever
So why would a cat have a belly button? In humans, the belly button connects the unborn baby to its mother via the umbilical cord. This cord/tube is used to pass nutrients and oxygen to the baby. It also allows the infant to get rid of its waste. Once the baby is born the umbilical cord is no longer required. It is cut off close to the baby and forms the belly button. As we said above some bellybuttons stick out and some do not.
So once again back to the question “Do Cats Have Bellybuttons?”. At this point, it’s starting to get light outside. The next thing I am aware of is the alarm clock waking me up. I guess I must have passed out asleep. Surprisingly I still remember what was going through my head. So after my morning brew, I try and find one of the cats. That’s not an easy task in our house as we have a cat flap. The cats are free to come and go as they please. I am convinced that they only come in to have their wishes granted. Anyone who has a cat knows that dogs have owners and cats have staff. Luckily for me, unluckily for the cat, I spot Pepe.
Now Pepe is a feisty long hair Black and White beastie. He bears a striking resemblance to Sylvester from the cartoon. Not only in looks but in his attitude. I managed to lull him into a false sense of security. I then begin my exploration of his belly area. At this point, I imagine a lot of cats people out there know what’s coming next! A lot of cats Do Not like having their belly area touched. It tends to bring on an attack frenzy. That’s certainly what happened this time! I ended up with a total of 8 puncture marks on my left hand. And 5 puncture marks on my right hand. Lesson learned, don’t experiment on Pepe.
Wondering what all the noises about in walks BB (BB King) who is a black shorthaired cat. His fur and demeanour are much better suited to rooting around his belly area. I spent a good 30 minutes stroking the cat. 20 minutes of which was placating him and 10 minutes exploratory work. Try as I might I could not find a hint of a belly button. I then lost my concentration and was sharply disciplined by an overanxious feline. This was a clear symbol that the physical examination was over. Time to go and dress my wounds!
I sat with another mug of tea contemplating my mornings’ work. Then the realisation smacked me across the head. Cats are mammals:
A warm-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that is distinguished by the possession of hair or fur, females that secrete milk for the nourishment of the young, and (typically) the birth of live young.
This surely meant “cats have bellybuttons”. A couple of hours had since passed and BB had fallen asleep in the bed near the radiator. Every Cat servant knows that sleepy warm cats are much more relaxed and pliable. I decided to throw caution to the wind and once again search for the elusive cat belly button. After 15 minutes of searching, I had finally found evidence that cats do have bellybuttons! It looks nothing like our belly button. It resembled a small white dot that was located on the abdomen.
I know that some of you will have said: “Of course they have belly buttons they are mammals!”. It is worth pointing out that not all mammals have belly buttons.
Only placental mammals have belly buttons. Marsupials, such as kangaroos, possums, and koalas do not.
Other mammals such as platypus hatch from an egg. Therefore, they don’t have a belly button either.
So in the unlikely event that somebody asks you “Do cats have bellybuttons?” You can answer “Yes of course they do Siliconhell told me!”
Now before you rush off to check your cats belly button or indeed a dog. Please take a moment to share this article with your friends and family. Doing so would help us pay the Siliconhell hosting fees.
https://siliconhell.com/quiz-which-is-faster-nature-edition/
Which Animal Is Faster Quiz