Q: My cat has been neutered and I’ve noticed it has a lot of loose skin underneath. Is this normal?

Answer: Yes, it is quite normal for both male and female cats that have been neutered to develop to this sagging, freely moving skin to their lower abdomen. A lack of the normal sex hormone causes an increase in the amount of subcutaneous tissue which attaches the skin to the underling abdominal muscles. In costarred males it also markedly increase the flexibility of the skin. The similarity of response in both male and female is probably due to the fact that both the male hormone, testosterone, and female hormone, oestrogen, have a similar steroid structure.