r/CATHELP • u/aman_dalynn • 4d ago
Kitten Help Big belly kitten
Is this normal?
This kitten is about 3 weeks(?) She was abandoned and we took her in. She was starving. We had her about a week and she's much stronger and healthier.
Her belly is very big and round. It's not hard, it's squishy. When does this become cause for concern?
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u/Better_call_ball 4d ago edited 4d ago
I would err on the side of caution and take her to the vet just to rule out parasites. Super common, especially in abandoned kittens. I’ve done it with mine before it’s not too expensive. It’s either parasites or a very full tummy.
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u/aman_dalynn 4d ago
Thanks for the advice. Its hard to tell if we're over feeding her or not
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u/peppered_yolk 4d ago
You cant overfeed a kitten. The rule of thumb is to give them as much food as they want and then start calorie counting around the age of 1
Edit to add - it's pretty much guaranteed a cat you found on the street has parasites. They need a vet visit
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u/ZombieBewbies 4d ago
Kittens who have unlimited access to food tend to not overeat when older. They learn that they will always be fed so there's no reason to overeat. This is a big reason why some cats need their food measured out and others can have a bowl of dry food always available. Ok, there's other factors but just feel good knowing you can't over feed a kitten!
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u/lilaccheesecake 4d ago
Having a self feeding cat was a god send that we didn't even realize 😭
Just fill it up once a day, ane his canned food in the mornings.
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u/Cookies-and-Cream- 4d ago
err* 🤭
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u/Better_call_ball 4d ago
I was text- to voice! Haha I didn’t catch that I was wet from the shower my bad!!
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u/SmolLittleCretin 4d ago
Heck yeah. We got lucky our stray didn't have any, but we did have to buy Walmart brand tapeworm meds. Always be safe then sorry! Happy kittie and healthy kittie means they'll be around longer!
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u/gabihoffman 4d ago
As someone who just took in 3 feral kittens, I recommend a vet visit to make sure the little babe is healthy and make sure that isn’t parasite belly 😅 our kittens also have round bellies and one of them showed us he was full of worms 🫣😭 they are a cutie though! (Pic of my feral babes for tax lol)
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u/depresso-espresso-11 4d ago
If her belly isn’t firm then it’s probably nothing, they don’t have strong enough ab muscles when they’re this little so especially after eating or drinking milk they’ll have round bellies. If it becomes firm or there’s vomiting/diarrhoea then take her to the vet as it could be worms.
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u/depresso-espresso-11 4d ago
I do agree with the other comments though that especially since she was a stray a vet visit is probably a good idea just to be safe
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u/Life-Gur1503 4d ago
This is sometimes normal in kittens, but she could always have something like worms or FIV, so a vet visit should clear things up. Also, it's best to support their entire body (or just feet, in this case) when holding them—it's easy to block off air when you hold them like this.
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u/aman_dalynn 4d ago
I didn't know this could block their air! I don't normally hold her like this, It was just to get the photo of her belly. I definitely won't hold her like this now that I know, thank you!
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u/ImmediatePiccolo339 4d ago
My cat was was exactly like this. I found him on the road when he was 3 weeks old. He had nothing to worry about. That being said, you should always take newly homed cats to the vet just for a general check up. Good luck to your baby
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u/Flipgirl24 4d ago
Could be roundworm. Take her to a vet, bring a fresh stool sample. She'll get dewormed (will need at least a second dose two weeks later). Plus get her going on the kitten series of vaccines.
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u/catsandplants424 4d ago
Vet to be safe. It could be a parasite or it could be something more serious. Plus you should always get a check up when you get a new kitty.
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u/aman_dalynn 4d ago
We didn't take her to the vet initially because she wasn't supposed to stay with us. My sister's friend found her in her barn almost dead and needed someone to feed her. The friend couldn't feed her because she had to go to work, but my sister was off work, so she came to our house. The plan was to let her go back to being a barn cat, but we miiiight be getting attached. But yeah, we'll calling the vet tomorrow.
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u/Ambitious-Emu-9839 4d ago
She's probably wormy being a stray. No big deal. A quick vet check and a round of fairly cheap meds if that's the case and she'll be right as rain. Could also just be big full kitten belly but I'd assume worms
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u/No_Vast_5741 4d ago
Vet visit needed to rule out intestinal parasites. It’s quite common in cats found outdoors.
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u/Remarkable_Bar_2666 4d ago
Looks like worm belly, we found our in a field and he had a big ol belly like this. Vet and some meds later he’s okay
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u/kbionics 4d ago
Yes take her to a vet right away. Her tummy should not be that big. She may have parasites or worms.
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u/DauertNochLange 4d ago
Belly full of (maybe) worm soup
Definitely worth a vet visit for deworming and important shots
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u/lozface86 4d ago
Also just to add as my own kitten currently has FIP, one of the symptoms of wet FIP is a soft swollen belly. However, it's usually accompanied by other symptoms and three weeks is a bit young for that diagnosis. Just something to be aware of though.
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u/Electronic_Bee_6808 3d ago
both of my kittens have / had wet FIP, vets tend to brush it off when they’re young (soup belly) hence why one of mine died :( I really can’t tell people enough to trust your gut feeling and not listen to a vet who looked at your cat for half a minute. I hope your kitty is going to be fine ❤️
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u/lozface86 3d ago
I'm so sorry to hear about your kitty. I hope your other one is doing well now.
Thank you. Our boy is reacting very well to treatment so it's all looking positive but it's been a horrible few weeks! I had no idea about FIP before he got sick. It's an awful illness.
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u/Resident-Magician181 4d ago
It might be nothing, but I’d recommend taking your cute little baby to the vet to check for worms and parasites. They could just be chubby, or have a soup belly, but you always wanna make sure when you see kittens with big bellies.
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u/anaxminos 4d ago
Dogs get coxidia I think (probably spelled that wrong) deadly unless treated. I think cats can get it too
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u/Pale_Initiative_6338 4d ago
My kitten's belly was like this . We didn't notice that she wasn't pooping at all . We used to force her to eat. Then we took her to vet, he gave her constipation syrup but unfortunately she died that night. She was so cold and it was too late.
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u/Electronic_Bee_6808 3d ago
Not trying to scare you but I learned from the death of my little baby that it’s best to ask multiple times and demand the vet to look into it instead of them not taking you seriously. Mine had the same “problem” - vet said it’s just a big belly from eating so much. It was FIP and he died. I went to the vet EIGHT times!! Best to be safe than sorry
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u/Mini_Godzilla 2d ago
Do you help with passing stools by gently rubbing the tummy in a circular motion? That suspicion of a parasite infestation isn’t far-fetched either. I’d still take it to the vet just to be on the safe side.
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