Does My Cat Look Like He's In Pain? / Itchy Belly

Hello Everyone,

New forum user here.  I wanted to ask you guys something, I don't see my cat usually sit like this when I am home, I am noticing the last few months on and off his belly (which never grew hair back from neutering has some scabs and he's biting it.  He acts fine and eats fine, but I am watching him home alone on webcam and I noticed he sits like this sometimes.  Is this an indicator he might be in pain?

I am bringing him to the vet next week about the belly.

He is an indoor cat only.   

Does a cat ONLY sit in this position when he is in pain?

He also sometimes lays down and sleeps... but it seems when he is alone, he just stays in this one spot and sleeps the entire time.  Im thinking its because he is waiting for me there (clear view of the door).

So yea does a cat ONLY sit in this position when he is in pain?

Thank You!

Adam

Sounds like it could be an allergy.  The way he is laying is called the meatloaf position, it could mean discomfort but not necessarily.  The scabs and itchy skin is an allergy.  He could be uncomfortable because of a food allergy.  

I don't know what kind of food he is on but you could try a grain free food in a novel protein like lamb or venison.  Wet food is better,  If he's used to kibble it may take a while to get him transitioned.  That may be enough to clear up his itchy scabby skin and if he is in discomfort in his belly it may clear that up.  Of course if he gets worse, he doesn't get better with the new food, or definitely if he quits eating he needs to be seen by a vet.

Thanks for the reply.  I will try changing his food.  Any suggestions?   

Do you think he's in DIRE pain?   I wish we knew...  like i said he plays, he chases his toys, eats and drinks well...but when im not there i see this....   Im an overly-worried person to begin with, I would hate to think he might be suffering some major pain and not letting me know.  

Thank you.
Adam

It's hard to tell if a cat is in a lot of pain and laying this way could just be habit.  If he is still eating well than I would go ahead and try changing his diet.  If he quits eating than he needs to see a vet.

Sometimes cats resist diet change and sometimes not.  If he's resistant you can try mixing foods or try different brands, there are several.  With cats you can't just say they will eat it when they are hungry enough, they won't.  A cat can develop some nasty problems when they don't eat.  They shouldn't go more than 24 to 48 hours without eating.

This position usually is indicative of pain, although not always (nothing with cats is "always"). 

First off, have you assessed that she doesn't have any fleas or anything like that that might be causing her to itch? 

Now, how old is she?  What does she eat? Dry?  Canned?  What brands, etc?   What is her medical history so far?   She could have food allergies, however, usually those manifest with itching around the head and neck (but remember, nothing is "always" with cats).  Or she could actually be in pain in her tummy, therefore is biting at it...anything is possible.  But either way, I would think a change in diet might help with either one of those scenarios.  The best bet for her (as she also looks a little overweight in the picture) would be to eat a good low carb canned food, and if you suspect food allergies, then a single protein one, since as Nature's Variety Limited Ingredient canned.  BUT, if she is a kibble addict, you may have an issue at first getting her off kibble.  I believe Nature's Variety Limited also makes a kibble, a good place to start, but it's still better to get her on canned, especially if she is actually in pain.  Does she often vomit or have diarrhea? 

Another thought is that she is just plain bored.  Cats can overgroom or even "self mutilate" if they are bored, or stressed, or for various reasons.  As you have already noticed, she waits by the door for you and doesn't do much else while you are gone.  Have you thought about getting her a cat DVD or something else to entertain her while you are gone.  Maybe a Turbo Track or something she can entertain herself with?  (she needs to be entertained somehow no matter if there is something wrong with her or not).  Does she have a cat tree to jump on and watch the outside world?  

Oh!  Another thing that might help her is if you add some Salmon or Krill Oil (or any type of Omega 3 oil) to her diet.  It does wonders for their skin

I am new to this forum but I read a few articles online to try an detect whether my cat could be in pain w/o even knowing she was sick, & this is the one position that was shown when it comes to a cat feeling uncomfortable. I also read how cats will act like there not in pain when around their owners for survival reasons. They don't want to show any weakness that may label them as injured & an easy victim. If your cat is in pain its probably just due to the discomfort on the belly. In no way am I trying to worry you, I'm sure that the only pain your cats in is because of the fact that you aren't home. But I would take him/her to the vet just in case. I had my precious baby boy, Sme, pass away about a year ago from reasons unknown & I had no idea he was even ill. It's always better to be safe than sorry. But honestly, I think your kitty just misses you. If he/she were in a lot of pain, he/she would probably hide somewhere in ur house rather than sit right by the front door. Good luck & make sure u give an update after u take him/her to the vet. I definitly want to know if he/she is ok or not.[emoji]128568[/emoji]

If your kitty is biting at her belly, then something definitely is not right with her.  I wonder if she's allergic to the litter you're using.  Have you recently changed litter brands?