Bloated cat

Hello!

I have a 4 months old cat (female) who is bloated. She hasn't been like that since I have got her from her first owner (I have been having her for about 3 weeks). In fact, she was pretty skinny at the beginning.

I started giving her solid cat food suitable for her age, a little bit of milk and some fish occasionally and in 4-5 days she started looking bloated. I thought she might have gained a little weight, but yesterday I have noticed that she eliminated a few small white worms in the feces. I have been giving her pills to help prevent and/ or eliminate internal parasites ever since I got her but it seems like she really has them and she is still eliminating them.

My questions are:

Could the bloating be caused by the internal parasites or should I be considering some other causes?

When would she get rid of all the worms, considering that I give her the recommended pills? I have been giving her those once a day, 3 days in a row with break of a week in between, as prescribed. I have repeated this 3 times by now. 

Other details: she eats a little bit too much from my point of view (4-5 times a day) and she would not refuse food when given, no matter how much she ate before. She urinates and defecates normally, drinks water every time she eats and I have noticed that she sometimes sleeps too much and is kind of drowsy. The bloating kind of varies and I could say that she is less bloated in the morning. She was not vaccinated or seen by a vet but she stays only in the house.

I am also attaching a few photos, to get a better idea:

It could be parasites that have gotten to the point of causing what looks like bloat.  I would take a fecal sample to the vet and also get her a vet check.  Are you giving kitten milk or formula or are you giving cows milk.   Many cats are lactose intolerant to some degree and can have problems with cows milk.  Cows milk usually causes diarrhea though.  

Kittens eat a lot throughout the day.  I don't think this is being caused by her getting overweight.  Generally it is fine to give a kitten this age as much as she will eat.

Do the worms look like rice?  If yes, then they would be tapeworms.  Praziquantel is the only dewormer that works for tapeworms and you give only ONE pill per MONTH!  If you are dosing daily then you are either overdosing praziquantel - STOP! - or giving the wrong deworming medication if kitten has tapeworms.  Like the other post said, take a stool sample to the vet so they can tell you exactly what parasites kitty has and get her on the correct medication.

I agree, stop the milk.  Perhaps it's giving her gas causing her to look bloated.  Maybe?

Is it possible she's pregnant!!??  Yes it is.  Cats can become pregnant as early as 4 months of age.  And if you don't know where she's been prior to your adopting her, then...maybe.  Hopefully she's already spayed - if not do it NOW!

She doesn't really look bloated to me, but it's hard to tell from your pics.  Maybe she's just full - it sounds like you may be overfeeding her if she's eating 4-5 full-sized meals a day.  Be sure to follow the feeding directions given on your choice of kitten/cat food.

No matter what, it sounds like a trip to the vet is called for.  I urge you to find a vet and have your kitten examined and set up an appointment to get her spayed if she isn't already.  All new pets should see a vet for a routine examination.

Good luck with your new kitten!

Yes, the worms look like rice so they could be tapeworms. I have been giving her some other pills than Praziquantel but I am going to take a sample and get her to the vet on Monday to be sure.

Thank you for the answers .