Kitten with bloated tummy?

I am sorry you lost the kittens, it is impossible to know what might have happened, but it is very difficult to save young orphans. When you say you found a female for them, do you mean you tried to find another mother cat for them? This is very difficult to do, even for an expert, and the mother cat must be one who has recently had kittens of her own. Let us know if you need more help.

thanks..i'll let you if i get another kitten.the mother cat that i found really like the kitten. i went around the blocks in my area and i found two mother cats. both of them wanted the kitten but the kitten refuse to accept them. i don't think its difficult to find a mother cat here. 

Please do not just go giving a kitten to a mother cat. It takes some time for them to accept each other, the kitten could easily starve or freeze to death. An adult cat just licking a kitten or looking at it does not guarantee she will care for it, or that the kitten willa ccept her. Cat adoptions like that should only be done where you can observe and help, and do not always succeed.

Nadia Antibear said:

i went to the vet i knew here but it was closed cause it was holiday. anyway thanks for the advises.. those kittens were from my study area..I managed to find a female cat for them but the kittens don't want. the third one died today while i was in college..the same way.. suddenly their stomachs flattened and died..no diarrhea. i'll ask again if i get another one.. sorry for my bad english..i'm still learning..

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I'm sorry that you lost this little one. jennyranson is right that kittens that young without a Mom don't have high survival rates, even with our best efforts. You made a good effort by finding a Mom cat to try and use as a surrogate but I also agree that does not often work and should only be done under close supervision.

Hopefully you can find a kitten that has already been weaned by Mom to add to your family. 

i got cats at home but they are all male..

Marebear14 said:

I have to say though to stay AWAY from the dry food. It is actually horrible for your cat nutrition wise. It is why there are soo many cats with diabetes and other problems. If you ever read the ingredients on even the most "healthy" dry food you'll see by-products, grains, wheat gluten and not to mention tons and tons of carbs. It dehydrates cats (in the wild cats get almost 100% of their water from their raw meat), and it causes them to have problems staying thin. The veterinarian I volunteered with highly suggests the raw food diet, but at the very least the wet food. It is processed completely different than dry food and is much safer (toxin-wise). Actually if they didn't spray hard food with left over bacon grease from restaurants, most pets would never touch the stuff cause of the horrible taste!

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I'd just like to point out that not EVERY dry cat food has nothing but by products and a crap ton of carbs. If you actually shop somewhere other than large box stores or grocery stores then the majority of food you come across isn't all that unhealthy. I feed both my cat and my dog Wellness Grain Free. No by products, no fillers such as corn, wheat, soy, etc. First few ingredients are real meat or meat meal.

I do agree that Raw feeding would be best, when fed right (which most don't know how to do), but not everyone has the budget for hundreds of dollars to spend on pet food each month.

A strictly wet food diet can actually end up causing kidney issues later in life. This is why a lot of cats eat a mix diet of dry and wet food.

Baby cats need to be bottle fed baby cat formula if they don't have their mom. It needs to be warm and  to be done every two hours then every three and so on until they can eat on their own and you have to help them go potty by rubbing their backside with a warm moist cloth until they poop and pee after, Those are the things mommies do for them. They are usually weaned starting at about 4-5 weeks old little by little by introducing a mushy canned food mixed with their formula and put on a flat dish. They may have died from lack of nutrition or not being able to go potty or were sick and needed vet care...

I am an animal lover and do everything I can for any animal that needs help. 

I have a baby cat now, 5 weeks old who has a rounded tummy and is skinny. I took her to the vet and she gave me worming meds and I started her on KMR baby cat formula again and she really took to it. I'm hoping we can see her through the tough times and have a beautiful healthy girl soon..: )

Good luck with learning english also. Glad to see another person who loves animals....

When we got Smoke just after Thanksgiving 2012 at 10 weeks, his tummy became bloated after a day or two.  I went online looking to see the possible cause and most posts/vets cited worms as the most likely cause.  This seemed unlikely since Smoke had been dewormed twice.  The other thing that was brought up on the internet was FIP, a fatal disease for cats.  I took Smoke to the vet ASAP, as I was going to do anyway, and the vet seemed somewhat concerned about the tummy but not alarmed.  She said it might be worms, and then brought up FIP again, although she did say the belly didn't feel like FIP, but more like gas.  We were sent home with another dewormer, which produced no worms in the poop, as expected.  (I am not clear as to whether a dewormer "should" make "spaghetti strands" come out in the poop---the vet says yes, the rescue lady says she has never seen it happen.)  We were told to come back in a week; sooner if the tummy got any worse.  For the next few days I was terribly worried the kitten was going to die, but I was somewhat encouraged to learn that, if a cat has a bloated tummy from FIP, he will show many more symptoms and will go down fast, dying within 2 weeks.  So after about 4 days with Smoke seeming perfectly healthy, I began to relax.  I also began to think it was really unnecessary for the vet to bring up FIP when the cat had no other symptoms that would suggest it.  I think she caused unnecessary worry on my part.  Smoke is now 4.5 months old and is growing into his tummy.  You can barely see it anymore.  So yes, it can be normal for a kitten to have a round belly.  You should certainly take the cat to the vet but don't worry yourself to death---it's probably nothing. :-)

Hi I was glad to read your post. We were given an abandoned kitten 3 weeks ago she was very skinny and dehydrated I rang the RSPCA and they gave me some advice on what to feed her and I also took her to the vets for a checkup the day after she came to us (a Monday) but after a week of her being with us she had a very bloated tummy she eats fine but wasn't drinking very much I took her back to the vets on Monday for her 1st vaccinations and the vet I saw then also mentioned FIP she took her temp which was all good and recommended we give her kitten formula which I bought as I was concerned about her not drinking she loves the milk but still has a very bloated belly she goes back in 3 weeks for her next vaccine and I am hoping she will have grown into her tummy a bit more. She is very bright, playful, mischievous and inquisitive so I am praying that she is just a little fatty bum bum.

Your kitten is beautiful. She looks just like my first cat.

I know this is an old post, but I had to comment on it for any future kittens you may find. Wile I commend you for trying to help save your three kittens, most kittens need to be with their mama until at least 4-5 weeks.  Not only does Mama provide milk for them, she licks their tummy to help stimulate digestion.  In addition, she keeps them clean when they eliminate.  Without Mama doing this, the kittens can not digest anythink they drink, AND they can not go to the bathroom on their own.  If you have young, motherless kittens, the human raising them has to feed them a milk replacement (usually through bottle-feeding) AND rub their belly/anus with a warm, wet cloth to help them to go to the bathroom; after rubbing put them in the litter box to see if they will go.  This needs to be done several times throughout the day, usually a little while after they eat.  While I commend you for picking up the stray kittens to try to help them, you have to know what you are getting into.  Most likely your three kittens died because they couldn't digest anything they managed to eat, plus they couldn't go to the bathroom on their own yet; this leads to a build-up of toxins in their system.  It doesn't take very long for this to happen (a couple of days), so if you ever do find small kittens like that again, you really need to find someone to help you out (vet, cat rescue).  I'm very sorry you had to go through losing those kittens, and I hope you have already found a new kitten to love!  This website has some good info on what to do when you find kittens:

http://www.krazyforkats.com/documents/finding_a_lost_or_abandoned_kitten.html

Good luck!

Marebear14 said:

Hey there,


My little 7 week old kitten has had a belly for the last 2 weeks, and was recently in to the vets office for an upper respiratory infection. While she was there we asked the vet to check her stomach to see if it was normal or worm infested and he said it was normal. Most kittens have a rounder belly, i think its so cute on her

. I have to say though to stay AWAY from the dry food. It is actually horrible for your cat nutrition wise. It is why there are soo many cats with diabetes and other problems. If you ever read the ingredients on even the most "healthy" dry food you'll see by-products, grains, wheat gluten and not to mention tons and tons of carbs. It dehydrates cats (in the wild cats get almost 100% of their water from their raw meat), and it causes them to have problems staying thin. The veterinarian I volunteered with highly suggests the raw food diet, but at the very least the wet food. It is processed completely different than dry food and is much safer (toxin-wise). Actually if they didn't spray hard food with left over bacon grease from restaurants, most pets would never touch the stuff cause of the horrible taste!

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I think you are partly wrong with dry food. I am a trainee veterinary nurse and at the veterinary clinic I work at we get a lot of meetings with are rep from royal canin. Within each meeting she describes how different food can effect and benefit the cat or dog with certain problem for example urinary. Yes most cheap dry foods I would stay away from but you get want you pay for. Royal canin would have to be one of the best foods out there. They don't just cater for junior or senior pets but for kittens puppies adults and senior pets and the different set of foods are sorted to the pet depending of age, weight and if they have any problems. Not to mention dry foods are better for the pets teeth then what wet food are as long as you feed them with plenty of fresh water, which is also good for the pets kidneys

hgault, I have to disagree. I too worked in the vet field and would listen to food reps (the same food reps who gave the vet office good deals or free food) and I fed my cats Royal Canine for many, many years. That being said, the food my cats were on was DESIGNED for cats who have weight problems yet the carbs were SO HIGH. How on earth could they keep weight off with those carbs? They are simply not built to have that many carbs and it was no wonder they had gained weight! I ended up having to feed them a miniscule amount and still they were not "lean." Also, the fiber was too high in that diet- it is supposed to be formulated for cats, not people and fiber should not be that high.

Anyway, I'm still transitioning off of the Royal Canine and my cats are already way more active. I understand that it is hard to believe as someone who has had certain information banged over your head over and over, but dry food has nowhere near the amount of moisture in it that cats need. As someone in the vet field I'm sure you are aware of the extremely high numbers of cats with Urinary Tract issues, blockages, diabetes, etc which can very easily be caused by a lack of water in their diet. 

It all goes back to common sense and what cats would normally eat- they would normally be eating whole animals and getting most of their water from those animals. They eat very few things besides meat/bone/organ and that is what they are built for. They are obligate carnivores so there is no way that feeding them grains is better for them than meat, bone and organ.

Canned foods are far from perfect, but they are much, much closer to what a cat would normally eat than dry. The only reason dry exists is because it is convenient for the consumer and cheaper to make and buy. The biggest and most extreme thing IMO missing from dry is it's Protein from meat and water. I cannot find the study that was done at the moment but there is a lot of info on catinfo.org

I would at least read it, so that you at least know where people are getting this argument from. 

There are many nutrition savvy vets and feline nutrition experts who support this opinion- I have not met one that doesn't. Many "regular" vets are still stuck on the old, but please remember those same vets have a lot of good relationships with the big food brands and cannot suddenly say that they have been telling people possible wrong information for years and recommend raw/canned only. It's disappointing to me but unfortunately may be the reality.

The other point about it being bad for teeth is really not validated (at least that I have been able to find). Cats teeth should really be brushed if one is going to be proactive. And the correct bones will help clean cats teeth.  Even if there was a study done that validated that dry was better than wet for teeth alone, I still would stay with wet for all of the reasons I listed above that cannot be fixed as easily with a dental procedure.

This is all still fairly new to me unfortunately, but still I'd recommend checking on the raw/wet side of things just to see the reasoning.

I don't want to sound rude but most of you are not vets and not taking this subject seriously enough. My kitten died this morning. Had a bloated tummy for about three weeks. Nothing to do with worms. Took kitten to the vet but couldn't afford to do much more than just have him looked and some basic tests. He was always hungry, still playful, purrred and seemed to be ok until the last few days. Don't wait to get your kittens checked out if they have these symtoms. Eating constantly and hard bloated tummy are not normal and not caused by worms.

This is a very old post but I am really sorry to hear about your kitten Ronnieh. It sounds like perhaps he had coccydia. Kittens with bloated tummies, who eat but never feel satisfied and who are not gaining weight tend to have coccidia or giardia . It is often fatal if left untreated. You are right, if your concerned, the vet is your first call.

The

LaurasOrphans said:

hgault, I have to disagree. I too worked in the vet field and would listen to food reps (the same food reps who gave the vet office good deals or free food) and I fed my cats Royal Canine for many, many years. That being said, the food my cats were on was DESIGNED for cats who have weight problems yet the carbs were SO HIGH. How on earth could they keep weight off with those carbs? They are simply not built to have that many carbs and it was no wonder they had gained weight! I ended up having to feed them a miniscule amount and still they were not "lean." Also, the fiber was too high in that diet- it is supposed to be formulated for cats, not people and fiber should not be that high.
Anyway, I'm still transitioning off of the Royal Canine and my cats are already way more active. I understand that it is hard to believe as someone who has had certain information banged over your head over and over, but dry food has nowhere near the amount of moisture in it that cats need. As someone in the vet field I'm sure you are aware of the extremely high numbers of cats with Urinary Tract issues, blockages, diabetes, etc which can very easily be caused by a lack of water in their diet. 
It all goes back to common sense and what cats would normally eat- they would normally be eating whole animals and getting most of their water from those animals. They eat very few things besides meat/bone/organ and that is what they are built for. They are obligate carnivores so there is no way that feeding them grains is better for them than meat, bone and organ.
Canned foods are far from perfect, but they are much, much closer to what a cat would normally eat than dry. The only reason dry exists is because it is convenient for the consumer and cheaper to make and buy. The biggest and most extreme thing IMO missing from dry is it's Protein from meat and water. I cannot find the study that was done at the moment but there is a lot of info on catinfo.org
I would at least read it, so that you at least know where people are getting this argument from. 

There are many nutrition savvy vets and feline nutrition experts who support this opinion- I have not met one that doesn't. Many "regular" vets are still stuck on the old, but please remember those same vets have a lot of good relationships with the big food brands and cannot suddenly say that they have been telling people possible wrong information for years and recommend raw/canned only. It's disappointing to me but unfortunately may be the reality.
The other point about it being bad for teeth is really not validated (at least that I have been able to find). Cats teeth should really be brushed if one is going to be proactive. And the correct bones will help clean cats teeth.  Even if there was a study done that validated that dry was better than wet for teeth alone, I still would stay with wet for all of the reasons I listed above that cannot be fixed as easily with a dental procedure.
This is all still fairly new to me unfortunately, but still I'd recommend checking on the raw/wet side of things just to see the reasoning.

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There are pros and cons for both which is why many choose to have the mixed diets. One or the other isn't better or worse to some people. Wet food gives more moisture yet if you leave out plenty of fresh water they will still get it. Wet food also is not all meat there can be fillers, grains, and soy prodect in them as well. If not done properly raw and wet food can also give your cats worms. Fresh meat isn't always used in some cat brand companies for wet food. (Why else do you think they don't want people eatting canned food for pets?) Not to mention not all brands give enough protein in wet food as some dry. Depends on how you read the labels and compare really. One pro that dry has over raw and meat is that it can stay out longer. Which with people that have long hours to work or have to leave home is ideal. Also remember not all diets work the same for one cat as it would another, just like in humans. And there are gluten free, filler free, and grain free dry cat food. And canned food can also have the same things...corn mill was found in some popular brand names as the top three...which corn is a grain. So read the cons and pros of both before deciding on the course of dry, wet/raw, or both. This argument is one that is heated among many....and each is entitled to their choice. (One place to find cons and pros of both is PECO website. Also teaches on label reading I think...or type in on how to label read for your kitty's food.)

Also thanks for this thread for I had concerns as well for my kitten. Grimmy was abandoned by his mommy so did the milk thing and bottom one. Till he wasn't interested and his was born in oct. and it is now December. He was taken to vet and has roundworm, upper respiratory, and coccidea. (Sp) His tummy is a bit bloated so will watch out for it...I think it is because he is eating and drinking more and his poops are becoming regular again. Took him in on the 14th of dec. and noticed the bigger tummy on the 15th. So keep him in prayers that the tummy thing isn't serious. (When I say bloated I mean more so than before with his already bloated tummy from the roundworms.)

There is so much helpful info here, wow.  I'm on another thread because of our rescue's diarrhea but she also has a bloated tummy.  She is five to six weeks old and under 15 oz. - 435 grams - up from 330 three weeks ago.  She is curious, happy, fun loving, a little ball of fur with long hairy arms and a pointed nose.  Sometimes wonder if she is a cat.....THANK  YOU easing my worries about her tummy!!!

I am wondering how things turned out with your Kitten. I am experiencing some of the same problems. I adopted a cat from a rescue who ended up having coccidia and roundworms, treated for both and repeat sample showed no further problems. Problem is that he has a distended/bloated belly (10 weeks old) and vet brought up FIP twice since I adopted him 3 weeks ago but belly size and how hard it is changes so my feeling is that it is not FIP. I am just not sure what could be causing the hard big belly he has. He plays, eats, drinks, sleeping normal, purring...acting like a normal kitten.

From what I read, a bloated tummy in a very small young kitten is normal.  Our little rescue had a very fat little tummy.  As you may have read, she had three enemas, two with water, one with lactalose.  She then got diarrhea which was very hard to manage.  We tried everything but PetSmart seemed to have the final solution, their anti diarrhea med.

Anyhow, this wild one is now three months old.  The vet had not given her a very good prognosis but she made it!!!  She must have feral ancestry because she is a handful, but ever so healthy and fun and curious.  She made it, she made it.  

Kyro said:

 
I am wondering how things turned out with your Kitten. I am experiencing some of the same problems. I adopted a cat from a rescue who ended up having coccidia and roundworms, treated for both and repeat sample showed no further problems. Problem is that he has a distended/bloated belly (10 weeks old) and vet brought up FIP twice since I adopted him 3 weeks ago but belly size and how hard it is changes so my feeling is that it is not FIP. I am just not sure what could be causing the hard big belly he has. He plays, eats, drinks, sleeping normal, purring...acting like a normal kitten.

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Good he got treatment for this coccidia and round worms, and also repeated - as it should.  You will probably need to repeat at least the worm treatment once egain - it is typycally dome thrice, with pyrantel.

My question for now, is what food does he gets?    And, Do you have possibility to get goat milk?

Good luck!