What is going on with my cat's bloated belly?

A bloated belly in a cat can be mainly attributed to improper diet, parasite infection, or hairball blockage in the intestines. It is recommended that the owner first takes the cat to a pet hospital for inspection. If the bloated belly is caused by an improper diet, the owner should feed the cat some probiotics and digestive aids, which can promote gastrointestinal motility and help the cat's gastrointestinal tract recover. If the bloated belly is caused by a parasite infection, immediate internal deworming is needed for the cat. If it is caused by a hairball blockage, the owner should feed the cat some hair removal creams or catnip to help the cat expel the hairballs from its body.

Improper Diet

If a cat eats too much at once or consumes some indigestible foods, it can lead to indigestion and result in a bloated belly. To resolve this, owners can massage the cat's abdomen, feed it probiotics, encourage moderate exercise, and adjust the diet to help the cat expel excess gas in its gastrointestinal tract. Also, avoid feeding the cat foods that are prone to fermentation and gas production, such as legumes. It is recommended to choose fresh and easily digestible foods instead.

Parasite Infection

If an owner has not given the cat regular deworming treatments, the parasites' movement and reproduction in the gastrointestinal tract can also cause a bloated belly. In this case, the owner needs to promptly administer internal deworming for the cat. It is generally advised to conduct an internal deworming every three months and an external deworming every month.

Hairball Blockage in the Intestines

Cats are clean animals that often clean themselves by licking their bodies. If owners do not pay attention to cleaning the cat's fur or feeding it hair removal creams, it can easily develop hairball syndrome. When hairballs block the cat's intestines, they can cause the belly to swell and develop a bloated appearance, along with potential vomiting. To address this, owners need to feed the cat hair removal creams or catnip to help expel the hairballs and regularly brush the cat's fur.