What should I do if my cat has a hole in its belly?

There are mainly three reasons for a hole in your cat's belly:

Caused by umbilical hernia: This usually has little impact on the cat.
The cat had a wound on its abdomen that the owner didn't notice or treat in time, leading to infection.
The cat contracted a fungal or parasitic infection, causing itchiness on its abdomen, and constantly scratched until the skin became ulcerated.

If you can handle it yourself, you can solve these three situations alone. If you can't, you can take the cat to a pet hospital for treatment.

Umbilical hernia caused

Most cat umbilical hernias are present from birth due to congenital developmental issues. This causes a gap between the navel and the abdominal cavity, with abdominal mucosal tissue or organs protruding through the gap. If the hernia doesn't grow larger, it usually doesn't affect the cat much, and the owner can let the cat absorb and grow it back naturally. However, if the hernia continues to expand, it means more organs are protruding, and surgery is needed to push the protruding organs back into the abdominal cavity and stitch up the gap. The prognosis is usually good, and owners don't need to worry too much.

Wound infection due to delayed treatment

When a cat gets injured, if the owner doesn't notice and handle the wound in time, it will lead to infection and result in a hole in the belly. This condition cannot heal itself and requires initial wound irrigation with saline and diluted hydrogen peroxide, followed by disinfection with iodine. After disinfection, apply antibiotics and medication for promoting wound healing to the affected area.

Infection with fungi or parasites, causing constant scratching

After a cat contracts fungi or parasites, it will experience itchiness on its abdomen, leading it to constantly scratch to alleviate the discomfort. If the cat isn't controlled in time, it will result in skin ulceration. In this case, immediately put a Elizabethan collar on the cat to prevent it from scratching, and then proceed with deworming treatment.