Cats with a Big Belly: Reasons and Treatment
If you discover your cat has a small potbelly, this is usually no reason for concern. A little extra skin on the cat's tummy is quite normal. In some cases a big belly can indicate overweight and various diseases though.
A small potbelly protects the cat
To a certain extent a potbelly is something completely normal in cats. The additional skin on the abdomen serves as protection against injuries, which can occur, for example, during turf wars between two males.
In addition, the pendulous abdomen allows the cat to move better and to jump further. Because the skin on the abdomen is particularly stretchy, so that the four-legged friend can stretch further.
As long as the hanging belly of the cat is within limits and the four-legged friend has no other complaints, there is usually no reason for concern. The fact that the skin wobbles back and forth when running cannot be avoided and is quite normal.
In certain cat breeds the pot-bellied belly is by nature a bit more pronounced. These include, for example, the Bengal cat and the Egyptian Mau.
Why do neutered cats get a pot-bellied belly?
In many cases it can be observed that the pot-bellied belly of a cat grows considerably after castration. Most cat owners then assume that this is an unavoidable consequence of neutering.
However, this is only partly true. Because the fat belly of the cat is actually not a result of the castration itself. Rather, it is caused by the interaction of changed nutritional needs and constant feeding.
In neutered cats, the removal of the testicles or ovaries leads to changes in the hormone balance. In addition, they usually tend to move a little less.
Both of these factors lead to a lower energy requirement, so that maintaining the previous amount of food can sooner or later lead to overweight. Since weight gain is particularly easy to detect on the stomach, a growing potbelly in cats after neutering is a first sign that a moderate calorie reduction may be appropriate.
Overweight cats have a thick belly
The connection between a thick belly and overweight is of course also present without a recent castration. As obesity has fatal consequences for health, you should always keep an eye on your cat's weight.
If you notice that your cat's potbelly is growing, you can take timely countermeasures and thus significantly reduce the risk of possible secondary diseases such as diabetes in your cat.
Shiimun slim fights the bulging cat belly
If your cat has a big belly due to its excessive body weight, the amount of food your four-legged friend eats needs to be reduced by around five percent. This can be best achieved with high-quality wet food, as this has a lower energy density than dry food.
In addition, we recommend Shiimun Slim to supplement your cat’s diet. Shiimun Slim is a high-quality diet powder developed by our team of veterinarians and nutritionists. The unique composition of ingredients such as psyllium husks and shiitake makes the preparation the ideal dietary supplement for cats with a big belly.
Shiimun Slim offers the following advantages for a successful diet:
- Reduces calorie intake in the intestines
- Helps your cat to feel full for longer
- Regulates blood sugar levels
- Promotes fat metabolism
- Supports detoxification
If you want to reliably reduce the size of your cat’s belly and ensure a healthy and permanent reduction of its weight, Shiimun Slim is the ideal addition to your four-legged friend's diet.
Take a look at Shiimun Slim in our store
You should take the following symptoms in combination with a potbelly in your cat seriously:
- The cat has diarrhoea.
- The stomach swells or feels hard.
- The cat is constipated.
- The quadruped seems lethargic and apathetic.
- The cat does not eat or eats very little.
- The behaviour of the quadruped changes.
Illness-related causes for the thick belly of the cat
If a fat belly occurs in combination with one or more of the above symptoms, there can be many causes. Some of them can even be life threatening.
But even if this is not the case, a timely examination by a veterinarian is often advisable. After all, the earlier a cat disease is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances of recovery.
One of the possible illness-related causes of the thick belly is a massive infestation with worms in cats. It is also possible that the stomach of the house cat swells up due to poisoning by plants or food that are poisonous to cats.
Another possible cause is fluid accumulation in the abdomen, which can be caused by heart problems, liver disease or even a fatal infection with Feliner Infectious Peritonitis.
In addition to tumours, internal bleeding due to injuries can also be a possible cause of a thick abdomen in cats. There is an increased risk of the latter, especially in outdoor cats. In this case, prompt veterinary care is indispensable.
Pendulous stomach in cats - our conclusion
As you can see, a small hanging belly is quite normal in cats. This is usually only problematic if the thick belly occurs together with other complaints. If this is the case, you and your four-legged friend should visit a vet as soon as possible.
Also note that an excessive hanging belly can be a first sign that your cat is too fat. To avoid overweight and its consequences, you should always ensure that your cat is fed according to her needs. You will find everything you need for this purpose in the I love my cat range.
You will achieve optimum results if you also use Shiimun Slim as a dietary supplement. The easily digestible diet powder reliably supports the diet of your quadruped with a special recipe made from natural ingredients.
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