"Corn" belly?

[Bluedrake]

Hello.

I have a question regarding grains in a pet's diet. I'm sure a lot of you have seen your pets develop a pounchy belly when fed a diet heavy in corn and wheat.

I know it can be caused by the grains, same phenomenon as a beer belly, but my question is this: Now that I have switched my cat to a grain free food, will that pounch ever disappear?

She used to weight around 14-15 pounds, or so her previous owner told me, and six months ago she was just a little over 9 pounds, but she still has that belly dragging the floor. She's spayed and has never had kittens either.

[Stacer]

I recommend sit ups My girly cat has a bit of a paunchy belly too (we like to call it her fat skirt), She's been on good food since she was a wee kitten and still developed it. Last year we asked the vet about this and her reply was that most cats get this flabby belly just in front of the hind legs because they don't climb like they would if they were wild cats climbing trees etc.... The muscles in that area are under developed due to lack of vertical climbing. Maybe a solution would be to get her a high cat tree made of wood and carpeting with lots of platforms to climb on.

[Bluedrake]

Okay! Thanks.

Unfortunately, her climbing ability is greatly decreased due to her front paws being declawed. Not by me! Her former owner had that surgery done.

Maybe frequent belly massages then... She loves to get her tummy rubbed!

[gypsy_girl]

How about a yoga ball?

[ancientgirl]

Hmm...this is interesting to read because Vlad has that little pauchy flap too. My vet told me some cats develop that and it isn't something I need to worry about, but I didn't know it was due to their non climbing.

That makes sense, because Vlad didn't get much exercise in my former apartment. But now I'm hoping he will since he and Oksana are running up and down the stairs quite a bit, and they have lots more room in the living area to run around.

[geisha]

Just a thought, would putting your kitty's food dish up high help? Sounds like spin class or pilates may help...

[want4rain]

we have a great wall that could use some lumpy carpeting. goes up to our landing. roll some of those giant paper tubes up in carpeting and it will be like steps up to the 2nd floor right?? lol im that nutty cat lady. Hunters udders are really really long!!

-ashley

[Kristin7]

I'm not sure if climbing would help, but just in case, the cat tree idea could still work even with a declawed cat. One of mine is front-declawed (not be me!) and although she couldn't get up the tall cat tree at first, she eventually learned how to pull herself up like a little monkey! Maybe yours could do it too!