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My kitten has a bloated stomach, no other symptoms. Is it FIP?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 2 months old

I have a new 9 week old kitten. We have had her for twelve weeks and her stomach seems to be bloated. She has literally no other symptoms at all. Her stool is slight soft but by no means diarea. We are worried it could be FIP. Is there anything else it could be? We took her to vet today and had a worn treatment and test that came back negative

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on February 16th, 2019

More clinical signs and details are needed to determine the underlying cause, including details of the tests your vet have performed.
When there is a suspcion of FIP, the underlying cause of the bloat (fluid, organ enlargement and so on) should be determine first, then if there is fluid inside her abdomen this should be ideally sampled and tested.
Gastrointestinal worms should be rule out as they are commonly a possible cause of bloat in young kittens.

Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Angela Hinton, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on May 26th, 2018
Hello there!

I am sorry your little kitten isn't feeling well.

Based on what you are describing my top concern would be FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). This is a viral infection that is pretty common in kittens and especially kittens that are in a shelter environment. Has your vet checked to see if there is free fluid in her abdomen? Her bloating could be due to extra fluid. If there is fluid, that raises my suspicion even more for FIP. You could also get a sample of this fluid to be analyzed as well.
There is a blood test to check for corona virus which is what causes FIP, but it isn't specific for the particular mutation that causes FIP. Meaning they can be positive but not actually have FIP.
If she were to be negative for corona virus then it is pretty unlikely this is FIP and you would have to do other testing such as abdominal ultrasounds. But if it's positive it's another thing that seems to point in the same direction.

Unfortunately, if it is FIP that is poor prognosis. Most kittens do not do well.
The bloating in her belly is uncomfortable and can make it harder to eat. And having a fever makes them feel badly too.

I am worried that this little girl might not have a good outcome. But you could at least check for the fluid and consider the corona virus test to get some more information.

I hope this information was helpful for you and I wish you and your bottle baby all the best!

Dr. Angela Hinton
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Cara, DVM, cVMA
Veterinarian
Published on June 22nd, 2017
I assume you mean FIP or feline infectious peritonitis. It can cause abdominal swelling due to fluid buildup in the abdomen and can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. FIP is a very serious fatal disease, however parasites that are easily treated can also cause these signs. I would take Sassy to a veterinarian so they can evaluate her and check her stool for parasites. Hopefully it's something easily fixed!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jeffrey Milner
Veterinarian
Published on April 18th, 2018
FIP is an infectious disease, so if one of the cats has it there is a reasonable chance that all of your cats could have, or be in the process of developing, the condition. While some symptoms you are describing can occur with FIP, so can a long list of others. If he is painful in his belly to the point that he is resistant to you even touching it, he needs a physical exam, x-rays, and some diagnostic blood work. Its possible that his upper respiratory infection never truly got resolved, and has spread systemically affecting multiple organ systems. There is no definitive diagnostic tool for FIP either. There are only certain factors that will lead your veterinarian in that direction, particularly determine whether or not it is the form that has an extremely high mortality rate. Let me know if I can help you further.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Related Questions

My kitten has a bloated belly and hasn't pooped. What should I do?

I would recommend an immediate check up to determine the underlying cause of the swelling. Gastrointestinal parasites are common but other causes like feline peritonitis infection can be present as well. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My 1-month-old kitten has a big, tight belly and isn't playful. Is this normal?

That could be caused by an accumulation of fluids in the abdominal cavity caused by FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). A check up and single radiograph (or sometimes only clinical examination) could confirm this clinical suspicion and give you treatment options. Unfortunately the prognosis for this disease is poor. Differential diagnosis could be represented by parasite infestation. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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Why does my kitten have belly fluid despite negative FIP test?

Fluid in the abdomen is called ascites. I agree with your vet that FIP (coronovirus) is the most likely due to your cat's age but there are some other possibilities (none of them good): 1. heart disease 2. tumor/cancer 3. liver disease Coronavirus is constantly mutating so it is actually not easy to test for. I'm not sure what tests your vet did but that may be why they are getting negatives. I suggest you refer to this link for more information and go over this with your vet. ( https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/feline-infectious-peritonitis ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My kitten has yellow fluid in abdomen. Is it food slurry or FIP?

I’m sorry to hear about your new kitten. Food substances would remain within the inside of the GI tract and would not be found as free liquid in the abdomen. Your veterinarian obtained the fluid by inserting a needle into the abdominal cavity just through the abdominal muscle. They would not have pushed the needle into the intestines or stomach itself where the food slurry would have been. Abdominal distension and yellowish fluid in a sick young kitten is very concerning and FIP would be a possible diagnosis. I hope you get some answers soon. Thank you

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My cat has fever, swollen belly, and red gums. Could it be FIP?

I understand you are concerned about FIP. The reality is, if you don't have money for a veterinary visit (and in many cases even if you did), FIP is typically fatal and untreatable. The best thing you can do is separate your sick cat from your healthy one and see how things transpire over the course of the next few days. Typically, cats with FIP, regardless of the form, will be inappetant and not wanting to eat anything at all. The worst form of it will cause massive fluid buiid up in the chest / abdomen and result in difficulty breathing. The other form typically produce clinical signs that are both ophthalmic and/or neurologic, plus several other non specific clinical signs (a couple of which include what you are descrbing). Overall, FIP would not be near the top of my list. I would definitely make sure all three cats have been tested for leukemia and AIDS however in order to rule both of these life-threatening conditions. While not as rapidly fatal as FIP, both conditions can carry poor long term prognosis. It sounds like the one cat with a fever and swollen belly might benefit from pain management and a recheck for the presence of worms. While dietary indiscretion could be an issue, it is not likely to cause a fever unless an infectious organism was present in the food. Hope this is more helpful than my previous response.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Why is my cat's belly bloated with fluid and he's losing weight?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the X-rays, I can see that Mara's abdomen appears to be filled with fluid. It is obscuring his liver and intestines from being seen and there may even be a small amount in his lungs. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell what the fluid is from the x-ray alone. His blood work shows some abnormalities with his electrolytes, which may be if he is not eating or from fluid in the abdomen. Mara also has a high white blood cell count, these are the cells that are responsible for fighting off infections and increase if there is one present. Your vet can run some additional diagnostics, and perform a tap and remove the fluid as well as a blood test to determine if Mara is infected with FIP, a mutated form of a common virus that cats are exposed to. I hope this helps!

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My kitten's bloated, breathing hard, not eating or pooping. Help!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Fiorre Flamma! I recommend that she be seen by a Vet as soon as possible due to the heavy breathing. She looks pretty sick in your pictures. Possible causes of a bloated stomach in a kitten are: intestinal parasites, constipation, and feline infectious peritonitis. All of these things are treated differently and have different outcomes. The best thing for Fiorre is to see a Vet for an exam and testing. I hope this helps and I wish Fiorre a speedy recovery!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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