Problem with a cat. Can anyone help?

[jec248]

On the 2nd December I went to the RSPCA for a new cat. (Our own cat died in August) There were loads of cats there who all deserved a good home. We picked a female tabby cat who we were told had been abandoned. She was about 8 years old we were told, and looked very thin and neglected.

We took her to the vet a few days later to have her checked over. He told us she was more like 88 than 8 but apart from being old and thin she seemed OK. We now feed her Iams cat food for older cats, before that Whiskers, but she has constant diarrhoea which I thought, at first, was to do with a change of diet. Can anyone recommend anything? I will take her back to the vet on Monday morning.

[harveydales]

Oh poor little cat. Lovely that you took on an older cat. We did the same the last 2 times and I'm so glad we were able to give a old cat some happy, contented years.

I suppose there could be all sorts of reasons for the diarrhoea including change of diet. With our last old rescue cat, we found changing his diet from the senior version to the "sensitive" version helped but I would think the best thing is to leave things as they are until the vet has looked her over again. I do hope it is something easily sorted.

[SuzieP]

If she's very thin she could have had a very poor diet before you got her and now she's back on a "normal" diet it's probably taking some adjusting to.

I'd suggest plain boiled rice and steamed fish or chicken finely chopped into it until you can get her to the vet on Monday. Poor puss - and poor you too having to contend with this. It's smelly enough when they have normal stools, but diarrhoea is awful!

[jec248]

Thanks for your replies.

Pam, We choose Jess because the lady at the RSPCA said that everyone wanted kittens and she didn't expect to rehome this one, and the poor little thing looked so sad!

Sue, I will give her some boiled rice tomorrow. When she first arrived she begged for food at our meal times and I fed her a little of whatever we were having plus her own cat food. She will eat everything and anything. I suppose, looking back, I should have returned her to the vets before now. She was wormed on her last visit to the vets.

If we don't get the problem sorted I can see me getting divorced!!! The smell IS AWFUL.

[mickey]

Most small animal vets operate a normal service on a sat am- maybe worth giving them a ring in the morning even just for some advice. Personally Id give small bland meals often rather than 1 large, make sure there is plenty of clean water available and that littertrays etc are disinfected reguarly so if it is an infection based diarrhoea she doesnt keep getting reinfected. Also Id avoid giving milk- we've a cat who cant tolerate it. Keep an eye she doesnt get dehydrated too. Poor thing- sounds like she's found someone who cares though

[Debbie]

Good on you for adopting her! I'm sure its just a tum upset by all the sudden changes in her home and diet. I'm sure she'll settle down soon...at least keep telling your hubby that

The older an animal, the more time I give it to adjust to a diet change. Sometimes they take it all in stride, but if its tidbits of this and that atop a new base diet, I could easily see her little tum going wonky.

Does she seem fairly happy in your home other than having the upset tummy?

[PonyGirl]

Maybe she just needs time to settle in. To get used to her new posh lifestyle.

[leannwithconnie]

Bless her...Please take back to the vets as it may not be a diet problem after all. Given her age it could be many things and needs checking out. [blood test etc]

Rice fish and chicken are great ..no milk only water as has already been suggested. I really hope you can get her sorted out...I'm surprised [well actually I am not] that the RSPCA have let you take a cat with chronic diarrhoea or has it come on since you first got her?
Good luck and bless you for giving her a chance.

[greydales]

Eeek, poor you and poor puss - I know too well from experience what cat diarrhoea is like!! My two rescue cats when they got older did suffer quite a bit from this - despite having litter trays they used to go anywhere else but! I think their digestive systems can struggle a bit.

Can't really offer any more advice and hope the vet sorts her out for you (quickly!).

[jec248]

This morning I have boiled some rice and steamed some chicken breasts, mixed it all together and put it in a Tupperware dish. I have fed some to the cat and she seems to like the chicken which she's picked out and left the rice!!!!! She does seem to be quite happy.

After reading a book called 'Give a dog a bone' written by a vet, my friend now feeds her four dogs a natural diet of raw chicken wings(the bones are only harmful when the have dried out through cooking) and veg. They all have glossy coats, bright eyes and their breath doesn't smell. She suggests I feed the cat this diet, but I think this cat is too old to change.

[Debbie]

Trust a kitty to pick out the 'good stuff'. I don't think its out of the realm for her to change her diet to a more natural, homecooked one, even at an advanced age. However, you really need to get a handle on what's going on with her before switching her to a homecooked diet. You'll also want to pick up the kitty version of a homecooked diet to make sure she's meeting her dietary needs.

Fingers crossed she's feeling better and her tum's less offending today

[AliandDolly]

aww no poor kitty i hope something is easily sorted

alixx

[zeldalithgow]

Tufty always had a tendency to being loose when fed on tinned cat food but was much better on Iams, it didn't cure it but it was only once in a while she wiped her posterior on the floor/had to have a shower(she was long haired :

[SuzieP]

Gulp Zelda!! Long hair and loose stools in a cat are NOT a good mix....I take my hat off to you!

LOL at the cat picking out the chicken! But glad she seems happy....

[bevbob]

Hope shes ok soon, my Mum has that book and it reversed a tooth problem her cat had by feeding raw meaty bones, (lol- that makes me laugh every time!)