Worried about cats toilet habits

[Rosella moggy]

A neighbour of my brother has just forked out £350 on vets fees as her cat was suffering badly from diarrhea.  After a few nights at the vets he returned home and poo was normal for a day then became runny again so she is going to ask vet what they fed him. 

Whilst speaking to her she mentioned that he gets milk each evening as a treat esp if poorly.  I said not a good idea esp for a cat with runny poo.  She said not to worry as she doesn't give him much.  Even a little not good said I but she said no, she really doesn't give him much so must be something else.  She is very "knowledgeable" about cats you see as she has had them all her life.  Sadly some people won't listen 

You can get dry food with higher amounts of meat/fish in it SB but I tend to use a mix of wet and dry with ours.  In fact, I feed same as Hollycat. Milk is verboten 

Very much hope the lovely Millie's tum settles soon and the pongy poos get less pongy.  Our Dingle who passed away in 1997 used to have very smelly poo but I didn't have a clue about cat food back then and she loved her milk 

[Tan]

There is so much bad stuff in most commercial pet food which is a million dollar business out the crap not fit for humans.
Skimmed milk is actually used by farmers to fatten pigs as a cows waste product -slap a fat free label in and add a white colorant and vola you have another Million dollar waste product!

Cats are so difficult and fussy eaters , once they get used /addicted to the crap commercial food , cause they spray it all with meat derivatives that cats love the smell of, it's hard to get them off to good meat products they are meant to have.

[emmmy_lou]

Glad things are better. just try slowly reducing the chicken and introducing whatever food you intend to keep her on.

I wonder what you would have found in a can of 1960's Arthur cat food, compared top a pouch of Whiskas or whatever today?  I suspect the old tin would have been largely offal and a small amount of "filler" and not much else.

I know, I have thought about that too! My dad didn't believe me when I said milk was bad for cats as they are lactose intolerant - when he was a kid they gave thier cat milk regularly! 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Very pleased to hear Millie is feeling better    and showing signs of improvement.

Pet nutrition is a fascinating subject.  The more I read and hear about it, the more suspect a lot of  our commercial proprietory brands appear to be.  They stuff the food full of grains and cheap carbs which seem wholly incompatible with the way our dogs and cats are built to process foods.

I wonder what you would have found in a can of 1960's Arthur cat food, compared top a pouch of Whiskas or whatever today?  I suspect the old tin would have been largely offal and a small amount of "filler" and not much else.

[bickhamwitch]

If she's had diarrhoea it would probably make her dehydrated and drink more. Which will make more urine. Diarrhoea means food is not being digested and rushing through the bowel making it sore and causing bleeding, which shows up as fresh blood in the stools. If her tummy is already settling after being on chicken it doesn't sound serious. Just like you say, probably over feeding her. Carbs and veg, cats can't digest. So it makes their stools smelly. I feed raw, but the only commercial food I have found that doesn't contain carbs and veg and is chemical free is Butcher's for cats. Also some of the Sheba ones in jelly, not the gravy ones.
Julie.

[Stars_bright]

I was all set to take Millie to the vet today but after feeding just chicken yesterday she's been so much better today. I am thinking that maybe I was being too kind to her, thinking because she was so thin she needed lots of food, but maybe she was stuffing too much too soon? I will continue with the chicken onky tomorrow and see how it goes.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Definately should seee a vet.

Luoin came to me at 10 months unneutered and that was immediate trip to vet but his stomach was so upset and always hungry. It took some months to get him settled special diet, probiotic tabs from vet but he is now fine and eats whatever he likes.

[hollycat]

I took my two to the vet when they had runny bums. A couple of injections and a few pills did the trick.

Food wise I don't feed mine whisk as. Awful stuff. They get James Wellbeloved dry food and Felix .

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

I would definitely go back to the vet.  Blood in stools is not "normal" and as there could be a number of causes, not least of which is diet, it's worth having investigated further.  I would pester the hell out of a vet rather than miss something you're worrying about     particularly when you've only recently taken Millie and Comet on.

[Liz]

If its unpleasant and runny then getting a test for TF can be the way forward a round of tablets usually does the trick, my foster Bengal Mum had it last year and also gave me 2 kittens whilst on the drugs and all are now very well and bounding around as only Bengals can!!!

I would also suggest another litter tray as you have Mum and kitten as sometimes Mums like their own tray so to speak

[emmmy_lou]

Although the smell isnt pleasant, cat poo can be VERY stinky!  I would be concerned if the diaorria diahorrea runs persist, but it may take a while for her to get used to this new food.

Also her being new to you may have caused her upset (no offence to you of course!)

Ring the vets tho if you need reassurance 

[Dawn F]

my bengal had a terrible stomach when she came to me, we used royal canin sensitive for a few months and that settled her down, she did see a vet though to have bests for various nasties which might be worth doing

[Jiji]

One of my boys has a sensitive tum and can get some red blood in his   stools if he eats something that doesn't suit it, including treats, so   neither of mine get treats anymore. Diet can also produce smelly poo, I   know if my other boy has Whiskers the smell is awful. Hopefully Millie's   tum will settle down soon, but please phone your vet if you are still   concerned 

[R and R]

I would be back in contact with the vet if she were mine... diarrhea that last more than a couple of days is a concern, even though sudden changes in food can upset stomachs and bright red blood (I have been told by a vet recently in regards to one of mine cats) is less of a concern than dark blood but I would still be making a phone call and having a conversation with the vet. The other problem you have is she is new to you so you can't say if she is behaving as her normal self (playing, eating, energy level ect)

[Stars_bright]

We adopted 11 month old Millie and her son 11 week old Comet 10 days ago. Ever since they arrived we noticed that Millie was using the litter tray a lot ( 3 or 4 times a day) and each time she used it, it stank so much we had to clean it immediately. We read using The World Best Cat litter and a covered tray with a filter butvthis doesn't seem to help. In a morning the smell is overpowering and the litter tray is really full. Also Millie is eating and drinking a lot (the water bowl is filled at night and empty in the morning). We mentioned all this to the vet a few days ago and he suggested a different food, but the new food hasn't made any difference. The previous food was what they had been fed before coming to us and we have contacted 2 of the previous foster carers and they had not noticed a problem with diahorrea although Millia has always been very thin.
Anyway, tonight Millie didn't use the litter tray and her diaorrea was streaked with very red blood. We are quite concerned but after the vet wasn't really bothered lastvtime we don't know whether we are worrying too much?