My cat keeps getting diahhrea and I don't know what's causing it!

[tashbox87]

Hi, My cat is one years old, and is more of a house cat than an outdoor cat. He spends about 80% of his time inside. He keeps getting diarrhea every now and again and I don't know what it is. He doesn't behave ill, in fact he's his normal self. It's just he keeps having loose stools. His diet is dry only, I used to feed him wet but found if he had too much his stools were loose again. He is on whiska's dry at the moment, and has had diarrhea so I have bought some pets at home food to try. I'm not sure if maybe he has a sensitive stomach - maybe I should try food for sensitive stomachs? He is wormed up to date. If anybody can suggest anythin, thanks!

[woozer]

Hi Tash - used to have the same problem myself - i put him onto purina or science plan for sensitive tums and he is fine now - except when he nicks the dogs food of course - that can get a bit messy :-)

[madmaggot]

Tash, you don't say if he spends the night outdoors although it sounds as if he doesn't? I believe that cats should be brought indoors at night to keep them safe and protect wild prey.
It may be that he is catching something and eating it and it is this that is causing the stomach upsets.
Has he been neutered?
If not he will be pre-disposed to roam, if he has been, he will be more inclined to laze around the house.
Cats stools are naturally looser than a dog's.

[LottieAnne]

It certainly sounds like a food related problem. Have you visited your vet for advice and to eliminate any serious stomach problems? Why not try him on some fish or chicken for a few days? Fish is very easy to prepare. Just put it in a sauce pan and cover well with BOILING water then cover with a tight fitting lid and leave to stand until quite cold. This way it will not make the house smell. Break it up by hand and make sure there are no bones.

[tashbox87]

The only time he goes out is for an hour or too once I have got up. He never goes out at night, and truth be told he's a big baby, he doesn't like being outside for long. He was neutered at 6 months, and really doesn't go far. He just goes in and out of my neighbors gardens. I don't think he is catching anything, I haven't seen any actual evidence that he has caught anything, he's just a big baby. Next door has a rabbit that is left loose in the garden all the time, and even though he can see it, he just isn't bothered about catching it!

I haven't take him to the vet, because it never seems to be that bad. He is never off colour, and is always his usual self. It's not all the time, it's just every few weeks he will have it for a day or too. I have another cat and a kitten, and they are fine, they never have get diarrhea!

I would prepare him some fish, but last time I prepared him some tuna he went to the toilet about 5mins later and it wasn't nice!

Thanks fro the advice re foods, I have bought some pets at home food after talking to somebody there about nutrition. I'm going to try that and a few other foods and see what happens. If it gets any worse I will take him the vet, I more inclined to think it is something to do with food as my other cats never get it, I just wanted to see if it is his food I can resolve it myself! thanks for the advice

[madmaggot]

Could it be that a neighbour decides to feed him a 'treat' every so often? Such as tinned fish liquor?

[blackcat77]

Do you ever give him milk? that can upset some cats' stomachs.

[tashbox87]

I know my next door neighbor and she doesn't feed him, she know's what he's like! And I never let him have milk, I dread to think what his poo would be like if I gave him that!

[tashbox87]

Ok, Here's an update on the cat situation. Despite changing his food, the diahhrea continued, so at my wit's end I took him to the vets. The vet said that he possibly had a low grade stomach bug (he mentioned gastroenteritis) and gave him some antibiotic treatment. Each injection was a minimum of £30, and he gave him tablets too. I probably spent close to the £200 mark. And now, one week after the treatment ceased, he has started again! Whilst on the treatment, the vet said to feed him only plain cooked chicken, which I did, and during the treatment my cat didn't poo once! I am now starting to wonder if it was the drugs or the chicken that sorted out the problem, as the diahhrea has only started gradually once the dry food has been introduced.

I am a bit doubtful about the vet saying it could be a low grade gastroenteritis as I have two other cats. One is one years old and the other is a kitten of about 17 weeks, and they all share the same litter tray so surely the other two might have caught it? I really don't know what to do, this cat hasn't been outside the house since before my first post, and I haven't let him eat other than what the vet has said. The vet wants me to bring him back , but I don't I have any money until next week, and I am not really sure I want too. I spent a lot of money last time, and I feel a bit had to be honest. I don't know if I can afford to take him back to the vets and spend more money on something that isn't going to work. I am going to keep him on just chicken until next week and see if that calms him down. Does anybody have any suggestions? And do you think the vet had me over? Thanks!