Cat's digestive issues - what to do?

I posted a thread last month after adopting an adult cat from a shelter. Thanks to all the good people on this site who own cats and gave me great advice, my once very scared little cat is making progress.

She is a 12-year old domestic short hair tuxedo I named "Daisy". She hid for the first two weeks I had her, but then began exploring the house and continues making progress and even seeks me out for chin rubs. She purrs all the time. I noticed when I reach out my hand, she walks up and rubs her body against it and makes a "trill" sound along with her purr. I think it is one of the cutest sounds I've ever heard. I cannot approach her with stretched-out arms to pet her because she backs away (usually accompanied by a little "grunt"), but that is OK - she seems more comfortable calling the shots on how she wants to be petted. She has many vocalizations that I think are adorable, and I'm learning to interpret what each one means.

Anyway, I've noticed digestive issues with her that I'm not sure what I can do to resolve or if it is part of a cat's overall delicate system. First, she has a loose bowel movement outside her litter box once each week. I've noticed it in the morning next to the white rug she sleeps on. The same day she has also made a normal "deposit" in the litter box too. Second, she threw up a few days ago. That was the first time in the month I've had her. Last, since the first day I brought her home, I notice she passes gas ... a lot. (Insert joke here.) It seems to happen 2-3 times a day but I assume it's more when I'm not around.

I took her to a vet for a check-up last week and brought a stool sample and explained these concerns. They thought intestinal parasites might be causing the issues, but I got the results back and they said it was negative - no parasites.

Does anyone do anything to address similar issues with your cat? Do you think this is normal? If not, could it be food related? I give her Purina, which I thought was good and she only drinks fresh water each day - no people food or treats (yet).

Thanks so much for your insight.

Fiber! Most cat food lacks a lot of it.

Our cat used to always go outside the litter and have looser stools, our vet recommended mixing in Metamucil to wet food daily and honestly it fixed everything!

We mix in about a quarter of a teaspoon. Both our cats can't tell and they like it.

Purina also isn't the greatest food...but there's soo many opinions on cat food out there. Ours loved natural balance, but are now both on a vet prescribed food. Lots of options!

Purina is not good quality cat food, you need to look for wet or dry food that is grain-free, without meat by-products or corn meal, artificial colors and some potentially carcinogenic preservatives (Ethoxyquin).

Try visiting some pet food stores, and also vets have a quite extensive assortment of good quality food. It is more expensive, but in the long run it's cheaper than taking a sick pet to the vet.

With this said, the stray who adopted me is throwing up almost daily, right after eating. He's been to the vet and gotten tests and Xrays taken, and there doesn't seem to be a problem, they say it's just because he eats too fast. All cats will have loose stools at times, it's only a problem if they keep staying loose or are mixed with blood. I think a better quality food will solve your cat's issues though, they sound food related.

Hair balls? Most cats are lactose intolerant after weaning.

Dietary issues are the first concern. Try something more "natural." I feed my kitties Blue Wilderness brand catfood. Yes, it's more expensive, but my observation is they seem to eat less of it and I don't end up taking my kitties to the vet as often. I'd start there. Also ask your vet if they keep samples of some of the kinder foods to a kitty's system. If she'll eat only wet food that is better for her, but I have two cats who refuse so I use Wilderness Blue dry for them and canned for everyone else.

Also keep kitty grass for her. That helps them. And regulating her eating will help as well. Again, I have a couple of cats who will graze to the point of overeating, at which time they yurp it up or have "accidents." The rescues I take in can be very bad about this, because too many times they've been starved and they are frantic about food to start with. Grass helps with kitty digestion and you can get those for the cat at pet stores. A wee bit of fish oil on a spoon or in their food (if they'll take it) also helps keep their digestive tract in good order, gives them shiny pretty coats too.

BTW glad to hear she's coming out of her shell. I love talky talky kitties. That she talks to you is huge, as is the bumping up against you.

You're doing everything right. So glad to hear this is going well, try to tweak the diet and see if that helps. Patience again is key. My recommendation would be small amounts at first to see what she likes then see if it handles the issue. Some brands now even make formulas based around age of a cat, types of issues they might be having etc.

Big pro tip though - never buy a huge quantity of cat food, no matter how good it is or how much someone else's cat loves it. I once purchased a very expensive brand of catfood in a large quantity and my cats hated it. So much so one of them actually walked over and tried to "bury" her food bowl while looking at me disdainfully. Pretty sure she was telling for the group, "Human slave, this one is sh**, please get us something else capice?"

Cats are obligate carnivores. There are two constants about the average house cat -they get inadequate meat and moisture. Obviously, grains are no part of a carnivore's diet, but grain-free foods can be misleading. Most of them (even many expensive brands) simply replace corn and wheat for potatoes, tapioca or other cheap filler starches. Fiber is also nearly nonexistent in a cat's natural diet:

There are many frozen raw meat diets out there, but they are neither cheap nor convenient to feed. The highest meat content dry food I have found (I own a pet shop) is Orijen. Their cat formulas are 90% meat. It is expensive, but shouldn't cost more than .25 cents a day or so to feed a large cat. A cheaper alternative made by the same company is Acana. They start out at around 70% meat, and are also free of grain, potato, and tapioca. There are 12 oz trial bags of each for around 5 bucks, if the cat is picky. Give them a week on a meat diet, and see if these issues don't resolve.

Ran across this link too late to edit:

Make sure the litter box is clean. They won't go in a dirty one, some cats are especially picky about this. You also may want to get a second box. You're actually supposed to have one more than the number of cats.

Is she declawed? If so try getting a very soft litter. Declawed cats have very sensitive paws and hard pellet litter can hurt them causing them to associate the litter box with pain. My roommates declawed cat kept pooping on our beds and getting soft litter totally solved the problem.

As for the puking. It might be hair balls. Mixing olive oil into their wet food helps to prevent this. Just a little bit though.

And like others said cats are carnivores. They need lots of meat and protein. Do not exclusively feed dry food. Look for grain free foods. Wet food also helps them get more moisture.

One of my cats has food allergies. She's a long hair and a puker. That combined with hairballs and ear infections. No fun.

I have tried many different dry foods over the years. The vet prescribed, my cats hated so much they lost alot of weight.

I have luck with the grain free varieties that you can now find in the super market. That mixed with some wet canned food in the morning and they seem to be doing ok. It took of few years of hit & miss though.

Seeing you just got her parasites are highly likely though.

Dunno whether you get this in the US but Hill's Science Diet is probably the best food for cats. As said above, Purina is no good really. Hills will do a really good option for older cats with slightly delicate digestive systems. Both the biscuit and the soft food is excellent.

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Have a look through some of the other ones as well.

It may seem expensive, but actually it's very economical as you don't need much. I actually did the maths (or as you Americans say "The Math") and it works out cheaper than Purina. I can show you my work if you like. The cheaper cat food are a rip off IMHO, a false economy.

Also, regular brushing to avoid furballs.

Good luck!

I reach out my hand, she walks up and rubs her body against it and makes a "trill" sound along with her purr.

Yeah I know that sound. It's like they're doing an impression of a bird of some kind. Very amusing.

One other point, is try to keep the litter as natural as possible. My mother's cat is horribly allergic to scented cat litters that "clump."

Yeah I know that sound. It's like they're doing an impression of a bird of some kind. Very amusing.

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Dunno whether you get this in the US but Hill's Science Diet is probably the best food for cats. As said above, Purina is no good really. Hills will do a really good option for older cats with slightly delicate digestive systems. Both the biscuit and the soft food is excellent.

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to disagree, but pet food is my livelihood. I would call Hills one of the most overpriced, low quality foods on the market. It is one of the few brands I refuse to stock on my shelves. I am unaware of a single formula that has adequate meat content for cats. Look at the ingredient panel and count how many things you are feeding to an obligate carnivore that aren't made of meat.

Here is a look at Hill's Science Diet cat food with Orijen's to compare with (these should blow up to legible size after clicking):

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Just checked and the Orijen panel was shrunk. Here is the old list, when it was 80% meat. It is 90% meat now: INGREDIENTS

Boneless chicken,* chicken meal, chicken liver,* whole herring,* boneless turkey,* turkey meal, turkey liver,* whole eggs,* boneless walleye,* whole salmon,* chicken heart,* chicken cartilage,* herring meal, salmon meal, chicken liver oil, chicken fat, red lentils, green peas, green lentils, sun-cured alfalfa, kelp, pumpkin,* butternut squash,* spinach greens,* carrots,* apples,* pears,* cranberries,* mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, dandelion root, chamomile, peppermint leaf, ginger root, caraway seeds, turmeric, rose hips, freeze-dried chicken liver, freeze-dried turkey liver, freeze-dried chicken, freeze-dried turkey, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product + vitamins and minerals

*delivered fresh and preservative-free

I have two cats and one has peeing and pooping issues. He'd get terribly backed up and couldn't "go" either way. The vet put him on special food to eliminate the crystals in his pee that kept blocking him up and that did solve the problem. He has high fibre canned food for the pooping problem, and has been fine now for several years with this combo. These foods can't be bought in the pet food store or grocery store, they are vet products. So please take kitty to the vet and get her checked out.

Sorry to disagree, but pet food is my livelihood. I would call Hills one of the most overpriced, low quality foods on the market. It is one of the few brands I refuse to stock on my shelves. I am unaware of a single formula that has adequate meat content for cats. Look at the ingredient panel and count how many things you are feeding to an obligate carnivore that aren't made of meat.

I can't argue with that as I do not work with pet food for my livelihood. My cats have always loved it, and seemed really healthy on it, they get the soft food and the dry food. However, a quick Google does reveal some results which would corroborate what you've said. The vets kickbacks bit is interesting.

So you're recommending Orijens are you? If you changed to it, would it have to be gradually introduced?

Does what you say apply to the science diet wet food as well? That has always seemed great quality to me, the cats go wild for it, almost aggressive.

I understand what you're saying. I think if you actually work with this stuff, the OP ought to disregard all of our answers except yours tbh.

I posted a thread last month after adopting an adult cat from a shelter. Thanks to all the good people on this site who own cats and gave me great advice, my once very scared little cat is making progress.

 

She is a 12-year old domestic short hair tuxedo I named "Daisy". She hid for the first two weeks I had her, but then began exploring the house and continues making progress and even seeks me out for chin rubs. She purrs all the time. I noticed when I reach out my hand, she walks up and rubs her body against it and makes a "trill" sound along with her purr. I think it is one of the cutest sounds I've ever heard. I cannot approach her with stretched-out arms to pet her because she backs away (usually accompanied by a little "grunt"), but that is OK - she seems more comfortable calling the shots on how she wants to be petted. She has many vocalizations that I think are adorable, and I'm learning to interpret what each one means.

 

Anyway, I've noticed digestive issues with her that I'm not sure what I can do to resolve or if it is part of a cat's overall delicate system. First, she has a loose bowel movement outside her litter box once each week. I've noticed it in the morning next to the white rug she sleeps on. The same day she has also made a normal "deposit" in the litter box too. Second, she threw up a few days ago. That was the first time in the month I've had her. Last, since the first day I brought her home, I notice she passes gas ... a lot. (Insert joke here.) It seems to happen 2-3 times a day but I assume it's more when I'm not around.

 

I took her to a vet for a check-up last week and brought a stool sample and explained these concerns. They thought intestinal parasites might be causing the issues, but I got the results back and they said it was negative - no parasites.

 

Does anyone do anything to address similar issues with your cat? Do you think this is normal? If not, could it be food related? I give her Purina, which I thought was good and she only drinks fresh water each day - no people food or treats (yet).

 

Thanks so much for your insight.

Check with your vet to see if there are any probiotic that are safe for cats to have.

I can't argue with that as I do not work with pet food for my livelihood. My cats have always loved it, and seemed really healthy on it, they get the soft food and the dry food. However, a quick Google does reveal some results which would corroborate what you've said. The vets kickbacks bit is interesting.

 

So you're recommending Orijens are you? If you changed to it, would it have to be gradually introduced?

 

Does what you say apply to the science diet wet food as well? That has always seemed great quality to me, the cats go wild for it, almost aggressive.

 

I understand what you're saying. I think if you actually work with this stuff, the OP ought to disregard all of our answers except yours tbh.

If your cats are healthy and happy on the food, then leave them be.

If you choose to introduce new food, wet or dry, you should always do it gradually, especially when there is such a large change in ingredient content and protein percentage. Doing it abruptly can actually cause more damage than good, as in give your pets an upset stomach and make them very sick.

The debates over what's the best brand aside, keep in mind that your animals are actually individuals. So what's great for one, may be not so good for another. Tolerance/adaptability to food will vary from pet to pet. General rule of thumb is if your critter is doing well on a particular diet, leave well enough alone and especially so if they are old.

Purina is not good quality cat food, you need to look for wet or dry food that is grain-free, without meat by-products or corn meal, artificial colors and some potentially carcinogenic preservatives (Ethoxyquin).

Try visiting some pet food stores, and also vets have a quite extensive assortment of good quality food. It is more expensive, but in the long run it's cheaper than taking a sick pet to the vet.

 

With this said, the stray who adopted me is throwing up almost daily, right after eating. He's been to the vet and gotten tests and Xrays taken, and there doesn't seem to be a problem, they say it's just because he eats too fast. All cats will have loose stools at times, it's only a problem if they keep staying loose or are mixed with blood. I think a better quality food will solve your cat's issues though, they sound food related.

For GRETA:

My friend's cat also has this problem. She has tried many things but in the end, here is what she has developed with her vet:

Feeds on a schedule

Before feeding, she squirts some water into her cat's mouth to get him to drink a bit. The reason she starts with water is because it goes down to his stomach and if it triggers him to throw up then he only throws up water.

She waits 15 minutes, and if he keeps that down, then she will give him a small portion of food - his first serving. If that stays down for 20 minutes then she will give him his second serving. A very complicated schedule that takes an hour, but that is the only way he can keep food down.

She also gives him an anti nausea medicine a few days per week.

She is now trying accupuncture, only because a friend is needed to practice for vet certification.

If your cats are healthy and happy on the food, then leave them be.

 

 

The debates over what's the best brand aside, keep in mind that your animals are actually individuals. So what's great for one, may be not so good for another. Tolerance/adaptability to food will vary from pet to pet. General rule of thumb is if your critter is doing well on a particular diet, leave well enough alone and especially so if they are old.

Really could not disagree more. "Doing well," is subjective, and young animals with good genetics can appear quite healthy with all sorts of nutrient deficiencies. Look at it this way -I've known young men and women with great physiques who eat McDonald's regularly and are alcoholics. You wouldn't say "You look great, so carry on with whatever you are doing," would you? And while all cats are individuals, NONE of them are animals who need added vegetation to their diet. They are obligate carnivores. They have no enzymes to break down cellulose and plant proteins. The closer you can get to a meat based diet, the better.

I can't argue with that as I do not work with pet food for my livelihood. My cats have always loved it, and seemed really healthy on it, they get the soft food and the dry food. However, a quick Google does reveal some results which would corroborate what you've said. The vets kickbacks bit is interesting.

Yep, and a racket!

So you're recommending Orijens are you? If you changed to it, would it have to be gradually introduced?

 

Does what you say apply to the science diet wet food as well? That has always seemed great quality to me, the cats go wild for it, almost aggressive.

 

Orijen contains more meat than any kibble I have found. I don't own a cat, but if I did that's what I would feed it (and what I feed my dogs). Science Diets canned foods vary a ton. The ingredient list will tell you what you need to know, though. Look for named meats, just like in dry food. Most wet foods are 80% water and seem to taste much better. As for switching from a cereal food to a meat based food, yes, you'll probably want to do that gradually. Shouldn't take long for the flora in their guts to get used to it. You might notice a difference in musculature, decrease in eye goop, better breath, and how soft their coats get within a few weeks of feeding. Most people don't bring their cats into my store, but I've seen a lot of dogs look like new animals after a month on a better diet. And what you pay more in food, you'll probably save in vet bills down the road. I can't stress enough how important it is to feed animals what they are meant to eat. It's the biggest factor of health that is under your control. The biggest (just like in humans) is genetics, of course. Some people can smoke, drink, eat ham and live to 100, much like some cats and dogs can go to nearly 20 on crappy food.

What I do is I give them half a pouch each of this twice a day (so they each get a full pouch) :

This is their main kind of meal. Then I just throw down the biscuit (kibble?) in a bowl which is kind of there for them to nibble at as they see fit. The biscuit they are kind of neutral about, it's the pouches gravy stuff that they go wild for. So perhaps I've been unclear about the fact that when I suggested science diet, I was mainly talking about the meat in gravy, although the links I originally put up were for the kibble (I gots teh lingo) . My mistake.

Any comments on that routine?

Nibble teh Kibble

Any comments on that routine?

Can't find an ingredient profile for that specific food, but most canned foods are meat based. Plus, the 80% moisture is helpful for cats who don't drink enough water (many don't). The biggest downside for canned food is the cost. There are some dehydrated foods you can add water to that are more cost efficient, but not all cats like them. You store should have a free sample you can try. Sojos and Honest Kitchen are the two big ones here in the states.

Can't find an ingredient profile for that specific food, but most canned foods are meat based. Plus, the 80% moisture is helpful for cats who don't drink enough water (many don't). The biggest downside for canned food is the cost. There are some dehydrated foods you can add water to that are more cost efficient, but not all cats like them. You store should have a free sample you can try. Sojos and Honest Kitchen are the two big ones here in the states.

I'm in the UK as it goes. However, giving them half a pouch each of this food, as it's really dense, and that seems more than enough for them, as opposed to giving them a whole pouch of one of the supermarket brands or commercial brands actually works out cheaper.

I reckon that with Science Diet the main complaint seems to be the biscuit (kibble) - the wet food is an entirely different matter.

Do you think it's possible that Hills make the biscuit without that much meat content under the assumption that the wet food will be also used in conjunction with it? Could be that, I guess. That's the combination mine are currently getting. Anyhow - sounds like the wet food is definitely ok.