Diarrhea in cats

We told you recently everything about diarrhea in dogs.

Today, we are about to tell you more about diarrhea in cats.

As with dogs, diarrhea in cats has several causes. Some of them are benign, but others can be very serious.

1. Diarrhea caused by food

Diarrhea caused by food is the most common, your cat's body is fighting to eliminate something it cannot digest. This kind of diarrhea may appear after an abundant meal, if your cat ate something they're not used to or something that is not good for them. Adult cats cannot digest milk, and might have diarrhea if they drink any.

A diarrhea caused by food is benign: your pet won't have other troubles. To help them, have them fast for a day and make sure that they drink a lot. The next day, give them their usual food but in smaller quantity.

Kittens have a very sensitive gut flora. When you change their diet (from kitten kibbles to adult cat kibbles for example), they might have diarrhea. The best way to change a kitten's diet is to add a new aliment gradually, by mixing it with what they usually eat. When cats get older, they also become more sensitive. At some point, they might not be able to digest the kibbles they usually eat. Then, aging cat kibbles will be more adapted to their needs.

2. Worms

Worms can cause diarrhea to your cat if they're not dewormed. You must deworm your cat on a regular basis to avoid this annoyance. If your cat suffers of this kind of diarrhea, deworm them and offer him the diet previously explained. They will recover quickly.

Did you know that new born kittens can have worms? Their mother cat transmits the worms during gestation and lactation. These gastrointestinal worms cause diarrhea and vomiting. You must deworm a baby cat every month within their first sixth months with an adapted treatment.

3. Stomach virus 

Gastroenteritis, or "stomach virus" are mostly caused by a virus, but sometimes they are caused by a bacteria. If you notice that your cat's behaviour is unusual (for example a kitten that doesn't want to play), you must take them to the veterinarian. You need to cure gastroenteritis with an adapted treatment, involving antibiotics if it's caused by a bacteria.

4. Antibiotics 

Even if antibiotics are very effective to cure our pets, they can also weaken their gut flora. If your cat has diarrhea after they had an antibiotics treatment, it's probably related. Offer your cat the diet previously explained and they will recover soon.

Our advice:

• Like dogs, cats are very emotional. They can have diarrhea after an emotional event such as a moving, the addition of a new family member...
• If you notice blood in your animal stool, immediately take them to the vet.
• If your cat looks weak, tired and doesn't drink, take them to the vet as soon as possible. They probably have a stomach virus, but they might also have cat typhus which is rare but very serious.