Cat Health: Feline Diarrhea

Cat Health: Diarrhea

Okay, I know, diarrhea is not a subject we want to talk or think about, but when your cat gets diarrhea, like mine has, it can become a problem, maybe a very bad problem, within a few days, so it is something we cat owners need to pay attention to.
Early last year, my cat got very, very sick. Mostly, she was throwing up, and I took her to the vet. She ended up having to go to a specialist vet, who thought it might be pancreatitis, even maybe cancer. It turned out she had developed a sensitivity to her food (she had been eating a name-brand chicken-flavored food all of her life). The doctor had me switch her to a limited ingredient food that was NOT chicken, and she got all better quite quickly.

Now, we have moved to the Southwest, and she no longer has the green grass around her to chew on. Plus, the move was very stressful. So, now, she has developed loose stools. Is it something that I should take her to the vet for (with the cost involved) or just watch. I checked with Yahoo Answers about this, and here was the best chosen answer:

Question: It seems that our cat has diarrhea. Should I take it to the vet?

Answer: Diarrhea in cats can cause severe dehydration if it goes on more than a couple days. It be caused by multiple things:

Diary products: cats do not have the proper enzymes to properly break down the sugar in milk which is called ‘lactose.’ You may have heard of people who are lactose-intolerant (I am — I am so glad they invented LactAid, so that I can have cafe mocha in the morning). They are also missing these digestive enzymes. If the proper enzymes are not present, the lactose remains undigested and tends to ferment in the intestine and cause diarrhea.
For More on Milk and cats: http://www.cat-world.com.au/can-cats-drink-milk

The other culprit that could contribute to the diarrhoea may be various parasites/worms (coccidia, giardia, roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, etc). There are different types of dewormers for each of the types of parasites. Therefore consider a vet visit to have her dewormed since some of the over the counter treatments do not eliminate all the types of parasites. For more on feline parasites.

For more on causes of Feline Diarrhea

Contrary to what people believe canned food is helpful for cats with diarrhea as this is a symptomatic of dehydration. Canned diets can supplement the intake of moisture so having both dry and canned are helpful. Any vet can confirm this fact.

Canned pumpkin (without spices) will also help firm up the loose stool symptoms.

Please keep in mind that also sudden changes in food brands, types will also contribute to diarrhea symptoms as well. So as soon as your new kitty starts on the cat food she may have lingering symptoms. Again any vet can confirm this fact. Switching foods should be done gradually over a course of several weeks. For example the first week would consist of 3/4 of old food mixed to 1/4 of new food then the next week 1/2 to 1/2 then the following week at 1/4 old to 3/4 new before completing the switch.

The above are just only a few causes as there are many more that can also cause diarrhea such as diseases, illnesses, etc. Therefore, it is always recommended to consider contacting a vet and discussing if a visit is necessary for treatment.

Source(s):

Animal Trainer to domestic and exotic cats
27 year friendship with a veterinarian

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Cat Product Reviews: Litter Box Furniture

Litter Box Furniture

If, like me, you wonder where is the best place to put the litter box, there is a solution — you can put the litter box anywhere in your house, even your bedroom or living room — if you have the right furniture.

There is a whole line of litter box furniture especially designed for hiding the litter box. You can start with a 26″ high cabinet and move on up to a two-section cabinet with stained glass doors, if you want to.

These litter box cabinets are specially designed not only to look GORGEOUS, but are also designed to be the best litter box “hiders” around. Inside, where you hide the litter box, they have 2 cat flap openings on each side. That way, your cat will be glad to jump in and out and not feel trapped like litter boxes covers that only have one opening.

Also, on the inside of the door you can hang special ZEOLITE bags which will suck up all odor and dampness so that there is no “cat box smell.” This bag of ZEOLITE contains a volcanic mineral which absorbs smells and dampness. Then, after 8 months, you just wash it down with cold water, let it dry in the sun, and hang it back up. Once you have bought it, it is yours for life!

With the litter box hidden and no “cat box odor”, these beautiful cabinets can go anywhere in your house. Check them out in the video below and find just what you need. No more having to step over the litter box or get kitty litter on your bare feet in the bathroom. Now, your home can look like it is full of designer furniture and no one will know where the cat box went!