Why is my cat having loose diarrhea on my bed? Could it be her food?

Your cat's diarrhea could be caused by several things. The most common things that cause diarrhea in a cat are intestinal parasites, irritable bowel disease, or colitis (and inflammation of the colon). I would recommend taking your cat back to the vet again this summer. She may need a dewormer, or antibiotics to help clear up the diarrhea. She may also need to stay on a special diet for the rest of her life to prevent the issue from coming back.

It sounds like your cat has a severe case of colitis, or an inflammation of the colon. This condition causes diarrhea. Colitis can be caused by many different things. Some of the more common causes include intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, irritable bowel disease, pancreatitis, a foreign body/blockage and viruses. Food intolerances/allergies can start at any age. This is why it may only now be affecting Ella when she has been eating the same food for a long time. If the diarrhea is server you may want to consider taking Ella to the vet. She may need fluids to correct any dehydration, a fecal examination performed and antibiotics and/or probiotics to help the diarrhea clear up. There are specific prescription diets that your vet can recommend to help with this type of issue. Two I commonly recommend are Hill's i/d and Royal Canin GI low fat. A hydrolyzed protein diet may also be helpful. If you want to try an over the counter food first I would recommend something that is labeled as "limited ingredient" or for "sensitive stomachs". I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

It could be parasites, an infection, or from the food as an allergy. I would have your vet check a stool sample to see if there are parasites or bacterial. from there they can add probiotics or antibiotics to help. You can change the food to a sensitive stomach formula to make it easier to digest.

Common causes of diarrhea or loose stools in a young cat include food intolerance, food allergies, intestinal parasites, bacterial or viral gastroenteritis, stress colitis, among a few others. Based on her history, stress from the visit or a change in treats may be the cause. You can try a medication like ProPectalin AntiDiarrheal Gel for Dogs & Cats that has probiotics and a small amount of kao pectate in it - it also tastes good. If the diarrhea/soft stools continue next week, or if Pico starts showing signs of lethargy, inappetence, or straining, I would definitely have her checked out by a vet.

Diarrhea and a decrease in appetite could be a sign of a number of different problems. Intestinal parasites are possible, even for indoor cats, as are some infections or diseases like colitis or inflammatory bowel disease. If the diarrhea continues for more than 24 hours or seems to be getting worse, or if her appetite does not improve during that time I'd recommend seeing your veterinarian. They may treat her symptoms or recommend some testing like blood work or a fecal analysis depending on what they find during a physical examination.

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! If the food appears different than the one he normally eats it is possible that perhaps there is a different additive or food coloring that has upset his stomach (or is it possible it is a different flavor even though the brand is the same). We can see some pets have GI upset from quick changes in diet. That being said, we can also see diarrhea from other causes, including GI parasites, bacterial overgrowth, inflammatory bowel disease, as a symptom of systemic illness, and more. If he is still energetic with no vomiting you could try getting a probiotic from your vet or the pet store for him which can sometimes help with diarrhea and feeding something bland for a few days (such as plain white rice and shredded boiled chicken or lean ground chicken) or picking up the food you normally get at the pet store and trying this for a few days. If he is having urgency so often he isn't making it to the litterbox, however, it is quite possible he has colitis http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=677 and will likely need prescription medication to get the diarrhea under control, so the fastest solution to eliminating the problem is to have your vet examine him!

Sometimes even a simple diet switch from one food to another is enough to cause intestinal inflammation or bacterial imbalance and diarrhea in cats. Though his risk is low, it's also possible he could have an intestinal parasite (cannot be ruled out without a fecal test). You can try adding one tbsp of canned pumpkin to his diet for fiber. If he does not improve soon, it would be best to take him to a vet. Sometimes a short course of medication is necessary to resolve this type of diarrhea.