My finicky cat has IBS, diarrhea, and poops outside the box. What to do?

There could be several causes for Yokie having diarrhea. She would benefit from an exam with a veterinarian - take a fresh stool sample with you to the appointment for evaluation (litter on it is ok!). Some of the more common reasons for diarrhea in cats include intestinal parasites (which she could have gotten from eating outside critters), Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and intestinal lymphoma. Your veterinarian will be able to prescribe special dewormers based on her symptoms and may recommend a special food or other medications to try out and see if that helps with the diarrhea. You can also try "ProPectalin AntiDiarrheal Gel for Dogs Cats", but it should not be administered long-term.

It's possible the cat having diarrhea is having some sort of food allergy, or it could be stress related. Changing the diet or attempting a food trial with your veterinarian may help rule out any potential allergies and help relieve the diarrhea if there were no parasites or illness present. Reducing stress may also help, and adding in a pheromone diffuser in shared rooms can help with reducing stress along with making sure each cat has their own access to the litter box, food, water, etc without competition (that could lead to stress or accidents outside the litter box). As for your picky eater, switching foods may also encourage them to try a little more.

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!

If he has IBD then you should talk to your vet about trying a prescription hypoallergenic diet like d/d or z/d or possible an OTC diet like Science diet sensitive stomach. These diets are easier to digest and may help with his IBD and the smell of his stool.

Issues with faeces such as these can be indicative of issues in the gut. It could just be inflammation such as gastroenteritis or colitis, but sometimes it can indicate problems such as inflammatory bowel disease or tumours etc. You could try adding a probiotic to both of their feed and see if that helps, but I think it would be worth taking them both to the vet for an exam if it continues for more than a day or so.

You can find a feline probiotic to add to her diet or try a sensitive stomach formula food or a prescription such as Science Diet I/D. If this does not improve the stool she may need to see a vet. Older cats can get an inflammatory bowel disease and stress can definitely make it worse. It will take some vitamin supplements and daily medication but usually improves by then. If not then they will look into further testing such as an ultrasound or a biopsy.

IBS is called IBD in animals and it must be diagnosed by a vet, not by your before treatment is started. there are several prescription diets for this condition but you will need to discuss that with your vet.