My kitten ate melted butter. What happens and what should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may cause gastrointestinal upset or she may be fine depending on the amount eaten and how well tolerated it is. Watch her closely for signs of gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting inappetence, nausea, and/or vomiting. If any of these are observed, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, she may be fine. Best of luck!

If she is otherwise acting ok then you could withhold food for the rest of the day and offer her a small amount of a bland diet tonight. You could buy a gastrointestinal diet or try a small amount of boiled chicken. If the diarrhea persists, she starts vomiting, or becomes lethargic then she needs to be examined by a vet for treatment. Hope she feels better soon.

A lick of margarine should result in nothing worse than minor stomach upset (vomiting or diarrhea). This can usually be managed at home with a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve.

Yikes! Butter isn't toxic, but it could potentially cause her to relapse to her recent problems since it is very high in fat. Hopefully not, but it can cause very greasy stools or even diarrhea for a day or two. If Maddie starts vomiting or has a poor appetite, then she should probably get checked out by the vet (again). If she is ok other than loose stools or diarrhea, I would wait for 48 hours, and see a vet if it is still going on at the end of that period.

At worst, you may see some stomach upset (vomiting or diarrhea). Either can usually be managed at home with a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Transition slowly to the regular diet afterwards. Monitor for lethargy, persistent stomach upset, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Buddy. How lovely of you to take in this stray kitten!! Yes I suspect it's the kitten food causing Buddy to have an upset stomach and vomit. Sudden changes in diet can lead to these symptoms. Feed him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones or skin) in small amounts a couple times a day for a few days, the start slowly adding in his normal diet. If he refuses to eat the bland diet, vomits the bland diet, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, continues to have diarrhea, has blood in his stool, and/or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

NO!! Don't give any butter. It is too high in fat and will worsen the GI upset and can even cause a life-threatening pancreatitis. Dairy products in general are not good for cats. Avoid giving these. If Four Paws has vomiting and diarrhea then I suggest you withhold food (water is OK) for 12 hours. After 12 hours offer food again (small amount) if the vomiting and diarrhea continues then you need to get him to your vet for an exam. Do not give him any over the counter medications without speaking to your vet. Hope this helps. Best wishes.