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My new kitten has watery diarrhea and a bulging anus. What's wrong?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Female | unspayed | 2 months and 13 days old | 1.5 lbs

I adopted a kitten a week ago. She was passing normal stools for a few days and then they started getting watery. I have not changed her diet. Her anus is bulging out and leaking diarrhea. I dont know what to do or what caused this.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jennifer Witt, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 14th, 2018

Poor Jameson. This is pretty common in kittens for many different reasons. It could be stress related from moving to her new home. She also could have some intestinal parasites that is causing the diarrhea. You said you have not changed her food, so I"m assuming she is eating what she was on at the shelter. IF you have changed from that, this could also be causing diarrhea. I worry about her anus bulging. They strain when having diarrhea and this could lead to a rectal prolapse. I think she should see a veterinarian so they can test for intestinal parasites and hopefully get her started on some diarrhea medications and possibly a bland diet. They can also help with dehydration by giving her some fluids under her skin as these little guys can become dehydrated very quickly. Hope this little girl can get turned around soon.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on October 17th, 2020
Yes, this could be due to changing Batman's food. Sudden changes in diet can lead to diarrhea. I'm concerned that his anus may be sticking out, and that's likely due to irritation from the diarrhea and straining. Without seeing him in person, I can't say if he will be ok or not waiting to see a vet, so I do think it's best to take him into a 24 hour vet now to get checked out. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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