I have 2 cats, Poppy age 12 & Tilly age 6. Tilly has always been an odd bod, she was rescued as a feral kitten, has a small, wonky tail & is sooo sweet & loving. She has always had loose, yellowish stools but recently they seem more loose. She is fed Hills Science light (both cats are a little overweight) She seems fine in herself, is active & enjoys her food. Should I try switching to a food suitable for a sensitive tummy, do you think that would help?
JudyG
- Status
Don't be sorry. Cats poop! It's all part of owning (being owned?) by cats.
Cats, unlike dogs are obligate carnivores, meaning they can only digest meat (no grains, no veggies, no fruits). Unfortunately, even though chicken is the first ingredient in the food you are using, the next 5 ingredients after that are all not actually really digestible for your cats and actually make up the majority of the food. Say 10% is chicken, then 9% is wheat, 8.5% is rice, then 8% is corn, you have almost 30% of the food that is not digestible. This will strongly contribute to both the color and consistency of their stools.
I do want to note that she could have inflammatory bowel disease, or colitis (since there is no weight loss) as well, and if that is the case, changing the diet to something that is more digestible will help and possibly fix it completely.
If you have the time, I strongly recommend you read more about cat nutrition at catinfo.org. I know her articles are very long, but she is a vet who has put many years into them. It completely changed how I look at cat food, especially the moisture part.
Cats, unlike dogs are obligate carnivores, meaning they can only digest meat (no grains, no veggies, no fruits). Unfortunately, even though chicken is the first ingredient in the food you are using, the next 5 ingredients after that are all not actually really digestible for your cats and actually make up the majority of the food. Say 10% is chicken, then 9% is wheat, 8.5% is rice, then 8% is corn, you have almost 30% of the food that is not digestible. This will strongly contribute to both the color and consistency of their stools.
I do want to note that she could have inflammatory bowel disease, or colitis (since there is no weight loss) as well, and if that is the case, changing the diet to something that is more digestible will help and possibly fix it completely.
If you have the time, I strongly recommend you read more about cat nutrition at catinfo.org. I know her articles are very long, but she is a vet who has put many years into them. It completely changed how I look at cat food, especially the moisture part.
Thank you so much - that all makes perfect sense! I will read the article & I have already been researching different, more sensitive foods.
Well, after much research I decided on a new dry food (Applaws) which boasts a very high meat content with no cereals, I also give both cats a high quality wet food once a day & I'm pleased to report that the problem has almost disappeared :thumbsup:
I know that now!!! Can't believe I was duped by the fancy packaging & of course the price. It has made me look at the food I feed my dog too, but thankfully that's fine x
I'm glad to read that you are also feeding them a canned food. Cats tend to get UTI since they usually don't drink enough and do best on canned food, or at the least a half canned, half kibble, diet.
Strangely, my eldest cat Poppy age 12, suffered from a UTI when she was just 2 years old, this went on for some months on & off, she was fed solely on wet food. When she recovered fully & after Tilly came along, I switched to dry only because Tilly had some genetic teeth problems, Poppy has never had a UTI since! They both drink lots of water though.
- Status
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
