New pets, concerning stool all week

[NapsAndDreams]

I adopted Glomptar and Fuzzbutt about 10 days ago. They're both 4 years old, and a healthy weight.

Glomptar is an adventurous eater, and tries to stick anything in his mouth that might be food. And I mean anything! He saw me taking my medications, and tried to eat the pill box. The first morning of my new family, Glomptar saw the jar of powdered milk I use for my morning tea. That night, he knocked the jar off the counter and feasted on powdered milk.

That was 7 days ago. He's been having vomit and diarrhea issues ever since, although the vomit has gotten better -- much less frequent, and mostly just fluid now. (He also seems to have figured out that I prefer him to puke on moppable surfaces, which is considerate, but a tangent). The diarrhea has gone from puddle-like to, using the chart located elsewhere in this forum, mushy but formed.

However, the location he's pooping in has me overly-analytical. I got 2 brand foam new bathroom mats just the week before he arrived, and every morning I have woken up to diarrhea on one of the new mats, usually the white one (closer to the sink than the shower). I have seen his stool in the litter box (they have two, and each seem to exclusively use their preferred one)

I know that sometimes cats will leave stool in high trafficked areas as some kind of message to their parents, whether over concern for their own health, an expression of anxiety, or something else.

I thought maybe the issue was that it was time to change the litter (I have no idea how long their current litter has been in use), or maybe not deep enough (I was warned that Glomptar, in particular, is a digger and needs deep litter), so last night I switched out Glomp's litterbox for a roomier one. This morning, woke up to another present. Glomptar walked up to it, gave it a sniff, meowed at me*, didn't even bother trying to bury it, and then went to use his new litter box.

* in fairness, Glomptar is pretty much always complaining about something, if he can't see me, or I'm in the kitchen


I saw the vet the day after the dry milk incident, for an introduction visit, and will be seeing them again on the 22nd (Fuzzbutt has an ear infection).

Any advice or reassurance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Are you cleaning the mat with enzymatic cleaner? If not they usually continue to go in the same area. Here is an example of one. I personally would pick

up the mat and clean area with the cleaner and not put the mat back and see what happens.


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[NapsAndDreams]

That's the very brand I'm using, yes! I'm also using a Bissel Spotbot to do the actual cleaning (which I highly recommend for folks with chronic disabilities like myself).

Now that you mention it, the two days when I was waiting for the Spotbot to arrive, I had the bath mats stored away, and there were no stool incident. You think he just considers the carpets a litterbox? The white one is very close to the color of their litter.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

That's the very brand I'm using, yes! I'm also using a Bissel Spotbot to do the actual cleaning (which I highly recommend for folks with chronic disabilities like myself).

Now that you mention it, the two days when I was waiting for the Spotbot to arrive, I had the bath mats stored away, and there were no stool incident. You think he just considers the carpets a litterbox? The white one is very close to the color of their litter.

Yes could easily be the issue for sure. We had a girl we couldn’t put littermates to trap the litter in because she would be in it. Cats can be so finicky. Does your litter box have a hood/cover? Some do not like to poop in an enclosed box as well.


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[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams , what litter do you use? some can be picky about scented litter, pellets etc.sharing, my mom's adoptee pooped outside of litter box.. her adoptee kitty preferred a large open box and switched to dr elseys unscented litter and no more issues.

Sphynx pooping or peeing outside the litter box

It can be very frustrating when a cat/kitten starts not using the litter box. The first thing to do is see your vet to rule out a UTI (urinary tract infection) if your cat see is peeing outside of the litter box. A urinary infection can become very serious very fast if it is not treated quickly...

sphynxlair.com

I have a large catit jumbo litter box , I take off the door flap. I notice my boys prefer deep litter filled too. I like the catit jumbo as the top folds back for easy scooping. I scoop litter boxes twice a day, morning and night, and sprinkle a little fresh litter ontop to freshen up

my first nakid was weird. she wood pee in the dr elseys unscented litter but preferred an open box with pellet litter for poo. had each box next to each other, she would go from one to the next.

 

[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams , what did vet say about the powdered milk? some vets prescribe cerenia.

I swear they are cat monkey dog baby all in one for life. I constantly have to kitty proof and outsmart them.
@also do you have any plants in your home? some can be toxic to pets

all paws crossed for Fuzzbutts follow up on her ear infection. hopeful all better by then.

 

[NapsAndDreams]

The vet said the powdered milk issue would pass in a few days.

Of course, everyday since then, C
Glomp has managed to eat at least one thing he's not supposed to, and paid the consequences.

I removed the bathroom mats off the floor, as folks suggested, and it's been two blissful mornings with no presents to step in before my tea. He's using the new litterbox, whose design I'm quite proud of.

However, he's not digging to cover the concerning stool. It was just lying on top of the litter. The better, I suppose, for me to study it.

 

[NapsAndDreams]

@NapsAndDreams , what litter do you use?

Same as their previous parent. Up until yesterday, it was literally the same litter as had been at the catsitters, and then in the car during the cross state drive. I just changed it on the 19 day mark, 11 days post adoption.

. I notice my boys prefer deep litter filled too. I like the catit jumbo as the top folds back for easy scooping. I scoop litter boxes twice a day, morning and night, and sprinkle a little fresh litter ontop to freshen up

I was told that mine like to dig, too. I'm currently keeping a depth of 4 inches in both, but it makes for irritating cleaning..

while it's tempting to give them 3 or 4 boxes, I live in an 800sq ft condo, and there's not much space for the litter boxes as it is. They're currently both by the only entry, and I'm not happy about it.

 

[Catzzzmeow]

@NapsAndDreams so happy to see removing the mat has helped.

 

[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams , happy to read removing the mat worked.
for some reason mine don't cover up either.
I scoop the litter box 2x a day with a Metal scooper. I was breaking too many plastic scoopers lol. I have 4 cats , the metal scooper is holding up
great

I searched images online for hide the litter box hacks do it yourself for some ideas.

 

[NapsAndDreams]

I converted this IKEA dresser to a litter box by simply removing the middle drawer and giving them a step stool to get in. I want to replace the bottom of the smaller drawer with something more arable, like peg board or a mesh, and fill it with deodorizers.

Everything else in that picture came with the kitties, incidentally, my friend gave me all of her cat stuff. Except the picture box.

I might do something with the remaining drawer frame to partially close off the view. Cats like their privacy. I haven't decided how wide of an opening to leave, though.

Ideally, I'd find another place for the other litterbox, the white, top-entry one that my friend gave me. Just feels..... inelegant, that being the first thing people see.

 

[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams wow! great idea! thank you for sharing, very helpful to us for litterbox hack/storage ideas!

 

[Toa and Ross]

That's a neat litterbox!

 

[NapsAndDreams]

Talked to his previous parent , and apparently the diarhea is just standard for my adventure eater. +shrug+

 

[NapsAndDreams]

*sigh* they have both been on Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain kibble and a half can each of Wellness Pate, for about 10 days now, and now they BOTH have mad diarrhea.

 

[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams , ugh.. I am sorry TOTW is not working for their bumms. are you feeding both the dry and wet TOTW rocky mountain or just the dry? are you giving treats in additions to TOTW?
I feed my crew Nutrisource cat and kitten food touted for gut health for about a decade now. solid stools. My crew couldnt handle certain foods like Acana that gave them diarrhea so made the switch.

do they get any table scraps? I limit treats to almost none to only a couple each of temptations once a week. and my bengal with IBD does not get treats, (she doesnt even want if I offered her when I first adopted her)

 

[NapsAndDreams]

a half can each of Wellness Pate (wet) per day (or every other day, cuz I forget a lot)
free feed on the TotW.
A small handful of treats, quite a variety still, on occasion, mostly in the puzzle feeder.

NO table scraps, though Glomptar will eat anything. I've seen him eat cardboard. It's less of a problem since switching to the open feed system, but not gone completely. According to Previous Parent, he's always had diarrhea and they tried everything.

Pandora, on the other hand, had pretty solid stool up until now. And she really doesn't like me wiping her bum to get the last liquidy nonsense off her!

 

[NapsAndDreams]

This problem continues with little end in sight. My vet has prescribed Hills ID l/D but it hasn't arrived yet with all of the holiday shipping.

Feeding them pumpkin puree has had a noticeable impact, but only as long as I keep feeding them the puree, and the amount needed to get their stools from up is pretty ridiculous. I've actually gone a bit over the deep end on this one, buying silicone molds and freezing little puree cubes. I have now found recipes online for making my own cat treats out of these things, and I'm looking forward to the day when I get a really good photo of Glomptar the Barbarian munching on skulls and fellow cat cartoons I have a third mold, of gummy bear shape, arriving this week.

Tangentially related to this, I I'm feeling a lot of anxiety about the possibility of all this loose kibble that gets scattered everywhere attracting cockroaches. Any advice on this thought?

 

[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams , did they have stool sample checks ? if my crew has seen the vet within the year, often times I can just call and ask to drop off fresh stool samples to check.

some use fortiflora

let us know how the hills ID works when it arrives. it can take a few weeks for bodies to adjust to new food.
some members mentioned Royal canin rx ultamino kibble


* mine crew had terrible poo issues on food that was 40% or higher protein. my crew, including a bengal with IBD have been on nutrisource cat and kitten food kibble for many years now and no more poo issues. I don't even need to use the pumpkin anymore. it has no recalls, is touted for gut health. It is not sold in big box pet stores. I get online on petflow, there are some other online retailers. you can check with petflow about return policy if food does not work for them. I also stopped giving them treats everyday. only on special occasions and just a few pieces.

mine scatter kibble too. it's a pain to drag the vacuum out for every crumb. I use a mino oxo dustpan to clean daily around food dishes.

I use the silicone molds too!

tagging @Catzzzmeow for her advise on the continueing poo issue.

 

[NapsAndDreams]

I tried using Purina (?) Fortiflora, didn't help (by itself). I switched the cats to a lower protein flavor of Taste of the Mountain, but that just seems to have made the problem....more liquid.

The Hills I/D arrived this weekend. My cats were.....very eager to try out the new flavor. I've mixed it into the auto-feeder on top of the rest of the TotM (1 cup of the old, one cup of the new), though my cats are NOT finnicky eaters.

I actually had to put out a bowl of the new stuff just so they'd leave the bag alone while I was filling the feeder! And today, they spent all morning complaining to me until I put out more of the new stuff. Which they gobbled up! These guys are gonna get fat off this formula, they like it so much!


...I actually am concerned about how much weight they've put on since I got them at the beginning of September. I haven't weighed them, but before they were easy for me to pick up and today they feel heavy. Maybe its just winter weight? Maybe I just have an a gorram anxiety disorder and worry about everything?

 

[NapsAndDreams]

So for the last half a month, I've been very diligent about only feeding the cats kibble, no snacks no treats, no wet food, and for the last week I have been slowly transitioning them to the new kibble. We started with a prescription of the Hills I/D stuff, which they've been on since my last post.

And that 2 weeks has been blissfully vomit-free. Stool is still pretty liquid, but at least they're sticking to the litterbox. But two days ago, when the mix upped to 3/4 of the new kibble, Glomp started puking again.

And all this vomit has large chunks of kibble in it, which I now realize has been true this entire time. He's not chewing, he's not digesting.

Since I'm feeding him a blend of the old & new to gradually introduce it to his system, I've had to turn off the automatic feeder, and I make a cup of kibble twice a day. The other day, the first day he started throwing up again, I forgot to make some before bed, and he was pretty frantic in the morning. When I mixed new bowl for him, He scarfed you down so quickly that he actually threw up almost immediately, right next to the bowl. Less than 5 minutes later, he was back at the bowl, gorging himself again.

And he's been puking at least once a day ever since.

I'm not sure how to diagnose this issue any further. I would appreciate any and all thoughts, suggestions etc.

Once they climatize to the new kibble, I'm going to mix up a batch of those pumpkin puree treats, which are the only things that have stiffened their stool. But now I'm thinking of the vomit as a separate issue.

 

[summerhott1977]

Have you thought about a slow eat bowl? I know they have them for dogs that gorge like that, surely they make them for cats.

 

[Yoda mom]

@NapsAndDreams , have you tried putting Glomp's dish on top of a can to raise it? I have a bengal adoptee with sensitive stomach, IBD .
(I had to take over a month to do a super slow transition to food. it took up to 12 weeks for her tummy to settle to the new food . )

I put a shallow oval dish on top of a soup can and seems to help her. I tried this first and then invested in some nechochi shallow raised dishes I got on amazon or chewy. I use now for my crew for the past few years.
including a stock photo of like dishes I use .

from google search : Are tilted cat bowls better for cats?

The elevated design reduces pressure on the pet's spine and stomach, alleviates the cat's neck burden, promotes a healthier digestive system during meals, makes swallowing easier, and reduces the risk of vomiting.


the slower feeder dish summerhott1997 shared may be a a good option.

 

[NapsAndDreams]

Have you thought about a slow eat bowl? I know they have them for dogs that gorge like that, surely they make them for cats.

I have one, but I'm not quite sure how to make all of these different components work together.

I need to automatic dispenser to work both for when I'm not at home, and to dispense tiny amounts of kibble so Glomptar never panics about being "out of food," which is way more of a panic attack than the standard "I can see the horrifying bottom of my bowl" nonsense most cats go through -- if the bowl is empty, or if he doesn't recognize the new kibble as food yet, he will eat paper, cardboard, pens, all kinds of nonsense

I have a puzzle feeder, The Green bowl, which I'm filling in the mornings. I also have a toy that dispenses food when you whack it around, that I'm keeping full of the old Hills stuff he really likes. But he is to gorram stupid to figure it out on his own.

Currently in the rotation, and pictured here, the stainless steel bowl is the kibble mix with some water mixed in, to make them softer to eat and hopefully to digest. However, the cats do not seem to be eating any of that nonsense.

As You can see, I've set up a little alcove for them that's about under cabinet height, with a raised edge boot tray to capture most of the food. I don't know if that ends up being high enough for them to reduce the risks that Yoda mom is talking about, it's about 6 in off the ground. I have thought about trying to raise that entire platform another couple of inches, possibly with some 2x4s or something.

The good news is that the stool seems to finally solidified! It's taken 3 weeks of slow transition, and no treats at all, which has been an enormous hardship on my soul. But at least we are working from a good starting point now.

What's more, I moved the bathroom that they have been leaving their distress signals on, to in front of the litter box, for a variety of reasons, and then I actually let the litter box go uncleaned for a couple of days to see if they would leave they're distress signals in the bathroom still or on their favorite carpet. And they haven't left messages in either place!

The bad news is that the joyous era of a vomit free lifestyle has come to an end. While he was on strictly the hills diet, up to half and half he wasn't throwing up anything. Granted, part of that maybe the bulimia like neurosis from the one day that I forgot to refill the bowl.

 

[NapsAndDreams]

New update!

Their stool is finally back to the appropriate shape and consistency! In the end, the problem was that the high protein kibble which I was recommended as the best for Sphynxes proved to be terrible for them.

I'm still switching them, VERY slowly, over to a Taste of the Wild Lowland Creek. But I'm now at the point where I'm basically just adding a 1/4th cup of the Hills per day to the auto dispenser, mostly to get through it all.

The use of the puzzle feeder and a slow dispensing from the auto feeder seems to have resolved the vomitting issue as well.

This means I can now add a new food in top of the kibble to see if they can handle it, and I'm debating if the next thing I should put back in their diet is canned food or treats , and I would love your input.

On the one hand, I think feeding cats wet food, and the occasional raw food, is an essential quality of life addition. No animal should be forced to live on kibble alone, and it bothers me that they've already had to go nearly a month on a pure kibble diet.

On the other hand, treats mean training rewards, and a much happier grooming experience. It's also a smaller addition to their diet, so I think it'll probably be easier to add it quickly, and then I can add wet food quickly.