# Newly adopted & neutered cat has diarrhea



## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Yesterday we adopted a kitty from the animal shelter. He had to be neutered first, so we picked him up from the vet and brought him home. In the past 12 or so hours I think he has had diarrhea 3 times. I'm assuming it's diarrhea at first- very stinky and there are 3 big poop balls, each about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, in the litter box. I am using Yesterday's News while he recovers from his surgery. This is my first time using this litter for a cat and I don't know what the poops should look like but there definitely seems to be something off since in my experience, cat poop normally looks like little logs. Also not sure how much of the balls is composed of litter since he's really big on burying the poop.

The shelter feeds Taste of the Wild so that's what I bought Declan. I forgot to ask which flavor they feed and so just picked one, could picking the wrong flavor upset his tummy? What do you all think, is it at all normal for a kitty to have diarrhea after the stress of being neutered AND being in a new place? It did not start until we had him home about 8 hours.

In any case, I already called the vet and will be bringing him in for a check up in an hour and a half. Just wanted the opinions of people who know kitties better than me


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

The flavor could upset his tummy if it contains something he's allergic to, or it could be stress, or perhaps an intestinal parasite. The vet will definitely be able to tell you more. Good luck!


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Okay, we are back from the vet! The vet looked at him for 30 seconds and said he was fine. He said the poop issues are from the stress of the changes in his life and the anesthesia, and the eye irritation is because of the goop they put in his eyes for the neuter. He actually is not being squinty anymore. Hopefully the poop will become less hair raising very soon and the eye will be good!


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

You might try giving him a bit of pure canned pumpkin. A think a tablespoon is the suggested amount.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

If they gave him antibiotic after the neuter, that could also cause diarrhea. If he was given an antibiotic, it'd be a good idea to give him a probiotic for the next week to repopulate his good gut bacteria.

Laurie


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

Congrats on the new kitty 

Make sure he gets plenty of water! Keep extra bowls of water around just in case. It's especially important if the cat is a kitten, as kittens can get easily dehydrated.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

I don't know if they gave an antibiotic or not after the surgery, they didn't say, but that's a good point! Thankfully, Declan has been eating and drinking fine. He only pooped once yesterday and it was still unpleasant but more solid this time and slightly less terrible smelling.

Now I have something new I'm worrying about: FIV and feline leukemia. Since he was brought in to the shelter as a stray unneutered boy, he is at a higher risk of having these. How do I know if he has them?? I'm all worried. Don't want him to die. My dad's cat was a stray for a couple of weeks as a kitten, if even that long- it was an odd situation, someone found a stray Bengal kitten and took her in, then the owner got very sick and all 4 of her kitties were brought to the shelter- I personally think the kitty got outside accidentally rather than was abandoned, she moved fast when the door was open! In any case, she contracted feline leukemia at some point before my dad adopted her from the shelter at 4 months of age. It was heartbreaking. She was only 2 years old when she died and was a very loved cat. She was actually poisoned by Hartz flea killer but had just been diagnosed with feline leukemia a week earlier when my dad took her to the vet because she was ill.

Anyway, sorry, I get sidetracked. Declan was given vaccinations apparently but I didn't ask which ones specifically. The shelter is not open on Sunday but tomorrow I will call them and ask.

Also, a friend of ours bought a kitten from a backyard breeder last week. My husband was at their house for a while yesterday and played with the kitten. Should I make him wash his hands or change his clothes when he gets home so he doesn't transmit anything to Declan? I don't want him to accidentally transmit anything to the kitten either since Declan is a cat who drools when he's happy (which is whenever he gets attention) and I read those illnesses are passed through saliva.


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## coyt (Jul 15, 2012)

It doesn't hurt to make sure he washes his hands, sure. Not sure about changing clothes, though. 

Also, you can get your cats tested for FIV and Feline leukemia at the vet.

Good luck!


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

The vet can do a SNAP test for FeLV and FIV for you. If the shelter already did one, it should be on the paperwork they gave you when you got Declan. Gah, another issue with a Hartz product killing an animal... how they can portray themselves as animal lovers and call their products safe and still sleep at night I don't know. As for your husband, I think washing hands is a good idea; I'd only be worried about changing clothes if he got some sort of bodily fluid from one of the cats on him (urine, saliva, nasal secretions, poo, blood though that one is unlikely). It may be unnecessary but I've always figured it's better to be paranoid and safe than not do something and end up regretting it later.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Okay, will do the hand washing thing. I checked out Declan's paperwork and there is no sign that he was tested. What should a cat be vaccinated for? I asked at the shelter and they said he was fully vaccinated, but the only thing it says on his paperwork is that he was vaccinated for rabies and I don't think that was done until he got to the vet office since the vet is the one who gave us his rabies tag. Next time we take him to the vet, we will get the FeLV and FIV tests done. We thought about it hard and if he has either, it wouldn't change our minds on keeping him or anything, so there is no rush I guess. Though I would definitely like to know!

I have another question now. Sorry, I'm a new cat mom and want to do everything right! At the moment, Declan is fed dry Taste of the Wild food in the Roasted Venison and Smoked Salmon flavor. I plan to switch him to wet food but his tummy is still not completely back to normal after being adopted and I want to hold off a bit. This is the food the shelter feeds and the nutritional profile looks okay so I will stay with it for now. Anyway, Declan weighs 12 1/2 pounds and is in very good shape. He is not overweight at all. I actually asked the vet if he was underweight since he looks kind of skinny to me, but the vet said most kitties are overweight and Declan is perfect. I've read how hard and dangerous it can be to get cats to lose weight so it's very important to me that he stay at a health weight. How much food should he get every day? The bag says 2/3 to 1 C for a 10 to 15 pound cat. I feed him half a cup in the morning and half a cup at night but today he emptied his bowl within just a couple of hours. When I refilled his bowl, he ran over and started to chow down immediately. Is he getting enough? Or, is he getting too much since 1 C should theoretically be enough for a 15 lb cat? I read that boys need 25% less calories when they get neutered and he was just neutered on Thursday.

Thanks for any help!!


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## scottd (Jun 28, 2011)

How old is he?

I suggest rabies and FVRCP. I do PureVax rabies once a year and FVRCP every year. Most FVRCP vaccines are non-adjuvanted but be sure to check.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Oh, he is 2 years old approximately!


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## OSCARSMOM (Jul 6, 2012)

I looked up the calories for Taste of The Wild and it is 390 calories per cup. He might need some more calories right now to aid in his healing, but, in my opinion, this might be way too many calories for him. Every cat is different, so the best way to keep his weight under control is to weigh him on a regular basis. I have my cat Oscar on a diet and I weigh him once a week on a baby scale - I'm trying to keep him at a 2 or 3 ounce weight loss per week. Easiest thing to do is weigh Declan - if he gains weight over a week or two, feed him less. If he loses weight over the same time period, feed him more. 

There's a great website on feline nutrition which may help. Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health
The obesity page has information on number of calories about half way down the page and there is also some great info on switching your cat from dry food to wet food.

I read your other post about Declan and I think this little guy is very lucky to have found you. My guy Oscar is also an orange tabby and he is just a sweetheart too.


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Oscarsmom, thanks so much for the help! Wowie, that's a lot of calories. I tried feeding him 2/3 cup instead of 1 cup and he acted like he was starving. Did that for 2 days, but on one of the days he actually managed to claw open the bin of cat food and help himself. My friend suggested that I just stick with 1 cup for now and then weigh him in a week to see if he has gained or lost weight. I think I will just take that approach to figure out how much he needs!


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

How long does it take a kitty's digestive tract to settle down after being adopted? Declan has been here for just over 2 weeks now. His poop has improved a LOT- it smells wayyyyyy less than it did before, and it forms, uhhhh "logs" (for lack of a better term) in the litter box, but it seems fairly soft still. He was doing great for a few days, but yesterday morning there was a droplet of poop liquid on the edge of his litter box, and in the evening there was a little piece of poop on the edge too. When I've scooped his box, the poop has all been the normal log shape so he isn't having diarrhea. Also, he is a shorthaired cat, but once yesterday and once today there has been a little bit of poop "debris" on his butt fur, which hasn't happened before.

Does this sound normal for a cat that's been in a new home for just over 2 weeks? Is there something wrong?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

Sounds to me like Declan's GI tract has adjusted well to his new environment. I don't think you have anything to worry about. 

Laurie


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

So it's normal for a cat to get poop in the fur around it's anus? I certainly hope not, don't want to have to shave his rump or something since I definitely don't want him wandering around the house leaving behind poop stamps wherever he sits.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

First of all, your approach to weight contro is the sae as mine - I feed a mixture of food - some of which doesn't come with a convenient calorie measure - and so I assess the weight and well-being of the cat and adjust accordingly.

Secondly, I would think that your cat still has a few digestion problems. I ahve discovered on this forum that it is possible to have a "potty patch" shaved (hope I've got that term right) but I have had both long and short haired cats and have never had to so I think it may vary.


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## minikin44 (Aug 25, 2012)

My cats will sometimes have a little bit of poo residue on their bums, but it's never come off on anything. If he's getting stuff on the edge of the box, you could a box with an edge extender (not sure if that's the right term) to make it taller. One of my cats had that issue, so I've taken to having her use a hooded box with the hood off (because the bottom is much higher on the sides). I hope Declan is doing well and that you've had no more issues between him and your bunnies!


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## Kittybuns (Sep 19, 2012)

Okay, call me dumb, but I think I was wrong about what was on Declan's bum. I don't think it was poop. Just now he peed in the litter box and then hopped up on the couch. Saw a dark spot on his butt fur (actually about 3 inches below his anus) and I aimed a light at it so I could see better. The fur was wet with urine and had a tiny bit of litter stuck to it, which looked dark. I actually think there's a good chance THIS is what I was thinking was poop since it's in the same place. Do I need to worry if he gets a little bit of tinkle on himself?! That seems unusual. I hope he isn't sick! He is using the litter box perfectly, but tends to kind of run when he leaves it. Don't have enough experience to say whether he is peeing properly. He usually has about 3 pee clumps in his litter box that are about 2 inches in diameter and maybe a couple little tiny clumps which could have broken off from big ones when I scoop. Sound okay for a 12 1/2 pound boy?

He is taking a nap now but when he wakes up I want to try and get a look at his inner thighs and see if there's any sign of urine scald.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

The running when he's done in the litterbox is really normal....I think we've had threads about it because I remember Lisa saying, "He's running the stink off." 

Finding little remnants on the edge of the litterbox sounds normal too. Murphy does that all the time, as well as little remnants on his rear end. When you think about them having to aim at a little litterbox, they're actually doing very well. I know I couldn't do it.


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