# Kitten suddenly has liquid feces



## darksonic (Jan 17, 2010)

This is quite a surprise and both my girlfriend and I are a bit scared. Last night our kitten Terra was in her litter box and the most foul smelling liquid poop came out of her. She's always had soft poop (not runny, shaped fine but just a little soft) but she hasn't had diarrhea like this in a long time. Her foster mother said that she had diarrhea before we picked her up and said switching her to pine pellets seemed to help. We just recently switched over to the clumping pine litter thinking she would have an easier time covering her poop (because she frequently stepped in it), which proved to be true - ever since switching she has yet to step in her poop.

The problem is that our roommate has a cat and she is using the crystal cat littler. Occasionally Terra will use the other cat's box. She's been doing this for weeks it seems and we didn't notice any difference in her movements so we shrugged off that the litter had anything to do with her original diarrhea problem. We're not sure what is going on here. Any suggestions?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I'm not sure why you would think that the litter you use has anything to do with whether your cat has diarrhea. That makes no sense.

Has the kitten been dewormed and/or checked for other parasites such as coccidia or giardia? If not, that's the first thing that needs to be done...it's typically the cause of diarrhea in kittens.


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

Agreed with doodlebug. The problem is with what she's putting in her mouth, or what is inside her... What her poop lands in makes no difference.

Have you had her dewormed? What food are you giving her? Is she eating/drinking any milk products?


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## darksonic (Jan 17, 2010)

Like I said, her foster mom suspected she was allergic to the clay and switched her over to pine. We honestly feel that the litter wasn't a factor because she's been using the other litter box which has the crystal stuff in it and nothing has changed about her movements (except for last night). She has had numerous fecal exams, all of which came back with nothing. Our vet had us give her panacur and some other antibiotic for two weeks to see if her soft poops would turn into hard poops but it didn't work.

As far as I know she has been dewormed. We recently switched her over to Authority but as I was already told here she could have an issue with corn and grains so the next step is EVO Grain-free in combination with their 95% wet food. It just seems so random that now this happens when he's had no other issues. Her poop went from her normal to liquid over night it seems.


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

I'm doubtful that it's an allergy because, like in humans, allergies usually display themselves with some sort of dermatitis (irritated, itchy skin). That is especially true if clay litter was a problem... To be honest I'm not sure how her foster mom determined clay litter was the cause but it doesn't make any sense to me. 

That being said, there is no harm in changing her food to grain-free. Even if it's not an "allergy", her gastro-intestinal system could simply be more sensitive to the presence of grains in general. In this case it might be easier/cheaper in the long run to look into a raw food diet. I know my cat Mak's poops have become much more firm on raw, and I know others have the same experience.

As for why her poop suddenly changed... Are you sure you didn't leave a glass of milk out unattended? :lol: I wouldn't worry too too much for the time being. Just watch her carefully for any signs of nausea or lethargy, and take her to the vet immediately if worrying symptoms emerge.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

A litter allergy would display itself with coughing, sneezing, runny eyes...basically cold symptoms...or with skin issues. Not diarrhea...unless she's eating it, and then it would more likely be constipation due to the clumping agents in the litter. 

The food change would be for the better, her system may have just finally revolted if she has a food sensitivity. You can try some canned pumpkin (no pie spices), digestive enzymes and/or slippery elm to try and settle things down.

One thing to keep in mind when feeding the EVO dry is that it contains fish. The corn and other icky stuff in Authority are more likely culprits, so give it a try and see. But if it doesn't go away, then eliminating fish would be another step you could take. Another tact you could take would be to go straight to a limited ingredient diet like Natural Balance duck and green pea.


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## kwarendorf (Oct 12, 2009)

Protein allergies, rather than allergies to litter, can have a profound impact on intestinal function. Try sitching to a novel protein like venison or duck. It worked wonders for Franklin.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

Actually, diarrhea can be a sign of a severe allergic reaction in people. Not one of the most common signs we see, but it more common with a food allergy.

How do I know? I got to give an EpiPen today, for a severe reaction to milk. Second time, for the same kid. 8O I'm thinking the desensitation therapy didn't work. And I looked over the signs and symptoms for a food allergy.


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