# Could severe humidity cause soft stools?



## Meezer_lover (Apr 19, 2011)

It's been rediculously hot and humid here over the past 2 weeks or so. It's been even more severe yesterday and today. Right now, its about 103 outside and 88 in our house. We have A/C running in the bedroom pretty much all day, so Yoshi can go in there to cool off when he wants to.

Yoshi's stools are usually normal, but lately they've been soft. They are still formed and everything, but just soft. The real "problem" is that his bum has residue after he goes. This residue is liquidy enough that I have to wipe his bum after.

I'm wondering if the humidity is causing it. No change in diet (eats Natures Logic canned and dry 50/50 mix), and no other changes either. He is strictly indoors, is up to date on shots and is about 7 months old now. 

He's eating/drinking/behaving normally....though he's been crying more than usual starting last night into today. I attributed that to the fact that his baby fang is still in and the adult one is growing in with it. I expect the baby tooth to fall out any day now.

Any thoughts? I'll call the vet this weekend and ask about it if it continues or gets worse....


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

No...if anything the other way around...extreme heat is dehydrating so he's be more likely to get constipated if he's not drinking enough.


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## Meezer_lover (Apr 19, 2011)

Good point. 

It's weird though....his poop this morning was completely normal (not soft at all), and the temp in the house is 75, not 88 like yesterday. Plus he spent most of the night in the bedroom with us, which is air conditioned.

I'll just keep an eye out for patterns....


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

I had noticed when my kitties were teething that sometimes their stools were softer. Another reason may be that he's drinking more water because of the hot weather.


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## Meezer_lover (Apr 19, 2011)

catloverami said:


> I had noticed when my kitties were teething that sometimes their stools were softer. Another reason may be that he's drinking more water because of the hot weather.


I thought the same thing about him drinking more water lately. I don't know that he is for sure, but we put ice cubes in his water occasionally during the hot temps. He likes to watch the ice cube in his dish, so I'm thinking he may actually be drinking more than usual. He has always tended to drink quite a bit (much more so than our last cat). I guess that's a good thing.

His stools have been good yesterday and today, and we're finally get some relief from the humidity. It could be a coincidence....not sure.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Drinking more water should not cause diarrhea in a healthy cat. The body should just excrete it as urine, not leave it in the stool.


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## Meezer_lover (Apr 19, 2011)

Just to clarify, it wasn't diarrhea. Heck, it wasn't even runny. Just softer than normal, and happened to leave a little "aftermath" that needed to be wiped from his bum after.


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## Meezer_lover (Apr 19, 2011)

I think the mystery is solved....

I emailed Nature's Logic the other morning (to which the founder replied to me in 15 minutes!). I asked him about the soft stools, gave him details on Yoshi's diet....feeding schedule, amounts, etc.

He told me that the cause of soft stools and gas is almost always too much food. He advised me to cut his food back to 1/4 cup dry and 1/3 of a 5.5oz can for each day. I started doing that and immediately noticed results the following day. So far, his stools have been hard, no more aftermath on the bum, way less stinky, and he's only doing 1 #2 per day (he was doing 2 #2's per day).

So I guess this just boils down to me being dumb and overfeeding?? I was actually going by the feeding guidelines (yes, I know they are only guidelines). Plus, Yoshi is nothing but pure muscle....so I thought he was doing good.

Lesson learned I guess.


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## littlesushi (Jun 8, 2011)

interesting! i am glad you found the reason! aster and cody eat the same things, but aster's stools are usually firmer than cody's which seem to vary more in consistency (never diarrhea though). it always puzzled me but maybe i am overfeeding them. so hard to tell with kittens! right now they are each getting 1/4 cup dry left out during the day, and one 5.5oz can split into 2 meals. 

i always assumed that as kittens, it's ok to let them eat as much as they want? they are 5 months now and cody is 7 lbs and aster is 6 lbs.


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