Cat Has a Sensitive Stomach

A visitor's cat has a sensitive stomach. Could it be Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or could there be another underlying cause of the condition?

Visitor's Cat Has a Sensitive Stomach

Hello,

I have a foster cat with Urinary Tract Disease. She's had her shots and has been wormed. I suspect she also has Irritable Bowel Syndrome because she frequently has loose, sometimes bloody stools. I just recently bought dry cat food, Science Diet for Sensitive Stomachs. Is there anything better that I should be using?

~~Diane

Expert Reply

Hi Diane,

Sounds like your foster cat is dealing with a number of issues. I haven't personally used Science Diet for Sensitive Stomachs for any of my cats, so I can't vouch for the product. Veterinarians seem to have a lot of faith in the Hill's brand, so go ahead and try it for a month, and see if your cat gets any relief.

I know you said your cat has been wormed, but hookworms are more difficult to diagnose and get rid of. They get their name from the way they hook their heads into the lining of the digestive tract and feed on the blood in the tissue. This often results in blood in the stools. It may be necessary to take a few more stool samples to your vet for analysis to find out if these nasty pests could be the problem.

Let us know what you think of the Science Diet after your cat has been on it for a while.

Thanks for your question

~~ Kelly

Kitten Not Gaining Weight

Hi, I have a nine-week-old kitten. She is a Siamese/Bengal cross. She had digestive problems when I first brought her home at seven weeks, but I worked hard to find the right food, and her digestive system now seems to have settled. She has grown in length (particularly legs!) and her eyes have almost finished changing from blue to the adult color (which I think will be amber). However, she only weighs 540g (1 lb. 3oz.), which is about the same she weighed two weeks ago before the digestive problems, when her weight dropped to 460g. Is this abnormally small for a Siamese kitten? Her mother was a very small Bengal and she was the smallest of six kittens. She is very active with a huge personality, eats loads and tries to hold her own with my eleven-week-old Egyptian Mau male, who is a very healthy 1.3 kg (2 lb. 14 oz.).

~~Moira

Expert Reply

Hi Moira,

Seven weeks is rather young for a kitten to be separated from her mother. Her digestive system may have still been developing, particularly if she was the runt of the litter. Since she was ill and you had to work at straightening that out, I wouldn’t worry too much about her weight just yet. As long as she is eating and drinking and using the litter box normally, that is a good sign. I would keep a close eye on her weight and if she doesn't gain some ounces in the next few weeks, I would take her to the veterinarian. Siamese are often small cats. I own a Siamese, and she is only about eight pounds full grown. Kittens grow very quickly and she should begin to pick up weight soon. Also, since her mother was small, she will likely be a small cat.

Your kitten will be due for her shots soon, so I would mention your concerns to the vet when she goes in for her vaccinations. He will be able to check her over and make sure she isn't ill. You may also want to take in a fecal sample for him to test to rule out any parasites.

~~Lori.

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