Hello- One of my cats is 15 years old and for the last two years suffered with constant diarreah-an example of how bad it is: we have changed our flooring so it can be easily washed and kept clean- the poor old boy seems to be full of gas and just explodes anywhere and everywhere- He tries to get to his litter trays but rarely makes it in time. We have to bath him regularly. Our vet says he has tried everything he can - It breaks my heart that he is in this state, he is such a sweet old lad and wants a cuddle, but things are so severe that you just cant have him jump up onto your lap.
The only health problem he has is a thyroid problem, which he has tablets for.
Please help - someone must be clever enough! I just want him to snuggle up on my lap again.

Hiya I'm not very clued up on this but have you tried changing his food? There are some excellent sticky threads in the health and nutrition section that may give you an idea what to try and you could try ask Hobbs2004 for further nutrition advice and I have seen a member called Ianthi constantly dole out good advice on the health section.

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Ditto....as above ...hope something works for you x

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Very proud Mummy of Ella my Gorgeous 5yr old daugher
and my beloved fur babies :
Honey born 23/08/10 &
Indy born 08/01/11

Erm! I am sure this is a daft question - but have you taken him to the vet?

Well, first things first:
- What has your vet tried?
- What tests were done?
- What food are you feeding?
- What food have you tried?

I presume he is hyperthyroid.

- What medication is he on and how well controlled is it?

Have you had any poo samples tested at all ? My boy Louie had bouts of the runs and tests showed he had a parasite in his tummy which was easily treated with antibiotics..He has a sensitive tummy and does better on prescribed food eg Hill "id" or Purina.
Also you say he has to take meds everyday..could the meds be adding to the problem? It would be worth asking your vet if it is a side effect of the meds.

Hope this advice helps it must be so frustrating for you and your pud

Angie xx

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There is no snooze button on a cat that wants breakfast !!

he needs to see a vet and you need to take a sample of what he produces to be tested to see if he needs antibiotics -steroid will help if it is an imfmammatory bowel syndrome -the other thing the vet can give you is peridale which is a vegetable based granule you add to food to bulk out the faeces which in turn helps regulate them -as cats get older they can develop subacute enteritis and necrotic enteritis -please get to a vet now the sooner you gert it sorted it can be controlled -leave it and the villae in the intestine are destroyed and do not regrow and the cat may become faecolly incontinent-trust me i've lived through 2 cats with this problem and it is awful for the owner and the cat.

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Valerie and all the furries and feathered present and past all much loved.

In the short term though, if you want him on your lap, go out and buy puppy pads or human incontenance bed pads. Pop one of those on your lap and snuggle your boy. Then when he has an accident, simply dispose of the pad and get a new one.

They're pretty cheap if you buy in bulk.

Thanks for so much support everyone! - Some of you have mentioned seeing a vet - this we have been doing since this all started 2 years ago! We have tried dry food/wet food/powders/antibiotics/Vit B1- we have supplied samples , which our vet sent off to a lab to be checked and the results showed that Vinnie carries bacteria which is only dangerous in kittens-nothing has ever been identified as being remotely problematic. I had to suggest to the vet that Vinnie might have a thyroid problem as they put his weight loss down to age! He has regular blood tests to check that the dosage he is having is correct.
I've been trying to find a cat version of the dog food Nature diet-which is 100% natural - but so far have not found anything 100%.
Puppy pads are a great idea- I have used newspaper on my lap but the "problem" just runs off the paper.
So pleased that I found this forum!

When was the hyperT diagnosed and what medication is Vinnie on?

Two years is an awfully long time to have chronic diarrhea-I'd be very concerned about malabsorbtion of nutrients which this causes-and I'm very surprised your vet hasn't been able to pin down any reason for it! Think you need to look elsewhere for a second opinion at a different practice-now!

When you mentioned the gas my first thought was Inflammatory Bowel Disease and this can be treated successfully with a special diet and some medication. Has Vinnie ever had an ultrasound to rule this out even though it's possible to diagnose this during a routine veterinary examination where the vet can feel intestinal thickening.

What food Vinnie eating at the moment?