Hi All

I know this is a topic that has come up many times and I've read endless threads and articles and spoken to various people including the vet but I'm still not sure what to do for the best, so hopefully someone can help?

Casper, my 12 week old little boy is having tummy troubles. I've had him just over 2 weeks now and except for the past 2 or 3 days he has had a runny bottom. He has been perfectly OK in himself, eating, drinking, playing etc. I took him to the vet after about a week as I was concerned that things hadn't improved. They said it was most likely change of diet and to feed him plain white fish or boiled chicken. They also gave him antibiotics for 5 days. They said he was healthy and not dehydrated etc. I'd been feeding him normal adult food as that's what the breeder said he was on. I asked what brand it was but she said it is breeders food so I assumed I couldn't get it. I guess I've been spoilt in the past as none of the other cats I've ever had have had any problems changing food. Tobias, my 14 week old little boy has been fine on the adult food in the 10 days I've had him.

So, I can't keep feeding Casper chicken and fish forever. I did give him a bit of rice but he brought it back up after so I stopped that! When I took him to the vet for a check up yesterday he said that everything seemed fine and he is healthy. He told me to keep on the chicken and fish for another week and then gradually, over 3 or 4 days change him onto cat food. He said that kitten food (which I just stocked up on as I thought the adult food was the problem!) can sometimes be too rich for kittens so to try a good quality adult food. Is this right? If so, what is a good quality food which might be OK for him? And 3 or 4 days doesn't sound very long to change over???? I'm not keen on dry food as I've had trouble in the past with urinary problems in other cats and I was told to keep them off the dry food.

I'm worried that I'm going to be trying a million and one things to find something that suits him and all the while he's going to have a poorly bottom. Also he is ALWAYS crying for food and I mean crying, whenever I go in the kitchen you'd think he was being strangled the amount of noise he makes! My other kitten doesn't do this. I could understand him doing this while he was poorly as any food was going straight through him but even now when it's not, he's the same. When you watch him eat you'd think I'd starved him for a week the way he gobbles it down. It's gone in seconds! Is this normal? He's just been wormed by the way.

Would appreciate any advice, I just don't want the poor little thing to go through all that again. Not that it seemed to affect him in any way, he's been a little monster all along!

Thanks guys

Debbie

How much is he being fed a day? Kittens should really be given as much food as they like (within reason obviously). My 5 month olds can still easily put away 400g each some days. It may not be a good idea to feed him so much with having tummy troubles though.

I'm not sure what to suggest for the runny bum apart from plain boiled chicken which you have already tried. How much chicken are you feeding at a time? Have you tried feeding small amounts but often?

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If he is eating well now and not having tummy problems I would keep him on the present food that you are preparing. At 12 weeks onwards they can eat quite a bit on each meal. Do you feed 4 times a day at the moment. At 12 weeks I fed my kittens on Royal Cannin kitten dry food plus one meal each day of cooked chicken and never had tummy problems. My older cats have one meal Royal cannin dry food and one meal tuna or other fish and I find this is one way of avoiding total dry food which I understand you are worried about from past experience.

Thanks for your replies.

He is having 3 meals a day at the moment. It's difficult to change that to more due to work commitments

He'll have either half a chicken breast or half a cod fillet each meal. Is this enough? The vet said to be careful not to overfeed him but I'm not sure how much would be too much. I have some Royal Canin biscuits, perhaps I could try just to give him a few of those in addition to the chicken/fish, just to give him some variety and to try and get his tummy used to something else?

I have to feed him separately from my big cat and other kitten and it breaks my heart to hear him still crying at the door as he's gobbled his down so fast and the other two are still plodding along with theirs in another room.

On the flip side of everything I don't think he's had a poo for a couple of days now, which is good because the runs have stopped but now I'm worried he's gone the other way!

IF YOU ONLY MANAGE 3 MEALS A DAY PERHAPS LEAVE SOME ROAYAL CANNIN KITTEN BISCUITS DOWN OVERNIGHT AND THIS WILL KEEP HIM SATISFIED.

Hurrah, a normal poo! Poor thing can't even use the litter tray in peace as I'm straight there watching to see what happens!

Yes I could put the Royal Canin down but I'm worried he's not ready for them yet and he'll get the runs again! That said, I've started to let him have a little bit of wet food as well as the chicken/fish and all seems OK so far.

He goes for his second vaccination next week and I heard somewhere that this can cause upset tummy sometimes? Is this right?

Thanks!

Debbie

Try getting some Prokolin in. If you give him 1ml 3 times a day for a week while you gradually put him on your chosen wet food (adult is fine ) Hopefully the Prokolin will help keep his gut healthy and he will handle the change much better.

More than a week of feeding boiled chicken and fish with such a young kitten is dodgy IMO. At that age they need all the nutrients possible to give them a good start.

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Prokolin? What is this for and where can I get it?

Sorry, still learning!

I can only go by my recent experience but this was with a 1 yer old cat so not quite the same.
I defo agree that Pro Kolin is very good.

He will have to get on to some kind of decent food, doesn't have to be kitten food, just a good quality cat food. Kitten food is quite rich so maybe best to avoid that. The problem with a chicken and white fish diet is that it lacks nurtrients which your kitten needs.

You may have to go through a number of foods to find one that suits him and each one will need to be started very very slowly. In time you will find a food which suits him and your other cats I am sure. Best of luck.

What is Prokolin and where can I get it from? The vets? Pet store?

I could do with getting this ASAP if it works but have no idea where to get it!Thanks!