was it the switch of food?

Ok, my kitty is 17 (well Ok, her 17th birthday isn't until this weekend, but close enough) and she has CRF. I had been feeding her strikly science diet KD, but recently the animal shelter I volenteer at lost the only CRF cat we had so they gave me all pecription kidney food they had. Well my baby really seems to love one of the other foods they gave me, but it gave her a little diarreah, so I didn't let her have it a couple days & then when things were back to nomal I mixed some in with the science diet. Well being the cat she is she ate around the science diet & only ate the stuff she wanted. So yesterday she once again had an episode of diarreah. I'll be honest it's so stressful for her that I don't want to take her to the vet unless I absolutly have to. I guess I'm wondering if you've ever had a cat that got diareah from a food switch & if you think it will go away, or should I just stick with the Science diet?

Yes, I think its most likely from the food switch especially since she went ahead and picked out all the new food leaving the old. Switching foods too fast may cause digestive upsets. I'd switch her back and see if it stops.

Oops forgot to add - the diahrrea may go away once she adjusts to the new food but since you can't switch her slowly (because of her picking the new food and leaving the old) the diahrrea may last for a few days.

I think given her age, and her diagnosis that letting her eat what she is comfortable with, is perfectly acceptable. I am sorry the two of you are going through this.

There is a CRF message board at Vetcentric.com

Please keep us posted as to how yur kitty is doing!