Kittens with diarrhea

missmimz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
2,301
Purraise
365
I have 4 feral kittens I'm fostering that I think are about 8-9 weeks old. When i took them from mama they were about 5-6 weeks old and had not been weened yet. I started them on KMR and then transitioned them to wet food (Wellness Kitten, Blue Kitten, and Weruva paw lickin chicken/foul ball) which they've been on for about 3 weeks. Although sometimes i have to change their food slightly and add in a different brand of pate wet food. They're healthy looking (no coughing/sneezing, running noses/eyes) normal weight. They eat, play, do all things normal but some of them were having diarrhea that I was pretty sure was food related as I know that diarrhea can be normal in kittens. Most of the diarrhea has cleared up but I have what appears to be one that that still has it. I've de-wormed them all (only once about a week ago with Pyrantel Pamoate i was going to repeat again next week), and I'm giving them a probiotic to try and help the digestion.

My question is: Is it normal to have one kitten taking longer to adjust to food than the others? I'm not really keen on feeding them any dry food especially because I live in the desert where its very hot. Taking all 4 to the vet isn't really in the budget right now, although they are going to a lost cost clinic for FIV/FeLV testing etc. next week and i think i could do a fecal test if necessary. 

Thanks. 
 

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,391
Purraise
7,131
Location
Arizona
I would say that it is absolutely normal for them to take different amounts of time to adjust to food.  And I've heard others say the Wellness Kitten is somewhat rich and can cause digestive issues.  The probiotics are a good idea. 

Maybe you could just take the one that still has the diarrhea in FIRST to get him straightened out?  Then take the others in as you can.  If you are fostering, are you doing it for a shelter?  Don't they help with the expenses? 
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

missmimz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
2,301
Purraise
365
 
I would say that it is absolutely normal for them to take different amounts of time to adjust to food.  And I've heard others say the Wellness Kitten is somewhat rich and can cause digestive issues.  The probiotics are a good idea. 

Maybe you could just take the one that still has the diarrhea in FIRST to get him straightened out?  Then take the others in as you can.  If you are fostering, are you doing it for a shelter?  Don't they help with the expenses? 
Nah not fostering for a shelter I feed several stray/ferals in my neighborhood and their mama is one of them (she's being spayed in about two weeks). I say 'fostering' because I can't keep them and I do have plans to adopt them out. I live in a state with a huge homeless animal population so there are zero shelters/rescues that would be willing to take them from me. I'm not entirely sure which one still has the diarrhea and i can't really separate them. I *think* its the runt but I'm not 100% sure. 

I'll just keeping watching them and see what happens. I could take one to the vet if necessary if i can figure out which one still has the diarrhea. I just don't really have the funds allotted to take all of them. 

Thanks for the suggestions. 
 

mrsgreenjeens

Every Life Should Have Nine Cats
Staff Member
Advisor
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
16,391
Purraise
7,131
Location
Arizona
 Nah not fostering for a shelter I feed several stray/ferals in my neighborhood and their mama is one of them (she's being spayed in about two weeks). I say 'fostering' because I can't keep them and I do have plans to adopt them out. I live in a state with a huge homeless animal population so there are zero shelters/rescues that would be willing to take them from me. I'm not entirely sure which one still has the diarrhea and i can't really separate them. I *think* its the runt but I'm not 100% sure. 

I'll just keeping watching them and see what happens. I could take one to the vet if necessary if i can figure out which one still has the diarrhea. I just don't really have the funds allotted to take all of them. 

Thanks for the suggestions. 
Oh, I see.  You're being a good samaritan
.  Good for you
  Hopefully you won't have problems adopting them out. 


I, myself, would NEVER be able to foster because I'd fall in love with all of them never be able to give them up  I would quickly turn into a cat hoarder
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

missmimz

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 11, 2015
Messages
2,301
Purraise
365
 
Oh, I see.  You're being a good samaritan
.  Good for you
  Hopefully you won't have problems adopting them out. 


I, myself, would NEVER be able to foster because I'd fall in love with all of them never be able to give them up  I would quickly turn into a cat hoarder
lol yeah I've never fostered before for this exact reason! I told me bf that we might end up with 7 cats 
 
 but i couldn't just leave them outside to possibly reproduce (I am TNR but the cats are super hard to catch and constantly come and go). I am super attached to them already so I'll probably get upset when its time to adopt them out, but we are going to keep one 
 
Top