Rachael Ray causing diarrhea?

I adopted my cat Thumbelina from a shelter in my city about 4 months ago. She has been on Rachael Ray's Nutrish dry cat food from day one. I wanted to start her out on something grain free, byproduct free, and overall a more healthy choice in food. However, she has been having bad, stinky diarrhea for at (the very) least a month now. I changed her flavor of food after she finished her first bag in the first month or so that I had her and that is the only kind of kibble she has ever had. She was given Friskies or Sheba every so often but still had diarrhea. She has been getting canned tuna at least once or twice every two weeks for the last month and a half. I've noticed that when she eats the tuna. her bowel movements are more solid. She has always had a healthy appetite and will eat literally anything you put into her bowl. She is on a strict 1/2 cup of kibble a day diet. I have an appointment with her vet in a few days but maybe y'all could help me. My question is, could she be allergic to something in the RR food? What kind of things are cats allergic to in foods? Would it be best to feed her a raw diet? What kind of foods would she need if I were to begin a raw diet for her?

Cats can be allergic or sensitive to all kinds of things. Common food allergens are:

• Grains
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Shellfish
• Chicken (or other meats)
• Carrageenan
• Gums (guar gum, xanthan gum etc)

From what you're saying, there may well be something in the RR kibble that disagrees with her. It would certainly be worth trying a different kibble to see if that helps at all - but remember that you need to have a gradual transition from the current kibble to a new one.

The vet appointment is a great idea, as you need to be sure there isn't anything else going on - in fact, I'd want to be sure she was worm and parasite free before blaming the food.

It's not a great idea to feed canned tuna - it can stop her from absorbing vital nutrients from her food. Keep it for an OCCASIONAL treat, or offer plain cooked meat instead - my guys go nuts for chicken or turkey

Raw feeding done right is a great option, but it's not the only good option out there. A high meat/low carb canned diet is just as good as raw imo, and is much easier to get right.[article="29716"][/article][article="29707"][/article][article="31089"][/article][article="31127"][/article][article="0"][/article][article="22501"][/article][article="31144"][/article][article="33149"][/article][article="31650"][/article][article="30205"][/article][article="31138"][/article]

Thank you for responding! The articles were so helpful, thank you for those. As it turns out, Thumbelina has tapeworms and Giardia. She is on medication for both. Her doctor also suggested that I stop using RR and switch her to canned food (without all the gravy and sauces of course). Thanks for all your help!

I hope Thumbelina is fully recovered soon. Poor little girl - worms and giardia together are nasty hno:

I'm sure she'll do wonderfully on her new diet