Can someone help a nervous first time cat owner with a stool question?

I'm sorry to be starting a new thread about this, I noticed there are a couple about it already but from my extended search online I noticed there is no one with a question exactly like mine, which is why I'm doing this. 

I am a first time cat owner, so anything my kitten does is a surprise for both of us. She is three months old, and yesterday she started having rather loose stools... I wouldn't say diarrhea because it isn't liquid, but rather soft compared to what she usually does. I noticed because I clean her littler box everyday. From what I've read, it is usually fine if it doesn't last long, but none of the motives for why she might have soft stools applies to her situation! 

I've read it could be because of dietary change, but she's been eating the same food every since she came home two months ago. I never changed it because it was what the vet recommended, it's a good brand and she loves it. She has two cans of wet food a week, which she also loves, and I have given her the same one since the vet recommended it, which is a brand I buy at the vet, rather expensive, and design especially for babies. Other than that, nothing. 

I also read it could be stress, but I work from home so I spend most of the day with her. The house is small and she's usually around me at all times. I ever caught her eating anything she's not supposed to, and I never saw her scared or afraid. 
Also, I read a healthy kitten should poop once a day, and she poops two or even three times! She's always been like this though, every since we brought her home. I always just assumed it was normal to poop that much, but now I worry. 

She went to the vet last Thrusday to get her last shot, and everything was great. She's been taking her pills for internal parasites on time and she is super playful, we play together everyday for hours. And even if I'm busy, she'll play and run around me every time she's awake. Nothing has changed whatsoever! Not food, not daily habits, not anything in the house or in our relationship... And, all of the sudden, since yesterday, soft stool? I want to believe everything is fine since she has zero other symptoms, but I can't find an explanation as to why this would happen, and that is what scares me. 

Maybe I'm getting nervous over nothing, but I just wanted some reassurance... Me and my boyfriend moved in together two years ago, our first pet was a baby rabbit who died suddenly and it really scarred us. We never thought we could have a cat because we are both allergic, but we fostered this little girl and she made our allergies go away and her way into our hearts. We've been so happy about having such a wonderful pet we always thought would be impossible for us, we certainly don't want to lose her... 

filipavieira said:

 

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Hi and welcome to TCS!

You're right to be concerned because the soft stool is a symptom of a problem.  Young kittens are prone to this, the causes in approximately this order.

- Worms (but you're de-worming)

- Parasites, usually only treated after a positive test result.  (Are you treating for worms or parasites?, they aren't the same thing)

- food change (you haven't done that, but what are the brands and flavors you're feeding?)

- a specific food intolerance (usually develops in older cats as a disease process, but certain food brands have been associated with diarrhea)

- stress (seems unlikely in your case)

You say she's getting pills for parasites, are you talking about worms, or parasites like coccidia or Giardia?  If its worms, then i would suggest a test for parasites, you can do an in house flotation test at the vet or the more accurate PCR test that takes about 2 days and is sent out.  You would need to bring a stool sample in either case to the vet.

If you completely rule out worms and parasites then I would start looking at foods.  One way to go is a few days of stage one chicken baby food mixed with a little plain cooked rice and a little canned pumpkin if she'll eat it to firm her up, and *if* her stool firms up then re-introduce her food and see what happens.  If the baby food mix firms her up, then it most likely isn't a parasite, but it could be the food if you reintroduce the food and she goes soft again.

If it was me, I'd test for parasites and talk to my vet about a food intolerance and discuss the baby food, rice, pumpkin regimen and go from there.

In kittens diarrhea is usually dealt with as a process of elimination.

StephenQ said:

Hi and welcome to TCS!

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Thank you so much for your reply! You asked a lot of great questions and to be honest, I don't know the answers to some of them.
About the worms/parasites, she's been taking one pill per month, up until January, when the treatment will be over. Like I said it's my first time owning a cat so I basically just follow my vet's direction. She was adopted in an organisation that has healthcare included, it's cheaper since she was adopted there and she's been followed by the same clinic since she was born (she was born there already). All I know is that this is the process they do here in Portugal when it comes to taking care of internal parasites, and I never remembered to ask any more questions about it because she's doing fine.. she's been going to the vet once a month for her baby shots and those were over last Thursday, and the vet said she's doing great, looking healthy and that we don't need to go back until March.
So to be honest I really don't know what kind of treatment she's been doing but it should definitely be enough, I'm guessing my vet wouldn't half-ass it, pardon my French, because she's super careful with the kitten as well :/
About the food, she's been eating Purina ProPlan Junior with chicken flavor, and the little cans of wet food I can't even tell you because I ran out yesterday and I don't need them until next week, so I haven't bought it yet. But it's chicken flavor as well, and it's not a known brand but it's sold at the vet clinic, so it's not exactly a supermarket brand either. It's special for kittens, that I know. None of what she's eating was introduced randomly, I am always afraid of how sensitive little kittens are so I introduced every different kind of food with the vet's approval and help, and since she likes it, I never changed it.
Also, I've been paying attention today. And every time she goes to do her business I go after her. The first stool was solid, so I was relief thinking it was a one time thing and it had gone away. But then the second one was soft again?! So she's not even being consistent about it... I'm really not sure what could it be.

Oh one more thing I forgot to mention that might be important: She's strictly an indoor cat. I live in a small flat and we don't even have balconies, it's a basement so the windows are up high and she doesn't even reach them, so she has zero contact with the outside and other cats. I also have no other pets... I'm not sure if it is relevant but I guess everything helps, right?

Thank you so much for your reply once again, this has been really mind boggling for me...

filipavieira said:

Thank you so much for your reply once again, this has been really mind boggling for me...

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Hi again, thanks for the reply!

Kitten comes with these problems, even if they are indoors now.  I would suggest that my list and comments to you could be used as a basis for a conversation with your vet, ie is this monthly pill for worms or parasites? coccidia and Giardia don't have national boundaries.

In fact this is what i would ask the vet:

- What exactly is this monthly pill for, worms, parasites, etc, and what is it called?

- If its only for worms, then i'm concerned it might be a parasite like coccidia or Giardia, can we test for that?

- If you really don't think its necessary, then can we discuss a simple diet to firm the stool like oiled chicken, rice etc and see if her stool firms up?  If that works then can we see if returning to the regular food induces the soft stool?  If it does, then can we discuss different foods, or try and figure out if the problem is the dry food or the wet.

Step by step Q&A to get this resolved......

My cat will have them once in awhile, though I have primarily linked them to seafood in his diet. Once I removed all of the seafood he only has it occasionally. His poop was checked recently by the vet and she said it's perfectly healthy, so no parasites as the problem.

Hi there- I posted this in another thread and maybe it has something to do with your situation?

"One of my cats had bloody diarrhea for a long time from right when I got her and we could not figure out why. Finally the vet thought it could be a food allergy, but the 'special' diet she was given by the vet (Hills) was pretty crappy with a lot of ingredients that cats would not normally eat. It could be anything- fish, beef, corn, milk, wheat, soy, etc. The only way of knowing for sure is to do an 'elimination diet'. Start with a single protein that your cat has never had. I started with rabbit- canned from Natures Variety and raw nuggets from Primal. Use commercial products to ensure your cat is getting adequate nutrition- taurine, vitamins, etc. Feed her only this food, no treats or anything else, until you see her improve. Once the symptoms have cleared up (should take a few weeks) start adding one more single protein at a time until the symptoms come back- then you know what is causing it. So start with rabbit, then add chicken, if she's fine then add fish, and so on. I found out my cat is allergic to fish, so I now feed her chicken and turkey, and never dry food! I read all ingredients carefully as many foods have fish added for flavour. I found that Friskies chicken pate and chef's dinner work for her, and President's Choice chicken if you can find it where you are. There are of course many good high-end foods as well in better pet stores.

Many people do not realize that cats would not eat fish in nature, unless they found one dead on the shore or something. Cats don't catch fish. They also don't kill large animals like cows, nor do they drink cow milk, or eat corn or soy. They do get some vegetable matter in the stomach of their prey, but this material has been partially digested and broken down by the mouse or bird or squirrel, whatever they are hunting. Cats do need a bit of plant fibre in order to keep their gut microflora healthy- their digestive bacteria."

-The other thing i would say is to make sure you cat does not get any milk. Cow's milk is NOT digestible by most cats.

Good luck!