Emma has the squirts. What do you use?

Emma has very loose poop.  She is making me crazy, if she is closed in one bedroom she will use the litterboxes in there.  But if I leave the door open, she uses my bathtub.  UGH!  This has been going on since September.  Now her stools are even looser than they were.   I can't keep the bedroom door closed in the summertime, that bedroom will heat up too much.  I need the doors open.  I know I can get a screen door with a wood bottom, but that still leaves her with very loose poops.  I've tried keeping her in there up to 3 weeks, then open the door.  She immediately goes in to my bathroom and 'lives' in there.  I refuse to feed her in there, so she will leave for food.  I put a litterbox in there at one point, and most of the time she did use it.  But then I had cat litter EVERYWHERE in there: toilet seat lid, tub, vanity. 

I know with dogs, I can add some canned pumpkin to solve this loose stools issue.  I don't know if that is ok for cats?  How much would I give her?

Poor Emma. She must be so miserable. How old is she, what foods are you feeding her, does she go outside and has she seen a vet? 

Pumpkin is safe and effective for both constipation and diarrhoea in cats (and people).  Try adding a teaspoon to start with to either wet or dry food, depending on which she's fed.  Then gradually build up to a tablespoon, depending on how well she responds.  Only use canned unsweetened pumpkin puree and not premixed pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar.  You could, of course, use fresh pumpkin but considering their size and shelf-life, it would be wasteful unless you are partial to eating pumpkin everyday yourself    

She needs to see a vet though to rule out anything serious that needs medical treatment.

I think it is ever so intelligent and polite of her to use your bath tub - it's far better than your carpet, after all 

Poor Emma.

I agree with the others about the need for a vet visit. It could be something as simple as parasites but without a vet visit Emma will continue to suffer.

Can you offer us some history on her?  Has she been spayed?  Vaccinated?  Dewormed?  What does her diet consist of?

I agree with the others, your baby needs to see the Vet.. ASAP... continually having diarrhea is not good at all for her....

If you can, take a stool sample in, or take a picture of the mess... 

She could have as worms, but she needs to be worked up for all possibilities.. It has been ongoing for an extended length of time.. too long..she must be weak... and tired..and you want to make certain she is not dehydrated.. that is why the Vet Visit..

Another vote for a vet visit. It sounds like it has been going on for a while and I would be worried about dehydration and possibility of kidney issues because of it. If it was just something that would pass on its own it would have already. It could be caused by any number of things but a vet can rule out the most serious problems and then you can try the approach of changing food. But between the loose stool and wanting to hide in the bedroom there is something going on that needs a vet evaluation. 

OK, Emma will be in to the vet tomorrow.

Meantime, here is her history:

Emma is age 13 years.  This is what I know:

1.  She lived with a family as an only cat, stopped using litter box, dumped at MSPCA, April, 2013.  Their vet discovered she had a UTI; 10 days on meds and she was fine.

2.  My aunt adopted her from the MSPCA Sept 2013.  So she was at the MSPCA about 5 months.

3.  Aunt went to hospice, died in June 2015.  I came home from the funeral with Emma.

4.  She is spayed, front declased.  Once I got her, I got her up to date on shots, had a dental July 2015 and has about 5 teeth.  Most were already gone but she lost 3 or 4 at that dental. 

5.  The first 2 weeks here she was overwhelmed, understandably.  She lost her HuMom, her home, and landed in this crazy house with 7 other cats and 5 dogs.  She did come around and was doing really well.

6.  Sept 2015, my cat Cuddles passed (renal failure, she'd been battling renal disease over 2 years).  At about that same time, Emma started using the bathtub.

All my cats are indoor only.  This is a typical ranch house; I have a gate across the hallway.  During the day, the dogs are in the living room / kitchen and outside, the cats have the 3 bedrooms and bathroom.  There are cat trees in all 3 bedrooms.  At night, the dogs sleep with me, I put up a gate across my bedroom door.  The hallway gate is open, ithe cats have the whole house except my bedroom.  Cuddles (now deceased) and Crystal are always in and out of the area where the dogs are, as those 2 cats don't take any guff from the dogs.  At night Tommy will wait for the dogs to settle then come in and sleep with me; Crystal is already on the bed.  The other cats, if a dog looks her way the cat runs, then the dog chases.  So this is why I keep the gates up.  I keep hoping more of the cats will learn to just sit and stare at the dogs with slit eyes - stops the dog in its tracks every time, lol.

Even with all the doors open, Mandy stays in that one bedroom.  Her choice, she's always done this the 9 years she's lived with me.  I think she goes out at night to wander the house but not positive.  Hence when someone needs to be confined, it is "Mandy's room" that I use.

First I thought it was the litter.  Changed all the litter., from Tidy Cats to sWheat Scoop.  Nope. Went back to Tidy Cats.   As of 2 days ago, fazing out the Tidy Cats, and using Dr Elsey's Ultra in her room, and Arm & Hammer Clump and Seal in the other room (Tommy has asthma and is now on prednisolone, I need dust free scoopable litter).

Next I thought it was Tommy harassing her.  Tried leaving HIM in one bedroom all day.  Nope, she still went in to the bathroom and used the tub.  Let Tommy out again.

Now she has the very loose stool; but seems she only goes twice a day.

Food:  grain free kibble, I rotate between Nature Valley Instinct RAW and Taste of the Wild.  Kibble is mostly available around the clock. 

Evenings I give them canned food, also grain free.  Mixed Grill is one flavor, the other is Turkey and Giblets.  I try to alternate from night to night but sometimes they get the same 2 nights in a row.  In general, all canned food is gone in the morning.  And this is with Emma in a bedroom with Mandy and the door closed.  They get about 1/3 of a can, the remaining 2/3 goes into 2 bowls in the other cat bedroom.  These are the large cans, 13.2 ounces.

In the morning I give them a couple Temptations treats as I pick up the wet food dishes, so I can wash and have them ready for the evening. 

Finally, Emma has always had slightly loose stools but the runny squirts just started maybe 48 hours definitely not more than that.  I've added canned pumpkin to the canned food in that bedroom.

Think I've covered everything.  Thank you all, in to the vet we go tomorrow. 

Brian007 said:

Only use canned unsweetened pumpkin puree and not premixed pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar. 

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Quick comment on this.  For dogs, we make sure to only used canned pumpkin not the pie filling, as the nutmeg is toxic to dogs.  So I always have a can on hand.

Good luck.. keep us updated....fingers crossed

Because it has gotten dramatically worse over 48 hours, I'm relieved that she's going to the vet tomorrow.  Did you mention to the receptionist/vet nurse that her running diarrhoea has suddenly come on in the past few days?  It might be that she needs to go in today....

Thoughts on the bathroom:

She has been declawed and the bathtub will feel smooth and cool on her poor wee paws.  You probably have tiles or linoleum on your bathroom floor that also feel cool underpaw.  

All litters might feel icky, no matter how finely ground.  It might be that you have to put down a tray with no litter in it whatsoever for her to poo in and swill it out with water after she goes.

She might also be drinking drops from the taps in there, and would benefit from a water fountain.  She needs extra water right now anyway, as she'll be dehydrated, turn the cold bath tap on to a wee trickle, or squirt/spoon some into her mouth if she doesn't want to drink.

Your other animals don't use the bathroom, so she feels she has a bit of privacy to do her business.  However, because there is only one exit/entrance, she'll be constantly on edge that someone will pen her in while she poos, and the very thought of pooing makes her nervous.  Have a think about where your litter trays are located to see if there might be a better, more secluded, yet easy exit spot.

She's unlikely to eat in the bathroom, even if you did feed her in there, as cats don't like eating where they go to the toilet.  They also like to drink water separately from the loo and their food area.  

She might be ever so nervous about living with all your other animals, or just one in particular, and is gulping down her food in case someone steals it from her and then having a rapid, nervous digestion.  Twice a day is once more than most cats I know but every cat is different and it might be her standard to go twice daily. 

She sounds like she's had a rough old time of things and could be still grieving for your aunt.  I bet your aunt would be ever so proud and grateful to you for taking care of Emma.

Remember to try to take a poo sample in a pot, jar, or even plastic bag with you to the vet.  It will save time and effort in the long run.

Good luck   

Brian007 said:

 
She sounds like she's had a rough old time of things and could be still grieving for your aunt.  I bet your aunt would be ever so proud and grateful to you for taking care of Emma.
 
Good luck 

 

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I think maybe you have the timeline wrong.  Emma was fine here for 14 months.  From late July  / early August 2015 through Sept 2016, she was like the other cats, in and out of rooms, no issues.  Oh sure, she loves to have a drink from the bathtub, would go in there if I was in there and I'd turn the tap on.  She'd take a few laps, then sit and watch the water going down the drain.    I'd turn the water off and she would amble out of the room. 

All of my cats and poop twice daily.  All my past cats, as well.  My dogs eat once a day, with a treat at breakfast and bed, and they also poop twice daily.  Anyway, on to update:

I used the pumpkin first night, in Emma and Mandy's dish.  Next morning, that dish was empty.  Great!  So I waited to see, no squirts.  Great again!  That second evening I used some pumpkin again - I used the same amount but this time I mixed it in the entire can before splitting into the 3 dishes.  Second morning, not much food had been eaten, in ANY of the 3 dishes! 

I can leave the bedroom door open and, as long as the bathroom door is closed, Emma is fine.  Last evening she practically knocked me over as I was going in there, charged in past me and into the tub.  So I talked to her, gave her a few pets, and turned the water on.  She sat and watched it!  NO DRINK!  OK then, I shut the water off, did what I needed to do and got her out when I left the room, closed the door again. 

I had discussed Emma with the vet when I was in with 4 other cats last week; she had advised to put a screen door on the bedroom.  So I guess that is the route I need to take.  Do to the way heat and a/c work in this house, the doors need to be open for proper air circulation.  A screen door would solve the issue. 

I'm just glad there are no more squirts and no more mess in my tub!

Just a quick update.  Emma in to the vet yesterday.  Her weight has dropped consistently over the time she has lived with me.  Blood draw done, hyperthyroid suspected.

Also, vet said her abdomen feels 'doughy' which suggests IBD.

Emma's bladder was empty so I will drop her off on Tues morning so they can get a urine sample.  Once we have the lab report we will have an idea what to do next.

Freedom said:

Emma's bladder was empty so I will drop her off on Tues morning so they can get a urine sample.  

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It never rains but it pours, as the saying goes.  I'm truly sorry that you have so many poorly pets.  I know how exhausting it can be, tableting, squirting, injecting, special dieting, applying cream, repeat vet visits, etc etc for multiple pets.  And the cost!  My mum had an account with her vet at one time, who allowed her to pay her bill in dribs and drabs, as there was no way she could afford it otherwise. 

As for Emma's urine sample, Brian needed several urine samples over the course of years.  I used two separate vets and both insisted that they couldn't draw urine from his bladder in the surgery but that I had to take samples at home!  It's not easy collecting a home urine sample from a cat.  I was given the tiniest bag of wee plastic balls to use as "litter" as they were non-absorbent.  There weren't even enough to cover the very corner of the tray.  Brian used to look at me and sigh.  I had to collect the urine with a pipette as soon as he'd done it too.  Much fun and games ensued with my trying to tempt him into a basically empty litter tray so that I could rush in and suck up his wee!  

Oh I tried that one, those teeny tiny balls, and so few of them   After once I refused to do that ever again.

I have had the vet use a tiny needle to draw direct from the bladder; but as Emma's felt so empty they didn't even try this.

I do alot of negotiating as I have 12 rescue pets.  I never commit them to one vet clinic until we have made some basic arrangements (I get pay for 2 office visits max, as long as I bring in 3 or more).  That sort of thing.  And yesterday we agreed I will NOT be charged the boarding fee while they wait for Emma to 'go' while she is there next Tuesday.  '

As I did TNR and kept the kittens I trapped (we were SUPPOSED to socialize them and adopt them out, I adopted them myself), this means I have a group of 6 cats all the same age. Fun when they were babies, now they are all aging together and hitting age issues at the same time.  Well, that's what I 'signed up for' when I adopted all of them, I'd had pets so I did know this was going to happen. 

Phone call this morning; Emma's lab report is in.  Everything is normal.  No thyroid issue!

So we are going to try a food change, to see if that helps, with suspected IBD.  The vet suggested one of the limited ingredient formulas made by Natural Balance.  I'll get that and see if there is any change.

Emma has been on Metronidazole since last Wednesday.  No more diarrhea!  Hooray!

I did buy the limited ingredient food, she's been on that 24 hours.