Can change in cat food/cat litter cause cat poop to become grey?

[erikaash27]

Hello everyone, 

I posted something similar to this a few days ago, but didn't really explain completely. 

So, I went to the vet on Tuesday of this past week. My cat was eating his clumping litter and random things around the house. I also took in a stool sample to get it checked out. His poop was normal and a dark brown color at that time. The vet examined him and said everything seemed normal, but diagnosed him with pica. She said to change his food to purina proplan and to change his litter. So I changed his litter to swheat scoop. 

I cleaned his litter on Wednesday and his poop was grey in color. I cleaned it again today and it was also grey. It seemed to be normal in hardness and didn't have an abnormally bad smell to it. Can a change in food/litter cause this? I should mention when I first put the new litter in, he immediately put his head in and ate it. But I don't think he has eaten it since. 

Should I be concerned? Or is this normal with a change in food? The vet gave me some probiotic to put over his food which I completely forgot about until yesterday, but i have been using it yesterday and today. He is still eating,drinking, and acting energetic. 

 

[IndyJones]

Food changes can cause poo to change colour because of the ingredients. If he's other wise healthy I wouldn't be concerned

 

[livelovepurr]

I think you should take your cat back to the vet and have them run a full blood panel on him, checking specifically the organ functions. If he has pica, it actually concerns me that he has actually eaten something to affect his liver or bile duct, since bile is what gives feces its brown color.

 

[erikaash27]

Okay thanks for your reply! 

 

[erikaash27]

Oh that concerns me. Thank you for your input. It just is so weird that his poop was completely normal before I took him to the vet and did the food/litter change. So that is what makes me think that it may have to do with that. As a college kid, I can only afford so much and a blood panel at the vet i go to is $150 and I have spent so much money on him recently. Would something to do with his liver cause him to act sick at all? Like I said he is very energetic and eating/drinking. If it is a liver problem, would he be okay if I waited a few days or is this an emergent situation? I'm thinking about waiting and seeing if he continuously is having grey poo and then going from there. 

 

[livelovepurr]

My advice to you would to continue to monitor his feces. If they are consistently gray, take him to the vet. If he becomes lethargic or start vomiting or having diarrhea, take him to the vet. I completely understand being a college student and being tight on finances. The only thing that helped me, while I was in college, was that I went for veterinary technology so was able to care for my cats through school and now through the clinic that I work at or another clinic that honors my career choice. Before that, it was always the "wait and see what happens" tactic. Just know that cats are experts at hiding illness, so acting "normal" isn't always a sign of good health. Many times, owners catch illnesses too late. Have you heard of CareCredit? It's a healthcare credit line that many veterinarian clinics accept. That is an option for you if you need financial help with your kitty.

 

[erikaash27]

Thank you so much for all your help and taking the time to respond. Definitely going to monitor him closely and go from there the next few days. I'm always so worried about him lol He has a big personality and is always SO curious about everything! Yes, I've heard of it and I have thought about getting that or cat insurance. Thank you again for your help!  

 

[livelovepurr]

I have pet insurance on all four of my cats through Nationwide. It is definitely a good thing to have, especially if you're blessed with a cat that likes to eat things (I just spent $600 in January on one of mine for an intestinal blockage from a hair tie...). Definitely kitty-proof your house. Make sure that you keep all small objects out of sight, know the textures that he likes (Atlas' is rubbery textures) and keep those away from him, and use a spray deterrent (like sour apple spray) on other things. Also know what types of plants that are toxic to cats and keep food that you cook for yourself away from him. Pica can, and most of the time will, cause some pretty serious issues down the road.

Also note, pet insurance companies rarely ever covers costs up front. Most of the time, you will be paying for treatments out-of-pocket and later being reimbursed once you send in the paperwork to make your claim. So having some kind of credit line, albeit CareCredit or other credit card, is a good idea for emergency use.

 

[erikaash27]

Oh great to know! I don't know anything about pet insurance so I will check Nationwide out! I  Oh wow, I am sorry you had to go through that, hope your cat is okay now. Yes I try to keep my house very kitty proof. I realized he was eating cardboard boxes that were left out from moving so I put those all away and he was also pulling up carpet with his claws and I caught him eating that sometimes too. I'm definitely going to try that deterrent spray! I've been looking into finding one of those. I bought him a cat tree today to help entertain him and to help tire him out (he keeps me up all night!) and also to try and distract him from getting into other things and eating them. So far he loves it! 

 

[erikaash27]

Update: He went poo yesterday night and I cut it in half and it was brown on the inside! I did that today also after he went poo and it was also brown on the inside. I think it is just the new litter making appear grey. Thank you again for your help  

 

[benthomas778]

Update: He went poo yesterday night and I cut it in half and it was brown on the inside! I did that today also after he went poo and it was also brown on the inside. I think it is just the new litter making appear grey. Thank you again for your help

Hey erikassh, hope you and your cat are both well! Sorry to bump this post several years after the fact, but my cat is having the exact same issue. Clay colored, firm stools with a brown, healthy-seeming center and no major behavioral changes. How did things resolve with your little guy? I’m in a similar financial position to yours at the time you wrote this thread, so I’m worried about taking him back to the vet if it’s not medically urgent. Googling “cat poop grey” has me worried about his pancreas and liver, /-:

 

[neely]

benthomas778 I'd like to welcome you toTCS! You may want to consider starting your own thread regarding your cat's issue so that it will get more attention and replies by other members. I hope this link is helpful for you:
How To Create A New Thread – TheCatSite Articles