First time cat parents, constant diarrhea, overwhelmed.

[FishPhoenix]

Hi all. Apologies for the long post, just want to get all the details out there. My wife and I adopted a 1 year old a month ago from a rescue. The rescue was also taking care of her kittens, and we had to wait a while to get her because she was nursing her kittens. They also got her spayed a few days before we got her (side incision). The rescue assured us she had a clean bill of health and was the perfect cat for new owners. The paperwork provided showed which vaccines she already had and what she still needed.

Since day 1 she has had diarrhea. At first it was yellow and smelled VERY bad. We transitioned from her food at the foster care (which was Royal Canin kitty & mommy) to the Purina Liveclear we are currently giving her. We figured it was just due to a combination of stress from new home and people, the recent spay, and the new food. Regardless we had a vet appointment set up to get her checked out. Vet does a basic physical and finds nothing wrong besides her being underweight. She was 5.5lbs at the time. They said we really need to get her to eat a lot. They gave her a deworming topical and also prescribed metronidazole. We brought them a stool sample later in the day and they had results within 24 hours - she had both giardia and tapeworms. They upped the dosage of metronidazole as a result. They also suggested a probiotic so we started giving her fortiflora. I will say the diarrhea was still there, but it got a bit better. The color became brown and didn't smell nearly as foul as before. Slowly overtime it became paste-y textured too, rather than liquid.

Around this time we found out that the rescue had been withholding information from us. They had known she has had constant diarrhea since as long as they have had her. They figured it was just worms and that she would be fine with deworming. The foster stopped contacting us after we found out, and the rescue said they don't know if the foster managed to help her diarrhea or not while they were there.

After a while worms started coming out of her butt, both in her diarrhea and just normally while she would be relaxing. Vet assured us this was the dewormer taking effect. That lasted about a week. Oddly enough, the day after her metro finished, the worms stopped coming out. We were worried that they only stopped because the meds stopped. They put her on panacur for a couple days after the metro finished. Then they ran the same test as before and found that she was clear of giardia, but still tested positive for tapeworms. They said they believe she is tapeworm free due to the dewormers, and that since they test DNA that she will just show up as positive for a few weeks. We still found it odd though that the worms stopped coming out the day after she finished the metro.

Anyways, since she still had diarrhea they now wanted to try pro-pectalin probiotic instead of fortiflora. Again no change. The latest thing they did was prescribe her prescription food. It is Hills GI Biome. This is probably a good time to point out that our cat is a very picky eater. She wouldn't try any of the wet food we got her so she has been on dry food. She doesn't like treats with the exception of one (one of the squeeze up go-gurt like treats). We tried going grain-free and she wouldn't have it. She completely rejected pumpkin puree (she treated it like poop in her litter and was trying to cover it up). She is also 6lbs now so she gained half a pound over 3 weeks or so. The day we brought home the GI food, she didn't eat all day. She spent the entire day looking for food. We even found her chewing on random things out of hunger. Oddly enough, that evening after not eating all day she had probably the best poop she has had (it wasn't completely healthy but it was like solid/paste, leaning towards solid). Finally at night she caved and started eating the mix of her purina and the GI food. Over the next few days she would eat but she would be very picky about it. She is not eating nearly as much as before when it was just the purina, and also I'm not sure if the GI food gets stale quicker or what, but she always wants new food in her bowl even if her bowl already has food in it, which she didn't do often with the purina.

Things took a turn for the worse again this past Saturday night, 2 days after she started eating the mix of old food and GI food. She didn't eat any of her food overnight at all, not even a tiny bit. When we woke up in the morning she seemed to be in a bad mood. She wasn't meowing (and she is typically VERY vocal and the only time she doesn't meow is when she is mad at us, typically after we give her medicine). We emptied her food bowl and put new food in and she was sitting next to it but not eating. She then moved to drink water and there was this big blob of mucus on the floor where she was sitting. She drank water and then went to the litter box, and it was complete liquid diarrhea with red blood in it. We were debating whether to take her to emergency room or wait it out. We decided to wait. She seemed to improve throughout the day. No more discharge, she was eating and meowing, but her diarrhea was still completely liquid and smelling bad again like those first few days.

Monday morning we called the vet. We already have an appointment scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday) so they said since she is eating and drinking to just wait. She seemed more of herself yesterday but again it was just liquid diarrhea. Today, she again didn't eat any of her food we left for her overnight. In the morning she went to poop twice within an hour, and the second time my wife said she thinks she saw like pinkish/dried blood. But both times were completely liquid.

So that's where we are now. We know none of this is her fault and just want her to get better. We are awaiting our vet appointment tomorrow. They are also in the process of running a new stool panel which tests for more serious illnesses rather than the standard stuff. They said if this comes back negative then they may look into something called the Texas A&M panel. My wife has been getting frustrated with the vet and wants to get a new vet, but I'm not sure what difference it will make. She's clearly been worse since she's been on the GI food. Should I be asking the vet about doing allergy tests/blood tests? Just not sure where to go from here.

 

[di and bob]

If she is worse since the GI foods, by all means, quit them. If she does better/eats more Purina than the other, I would give her that. all this switching is most likely causing a lot of diarrhea too. Get her tested again for worms and giardia again. Make sure she is getting no cows milk products at all. I feel so sorry for her, and you! A month isn't long, I pray they find out something tommorrow!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I agree with the above, if she was doing better - both eating and somewhat improved stools - on the Purina food, then it might be best to stop the GI food until you know more. The two foods are not terribly different in terms of most ingredients, but there is a whole boat load of 'additives' in the GI Biome food that really are probably not necessary (pea protein, pea fiber, dried citrus pulp, ground pecan shells, just to name a few). They are all probably included to help with fiber, but sometimes a lack of fiber is not what is behind diarrhea. You can look up both of them to check out the ingredients if you are interested in knowing more.

I would also forgo planning on allergy testing until the stool tests are completed. Testing for allergies, especially when food related, is often unproductive. If she hasn't had actual blood tests - CBC & Chemistry panel - that would be a good idea to ask about getting those done.

The larger scale stool test is a good idea, but just make sure you know what is included in it and also compare it to the proposed panel by Texas A&M so that you are not having overlapping testing done and perhaps can isolate the additional testing to reduce any redundancy.

It doesn't seem like the vet has been dismissive of your cat's issues, and maybe getting this resolved is taking longer than your wife would like, but if they are working with you, you might want to wait at least until you get the stool testing completed before contemplating another vet.

Lastly, but not least, start now getting into the habit of getting copies of all testing that is done, as well as all vet notes. This serves two purposes - 1.) you start to learn what is involved in the testing, what it all means, and the vet's written thoughts about them, and 2.) you will have all the records you need should you choose to find a different vet.

 

[catsknowme]

Welcome to TCS and bless you for rescuing that mama kitty!! Poor thing must have suffered terribly nursing babies while suffering from worms AND Giardia. It sounds like her guts need to calm down. Instead of full meals, I would offer her the broth from boiled chicken breast or hamburger with a little white rice added until her symptoms improve. Also, you could ask a holistic vet about using slippery elm to sooth the alimentary tract; I prefer to use a decoction (like a tea but simmered, covered, for 10-15 minutes) but some people have good results with powdered sprinkled onto food or a treat. Just as it is with probiotics, it's a good idea to separate slippery elm from medications by 3-4 hours because the soothing coating of slippery elm blocks absorption. Myself, I find that what works for cats will work for me. When I was in my 30s, I contracted giardia and it kept recurring for a year and it set off Crohns in my gut and for years I had fibromyalgia-like symptoms; gut issues can be tough. After taking a food sensitivity test, I gave up wheat and few other things and life is much better.
When she gets smelly poop, you can ask a holistic vet about giving her digestive enzymes with very little food (with one of those go-gurt style treats)on an empty stomach then wait at least an hour before feeding a proper meal. The theory is that the enzymes wipe out the active giardia cysts.
Also, ask the vet to check her electrolytes as diarrhea can deplete them which then causes metabolic disruption that also causes diarrhea.
I would add lively play and comfort grooming to help her stress level go down. Being separated from their kittens can be extremely stressful for mama kitties, even if the kittens are weaned. Your mama kitty is one of the few lucky ones who found a loving family of her own.

 

[lunasu]

I'm really sorry about what you have been through. I feel the stress of moving to a new home, neutering, deworming, vet visits, and food transition are all contributing to her situation. Did you transit her food slowly and steadily in 7-14 days by gradually increasing the proportion of new food and decreasing the proportion of old food? Sudden food transition could cause diarrhea too, in addition to all the stress factors. I also agreed with above thoughts on the Purina food, if she likes it, then probably keep letting her have it. You may also try to get smaller batch of different brands of food and sources of protein.

I personally experienced similar time when I first brought my Fugui home when she was 4 months old. She had one normal stool, and all the poops followed are diarrhea. She was diagnosed with Giardia too. She had Metro and panacur. They did clear the Giardia, and when she is on Metro there is normal stool. Unfortunately after the meds stopped, her diarrhea is back again. We tried probiotics, prescription diet, PCR exam, plain diet, other brands and types of protein. None of them helped her. The only thing that solved her problem is raw food. She has been on freeze dried food since 7 month and her poop was just perfect.

 

[stephanietx]

It's no fun adopting a sick cat, but I think with patience and TLC you'll figure out what's causing her issues and get to the bottom of things. If she was better on the Purina, put on that and leave her on it for several weeks. The constant food change isn't helping her at all. Also, give her wet food and add in saccharomyces boulardii. It's been a lifesaver for my kitty with a sensitive tummy. He's on Royal Canin gastroentestinal and gets s. boulardii twice a day in his food. You may need to ask for something different to treat the giardia. I had a different kitty with that when she came to live with us, but I don't remember what meds we gave her.

My Cat Has Diarrhea - What Do I Do?

 

[maggie101]

Lots of good suggestions! My concern is dehydration from having diaheria and not eating canned food for moisture. Have numerous water bowls and a fountain. Get some tiki sticks, almost 90% liquid. I have switched vets 3x. Easy to do if needed

 

[Astragal14]

Your cat has been through SO MUCH in the past 4-8 weeks! It's going to take a little time to get everything under control (giardia, worms) and then a little more time for her gut to heal. There are many, many great suggestions already mentioned, so here is a little more information based on our own cats' bout with giardia.

Giardia requires serious disinfecting and deep cleaning to eliminate the parasite from the environment - otherwise, your cat may be reinfecting herself. Giardia can be shed anywhere and everywhere and can live outside its host for a long time. We thought we did a good job cleaning during the first round of metronidazole but stool samples were still positive several weeks later (you should also have multiple samples tested). At that point, we disinfected all hard surfaces again and bought replacement items for the objects that couldn't be disinfected (like scratchers and certain toys). We also bought new litter boxes just for peace of mind.

Here is the CDC's guidance for cleaning giardia:

• Clean and disinfect potentially contaminated items (for example, toys, water bowls and food bowls, pet bedding, floors, dog crates, linens, towels, litter box) regularly for as long as your pet is sick.
• If your pet is taking medication, clean and disinfect potentially contaminated items frequently (daily if possible) until a few days after the last dose of medication is given.

Giardia and Pets | Giardia | Parasites | CDC
Prevention and Control | Giardia | Parasites | CDC

You may want to also ask your vet about a different probiotic, a subcutaneous fluids injection (for dehydration) and a B12 injection. Both injections are inexpensive, generally have no side effects and can really do a lot to help her feel better. As for probiotics, Forti Flora won't do much against giardia and I'm not sure pro-pectalin will either. We used Visbiome, which is one of the strongest pet probiotics available, and it was fantastic, it helped so much! Their website only sells a minimum of two bottles (which could be a good idea considering how long she's been having problems), and your vet may offer single bottles. Other strong probiotics we've used include Proviable Forte and VetriScience Entero Flora Pro (not Rx but both are only available through vet offices).
Visbiome® Vet
Proviable®-Forte Kits For Cats - Proviable®
Entero Flora Pro

Definitely give her the food that seemed to agree with her the best; it sounds like this may be the Purina. If nothing seems to be working at all, then I recommend asking your vet about Hill's W/D, it's like a less intense version of the G/I Biome. We tried G/I Biome and it was just too much for our cats' diarrhea and the W/D ended up being just right.

 

[FishPhoenix]

Thank you all for the suggestions and kind words. We had our next vet appointment yesterday. The new stool sample tests showed up with her positive for feline coronavirus and clostridium perfringens. They said the perfringens toxin count is really low so they aren't worried about that. Regarding the feline coronavirus, they said she does not have any of the symptoms of FIP (besides diarrhea) so they don't think she has FIP. She is also showing negative again for giardia so that seems to be in the clear for now. The vet is leaning towards her having some sort of food allergy. They did draw blood and will run blood tests next; we will get the results in one to two weeks.

The vet is suggesting we put her on a LID diet. She recommends we try to find some LID food with novel protein such as duck or rabbit. She recommended the brand Koha but we noticed Koha only has wet food and at least so far our cat only has interest in dry food. I asked about putting her on a bland chicken diet as suggested above but the vet said incase she has a chicken allergy (so far all the food she has gotten from us, as well as when she was at the rescue, has chicken as the main protein) then that won't help at all. She also suggested if LID over-the-counter doesn't work, then they can try a prescription hydrolyzed protein diet. In the meantime she didn't prescribe any meds or anything since she said they don't appear to be helping.

She ate all her food overnight last night (just the purina, we took her off the GI food since Tuesday morning). Another disaster this morning. While she was eating breakfast, she leaked out a lot of yellow liquid diarrhea and mucus all over the kitchen. The diarrhea is all over her backside as well (she licked some of it up herself, and we tried wiping as much of it off of her as we could with cat-safe wipes). She wasn't aware it was coming out, but it was just leaking out everywhere she was walking. I tried picking her up and taking her to the litter box, but she just went back to her food bowl.

I know changing food will be a long term process and am researching which LID food to get for her, but I am wondering if there is anything at all we can do to help in the short term? Any OTC meds we can try? Is there something similar to pepto bismol for cats lol? We don't talk to the rescue anymore since they withheld information, but last time we talked to them they recommended "Proviable Probiotic for Cats" and "Rebound Recovery for Cats". I am also tempted to try the article linked above with S. Boulardi but am unsure if that is the route I should go?

 

[maggie101]

Optagest is a prebiotic,proviable dc probiotic. If you buy one,proviable dc did not help but optagest did. I also switched canned food. She was on weruva steak frites for weeks. Had diarrhea and was on proviable dc. Switched to koha stew,got worse. Bought opategest,got better,switched to fromm chicken duck,I think no longer has it. Extremely expensive so i am trying mixing in with weruva. Could all be coincidence. Prebiotic is more for diaheria. I don't remember the difference.

 

[Astragal14]

I'd be surprised if your cat has a protein allergy at such a young age, it's more common for that to develop after years of feeding a single protein, but it is in the realm of possibility. More likely it's just a case of GI issues that have gone untreated for too long and have become chronic. I've been doing animal rescue for years and years and we see situations like this all the time.

This is a great article that gives a 5 step process for controlling chronic GI issues (the steps are at the bottom of the article). A big part of it is that diarrhea and GI issues can't respond to treatment until you've controlled inflammation and supplemented with B12 and B9 injections.
Ixnay on the IBD: An update on handling patients with chronic enteropathies

It also gives a lot of supporting evidence for the steps and medications and supplements they chose. Here is a basic overview of their recommendations:
1. Treat the inflammation
2. Supplement with B12 (cobalamin) and B9 (folate)
3. Try a diet trial, maybe an antibiotic trial
4. Add prebiotics & probiotics

Why treat the inflammation?

...chronically inflamed intestines lose the ability to absorb fat. Unabsorbed fat in the intestine stimulates diarrhea by osmotically drawing water into the lumen and by fostering an environment for the bacterial toxins

She'll continue having diarrhea until her intestines calm down. Food and supplements (prebiotics, probiotics, maybe digestive enzymes if your vet recommends it) may be all she needs to calm the inflammation. Your vet can recommend other therapies if food and supplements aren't enough on their own (this is discussed in step 5).

Why B12 and B9?

Low cobalamin and folate concentrations are indicative of severe diffuse disease, and this will limit the efficacy of oral therapy for IIBD. Supplement with cobalamin and folate before instituting therapy...

(emphasis mine)
The GI tract can't heal until B12 and B9 levels are in a normal range. Cats with GI issues are usually low in B12 and often low in B9, and deficiencies can take a long time to show up in bloodwork. The injections are inexpensive and have almost no side effects, so they pretty much can only help.

I am wondering if there is anything at all we can do to help in the short term? Any OTC meds we can try? Is there something similar to pepto bismol for cats lol?

There are definitely some supplements that will help in addition to prebiotics and probiotics. Look for ingredients like Slippery Elm, Marshmallow root, and licorice - they won't fix her issues but they will help her feel better. Just be sure to administer these ingredients a few hours away from any other supplement or medication; their soothing properties make it difficult for other ingredients to be absorbed.

Here are a few products with these ingredients:
ANIMAL ESSENTIALS Colon Rescue Herbal GI Support Dog & Cat Supplement, 2-oz bottle - Chewy.com (also available in a powder)
ANIMAL ESSENTIALS Daily Digestion Breath & Digestion Support Dog & Cat Supplement, 1-oz bottle - Chewy.com (I use this with my cats, but your cat may need something stronger)
PRANA PETS Good Digestion Formula Digestive Health Liquid Cat & Dog Supplement, 2-oz bottle - Chewy.com
DR. MERCOLA GI Support Dog & Cat Supplement, 2.9-oz jar - Chewy.com
VET'S BEST Chewable Tablets Hairball Control Supplement for Cats, 60 count - Chewy.com
(this one has fiber so be sure to ask your vet if fiber would be appropriate for her right now, and it needs to be given with A LOT of moisture or else the extra fiber could make her feel worse)

 

[Furballsmom]

She wasn't aware it was coming out, but it was just leaking out everywhere she was walking.

Until this gets squared away, you might try containing her to a room with pee pads and/or tarps or similar on the floor, or you could look into kitty diapers.

 

[Sarthur2]

How is your cat doing now? I note that you have not responded in a couple of weeks. I would like an update so I can determine if there is any way that I can be of assistance. Does she still have diarrhea? If so, what color? Does she still have worms in her stool? What actions have been taken in the last couple of weeks?

I’d like to help if I can. Thank you!

F FishPhoenix

 

[FishPhoenix]

Hi all, sorry for the lack of updates. Yuna is doing much better now! We transitioned her to a low ingredient diet. Surprisingly she was less fussy about the transition this time versus before when we tried transitioning her to the prescription food. We are currently giving her Koha duck wet food.

During the transition she had liquid diarrhea once, but besides that it was always some combination of solid/toothpaste texture/paste texture. It's been solid more often than not lately, and I have slowly begun just letting her do her thing without me trying to track what kind of poop she is having lol. She is also pooping less. Before when she had diarrhea she was pooping at least 6 times a day, if not more. Lately she has only been pooping 2 or 3 times a day at most, and as mentioned it's been mostly solid. She also looks and acts healthier. Before when she came to us she would slowly walk over to us. Now she happily jogs over sometimes for pets. Her fur has also started noticeably growing back finally where she had her spay surgery done. Even when we give her the daily probiotic, she fights much more now as if she has energy to fight back lol (I've gotten scratched twice in the last week!)

The only issue so far with the food is that since we went 100% new food, she isn't finishing her meals. During the transition when it was a mix of her old food and the Koha, she was eating so much everyday - we were really happy because she needs to gain weight. During the first ~9 days she was eating about a can or 1.5 cans of Koha (5.5oz cans), and about 1/4 cup (less over time) of her old dry food every day. But as of two days ago (which is about 12 days since we started the transition, slowly decreasing her old food and increasing her new food), she is 100% on the new food but won't finish her meals.

The last two days on the 100% wet food, she's been eating about 1/2 a can to 3/4 of a can per day. The recommendation on the label is that she should be eating 1 whole can a day (again 5.5oz cans). We don't give it to her all at once, we try giving it to her in increments which is what she is used to, and if she seems like she is still hungry we give her more. She eats every 3-4 hours throughout the day, with the biggest meal being first thing in the morning. I think we waited long enough for the transition (the can said 7-10 days, we took 12 days) so hopefully she's still not hoping for more of the old food? I know there is LID freeze dried duck liver treats available on chewy; tempted to order and add it to her food if it's just the "crunch" factor that she misses. Also not sure if this is a concern or not, but she is drinking far less water now. Wet food has water in it from what I understand, so she might be getting her fluid intake from there? When she was on just her old dry food she would drink water after every meal. Now on the wet food I see her drink water maybe once a day.

 

[Furballsmom]

Wet food has water in it from what I understand

What a wonderful update!
Wet food does have more moisture, but even so, there might be something here (Poppycat loves the baby food soup )

Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake – TheCatSite Articles

 

[Sarthur2]

She may appreciate the crunch treats, but it sounds like her basic water needs are being met through her new wet food, which she is eating. No harm in giving her the “treats” daily, which she may love. If her poops have firmed up and she’s doing well, it sounds like you may have solved the problems she was having.

Let is know if we can be of further assistance!

 

[FishPhoenix]

One thing I have noticed over the last week, and my wife has noticed as well: she's more energetic now (trots/jogs to us, runs up and down the stairs when she's excited rather than walks, etc.) but there's been one small caveat. She seems off-balanced sometimes. For example I had her in my lap a little while ago and when she went to get down, she like half jumped half fell. A little while after that she went to go to her little cat cave and as she started walking it's like her back legs almost tripped over themselves. My wife noticed this morning when she went down the stairs that she tripped on a step. There's been little instances like this over the last week where it's as if she loses balance or trips over herself. It's not all the time; happens a couple times a day.

My wife thinks she's just not used to all the new energy she has whereas before she had more of a "slow and steady" pace about everything when she was sick.

While I'm not trying to be overly concerned, I have read that loss of coordination/balance is a possible early symptom of FIP. She does have feline coronavirus and the vet did say it's entirely possible she has FIP (albeit she wasn't really showing any of the typical symptoms before so they weren't too concerned). I'll try not to worry and keep monitoring her.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Astragal14]

There's been little instances like this over the last week where it's as if she loses balance or trips over herself. It's not all the time; happens a couple times a day.

It's a good idea to mention this to your vet but I don't think you need to be concerned at this point. It's probably due to growing out of her kitten stage at the same time she's starting to feel much better. She's just over a year old, has gained some needed weight, and has all this new energy! Her body frame is probably completely different from what is was just a few months ago. Your vet will know of other signs that would accompany a more serious issue but that's probably an unlikely scenario.

The only issue so far with the food is that since we went 100% new food, she isn't finishing her meals.

Is she consistently eating the same amount every day, or is she eating less and less each day? If she's eating the same amount and just not finishing a whole can, it may be the new food is more dense and more filling than her previous food. But if she's eating less each day, then it may be she doesn't really like the Koha. It's been my experience that Koha's LID cans aren't very palatable (with my cats and with some of our shelter cats/fosters). It's good enough to eat a decent amount at first, but they left more and more food behind with each meal.

Also not sure if this is a concern or not, but she is drinking far less water now.

The best way to check this is to see if her urine output has changed and to look for signs of dehydration. Wet food has enough moisture that your cat probably won't need to drink as much, and she's probably fine if her urine output has remained consistent and if her gums and skin look healthy.

Hydration

Physical indicators of dehydration include dry/tacky mucous membranes (usually checked in the gums) and decreased skin turgor (elasticity). Skin turgor can be tested by gently lifting the skin over the shoulders and determining how long it takes to “snap back” to its original position. In normally hydrated cats, this should occur almost immediately, while in dehydrated cats, this may take much longer, and in some cases the skin may remain “tented”.

 

[FishPhoenix]

Is she consistently eating the same amount every day, or is she eating less and less each day? If she's eating the same amount and just not finishing a whole can, it may be the new food is more dense and more filling than her previous food. But if she's eating less each day, then it may be she doesn't really like the Koha. It's been my experience that Koha's LID cans aren't very palatable (with my cats and with some of our shelter cats/fosters). It's good enough to eat a decent amount at first, but they left more and more food behind with each meal.

She seems to be regressing again. We plan on calling the vet in the AM and scheduling an appointment. She is barely eating. It's like you said, it's as if she is eating less and less every day. There was a point during the transition that she was eating like a can and a half of Koha in addition to multiple quarter cup scoops of her old dry food per day. As we neared the end of the transition, it was more like a can of Koha and half a scoop of her old food. Since it was 100% Koha, it's been less and less everyday. The last few days she is barely eating a quarter of a can. Also I don't know if it matters, but in the past when she was eating just her old food or the mixed food, she would sit down and eat. With the food now she only stands and eats. After every few licks she tries burying the food then has a few more licks, rinse and repeat til she goes away.

The freeze dried duck liver treats arrived and we tried putting it in the Koha but she wouldn't eat it.

What is weird is she doesn't seem to have an appetite. We've seen her hungry in the past, she tends to go everywhere looking for food. But now it's like she eats a tiny bit and then just goes and rests/sleeps. It's not that she isn't eating at all, but it's as if she's eating the bare minimum (which isn't enough considering she isn't getting enough calories). She definitely seems more lethargic the last few days. She's been sleeping a lot and isn't showing an interest in playing. She does still want pets and cuddles though, and likes having us nearby.

The stumbling thing is still happening too. We've seen her run up and down the stairs before, but the last several days she has slowly walked up or down. She just went to the litter box a little while ago and she literally fell when she stepped inside, then she got up and did her business. She also has some trouble jumping down from heights. I noticed yesterday anytime she was on a couch or a chair, whenever she would jump down it would be half jumping half falling. Her poops have been really small too, probably since she has barely been eating.