[tanyuh]

Hello,

Sorry to sound so graphic, hehe, but our 3 month old kitten has very stinky poo right now. It wasn't this bad when he first got here but lately it has been REALLY stinky. It is also slightly soft, not firm like our adult cat's, and it sort of sticks together. Normal color though. The adoption agency said that his antibiotics could cause soft stool but he hasn't had the medicine for 5 days now. He also likes to get into the adult cat's food. Could the adult food be causing the stinky and soft poo? Another of my threads talks about how the adult cat will only eat kitten food. Well, I have come to the conclusion that it's not the food but the bowl it's in. She just refuses to use her own bowls now and will only use the kitten's! But the kitten now eats from her bowl! (It's pretty funny. Her's is a raised bowl and the kitten has to jump up onto the raised part and lean down into the bowl so he can eat. Pretty soon he'll be too big to do it!) So, I just don't know what to do! Any advice? I could put the adult food back on the floor but I'm afraid the kitten will eat even more of it if I do this.

Thanks!
tanyuh

 

[Bean]

While on the subject, my cat's sometimes appear 2-tone. Which I would think would be normal if he ate nothing but Iams...

BTW - I have heard that changing diet (in a full grown cat) will affect their poo. And by that I mean Whiskas to Iams = less poo, and less smell.

My experience switching Moby is less poo, but more bathroom stops. And it seems stinkier, but maybe it's cause it's "fresh" more.

 

[Jeanie]

Tanyuh, Everytime there's a change in diet, it affects an animal's digestive system. I think your kitten is making the change too quickly. I guess she didn't read the book! LOL

Seriously, I'd hide the adult food from her, or mix just a little bit of it into her kitten food since she thinks it tastes so good! How old is she?

 

[Lori]

I wonder if it depends on food. I have fed Velvet nothing but Science Diet since she was a kitten, and I would have to say there really isn't much odor and very consistant in texture. I use clumping litter which in my opinion helps very much with odor.
I have noticed the two-tone poop too, weird!! :lol: She has had that off and on for as long as I remember, so I don't think too much of it.

 

[tanyuh]

Psi, the kitten, is about 3 months and the adult cat is 7 years. I wish I could hide the adult food but then the adult cat wouldn't get to eat it, either. See, I don't think it's about the food for either cat. The kitten insists on using the adult cat's raised feeder and the cat wants to use the kitten's bowls that sit on the ground. I am not trying to change the kitten to eating adult food, I want him to eat kitten food until he is about a year old. (Both adult and kitten food are Science Diet). But I can't seem to get them to eat from their own bowls! I have tried separating them but they will both use whatever bowl is closest at the time and neither of them will walk ALL THE WAY to the back of the kitchen (like 10 feet haha). So, I am wondering if I should just let them eat from whatever bowl they want and just provide kitten food in both bowls until the kitten is 1 year or if you guys can think of something else I can try. The cat's food has about 1/2 adult 1/2 kitten (because I thought she just liked to eat that stuff) so the kitten isn't getting *that* much adult food but I think what he IS eating is making his poo smell. PEEE EWWW...

Thanks!
tanyuh

 

[Jeanie]

Tanyuh! You'll just have to read the book to the kittern! LOL He is trying to change his diet too fast! I guess it wouldn't do any good to switch bowls, would it? It's just a matter of which bowl is convenient. I know certain foods make the B.M.s smell worse, but I haven't had that problem.
The only problem I could foresee for the adult cat if he eats kitten food is that he might gain weight.

I assume you leave dry food out all day, as I do. Some people don't do that. That might be your solution. Feed the kitten more often than the adult and pick up the food left over. I did that with my puppies.

I have a similar problem. My male is thin, and I buy all sorts of special things to put weight on him. Kitten food, more wet food, treats, etc. If I don't sit and watch, my female eats it before he even thinks about food. I have treats by my chair also, and if he's in the mood, he'll eat them there.

I think we'll just to put a tv and a comfortable chair in the kitchen and watch all day. LOL Cats have minds of their own. We just have to give in and let them train us!

Seriously, I fed the kittens beside my tv chair, and watched for the adults. When the kittens stopped eating and I was sure they were full and curled up to sleep, I put their food away. The adults sneaked a little bit, but not nearly as much as if I hadn't had their dishes where I could easily watch and fed them when I had time to sit and watch tv.

'

 

[Sol]

If you really can´t make the kitten eat only the kittenfood it´s better you stop serving it and only serve the adultfood. The kitten won´t die if it eats adultfood and there´s not much difference between kittenfood and ordinary adultfood. It´s better for the kittens stomach if the kitten only eats one kind of food.

What did kittens eat before we invented kittenfood? Ordinary catfood. Did it harm them? No.

The major difference between adultfood and kittenfood is the amount of protein and fat. The kitten will compencate the loss of protein and fat by eating more of the adultfood. Look closely at the packaging of the food and you´ll se that there isn´t much difference.

 

[manitu22]

I find that kitty treats like Pounce make my cat's poo smell real bad.

 

[BlueAnimal]

I can't offer much advice if any, but, I do have to agree with basically what is being said. I've read that change of diet or different types of food has different effects on the feces. Since of course its something new/different to the kittens body. If it was possible it would be a lot better for the kitten I'm sure, if it ate just the kitten food. I know that the kitten food has things that the kittens need and adult cat food has the vitamins/minerals that adults need and of course the needs of adult cats and kittens aren't the same so it could be several different things. Although my best guess is it is the diet. I'd advise just trying your best at getting them to eat the appropriate food or maybe if its more of a thats my bowl issue, try switching the bowls. I know its probably not that easy but good luck! I'm sure you'll figure out a solution. Please keep us informed on what you find out. Thanks. Have a good day!

- Randy

 

[tanyuh]

I really appreciate all your advice guys! Well, I think I'll get rid of the raised feeder for a while and see if that helps. I think my adult cat is being a bratty little kid...see, the bowls that the kitten uses used to be HER bowls before she got her raised feeder so I think she is trying to stop him from using them. She is such a jerk to him. If he just walks by or if she walks by him, she will just bat him in the head for no reason. She doesn't seem to like him yet, hehe. I think the kitten finds jumping on her feeder "an adventure" and that he's flirting with danger by using her bowls. I just don't know what goes thru their heads! What a bunch of nuts! If getting rid of the raised feeder doesn't work, maybe I'll just feed them both kitten food until they are better friends and the cat might not object to her bowls being used. Or I may just have to go to the stupid pet store and buy them THE SAME BOWLS!! Jeez, I thought I wasn't going to have to deal with this kind of stuff until I had kids!!

tanyuh

 

[Jeanie]

Surprise, surprise! There's always something new with cats.

 

[tanyuh]

Okay, I don't know WHAT is up with this kitten but boy, oh boy, he stinks! He is farting sometimes and it is REALLY stinky. Maybe I should get him a new kind of kitten food? Maybe his tummy doesn't like Science Diet - maybe I'll get some Iams kitten food. Wow, what a stinker - literally. I'm glad he doesn't stick his butt in my face when *I'm* laying down because I would probably throw up if he tooted on me! Is it normal for a kitten to take this long to adjust to a diet? This is how his food has gone:

Adoption Agency - Science Diet Kitten
First 2 days we had him home (approx 11 wks old) - Same
Next 4 days - Science Diet wet food called A/D for sick kitties (VERY stinky stuff)
After that - Mostly Science Diet Kitten but sneaking some adult Science Diet (Senior 7 Plus) too.

I am taking him to get vaccinated tomorrow so I will ask the vet about it.

Thanks again,
tanyuh

 

[BlueAnimal]

Hmmmm. I don't know how long it's been since you gave the kitten that sick kitten food but if it wasn't too long ago it could still be causing him stinky farts/poop if it wasn't that long ago. I know once we got this really weird stinky food for my cat and she liked it but it made her poop smell SOOOOO bad. It was gross. Whenever she would go to the bathroom I couldn't go near the kitty litter or that room for quite awhile. It was bad. We ended up just changing the diet and it improved a lot. So yeah, if you can't seem to make it get any better maybe call and ask a vet. Good luck and have a good day!

-Randy

 

[HelloBeautiful]

My kitten has alot of gas and mushy stinky poo. I took her to the vet and she had earmites, fleas, roundworms, AND cocciddia! :shock: Stupid shelter didn't take good care of their cats. Misty, my kitten was eating Wal-Mart brand adult cat food! I've had to switch her diet around alot because her stomache is so upset, certain foods are too strong. Right now she's on Purina Kitten Chow because it's so bland, but once I get her over the cocciddia and she gets stronger, I'm gonna try to switch her back to the Foster & Smith kitten food. So, good luck getting your kitten better!

 

[tanyuh]

Well I have some news on the stinky poo front. We just took him to the vet to be vaccinated. They did a stool test and he was fine. I called my vet and asked her about the stinky poo. She said that it is caused by the Science Diet kitten food because it has more fat in it than any other kitten food and fat will cause the smell and the soft poos. They are both almost done the bag though so we will get something new. Just a few more days of stinky poo! Yay!

Now, my vet says that we should feed them both Iams canned kitten food until he is 6 months old and then he can eat normal adult food, but the canned is so expensive. What do you think of this advice? The vet at the vaccination clinic said we can just go ahead and feed him adult food now, which is what my boyfriend wants to do. My vet says that the ideal food for all cats is high protein and low carbs and she said it is *best* to feed him kitten food but it won't hurt him if we switch to adult now. What are your opinions?

Thanks!
tanyuh

 

[Jeanie]

Tanyuh, I would not presume to disagree with your vet.

 

[tanyuh]

Woo hoo! The poo thread turned into a hot topic! HAHAHAHA.

"Welcome to the Cat Forum. Our hot topic for today is Stinky Poo."

tanyuh

 

[Bengalsownme]

lol

 

[Sol]

As I wrote earlier, adultfood will not harm your kitten. I know many people that have fed all their kittens adultfood without noticing anything different from kittens fed with kittenfood. There´s little difference between kittenfood an adultfood. Make sure your kitten kan eat whenever it want´s to though.

 

[tanyuh]

We got new food for them today - Iams Adult Ocean Fish stuff. Man, that kitten just jumped right into it. He even tried to rip open the bag before I had a chance to clean out their bowls. He is a little piggy! I hope it helps with the smell! I will have to wait for a couple of days to see.

Thanks for all your help guys,
tanyuh