New kitten help needed please
New kitten help needed please
We recently added a new kitten to our household. We currently have a 6 year old cat. The new kitten we got from a shelter at 8 weeks old..that was 2 weeks ago. I am bringing him to the vet tomorrow anyway, but wanted info on what could be causing his recent pooping on the floor! He has used the litter box since I brought him home. I clean it every day, so it is never full. Today, out of the blue, he meowed a few times, then ran to the corner of the bedroom and pooped on the floor. I am assuming it was an emergency and he had to go NOW? On a side note, he only seems to meow when he is in trouble, scared, etc..also when I first brought him home, he would meow before going in the litterbox. For a very little kitty, it was a very large pile of loose poop. Not to be gross, but trying to describe it as best as I can. It wasn't watery, but just loose. He is on soft kitten food, and also Science Diet hard food. The other issue since I brought him home is bad smelly gas, and he does seem to vomit food if he eats too much, but it is all food, not bile, mucus, etc. Any ideas? Could this be worms? I checked his poop and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He is very very active, not lethargic or sickly at all, so this pooping on the floor could be a fluke thing, but I sure hope it doesn't continue! He is going to the vet tomorrow, but just wanted to know if anyone has ever experienced things like this with a new kitten. Thanks!
Re: New kitten help needed please
You really should have had him seen by your vet the MOMENT you got him, and BEFORE you introduced him to your resident cat. This is a sure way to spread bacteria, parasites, disease. Your vet could have properly dewormed your kitten, advised on proper nutrition, and started his vaccination series. We ALWAYS strongly advise new kittens and cats are seen by your vet BEFORE allowing contact with your resident cats.
He is too young to be tested for FELV/FIV, but you better get this done when he is at 10 weeks of age. Vaccinations can start now, but don't vaccinate for FELV until the FELV/FIV test has been done and has tested negative.
What brand of kitten food are you using? Is the Science Diet dry a KITTEN formula? In an 8 week old kitten, it is best to feed canned only, and slowly introduce dry later on when his teeth have begun to develop properly and so he can properly chew dry food.
The loose stools could be worms, but do NOT deworm him on your own. Only your vet carries the proper deworming medication safe for kittens can cats. It could also be his diet, and the combination of canned and dry. Again, knowing the brand of kitten food would help.
He also needs to be fed several times a day, since he is expending energy, he needs to replenish his energy sources by eating several smaller meals a day. If you're feeding canned food, this might be a bit inconvenient to you because you can't leave canned food out, but he does need to have at least 3-4 small meals a day. You can leave dry kitten food out all day for him to nibble on, but ideally, he should be on mainly canned for now.
The vomiting could be the type of food you're feeding, and needs to be evaluated. Vomiting in tiny young kitten is NOT normal, so this needs to be addressed immediately with your vet. It could be he cannot tolerate dry food just yet and gulps it, thereby not able to digest it fully, or it could be the brand of canned food is not appropriate for him. Vomiting in kittens could also be due to worms. But, it could also be due to several other things and you cannot afford to take chances in a kitten this young!
Make sure the litterbox is in an easily accessible area, and provide another one in another area. Also make sure the box is not too high for him to enter, or he might avoid it altogether.
He is too young to be tested for FELV/FIV, but you better get this done when he is at 10 weeks of age. Vaccinations can start now, but don't vaccinate for FELV until the FELV/FIV test has been done and has tested negative.
What brand of kitten food are you using? Is the Science Diet dry a KITTEN formula? In an 8 week old kitten, it is best to feed canned only, and slowly introduce dry later on when his teeth have begun to develop properly and so he can properly chew dry food.
The loose stools could be worms, but do NOT deworm him on your own. Only your vet carries the proper deworming medication safe for kittens can cats. It could also be his diet, and the combination of canned and dry. Again, knowing the brand of kitten food would help.
He also needs to be fed several times a day, since he is expending energy, he needs to replenish his energy sources by eating several smaller meals a day. If you're feeding canned food, this might be a bit inconvenient to you because you can't leave canned food out, but he does need to have at least 3-4 small meals a day. You can leave dry kitten food out all day for him to nibble on, but ideally, he should be on mainly canned for now.
The vomiting could be the type of food you're feeding, and needs to be evaluated. Vomiting in tiny young kitten is NOT normal, so this needs to be addressed immediately with your vet. It could be he cannot tolerate dry food just yet and gulps it, thereby not able to digest it fully, or it could be the brand of canned food is not appropriate for him. Vomiting in kittens could also be due to worms. But, it could also be due to several other things and you cannot afford to take chances in a kitten this young!
Make sure the litterbox is in an easily accessible area, and provide another one in another area. Also make sure the box is not too high for him to enter, or he might avoid it altogether.
..........Traci
Re: New kitten help needed please
Thanks for the reply! The dry food is Science Diet for Kittens. For the wet food, I have tried Iams, Science Diet, and Friskies..all kitten formulas. He seems to like the Friskies the best. When I got him at the shelter, they were feeding him dry food only..the Science Diet one. Also, according to the paperwork on him, he has been tested for FELV/FIV and it came back negative. He is going to the vet today, so hopefully they can tell me what it might be. I appreciate all the help though! Thanks!
Re: New kitten help needed please
You can't test kittens under 10-12 weeks of age for FELV/FIV, because maternal antibiodies interfere with results. You can ONLY get an accurate result on an FELV/FIV test AFTER the kitten is 10-12 weeks of age, and preferrably the 12-week age. So, the test the shelter used is meaningless, null and void. I also strongly recommend retesting again within 6 weeks to ensure accuracy of results.
The food issue: Don't change brands and types, stick with only ONE brand and type. We always recommend Iams canned kitten food for kittens less than 12 weeks of age or so, then slowly graduate them onto dry kitten food (i.e, Iams or Science Diet). Friskies and other supermarket brands aren't ideal for kittens.
The food issue: Don't change brands and types, stick with only ONE brand and type. We always recommend Iams canned kitten food for kittens less than 12 weeks of age or so, then slowly graduate them onto dry kitten food (i.e, Iams or Science Diet). Friskies and other supermarket brands aren't ideal for kittens.
..........Traci