Cat direaha

Question
I have a male cat, not fixed, that is having severe direaha. He is about 1 yr old. What can I do to help him stop. Not sure if its the food or something he picked up.  besides the vet are there any remedies? What could some of the problems be.  We have no money for the vet.  Please help.

Answer
Craig,

There are many reasons that cats can get diarrhea. You do need a vet to help figure out the cause, but I can offer a suggestion or two that may help a little. You may want to check if your local SPCA has a program called SPCA Cares. This is a program that offers veterinary services to people who are in a situation where their finances are limited. I am not sure if your little guy has ever been to a vet, if not he may have parasites, he may also have a stomach bug of some sort. In the meantime while you check out whether the SPCA Cares or even a rescue group in your area can help you get your cat to the vet I would suggest that you give your kitty about a teaspoon of plain, unsweetened yogurt (organic if at all possible) per day. What the yogurt does is help to replenish the beneficial bacteria that are lost through the diarrhea. If your kitty just has a stomach bug that may help to make him feel a bit better. Make sure that you are not giving your cat things that can cause diarrhea such as milk, cream, ice cream, etc. The important thing to do is to try and make your kitty as comfortable as possible while you work out the way to get proper vet care for him. You can try feeding him some lamb whether it is the baby food or stuff that you cook and puree at home. If you choose to buy lamb and cook it at home be aware that the portions that you cook for your cat can't have any spices or condiments, steer clear of things like onions and garlic. If you cook the lamb at home just because your kitty's system is a little off at the moment I would recommend that you puree it in a blender or food processor with bottled or filtered water. I must warn you that this is a very short term fix. You can't just feed your cat yogurt and lamb on any ongoing sort of basis. You should be aware that this is only a temporary solution - 3 days at the most. During that time you will want to look out for any resources that are out in your area to help with situations like this. If you are unable to find any resources you may have to consider surrendering your kitty to the local animal shelter (which I really hope that you don't have to do) in order to get the proper medical care that he needs. During the time that you are looking for resources I would suggest that you keep a close eye on your little guy, pay attention to his appetite, how much he sleeps, plays and even pees. See if there is anything else about his behavior that strikes you as odd. These will be important things to make the vet aware of when he is able to go. I am really hoping that there is an SPCA Cares program in your area, if it is available they will examine and treat your kitty for his current issues, in addition they will also vaccinate and neuter him when he is healthy enough. Please keep in touch and let me know how things are going. I really hope that someone out there is willing to help. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again.