~3 month old kitten with worms and a dirty bum

[saharfarah]

Hey everyone. I am very new here as I have adopted a kitten just a few days ago. She was staying with her foster family for a month, they had taken her to the vet twice before I took her home, and vaccinated her and started her treatment for parasites and fleas. She was apparently covered in fleas, and was starved (only 730 grams when they found her). After only a month, she is now 1.4 kg and happy. Three days before coming home with me, she had had her second vaccine and second round of medications for parasites and fleas. Her foster mom told me she saw three 3 cm worms (she was certain they were roundworms) sticking out of her poop the day after her second treatment, but she hadn't noticed any worms in her poop after the first treatment. The vet has told us that the kitten has to get the treatments once a month until she is 6 months old. The fact that there were no dead worms after the first treatment made me worried that the treatment might not be very efficient and effective, and I'm also thinking that the worms might still be there after 6 months even if we don't see them in her poop (because she had worms and had taken medication but her poop was worm-free).

My other issue is that her stool has been soft the whole time she's been with me (and very stinky too, lol) and I'm guessing it's because of the parasites still being there in her body. In addition, her bum is sometimes a bit dirty after she poops. And she walks around and sits here and there with her little dirty bum. I have noticed this once and I wiped her bum but she had already sat on several spots and left tiny brown spots on some surfaces that I cleaned (first wiped with wet wipes and then sprayed with alcohol, and will machine wash tomorrow). I also saw her sitting on the wooden floor (dark brown) and also on my precious rug but couldn't see any stains as its very colorful and any tiny stain might get lost in it. So I just sprayed the whole area she had sat on with alcohol (can't wash the rug and honestly don't know what else to do but I'm not happy with just spraying alcohol on it, if you have any thoughts, please do let me know). I am a bit of a neat freak in some senses and thinking that when I'm at work she might get a dirty bum and sit on several stuff, and me not knowing it to be able to clean it up, drives me crazy. I am also worried about the worm eggs that I hear are present in her poop if she is infected, and now I dont know how to make sure I get rid of those from the poop stains she leaves (I read they are very resilient and last up to months), because I'm worried she might get reinfected by them, even we might catch them.
So, does anyone have any ideas on how to prevent her from getting poop stains everywhere? Is it because she's not cleaning herself properly or because of her stool texture? Should I change her diet? Is her stool a sign that she still has parasites? What can I do to help her and make sure she has gotten rid of them? And what are the most effective ways of cleaning the poop stains in general, and in cases where there's a risk of them containing worm eggs? How do I destroy the potentially present worm eggs without destroying my furniture, floors, rugs, sheets and blankets?

Sorry for the extremely long message, and for having so many questions. I'm confused and lost in the pet parent world!

 

[Kris107]

If she is still having diarrhea, I'd take her back to the vet. They can confirm of there are still parasites or perhaps a diet sensitivity. Either way, it isn't right for a cat to have loose stool all the time.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi and welcome to TCS! What kind of worms were confirmed with a fecal test? That would be helpful to know if there is an issue with them living outside the intestines. I have personally never heard of any of the basic worms needing to be treated for 6 months. I think that may be a generic recommendation from the vet, as many kittens are known to have/re-acquire worms, but that is more likely if they are in a multi-kitten household. Usually once they are treated and resolved, unless the kitten goes outdoors, she shouldn't continually get worms again. Some worms can cause loose stools, so I would wait until you resolve the worm issue before trying to change her diet. One change at a time in order not to confuse results. If you feed the kitten what they ate at the foster's, that is the best thing to do start out with.

The only way to know for sure if there are worms still present is to have another fecal test done.

As far as cleaning, you may be using alcohol thinking it is some sort of disinfectant, but there are tons of pet products out there that will do that as well as actually clean away the poop/stain. Some folks use Nature's Miracle which can be found in most any pet store, but there a lot of other cleaners available that will do the same thing. For rugs that can't be cleaned with general products, carpet/upholstery cleaners can be used. Unless she is actually having diarrhea, little small spots can be easily resolved with most any cleaning product. Just like you would do if you accidentally spilled something yourself.

If this kitten hasn't been with you very long, she probably should be confined to a room that has been kitten proofed when you are not at home. That will reduce the places where she can leave stains. You can also use unscented, hypoallergenic wipes to clean her little bottom, just to help her along until the loose stools are resolved.

There is plenty more I could add, but this is a good start. Have you previously taken care of/owned care of cats/kittens? If not, maybe these articles will be of help to you.
The Ultimate Kitten Care Guide - Top Tips for Raising Happy Kittens - TheCatSite
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment or House - TheCatSite
13 Practical Ways to Kitten-Proof Your Home - TheCatSite

 

[iPappy]

I agree with everything above.
I think keeping her in a room to herself while you're not able to supervise is a good idea. It will reduce the amount of cleaning you'll be doing, and will be very helpful in helping her avoid having accidents and make litter training go much quicker. Plus, kittens are tiny and curious and it will reduce the risk of her getting hurt.
I would also ask the vet about checking for giardia if they haven't already. IIRC it doesn't always show up in a fecal test and can be more stubborn than parasites to treat.
I have a few rugs that are large that won't fit in the washing machine that I really like. Anytime I have a kitten or puppy, I either keep them out of the room the rugs are in, or roll the rugs up temporarily until they're a bit older.

 

[saharfarah]

If she is still having diarrhea, I'd take her back to the vet. They can confirm of there are still parasites or perhaps a diet sensitivity. Either way, it isn't right for a cat to have loose stool all the time.

Thank, I called the same day and they prescribed Ultradiar for 5 days. Her stool is still soft after 2 days of taking the medication but much better than it was before. She poops a lot though, 4 or 5 times a day I would say.

 

[Kris107]

Kittens do tend to poop more frequently than adult cats, but keep your vet posted. The Ultradiar is just a sort of gut support, so she may end up needing something else.

 

[saharfarah]

Hi and welcome to TCS! What kind of worms were confirmed with a fecal test? That would be helpful to know if there is an issue with them living outside the intestines. I have personally never heard of any of the basic worms needing to be treated for 6 months. I think that may be a generic recommendation from the vet, as many kittens are known to have/re-acquire worms, but that is more likely if they are in a multi-kitten household. Usually once they are treated and resolved, unless the kitten goes outdoors, she shouldn't continually get worms again. Some worms can cause loose stools, so I would wait until you resolve the worm issue before trying to change her diet. One change at a time in order not to confuse results. If you feed the kitten what they ate at the foster's, that is the best thing to do start out with.

The only way to know for sure if there are worms still present is to have another fecal test done.

As far as cleaning, you may be using alcohol thinking it is some sort of disinfectant, but there are tons of pet products out there that will do that as well as actually clean away the poop/stain. Some folks use Nature's Miracle which can be found in most any pet store, but there a lot of other cleaners available that will do the same thing. For rugs that can't be cleaned with general products, carpet/upholstery cleaners can be used. Unless she is actually having diarrhea, little small spots can be easily resolved with most any cleaning product. Just like you would do if you accidentally spilled something yourself.

If this kitten hasn't been with you very long, she probably should be confined to a room that has been kitten proofed when you are not at home. That will reduce the places where she can leave stains. You can also use unscented, hypoallergenic wipes to clean her little bottom, just to help her along until the loose stools are resolved.

There is plenty more I could add, but this is a good start. Have you previously taken care of/owned care of cats/kittens? If not, maybe these articles will be of help to you.
The Ultimate Kitten Care Guide - Top Tips for Raising Happy Kittens - TheCatSite
9 Tips That Will Help Your Kitten Adapt To A New Apartment or House - TheCatSite
13 Practical Ways to Kitten-Proof Your Home - TheCatSite

Thank you so much for your reply and help! I don't think they had done a fecal test in the beginning. Since she was found outside and had no microchips, and was covered in fleas, they just started the general medication for worms and fleas. It was the foster mom who saw the worms after the second treatment. So she might have other parasites as well, or not. I don't know. I talked to the vet and she prescribed Ultradiar for her diarrhea. She has been taking it for 3 days now, and her stool was still soft but better. This morning she had diarrhea again. I tried to wipe her bum two times when it was really dirty and I noticed a pink shade on the wipe that I'm assuming is blood (no blood in the stool as much as I can see though). I will take her to the vet again and explain all this and ask for a comprehensive test, including a fecal one. Poor little thing hasn't had a day of relief

Thank you so much for the cleaning tips. She actually peed on my sofa when I went out to work for the first time since I've adopted her. And I used a ton of Nature's miracle on it to make the stain (and the odor) go to prevent future accidents lol. Thank you for the suggestion.

I have never had a completely indoor cat or kitten. I have rescued quite a few sick strays in my old neighborhood by taking them to the vet and feeding them, and spending time with them. They would come in our house and go whenever they wanted. But they weren't ours, so this is a first for me. I'll take a look at the links you shared, thanks!

 

[saharfarah]

Kittens do tend to poop more frequently than adult cats, but keep your vet posted. The Ultradiar is just a sort of gut support, so she may end up needing something else.

I think I should take her to the vet again. She didn't poop the whole day yesterday. She pooped a soft one late at night, then had diarrhea twice this morning within 15 minutes. Poor little thing

 

[saharfarah]

I agree with everything above.
I think keeping her in a room to herself while you're not able to supervise is a good idea. It will reduce the amount of cleaning you'll be doing, and will be very helpful in helping her avoid having accidents and make litter training go much quicker. Plus, kittens are tiny and curious and it will reduce the risk of her getting hurt.
I would also ask the vet about checking for giardia if they haven't already. IIRC it doesn't always show up in a fecal test and can be more stubborn than parasites to treat.
I have a few rugs that are large that won't fit in the washing machine that I really like. Anytime I have a kitten or puppy, I either keep them out of the room the rugs are in, or roll the rugs up temporarily until they're a bit older.

Hey, thank you so much for your reply.
I think they did a triple test (typhus and giardia and something else) but didn't do a fecal test. I am taking her to the vet again anyway because her diarrhea is not getting better even with their medication (Ultradiar).
Yeah I think I should roll up my rug too. Hopefully she'll be better soon and I can put it back!

 

[iPappy]

Hey, thank you so much for your reply.
I think they did a triple test (typhus and giardia and something else) but didn't do a fecal test. I am taking her to the vet again anyway because her diarrhea is not getting better even with their medication (Ultradiar).
Yeah I think I should roll up my rug too. Hopefully she'll be better soon and I can put it back!

Please let us know what the vet says today. I'm hoping she feels better!