Should I Be Worried? Advice Please...

[Ariel2611]

Hi there,
My kitten is healthy and eats great, litter trained, loving, purr's all the time! She has also been de-flead. I will be getting her de-wormed at the vet's when the appointment time arrives...

BUT, i was doing some research and i recognized that she looks to have what's called a 'pot belly'... (worms...???)
How do i know if she has worms or not?
Apart from the usual symptoms of:
-worms in stool (which she does not have)
-worms in anus (no)
-pot belly (don't really know... her belly is a bit big but soft and round NOT hard and round like they have when they have worms...
But, i have not found any worms in her poo/anus...
Her stool is runny/smelly (it's not diarrhea because it's not that runny...)

To make it a bit clearer her poop for the last day she has been a score 5 according to the fecal scale for cats ( so it's moist and she easily empties it, it has a twisty shape too).
She is still getting used to cleaning herself so i occasionally help her out by wiping it down for her as she is only approx 8 weeks old.

She seems fine and her appetite is good but i'm scared she has worms :-(
She seems healthy and has not puked (thank god!)
I will continue to monitor her stool and habits/behavior ...

I have requested a check-up in approx under 2 weeks (available date) as she seems okay... i have investigated her stools etc. and they are fine just a bit smelly and runny but i put that down to me starting to give her kitten milk and also for the first day when she came i fed her dry and wet food separately so that's why it's a bit runny as she has not had much dry food...

Any advice/suggestions?
Thank-you in advance! :-)

 

[verna davies]

Give your vet a ring and ask his advise. If he feels she needs worming he will advise the best to use. As you are a past, current client, he should be happy to advise.

 

[jcat]

At 8 weeks, a round belly isn't unusual given how much kittens eat. For your own peace of mind, you could drop a fecal samples off at the vet's and ask them to test it for worms and/or ask for a wormer; they'll need to know her weight for that.

 

[Blakeney Green]

I would suggest taking a fecal sample to the vet, as worms are one possible cause of stool issues and round belly in kittens but not the only possibility.

 

[stephanietx]

It's so common for kittens to need more than 1 deworming treatment to completely rid the parasites from their system. I'd get a fecal sample to the vet for checking.

 

[Ariel2611]

Oh okay, I will take a fecal sample to my vet when the appointment time arrives. Thank-you for all your help everyone! Also, she did puke today but all of it was just undigested food as she ate too fast the previous night. She is still very energetic and is still eating very well and urinating (poop) often. Is that good? Every time she eats/drinks within the next 1-3 hours she empties it out... not at the end or start of the day like other cats I have had... I put this down to her being a kitten yet. Thanks again! :-)

 

[verna davies]

Its quite normal for a kitten to use the litter tray shortly after eating so no need to worry. She sounds ad if she is doing well.

 

[Ariel2611]

So, i went to scoop Snowy's litter up as soon as she did it and (as usual) i inspected it again and found *tiny* (size of end of a pin) specks of what looked like 'blood' in her poop.
As i said before she is a number 5 on the fecal scale. Is a number 5 normal?
I am booking her in for her vaccines in the next week or two as she is too young yet and i will let the vet know about this too at the consultation.
She is still drinking water, eating (her appetite has increased instead of decreasing! (great :-) She eats and then one hour later is hungry again... she has dry food and water available 24/7 and gets fed wet food at the following times: 8am, 12pm, 4pm and then at 8pm). She has dry food in between that and throughout the night as well as a 50/50 portion of it with wet food to give her a balanced amount. She is still playing and is energetic. Is that all okay? Am i still okay to wait until the appointment in a week/two (if anything changes/god forbid the opposite happens i will phone the vet up straight away and take her in).
Sorry for the continuous questions i am just worried as my other fur-baby passed away and i still blame myself for not spotting her symptoms/problems in time :-(

Thank-you for all of your support!

 

[Ariel2611]

Update: I just checked her (new) feaces and it is still runny and light brown in color but no blood that i could see:-)

 

[Ariel2611]

So going on from what had been worrying me before (worms - pot belly?) i put it down to just me worrying as usual...

BUT, in the past 3-4 days my kitten has:
(1) done urine on my bed
(2) done poo on my bed
(3) done poo on my sisters bed (again!).
The weird thing is whenever she needs if (after) or at any time else she does it in the litter box! So it's nothing to do with her litter or litter box or where it is because she still urinates and poo's in there all the time except for when the incidents occurred :-(

I investigated the poop (one again) and i noticed (what looked like) a tiny worm... it was not wriggling or anything... it was the size of a thin string just there. I will be booking a vet appointment today and the earliest time they will probably have is the weekend..
ALSO, she ALWAYS meow's at random times for no reason... sometimes when she's running, cleaning, playing (etc.)

Anyway i was wondering...
1. Could her urinating/pooing be linked to her worms? could it be that the due to the worms she feels she needs to pee/poo straight away? Because when i show her it she does know it's wrong and just smells it and walks away after i tell her 'no'.
2. If not, then why does she keep pooing + peeing on the bed?
3. What should i do to stop her from doing it again ??
4. Is there anything i can do in the main time (until vet appointment)
5. WHY does she meow all of the time???

Any helpful suggestions welcome. Please feel free to ask others who have any comments to reply :-)

Thank-you (once again :-))

 

[verna davies]

She could be pooping everywhere just to put her scent everywhere. Ive not had experience with this but I know there are several threads on dealing with this.
Get the earliest vets appointment you can and explain all of this to him. She may well have worms, most kittens do so try to be anxious, your kitten will pick up on this

 

[Ariel2611]

Also, what can i do to remove try poop/feaces from the anus area? When i try wiping it down with a wet cloth she does meow... any advice?

 

[amethyst]

A few questions, are the beds high? Sometimes smaller kittens can have a hard time getting off a bed, and when they have to go they have to go. Also how many litter boxes do you have? and are they near where she needs to go? Is it possible she just isn't able to make it too the litter box in time and just using another place instead? If you only have one you may need to get a couple more around the house until she is older and able to hold it longer.

For now I would confine her to a single room with food, water, litter box, and toys, unless you are right there to watch her. She isn't going to be happy but it's better then having to keep up pee and poop around the house. Once you have gotten her to the vet and gotten everything straightened out you can give her free roam again, or better yet slowly allow more free roaming.

One of my cats was sick when I got her (stray that we found in our garbage) and I just kept her in large dog crate until she was better. She had a gut infection and was badly wormy, she had wet stinky poop, puking, etc. If you are really worried about her being overloaded with worms some vets will do a fecal test, even without seeing the cat, to check for worms or other issues. That could get you an answer a bit faster if the vet is really totally booked.

As for cleaning her up, make sure the wash cloth is warm (not too hot not too cold), not too wet it's dripping but not dry either, and go gently, no scrubbing. She might just not enjoy being cleaned, like a little kid no longer wanting their parent to help them in the washroom. If it's a meow of pain, there is blood, swelling, or redness, I would try to get an emergency appointment, it shouldn't hurt her to get cleaned. I don't know where you live, but most places have emergency vets.

If it's just normal meows all the time, not like she is hurt or anything, it could just be she is a talkative cat. I have one that if she is awake it's like a running commentary of her life, lol. I also have another (the stray I mentioned) who will actually scream if she wants attention and you are ignoring her. There is nothing wrong with her she just wants attention NOW. Also being only around 8 weeks she could also just be lonely and want attention all the time, adjusting to life as the only kitten, without her litter mates and mom. Also if she is wormy, she could also just be letting you know she doesn't feel good.

Another thing that can cause loose stool is a sudden change in diet. Are you feeding her the same food she was on before you got her? Also some cats can have allergies or inability to digest some foods (like grains for example), causing loose stool.

 

[Ariel2611]

Hi there amethyst
My beds are high, but she does not normally have any problems getting off it.
We have one litter box which she is fine with and she still poo's/pee's in there and did use it even after/before the incidents.
She is currently in my large room with her food, litter, bed etc. because we just recently got her and wanted to transition her slowly to other parts of the house when she is ready - for now she just stays in my room all the time.
I don't think it's possible she didn't make it as she has done in the past many times since she has been here.
She is confined to one room (only my room).
Oh okay thank-you for the advice on the fecal testing and the warm wash cloth too :-) I will call my vet tomorrow and book an appointment.
Oh okay, i did not know that if she is wormy she is letting me know... hmmm... i will take her to the vet when i can :-)
I don't know what her fosterer was feeding her but i am feeding her normal kitten food which she really likes and looks forward to whenever the time comes to eat.
I will 100% give her much more attention and play with her etc.

Thank-you EVER so much for replying. I was getting worried.
It must have took you a long time to write all of that BUT, i am VERY thankful as now i understand to some extent what's going on :-)

Once again, THANK-YOU to everyone who replied. It's much appreciated :-)

 

[Ariel2611]

UPDATE: (4AM!!!) So i woke up again to see smudged poo on the bed my bed again! This is getting ridiculous! Why does she keep doing this!? Every other time she is able to use the litter tray! Even through the day when she is on the beds, she is able to jump off and go... but through the night she just (purposely?) does it on the bed :-( :-( :-( :-(

 

[Ariel2611]

I think i am going to confine her to my bathroom whilst i speak to a vet and get her treated... I am going crazy... my room is wrecked and stinks! I hate this part of getting a kitten... but i know we all have to go through it... i just don't know why she keeps on doing it in the NIGHT!....

 

[tarasgirl06]

I think i am going to confine her to my bathroom whilst i speak to a vet and get her treated... I am going crazy... my room is wrecked and stinks! I hate this part of getting a kitten... but i know we all have to go through it... i just don't know why she keeps on doing it in the NIGHT!....

It is not bad to confine her to one room with all of her needs -- food, water, litterbox, some toys, a scratching post or pad, etc. until she is seen by the vet. That way the cleanup will be easier and you will not have the stress of "accidents" (which are easily cleaned, by the way, using one of many excellent products for the purpose. You can find reviews of several on this site. We have always used Nature's Miracle--Just For Cats enzymatic cleaner. ) Experts advise -- and I agree -- that giving a cat his/her own room for the first week or two after adopting is a good thing to do, especially if there are other cats in the home. Gradual introductions help everyone get to know one another and you supervise to be sure no one is hurt.
As for her food, are you feeding her a quality wet kitten food? I would suggest this. A quality diet is actually cheaper in the long run than feeding cheap low-quality foods, just like with people: you are healthier and have fewer medical problems/doctor visits if you take good care of yourself. The same is true with cats.
The vet visit as soon as possible is important. I always write down notes of everything I need to discuss with the vet, because in the chaos of a clinic some things can be forgotten. I would ask if there is a "Kitten Pak" offered; this includes the basic checkup and vaccinations for the young kitten.

 

[Ariel2611]

if you read my previous posts on the other forum i have talked about the kitten pack...she will be going to the vets tomorrow as part of a kitten pack :-)

 

[Ariel2611]

Hi tarasgirl06
Thank-you so much for replying!!!
Well, we got her about a week ago (last Thursday) and she was from a fosterer.
She settled in well was a little timid and scared at first but slowly got used to me and was fine :-)
BUT, 3-4 days ago she started off with urinating on my bed at NIGHT (ALWAYS AT NIGHT!) and we thought nothing of it and cleaned it... then the next day she pooped on the other bed, then again and then again... in total she has peed once and pooped 4 times outside of the litter box in the NIGHT (one of them was a few hours ago (today evening)... i got her and put her in her litter tray and put the poo in it and she smelt it for a millisecond and ran off!)
Her litter box is clean and fine, it gets cleaned out EVERY TIME she does it during the day and straight away in the morning and before bed EVERY TIME - I don't understand... she STILL uses her litter box during the day and night for poop and pee but STILL (ONCE ) does poop on my bed! WHY???!
She is currently in my room (one room where she has been since she first arrived) and has an good sized clean litter box, food, water etc. She is fine, playing, running etc... but STILL POOPS ON MY BED AND THE SPARE BED IN MY ROOM EVERY NIGHT and has been doing this for 3-4 DAYS STRAIGHT! :-( :-( :-(
WHAT SHOULD I DO????!

I have booked her a vet's appointment for Saturday 18th November (tomorrow) and will talk to my vet about it... i don't think it's health related..

Any ideas why she keeps on doing this????
PLEASE HELP!!! :-(

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi tarasgirl06
Thank-you so much for replying!!!
Well, we got her about a week ago (last Thursday) and she was from a fosterer.
She settled in well was a little timid and scared at first but slowly got used to me and was fine :-)
BUT, 3-4 days ago she started off with urinating on my bed at NIGHT (ALWAYS AT NIGHT!) and we thought nothing of it and cleaned it... then the next day she pooped on the other bed, then again and then again... in total she has peed once and pooped 4 times outside of the litter box in the NIGHT (one of them was a few hours ago (today evening)... i got her and put her in her litter tray and put the poo in it and she smelt it for a millisecond and ran off!)
Her litter box is clean and fine, it gets cleaned out EVERY TIME she does it during the day and straight away in the morning and before bed EVERY TIME - I don't understand... she STILL uses her litter box during the day and night for poop and pee but STILL (ONCE ) does poop on my bed! WHY???!
She is currently in my room (one room where she has been since she first arrived) and has an good sized clean litter box, food, water etc. She is fine, playing, running etc... but STILL POOPS ON MY BED AND THE SPARE BED IN MY ROOM EVERY NIGHT and has been doing this for 3-4 DAYS STRAIGHT! :-( :-( :-(
WHAT SHOULD I DO????!

I have booked her a vet's appointment for Saturday 18th November (tomorrow) and will talk to my vet about it... i don't think it's health related..

Any ideas why she keeps on doing this????
PLEASE HELP!!! :-(

Excellent. And glad you'll be getting the Kitten Pak.
Cats never do anything out of "spite" or because they are "bad". There has to be a reason she is doing this, and I think it will be found to be a health issue such as worms, which must be very aggravating to the host. Either that or it is stress-related. Do you know how old she is and when she was separated from her mom and siblings? Although toileting is instinctual in cats, Mom does help kittens in this habit.