Sick Kitties

nansiludie · Jan 11, 2018

Several here know that I care for multiple kitties, my own house kitties,my outdoor kitties and some garage kitties. The problem we're having since Tuesday evening, all house kitties but one and all garage kitties are vomiting all their food and bile. As far as I can tell, the outside ones have not been vomiting. I've taken the sickest three to the vet, ran bloodwork and general checkup. Came back fine just a little dehydrated. So I was sent home with antibiotics and anti-nausea meds. There's not been any change in their food. They normally get wet food but I've been supplementing that with dry cat chow due to the cold weather this year. I've not ever had this problem with so many at once coming down sick like this and not really have a cause for it. My youngest, who's on a special diet due to her allergies, Mouse. Is sick as well and she's on Nature's Variety LID rabbit. So I'm leaning to think this might be something like stomach flu in people? I'm withholding food and feeding cooked plain chicken to try and settle their tummies. If anyone has any advice, I'd appreciate it.

catwoman707 · Jan 11, 2018

Yikes, this is a tough one.
What makes it tough is that cats don't really have stomach flu viruses. There are really only a few causes for this, something environmental/exposure to a toxin, whether a cleaner, a plant, fertilizer, a flea bomb, things like that.
But of course you would know and it sounds with so many you care for that you are very aware of what not to use or expose kitties to.
So then we turn to food.
Nothing new added or changed, but what about batch? Were there any fevers in the ones who saw the vet?
But then Mouse, who eats different food, well that sort of rules out the food.

In my opinion, the fact that the outside cats are not sick, leads me to think it's environmental.
Anything new or different at all? Air/carpet freshener, had carpets shampooed? New furniture, new comforter, anything at all?
I thought of bedding because I remember years back I had hurt feelings because my little girl suddenly refused to sleep with me.
Her appetite dropped way low and it took me a few days to realize I had a new down comforter on my bed! I had to run it through the washer twice, then it was back to all good, and even better as she loved the cush so spent lots of time on the bed

It must have been the starch or fire retardant, something that washed out of it.

Willowy · Jan 11, 2018

I wonder if it's a bad batch/bag of food. Go get a new bag somewhere you don't normally shop and try that. Do the outside cats eat a different food? Or from a different bag? (I have a separate bucket for the outside cats, maybe you do too). The way the illness is going makes me think it's the food or another environmental factor.

nansiludie · Jan 11, 2018

I did get a new bag of cat litter, now that I think about it. I bought tidy cats litter, the multi-cat one in the red bag. Its not clumping though.

I did buy the food where I normally do. I may go out and buy a bag of it at the grocery instead of tractor supply.

All my kitties that are eating the supplemental dry, are eating from the same bag save for Mouse.

nansiludie · Jan 20, 2018

I wanted to update that since I completely rid the house of Tidy Cats multi cat litter, the kitties have stopped vomiting and we're back to normal. No more tidy cats for us. Thank you everyone for your help. It's a bit overwhelming to have so many come down ill without an apparent cause at first.