Thin kitty--gastorintestinal problems

[kim2]

Hello everyone!

I am a new member to this site, and am thrilled to find a community where I can obtain advise from fellow cat lovers. I am the owner of a three year old Tabby and a 6 month old kitten who resembles an Absynnian. We adopted our kitten approximately three months ago, and are thrilled that he is a new member of our family. We are however concerned with the fact that he is a little on the thin side, and seems to have a constant flatulence problem. He has been given all of his booster shots, etc.... and eats well, but for some reason he is not gaining weight. Our vet expressed a little concern about his weight, and took a stool sample so he could check for parasites. The test results luckily came back negative (this was about two weeks ago).

As I mentioned earlier, our kitty also seems to have an ongoing flatulence problem. Has anyone ever encountered this before? We are feeding him Science Diet Growth dry cat food (Our other cat grew up on this stuff--we still feed her Science Diet for adults) which is in my opinion a great cat food. My concern is that perhaps there is a link with the above and the fact that he is terribly skinny. We tried to give him a little bit of the wet food, but it did not agree with his tummy. He is extremely active, alert, playful and affectionate therefore, there are no overt symptoms that point to any underlying problems.

Any insight from fellow members would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Anne]

Hi Kim and welcome to the forums!

Seems like you're feeding him super premium food - I also feed Science Diet. Maybe he's allergic to something in the food? My vet once told me that cats can be allergic to certain types of cat food. Maybe you should try switching to some other cat food? Just thinking aloud here, I don't really have any experience with underweight cats.

What does your vet say now, after the results came back negative? Does she/he have any other ideas?

BTW, I moved the thread to health and nutrition.

 

[sandie]

The gas may be caused just because his system does not like the ingredience in the food. I have one that is gassy no matter what she eats. She however is on the overweight side. If you are very concerned, there are several blood tests that can be done to find out what my be causing it. I can't see the cat, but I can tell you Abby's are on the very thin side. They are supposed to be very sleek, if she is part, then maybe thats why she appears thin to you. I always say, when in doubt....consult your vet. Let us know her progress.

Sandie

 

[debby]

Hi....Just saw this thread, and i have to say...My Merlin is almost 4 months old, and he also has a gas problem!!! I was wondering if he was the only one! LOL

He doesn't do it constantly, but every so often...and you definately know when!! (Pheeew)

He is really fat and healthy though and so I don't think the gas would be a problem. More of a problem for me having to smell it!!

 

[judy miller]

Kim2,
I'm sorry to hear about your cat's health problems. I think it could be diet related.
Cats are very specific in their dietary needs. They are carnivores of the highest order, meaning they are meat eaters, and their diet should not be compromised. Science Diet is not meat based. If you read the label it has gluten meal, which is the protein part of grain which has been fractionated out. So it is not a complete food, and is grain besides. It also contains soybean meal which also is not meat. It also contains artificial preservatives. The list goes on.
I know a lot of people like it. But our poor animals do try to adjust, and some manage, but somewhere down the line their health is compromised. You are lucky. Your little guy is telling you early, before more serious problems arise.
I think the best mfg. food on the market is Eukanuba dry food. It is one of the truly Meat based foods. They are now feeding some of the large zoo cats with it. Good as it is, it is still a dead food, so it is also a good idea to feed some raw meat besides.
Judy

 

[Anne]

That's interesting Judy. I always thought Science diet, along with Iams were the top quality catfoods on the market. I guess it makes more sense to read the label

By the way, I read that giving raw meat is not so good because the cats can get parasites (like toxsoplasmosis and some types of worms). Do you boil it for a while or use some other method of "disinfecting" it? I once read you couldf soak it in grapefruit seed juice (whatever that is

) What do you think?

 

[judy miller]

Yes Anne, it is very important to learn how to read labels.
And you can always call the Company. If they refuse to answer your questions, I would wonder what they are hiding.
Eukanuba is the Iams Co. top of the line cat food.
I also feed a raw food diet called "carnivore". It is 100% raw beef with raw bone for mineral. Cats and other carnivores have been eating raw meat for eons. It is what makes their motors hum! It is only since we have forced a dead food diet onto them that they are getting the same diseases we are! A cat's system is meant to eat raw meat and handles it very well, especially if it gets it from day l. My kittens are started on raw meat. They growl over it! Any potential problem is minor compared to the good that comes from it.
Some cats who have never had raw meat won't eat it. Is is important for them to imprint to it as young as possible. Their natural instincts can really get screwed up by us!!
My firm belief is that a lot of problems that appear to be genetic, are nutritional problems in disguise. If several generations of cats have never been fed properly, they will all have problems, some of them the same, appearing then to be genetic. It takes several generations of proper diet to bring the health back up. Our cats, bless their hearts, do try to adjust as much as possible, and neuters who don't have the extra stress of producing, may be able to get by, but breeding animals will break down faster. I have very healthy cats, raising large healthy litters, gaining, rather than losing during lactation, maintaining shiny, healthy coats.
Grain diets tax and drain the cats immune system. A carnivore needs Meat!! A cat in the wild will never attack and bring down a soybean plant!
Judy
Judy
Judy
Judy

 

[kim2]

Thank you all very much for taking the time to respond to my inquiries. I will certainly keep you all posted with any new developements.

Kim

 

[debby]

Judy.....I found your comments about the raw meat very interesting and it explains why my outside cats are so fat and healthy.

People comment on how fat and healthy my cats look, and their coats just shine...well they are getting alot of raw meat in their diets!!

My husband traps muskrat and beaver and throws th carcasses out for the cats and dogs....they hardly touch the dog and cat food that I put out for them now....they would much rather be down by the barn eating the raw meat.

At first I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not, but your comments have made me feel pretty good about it.

And the cats are doing so well with it!!

They love it!!!!!!!!!