Cat's got problems - May be too gross to read

Warning... this post might get gross. Don't read while you're eating.

So... my older kitty (she will be eight in March) has always had less than brag-worthy bowel movements. Always a little runny. And she's always had a little attitude, especially toward my other cat (who, arguably, plays rough, but is also a big sweetheart).

Last year, she developed an unfortunate and embarrassing symptom... farting. And boy, could she fart. Clear the room. I switched her to wet food, and she seemed to get a little less farty. Then she got some kind of stomach bug and began vomiting for hours. A kitty who is normally diarrhetic and now vomiting... we went to the vet. She couldn't find anything wrong, but commented on a righteous fart the cat had let out during the examination. "Cats don't fart." Clearly they do. But they shouldn't. She said mt cat probably had irritable bowel syndrome and I should try switching to more exotic foods that would have ingredients she wasn't getting now (to figure out what she was allergic to), such as "Rabbit and Rice". So I went to the hippie-pet-food store, picked up the 6 pound, 30 dollar bag of food, read the ingredients... and it contained chicken as a filler. I checked all the foods, and it had these fillers. And at $30 a bag (a bag 1/4 the size of the bags I normally get), I didn't think they were practical, since they still had "regular" ingredients. The odds of being allergic to meat seem slim, however.

I don't know.

At some point, I put her back on dry food, and the farting came back with a new symptom I colorfully termed "splatter fart". I think that is a visual enough name for you to understand what was happening? So I was cleaning up after splatter farts and switched her back to wet food. Symptom wet away. Even the farting decreased. Fat cat also wanted that food, so I went through more of it. Cool.

When that flat of food ran out, I got the same brand but the "chunky" kind. I found the patté style icky to serve ("here you go kitties; pre-chewed food!"). Fat cat hated it, so I had to put dry down again.

Return of the splatter fart.

With a vengence.

But not until several cans in. Which is odd.

But I am talking epic diarrhea farts. With measurable liquid volume and circumference. Once, even while she was in bed with me.

This morning was the worst. I came out of my room (which appeared clean) and was confronted with the sights and smells in the hallway. She had managed to aim so as to hit the curtain in addition to the rug.

Did I mention, she really likes to stand on rugs when she is feeling it? Tile is too cold.

I was washing the curtain in the kitchen sink when I heard a little pop. Not her normal fart, but a pop. I'd heard it the other day, but failed to find her, so decided it was a house noise. So I follow the direction of the pop and call the cat. She confessed from behind the couch, where my gauzy curtains puddle poetically on the floor... in which an even larger pool of yuck was contained... and if that wasn't gross enough... there was clear evidence that this had happened twice before and I hadn't found it.

GROSS!! How did I ever live with this cat in a trailer? How has she had this the WHOLE time, but only now has become uncontrollable?

S suggested I start feeding her canned tuna. No additives or grains. Cool.

I did some online searches about the disease and found some articles promoting a "raw" diet of ground up meat, bones, and organs that seemed to have actual lasting relief of the symptoms. But it involves grinding up bones. Ew. But at this point...

I hate the carpet in my house but wasn't planning on changing it soon... so going to be trying the raw foods. A lot of the blame is placed on the grains. Which is, ironically, what I have been trying to cut out of my own diet. I hope it helps. I hate my house being smelly.