Help me figure out how to help my rescue cat.

[ThisMustBeMyDream]

I posted when I got my lovely rescue cat Toffee, 4 weeks ago and have updated a few times (www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/4190631-I-rescued-this-gorgeous-beast-today). However I would really appreciate any thoughts on these issues. He has a vet appt booked for Wednesday.

When I got him his stools were very loose. Not diahorrea, but sloppy really, with small firm poo within the "slop" (sorry!!). I assumed this was due to the dietary changes as he had come from a rescue that said there had been no issues with him, and he had been seen by the vet. He was used to having wet and dry food, but we were just giving dry food. About 4 or 5 days in he did a mucousy bloody stool - only very small. Then 2 days later he did a bigger poo with more bloody mucous in it. Again, it seemed likely down to a change in diet and decided to take him to the vet if he did any more - he hasn't done any since. His poo remains as sloppy as it was when we got him though. He also seems to leak small bits of poo from time to time. Yesterday he did this in 3 places. He hadn't done it for a while until then. Just little smears almost.

He has occasionally vomited about 5 times over the month. After the 4th occasion I realised it was always after he had had dreamies - he wolfed them and they would come up undigested. So we cut out the dreamies. Today he vomited again, but this was digested food. I changed his food 5 days ago to a sensitive stomach food. Perhaps this is the cause for this? I'm not sure now.

He has now sprayed 3 times in the last 2 days. He had never done this before. He also did a poo on the floor - he has his own litter tray which at first was in the living room as he was confined to there. It was gradually moved to where it would have it's permanent location. He struggled a bit at first with the move of tray, but there have been no issues for the last 2 weeks - he has used it happily in the new location. The poo he did last night was where he would go when he was having trouble with the moving of the tray at first. Just after he did that, whilst I was clearing it up, I caught him spraying.

A lot of these issues could be caused by changing diet, and stress. But I'm just not sure. Does anyone have any words of wisdom? He is 8, fully vaccinated, flea and worming treatments all up to date. He is content otherwise. He loves company, and follows me round. Happily lies in the middle of the living room floor whilst the chaos of life goes on around him. My other two cats seem to have accepted him - he accepted them immediately and was really friendly to them. He lay down on first sight to show his intentions to them! He doesn't like to be picked up, nor is he keen on the children stroking him for more than about 3 or 4 strokes. He asks them for strokes like he would with me. But then after a couple of strokes he will hiss and warn them, and will scratch or bite if they ignore this. They don't get chance to stroke him unsupervised though so I'm hoping he isn't stressed by them.

We have a feliway plug in, two in fact. I also have some pet remedy spray. He has his own food bowl and eating area. He is an indoor cat - his choice. We didn't know when we got him, but he has no interest in going out. He just likes to curl up with someone, or find a place to chill out. He doesn't hide away for sleeps unlike my other cats seem to do from time to time.

So I'm not sure what to do, or what is going on. He doesn't appear stressed in the way I'd expect, but a lot of the issues certainly seem to be stress related. It has really been these last 2 days where he has sprayed, vomited after I thought that had settled after finding the culprit, pooed on the floor and had poo leaks that I knew we needed to seek help. Prior to that most of the earlier issues seemed to have settled other than his poo being on the looser side.Vet didn't feel he needed to be seen sooner than weds when I've booked in. But I can't help but fret.

Here he is now, chilling next to me without a care in the world!

Arghhhhhh. He just sprayed again. I used an enzyme cleaner where he was doing it by the front door on the laminate floor. He had done it 3 times there - all in the evening after the kids in bed. Now he has gone to the back patio door and done it there where he did his poo last night .

I've put the optimum feliway in this afternoon in the hope that would help further instead of the friends one. And I'd just wiped him down with a cloth of pet rescue. I was in the room when he did it.

You may want to consider what's going on outside the house, bearing in mind he doesn't seem to be stressed by anything inside, and that he's spraying & pooing by the doors?

Yes, my googling did mention looking at external kitty visitors to the garden. We do get regular cats popping over the fence and in the boundary for a wander. My other two don't seem to deter them. However they don't hang about, usually just pass through. And it isn't a new thing, no changes outside as such.
The night the spraying started one of my cats did bring dead 2 mice in. Perhaps that has unsettled him? is he afraid of mice?!

2 dead mice. Not dead 2 mice

Hopefully, you're vet will work out what the problem is. I believe that leaking poo can actually be a sign of constipation. If you can, get him to drink water, in case he's dehydrated. Does he poo everyday? He may have a condition that needs to be treated. The spraying is usually a sign of marking territory, so even though he seems content, he may be telling your other cats that this is his part of the house. Even the slightest hint of his scent will bring him back to spray again. Is there any way you can block off the area for a while? For me, the spraying is the worst part of having cats. My cat vomits after eating the cheesey dreamies. Hope all goes well at the vets. He's a beautiful boy.

First get a syringe and get a sample off a puddle for the vet to test for infection but I’d start him on Cystease capsules tomorrow from pets at home.

Are you using woodchip litter? Mine would spray if I used rough litter.

He drinks quite a bit of water - more than my other two cats. They have 4 bowls of water down and he drinks 2 a day usually. He usually poo's twice a day, some days it is 1, but more likely 2.
I can block the area by putting something there, but the front door is harder as I won't be able to do that when we leave the house. I will block all of the patio door though.
It was the cheesy dreamies that we had too. Poor kitties!

I've got a syringe (community midwife!) so I will get a sample if he goes by the front door again. I did wonder about the capsules as a previous cat of ours needed a course of these for a dribbling bladder and it cured the problem. I will get some. Should have got them today when I went for the optimum feliway!
Yes it is the woodchip litter. Not changed from what we used from his arrival. I might get a 2nd tray and try that with an alternative litter and put that near the patio door.

Thank you all!

I got plastic film and placed it on patio doors. It covers the bottom third of the door and stops our cat (who was spraying) seeing outside. We too have cats/foxes in the garden. Could be he is just unsettled. Sometimes we get smears from our cat but I put it down to him not cleaning himself properly after using the litter tray. Suppose like some people , some cats have more delicate stomachs than others. Maybe no treats for him and its good he drinks lots of water. Yes try different litter in another tray, you never know. Cats can be so particular can't they..He's a lovely looking boy and sounds like he is settling in just fine.

If he’s not been outside for a while his little paw pads will be soft, the woodchips like kitty Lego bricks to tread on. Naturally they’d use soil so a small granule litter like ultraclumping is the most comfortable.

The behaviourists on a bbc show cured this using ultraclumping.

That makes sense! He is still using the litter tray, he has done another poo in it this morning. However he has then gone back to by the patio door and done a watery poo with bloody mucous. Now I know something must be amiss as he did that when he arrived twice, but then not since. It does time with the change of food though, so it could definitely be the change in food both times. I thought trying a sensitive food would be better for him, but seems like it has caused more issues than ever.

I'm not sure if it is poo now. I originally thought it was, but it didn't have the usual poo smell to it. It might be vomit. Arghhhh, I just don't know now! The bloody mucous stuff has never been in the litter tray. All 3 times have been floor jobs. Have attached pics of todays and the last one which was 21st March.

I am not a vet but it looks like vomit to me. Could be that the new food doesn't agree with him despite being described as for sensitive stomachs. It could be affecting the lining of his stomach hence the blood. He has the vets on Wednesday right? Is he still lively and drinking plenty fluid? Could be he needs a course of antibiotics.

I’d ring the vet again, animals shouldn’t bleed internally.

Do you trust the vet?.

He is totally normal. No signs of dehydration, he is chilled out, rest periods and wake periods. Rolling round playing. Obviously something is going on as I suspect the spraying is him saying something is wrong.
Vet is closed today, I know there is the emergency option, but he is so well it seems unnecessary. I will call if any signs of deterioration. I will reschedule for tomorrow, I don't feel happy waiting til weds. I'm in work tomorrow (midwife, so can't just take time off) so I will have to ask someone else to take him, and then speak to me on the phone, or I will write out a timeline of what has been happening.

Yes, I trust the vet. We have used them for 2 years, no issues.

If he is otherwise fine I would maybe just phone the vet tomorrow and explain its happened again and show them the photos. Just for reassurance. They can then decide if it's fine to wait until Wednesday.

Just realised his pet insurance isn't going to cover him. Fucksake. He had 4 weeks free cover that ended Friday. His new insurance started yesterday as I took a multicat policy out, and it doesn't cover illness in the first 14 days. Technically his old policy should have covered it as he did start with symptoms during it. But obviously he wasn't seen by the vet during that time. Frustrating.

Oh bugger. It’s never simple is it.

What a nightmare, can't you phone the rescue centre and ask if this ever happened when he was with them and see if the old policy can cover?

I've emailed them to ask exactly that (minus about the old policy!). I need to know if the stools are a new thing or something that was already present. He was there from October so they must have some significant information surely? Unfortunately the old policy that was a 4 week cover states illness not covered in first 14 days. So not worth the paper it was written on. Grrrr.

Have you tried starving him for 24 hours and then feeding chicken and rice (little and often) for a few days before starting to mix the new food in with the chicken in gradually increasing amounts? Definitely speak to the vet tomorrow but I would try that too.

I would try a different litter which might be nicer on his feet. Also, sometimes if a cat has had discomfort whilst using the litter tray they can start to associated the tray with the discomfort and toilet elsewhere - a possibility if he's been having poo issues?

I would definitely be looking for some answers from the rehoming centre to be honest. When did the vet last check him out and did he spray/ have loose stools/vomit blood at any time since they got him in October. I would also ask if they can help you with vets fees bearing in mind you were given what they claim is a healthy cat yet you seem to have had problems from the start. Poor wee guy, I feel so sorry for him.