Just like yours, your kitten’s digestive system converts the food she eats to energy. If she’s poorly, her tummy may be affected, with common problems being diarrhoea and constipation. If your kitten does have either of these symptoms, then it’s a good idea to get your vet to check her out.

Kitten Vomiting

If you see your kitten vomiting occasionally there’s probably nothing to worry about. Like all cats, she’ll do this quite naturally in order to protect herself from harmful substances. However, if your kitten is vomiting regularly, and you’re concerned for her health, then take her to the vet.

Kitten Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea can be caused by changing your kitten’s food, overfeeding, or by an infection. Your kitten should have a bowel movement at least once a day, so watch out for any changes. Diarrhoea causes dehydration, which isn’t good for your kitten. Speak to your vet for advice and reassurance.

Causes

• Intestinal parasites or worms
• Hyperthyroidism
• Change of food and diet
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Cancer
• Colitis

Symptoms

The biggest tell-tale symptoms of diarrhoea in kittens include:

• Frequent defecation (at least 2-3 times more than normal)
• More than normal water in the stool
• Accidental defecation outside litter boxes
• Abdominal pain
• Straining when defecating

Usually, in most cases, the diarrhoea in kittens will go away on its own in a few days. All you need to do is ensure your fur kid stays hydrated and keep it under observation. However, take your furball to a vet immediately if the diarrhoea lasts long, or if the stool is bloody or black, or if the diarrhoea is accompanied by fever, kitten vomiting and diarrhoea, lethargy, or loss of appetite.

Treatment

The treatment of diarrhoea for your fur baby would depend on the cause. There are two ways to go about treating diarrhoea in cats, and they are:

Normal treatment -

Depending on the cause, your vet will prescribe medications to stop the diarrhoea. Medications like metronidazole or prednisolone are given to control inflammation. Deworming and probiotics might also be given. For kitten with upset stomach caused by inflammatory bowel disease or colitis, a diet change can be advised by your vet.

Home remedies

You can try the following home remedies before consulting a vet, if your feline buddy only have mild diarrhoea symptoms or alongside continuing the prescription drugs:

• Change their diet

If you notice upset stomach in your kitty right after introducing a new food, stop giving it at once and go back to the food it was used to consuming. Remember whenever you introduce new food to your fur baby, always transition slowly over a week to allow for the cat digestive system to adjust. Follow this simple chart for proper transition and to reduce the chances of diarrhoea caused by a change of diet: Days 1 & 2: ¾ current food and ¼ new food Days 3 & 4: ½ current food and ½ new food Days 5, 6, & 7: ¼ current food and ¾ new food Days 8 onwards: only new food

If their regular food is causing the diarrhoea, ensure they are getting the proper nutrients. Nutrient requirements of cats change with age and not getting proper nutrition can mess up their digestive system.

• Keep them hydrated

Make sure their water bowl is filled with clean water at all times. You can also give them broth or canned wet food to ensure they receive enough fluid.

• Clean their litterbox

Keep their litterbox clean at all times for the benefit of your own as well as the cat’s health.

• Allow them to rest

Let your cat rest as much as possible by giving them a safe, quiet, and stress-free environment and not getting them excited with toys or plays.

Kitten Constipation

If you see your kitten straining while she’s in the litter box, she may be constipated. Like diarrhoea, constipation might be the result of a change in diet, overfeeding or some kind of infection. If the symptoms continue for more than 48 hours, it’s best to speak to your vet.

Causes

Constipation in cats can be caused by a number of reasons, such as:

• Overly grooming themselves resulting in too much hair in the digestive tract that stops the stool from passing
• Not enough fibre-intake
• Something lodged in a colon such as a bone
• Kidney diseases
• Spine problems
• Tumours inside the colon blocking the passageway
• Feline megacolon - a disease caused by the colon becoming enlarged with the muscles failing to squeeze out the faeces and resulting in stool build-up

Symptoms

You can tell that you little munchkin is having constipation, if you notice the following:

• Hard and dry stools
• Less than normal passing of stools or not passing stools at all
• Crying when trying to pass stool
• A tense abdomen and hunched posture

If your cat hasn’t defecated in 48 to 72 hours and if the above-mentioned symptoms are accompanied by vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, or any other unusual behaviour, make sure you contact your vet immediately. Kitten constipation can be a sign for other underlying health condition which needs to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Treatment

The treatment for constipation in your fur kiddo will depend on the cause. There are two ways to go about treating constipation in cats, they are:

Normal treatment

For mild cases, your vet might suggest diet and lifestyle changes such as giving them fibre-rich foods and increasing water intake. Medications along with laxative and probiotics might also be prescribed. Hairball medications can also prove to be effective if hair accumulation is causing the problem. However, if the constipation is severe and your cat hasn’t passed stool for several days, your vet might have to do a de-obstipation, which is manually removing the faeces from the colon. In case your cat has megacolon, it might also need to undergo surgery.

Home remedies

If your fur baby has mild constipation, you can try the following home remedies to cure the problem:

• Change food

Have you recently switched your furry friend’s food? If yes, then most probably the new food is the reason behind the constipation. Try switching back to the old diet.

• Increase water intake

encourage your pet to drink more water. Give it broth and wet food instead of dry food to increase fluid intake.

• Give fibre-rich food

Does the food your kitty eat has enough fibre as per their daily requirement? Make sure they eat fibre-rich food.

• Include probiotics in the diet

If your cat food doesn’t contain probiotics, add them as supplements to improve your kitty’s gut health and digestive system.