My cat has black runny stool. Could litter products be the cause?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Melena is essentially digested blood in the stool. This can be caused by bleeding in the stomach or intestines caused by ulcers, inflammation, clotting abnormalities, or a foreign body. I recommend having Billy seen by a vet as soon as possible to determine the cause of the bleeding. Your vet can perform bloodwork or an ultrasound to diagnose the cause.

Issues with faeces such as these can be indicative of issues in the gut. It could just be inflammation such as gastroenteritis or colitis, but sometimes it can indicate problems such as inflammatory bowel disease or tumours etc. You could try adding a probiotic to both of their feed and see if that helps, but I think it would be worth taking them both to the vet for an exam if it continues for more than a day or so.

Considering what you described, I would suggest to withhold food for the next 8-12 hours and then start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken/white fish and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice diarrhoea, more vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Diarrhea can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. She is likely experiencing dietary indiscretion from eating the treats. You can stop giving the treats to see if her runny stools improve. If these continue, I recommend that you have Dubh evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications for diarrhea depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. A loose stool & vomiting together can quickly lead to a pet becoming dehydrated. In addition, I would guess that Nesta is not eating well, & a cat that stops eating for even a few days can actually begin to develop some liver issues. So yes, Nesta should be evaluated by your veterinarian. Hopefully he will be feeling better soon. Take care.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While adding fiber to the diet can firm up the stool, I do not recommend feeding dry bran to your cat as it can cause constipation. Daisy may be having runny stool due to parasites or inappropriate diet (too many treats, human food, etc) or because she only eats soft food. Because she is a little older, I recommend having her seen by a vet to rule out intestinal inflammation, cancer, and maldigestion. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

This could definitely be because of the change of food but the black color concerns me that there may be digested blood present. Since she is so young and tiny, I would consider this urgent so I would try to get her into the vet soon. I would that she may become dehydrated or sicker if it isn't addressed. Your vet will likely want to run a fecal on her to check for any intestinal parasites. They may also want to know the food you are feeding her. I hope this helps and she starts to feel better soon.