Conference misery::feline_v1

    A change of diet can cause the runs.  Why don't you put them back
    on their former food and see if they stablize?  Then you can think
    about (and discuss with the vet) the advisibility of changes in
    their diet to be sure they get sufficient nutrients.
    
    I would also check with the vet about the runs anyway, just to be
    on the safe side.
    

    If I lived in Boston I would take my pet to Tufts School of Vet.
    Medicine.  When we lived in Ohio we took our animals to the vet
    school at Ohio State. Those places seem to have everything at their
    finger tips.
    
    Change of water will also give the runs to pets. But do check soon,
    as the heat we have been having and with the runs they can dehydrate
    VERY fast.
    
    Welcome to you and your family.
    
    Regards,
    Barbara

    Please ask a vet.  The runs can be a symtom of stress, change of
    diet or parasites, some of which can be quite nasty.  It can't hurt
    to take them in for a check up.  Also, Purina is not a very good
    food.  I suggest the better quality brands that are only found in
    pet shops, grain stores or through a breeder, such as IAMs or Science
    Diet.
    
    Good luck, and welcome to New England,
    Karen, Tristan and Tenzing.

    Funny, this is the 3rd or 4th person that has mentioned "runs'
    in the last week or 2.  I had a small problem with it with one
    of my kids and it was for only 24 or 36 hours and it left as
    quickly as it came.  The other folk that mentioned it said
    the same thing - I'm wondering if it was the heat??  I was
    already to run to the Vet when things corrected with no
    medication!  
    
    Anyone else notice the same thing?
    
    E.T.

    
    It maybe the what they are drinking (change of water hardness etc)
    I know when I used to give my boys milk - they used to suffer with
    constant upset stomachs.
    
    Sharon, Dillan & Sammie - UK
    

    
    
    	Give the Boston Cat Hospital a call.  There number is
    617-266-7877 and they are located at 496 Park Drive (which
    is just outside of Kenmore Square).  They are great folks
    who care about both the cats and their owners.
    Dennis loves them!!
    
    Michele

    Just had my two guys to the vet.  They are about six months each;
    one female seal-point siamese and one mail tortoise-shell siamese.
    Asked extensive questions about feeding.  His advice was to pick
    a food and stick to it.  I have been feeding the Hills CD for kittens.
    Someone said they thought IAMS was better for kittens (less cereal), so 
    I have been trying that.  I did notice that when I first changed
    to IAMS, the male (Samson) had the runs.  He also had a tendancy
    to upchuck!             
                                                 
    I had also been giving them some Hills canned food once a week as
    a treat since my husband didn't feel that just dry food was good
    for them (he also thinks I am cruel not to give them milk, so I'm
    not sure how much I should listen to him!).  Vet recommended that
    I decide on either dry or canned, but not both.  He says it can
    upset their digestive track.  He recommended the dry since Samson
    has a tendancy to become a vacumn cleaner with the canned and gives
    it back very quickly!  He also says with the dry, they will only
    eat when they are hungry and not gobble it down.  Seems to be working
    with Samson.  Delilah has never had this problem.
    
    Does anyone have any other advice about using IAMS or Hills CD?
    
    Bev
      
                   

    Milk will give them diarrhea - it is cruel to GIVE IT TO them!
    My vet says that kittens do not need milk at all.
    
    I do know some folks that fed IAMS and their cats got sick (upchucked)
    from it -  a  cat becoming sick on IAMS is not common - most cats
    do very well on it.  I think it's good to give them both canned
    and dry - variety works well with most cats.
    
    E.T.

    Elaine....giving milk is not cruel.  My kitten gets milk twice a
    day...but only a very small amount mixed with her dry food.  She
    loves it and she's never had the "runs".  It's just like anything
    else, it should be given in moderation.
    
    
    Bob

    I meant that if they already had intestinal problems from the
    IAMS , not to include milk.  I guess some cats can handle it,
    with no problem - some can't.  My Sasha loves it when I let
    her have the bottom of my cereal bowl, sugar and all! She
    now has to fight a few of the other for it so I make sure
    I put extra milk in my cereal so they all can have a little.
    It doesn't seem to bother them - I don't eat cereal all that
    often, but when I do....  I remember how amazed I was when the
    Vet said that kittens don't "need" milk.  oh well, live & learn!
    
    E.T.

    C/D is not kitten food.  Perhaps you could try Feline Maintenance
    or P/D (a growth formula).  The C/D will be excellent when the
    kitten becomes a cat!  But beware...free feeding of C/D by
    adult cats can cause fat_cats!  

    Sorry.  I wasn't using C/D.  I have been using Feline Maintenanance
    for kittens.                                                               
                                                                         
    So far, Samson has not had any upchucking problems since the first   
    day that I gave it to him and he seems to like it now.  Also the     
    litter box is more pleasant (if you can call a litter box pleasant!).
                

One more comment about giving milk to cats, kittens, and puppies:

If you give a cat or kitten some milk and they can handle it, it simply
means they have the ability to process the enzymes necessary to partially
digest it.  Milk is NOT a healthy food for them, unless it's their mother's
milk and they are not yet weaned.  Most of them do not have the ability
to process cow's or goat's milk at all - it can be really unhealthy for them.
Especially in younger cats, it can be BAD to give milk, as they have a
very high protein requirement and need digestable food to fill their
tummies.....if they fill up on cow's milk, they aren't getting the 
necessary percentage of protein they need in their diet.

All of the above was a comment from my vet - who was also busy debunking
the theory you can have healthy vegetarian cats because of the high
protein requirements they have compared to the cat's ability to DIGEST
the necessary nutrients out of milk, or other fun things we want to
feed our felines.  Even if they don't get the runs from milk - it can
be interferring with their ability to get necessary  nutrients from food.

The final comment (this was for the benefit of a friend with a really
sick kitten due to bad feeding on her part) was that when farm cats
get cows milk - you need to remember they are also getting the highest
and most digestable source of protein around - mice!

What I get out of this is that feeding a cat milk makes the human feel good,
and does nothing good for the cat.....even if they like it as much as
I like my junk food!

re: 1569.13 

>What I get out of this is that feeding a cat milk makes the human feel good,
>and does nothing good for the cat.....even if they like it as much as
>I like my junk food!

There is a product called "KMR" which is typically used by breeders to feed 
kittens when there's a problem with the mother.  KMR stands for Kitten Milk 
Replacement.

Adult cats love this stuff!  It also has the benefit of being perfectly 
healthy for them.

Ray