Conference misery::feline_v1

    Cyndi, have you ever tried the Friskies soft food in the milk carton
    type boxes?  It is almost the same consistency of Tender Vittles, and I
    haven't met a kitten yet that wasn't crazy over it.  Try feeding the
    canned food in smaller servings twice a day, and let her free feed on
    the dry.  That's what I did when my cats were babies.  I never left the
    canned food out for them all day, because I knew they would eat it and
    not touch the dry.
    
    Tender Vittles is good for clearing up bouts of diarreah (it's
    binding), but I wouldn't feed it on a long-term basis, especially not
    to a kitten.  Try the Friskies in the milk carton and see how well that
    goes over, and limit the wet food supply.
    

    I know that when I feed my two different food then what they are used
    to, they have bad gas and diarehha (sp?).
    Maybe you are trying too many different types of food and not letting
    their system get used to one?  
    
    Just my 2cents.
    
    Anna/Zildjian/Spunks
    

    I like the idea of cutting back on the wet to just twice a day.
    The Friskies in the milk carton comes in two flavors: regular and milk.
    Should it matter which one I chose? Thanks!

You might try the canned "Mother Hubbard" cat food.

I have 4 of my cats on Science Diet Lite (dry) for breakfast, 1 adult on 
Science Diet Lite (canned) for breakfast, and my kitten (5 mos.) on 
Science Diet Kitten (dry) mixed with Science Diet Regular (canned) for 
breakfast.  In the evening five of them get Sci-Di Lite or Regular 
(canned), and one adult who only likes Mother Hubbard canned food gets 
his choice.

They haven't experienced any problems with gas, etc. and are very 
healthy and as you may note, they get fed only twice a day.

I used to leave a self-feeder with dry food in it for them during the 
day until I ran into problems of overweight in some and a case of 
blocked urinary tract in another.  


Pat, Holly, Buffy, D.P. Gremlin, Velvet Thai, Midnight, Lad Jamie (and
								Cookie)

                      <<< Note 3790.3 by LEAF::C_MILLER >>>

    I like the idea of cutting back on the wet to just twice a day.
    The Friskies in the milk carton comes in two flavors: regular and milk.
    Should it matter which one I chose? Thanks!

I have a cat, Hannah, who cannot eat canned food...any kind of canned food..
and her primary symptoms were wicked gas and REALLY SMELLY poop.  Her system
does not digest the stuff well.  I asked my vet if it was necessary
to feed moist food and she said it was obviously NOT wise to feed it to
a cat that is showing symptoms of not digesting the food well....
I feed a qualtiy kibble and all are extremely healthy.  If you cannot find
a canned food that your cat can eat without these problems, I'd recommend
not feeding it at all.  Your kitten cannot be feeling very good with that
much gas - think how it makes you feel.

I'd recommend you try some of the quality canned foods - maybe something
from the vet, one of the Science Diet foods for allergies, perhaps?

    :5 I tried Science Diet and that was WORSE! The gas is really at its
    worse if I give her more than her usual amount of wet.  I've been
    slowly cutting back on the portions and forcing her to eat her dry
    instead, but she seems twice as hungry now.  She also is in a routine
    where she knows when I get up and come home she is going to get her
    beloved wet food.  I was just wondering if anyone had found a wet that
    was very mild and didn't cause this.

have u tried lamb?  or ask your vet about easily digestable prescription
foods.  I know how the little brats can bug you when they want something,
but it doesn't sound like it is good for her to eat what she's been given...
I'd tough it out.

    Hill's, which makes CD and other special foods that you can buy
    only from vets, has a hot line 1-800-HILLS-PR that you can
    call and ask them questions.  This is a good company, and they
    might very well be able to point you at the best one of their foods
    for this problem.
    

How about baby food - chicken or lamb?  My vet suggested I try that when 
I had a cat having a digestive problem.

   <<< Note 3790.8 by CIRCUS::KOLLING "Karen/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca." >>>

    Hill's, which makes CD and other special foods that you can buy
    only from vets, has a hot line 1-800-HILLS-PR that you can
    call and ask them questions.  This is a good company, and they
    might very well be able to point you at the best one of their foods
    for this problem.
    

    Well, I am giving her very small portions of Friskies for Kittens (wet)
    and the gas has subsided, but my vet had suggested Tender Vittles since
    it is moist dry food.  Has anyone tried this? I'm a little hesitant
    since she is only 3 months old and I want her to get as much nutriants
    now while she is still growing.  I'm going to start her on Mother
    Hubbard tonight, again, my concern is that there is not a kitten
    formula. Thanks!

I remember a similar problem with one of my cats when he was a kitten, 
(though it wasn't as bad as you describe!)  I was feeding him Science Diet
Feline Growth, both wet and dry.  I asked the vet about it, and he said
that kitten food has a higher protein content (which they need at that stage)
and that can cause gas.  It was interesting that I had two kittens from
the same litter and only one had this problem.  When he was old enough to
switch to adult-formula food, the problem went away.

I also agree with ".2" -- everything I've read says that it takes cats'
digestive systems a while to adjust when you change their food, (and
that a very gradual changeover is best).  So the problem may be aggravated
by trying out so many new foods and new combinations of food.  You might
be best to stick with one for a few weeks and see if he gets better once
his diet stabilizes for a while.

- Debbie.

    Nippa had SBD's real bad as a kitten, and the vet said it was from
    having worms.  Maybe you should have a sample checked.
    
    Michele & Nippa

    Have you tried mixing the wet food with the dry.  We just got a kitten,
    Peanut, a few months ago, and once ran out of the dry kitten food (the 
    stuff in the milk carton), so we gave him a dish full of wet food.  Boy, 
    did we pay for that one, he had the runs whenever and wherever he wanted,
    including on our oriental carpet in the middle of the night! yuk ;^\
    But once we put him back on the mixed deal, he was fine.  We just fill
    his dish up in the morning, and he's fine for the day.  His poop still
    stinks, but that's why we keep a can of potpurri (sp?) right next to
    the litter box.
    
    Hope this helps,
    Heike & Peanut :*)

    I tried Mother Hubbard and that brought back the diarreha.  Now she
    gets a smallish portion of Friskies for Kittens (1.5 teaspoons) three
    times a day and all she can eat dry (Friskies for Kittens in the milk
    carton - milk flavored and a sprinkling of Iams for kittens).  The gas
    has disappeared (I noticed it got worse the day I gave her a mix of
    Mother Hubbard and Friskies wet).  I guess her little tummy can't
    handle the "good" stuff (Mother Hubbard, Science Diet) and actually
    my budget prefers the cheaper store brand variety.
    
    Thanks for all your comments and suggestions!
    
    Cyndi