Indy, The Mind-Reader

I must give full credit to Indy for being as cooperative as any cat could be ever since we started on this quest to help him with his loose stool problem.

When he first had to eat ID, he didn’t like it at all, but very soon, he grew to like it and ate it willingly.

And if you remember, everyone else too wanted the ID, but of course I could not give them, so I was trying to figure out how to feed Indy the ID without attracting the rest of the cats.

I resorted to locking Indy in Bunny’s Room so that he could be alone. But this was really messy because I had to be in two places at the same time.

So, Indy figured out a way for me.

Indy: Feed me here. Then, nobody will know. 

Indy came up with this idea last week and we have been using it since.

He stands on the window sill and eats. So, I put the bowl out from the kitchen while Indy is still in Bunny’s Garden. So far, the rest of the cats don’t know about this arrangement. Tabs knows, but Tabs is easy to deal with.

Indy has been so, so cooperative all this while. When I converted everyone raw food, he was initially reluctant, but he soon relented and was on 100% raw.

Sadly, even after converting him to 100%, his loose stool problem persisted (he already had this problem even before that). I was really hoping that the 100% raw diet would help eliminate the problem but it did not. In fact, he could have got worse too (or maybe it’s because I started to monitor closely so it “seemed” worse).

So, he was put on ID and again, he didn’t like the texture. But after a few days, he ate it willingly and obediently ate whatever I fed him.

He’s already being so very, very cooperative and I feel horrible because I cannot seem to find a solution to his loose stool problem. We all know how cats will not show pain until it’s really bad, so I cannot be sure if Indy is comfortable or not. Granted, he is active, alert and seems normal, but I just cannot be sure and I worry if he has tummy upset because of the loose stools.

I’ve tried Mercola’s probiotics (it did not help) and steamed pumpkin (it helped for one week where the stools were firm but it doesn’t seem to work anymore now). I also gave him the Saccharomyces Boulardii with MOS (a highly recommended probiotic specially for Indy’s symptoms), but after the first dose, he had blood-tinged loose stools again (with a bit more blood) so that frightened me and I could not be sure if the probiotic caused it or it was just a healing crisis (got to get worse before getting better?), so I did not continue. Now I read from a website that I could have skipped a day and continued after that.

I really don’t know what to do anymore.

And I feel horrible about it, especially when Indy is being so cooperative over all my attempts.

Yesterday, my friend Agnes suggested something that have helped her cats before. So here I am again, today, trying this new option. I bought the herb today and made it for Indy but I’ll wait to see if there’s any positive results before writing about it.

But then again, with Indy, something might work for a few days, and then, it would be back to square one. It’s a nightmare. Whenever I am home, I find myself walking to check the sandpit every half an hour, just to see if there’s any loose stools in Indy’s spot.

If it goes back to square one, I still have a few more options to go. Maybe Indy has been eating chicken for too long and needs a change of protein. But it would be a huge job changing him over to a new protein because of the taste.

A friend who has done extensive reading on raw feeding opines that the loose stools is just detoxification. He says that as long as Indy is alert, active, there is no fever and he is not losing weight, he would just leave the cat be.

However, a vet I spoke to said that loose stools means there is something not right with his intestines and suggested that Indy may have to go on ID or a prescription gastrointestinal diet all his life. Another vet seems to think a kibble diet would help him since kibble has more fibre. Either of these options would negate all my efforts in converting him to raw food.

And the literature says that converting any cat to 100% raw is the best thing you can do for the cat, nutrition-wise.

So, I don’t really know what to do!!  If only Indy could speak and tell me that the loose stools isn’t bothering him at all and that he is not uncomfortable, then I would leave him be.

Indy, do I need to solve your loose stool problem?

Let me read your mind, Indy…..(but I’m not smart enough to do that, Indy is!).

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2019/10/24/indy-the-mind-reader/

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AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

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