Conference misery::feline_v1

natural "binders" are:

cheddar cheese and rice.  They both work on dogs and they work on cats as far
as I know....however, you have a continuous problem that sounds like she may
have a tummy problem and I would caution you to isolate her to be sure she
is the one having the diarrhea - and if it isn't cleared up within 24 hours,
get her to the vet.  Cats are light enough that they cannot afford to have
the runs much longer than that without problems - whether they are eating
and drinking or not.  What you can try before taking her in:

	cook some short grain white rice (pearl grain if possible) if you
	can't find short grain, then use regular long grain.  Mix it with
	some hamburger you have cooked in water and then drained of fat
	and water.  Mix rice and meat in 1:1 ratio.  Cool to be touchable
	and serve to your cat.  If she will eat it, it may help.

	You can also try feeding her some aged, natural cheddar cheese..
	an ounce should do it.  If she will eat it, it can be a powerful
	binder.  You can add some to the rice/meat to make it more
	tempting.

    NDC suggested plain yogurt for one of my babies who had diarrhea.
    I just couldn't get him to eat it.
    
    Also...could it have something to do with worms.  This may sound
    gross,,,but did she spit up something that looked like dried
    spagetti or are your finding anything in the stool.
    
    Three of my brats just got treated for worms.     
    
    Sandy

    Thanks for the replies so far.
    
    I know it is definitely Zildjian - I have watched her.  Spunks has a
    totally different motabilism(sp?) so it's easy to tell the difference.
    
    I have seen no worms in her vomit or in her stools.
    
    I always thought dairy products made cats have the runs - but I sure
    will try the ceddar cheese.  I will also cook the pearl like rice and
    mix the hamburgh with it.
    

    Mashed potato is also a good binder--you can hide it better in food.
    Peakie would have it in milk to help bind.  (He had thyroid problems
    which can make a cat, or human, sick-up and hve the runs.)
    
    

re: dairy products being bad for cats...well, yes, milk(and cream) is, in 
general, bad for cats because they cannot digest it and it simply goes 
through, taking nutrients with it.  Remember, cat's milk is very different
from cow or goat milk.  However, yoghurt (which I did not suggest as no cat I
know will eat it) and cheeses, particularly the aged types of cheddar, are
worked on by microbes (sorry folks, but the little devils are everywhere) and
the protein that causes problems is "pre-digested" if you will.  And, they
do work to 'settle' the intestines and get rid of the runs.  the problem will
be in getting the cat to eat what doesn't seem to be FOOD in her experience
....some will take right to new culinary adventures....some will not.

I do wish to stress, however, if you don't see improvement overnight, I would
get her to the vet.  Otherwise, you will have to wait until Monday and that
might end up being a real problem for her.

    Well, I want to thank the folks who replied.
    
    Zildjian improved on Saturday and on Sunday she was her old self again. 
    We have some water down our cellar from the rain last week and I
    suspect she drank some of that.  Needless to say, no more down the
    cellar for Zildjian.
    
    Have a nice holiday, everyone!
    
    Anna/Zildjian/Spunks
    

    Holly loves yogurt.
    

    re: Yogurt.  The reasons I have suggested yogurt in the past was to
    replace the normal bacteria that live in the intestine and are killed
    by antibiotics.  As long as the cat (or dog) is on an antibiotic, you
    have to replace the bacteria.  The easiest way to do that is plain
    yogurt.  Usually my cats have been willing to eat enough of it to
    help.  You could try mixing it in with their food.  
    
    I don't know as yogurt will help in a case such as this, tho.
      Nancy