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What to do when your cat has diarrhoea

Updated 2026-10-09

Most short bouts of diarrhoea in adult cats clear up on their own within a day or two. Your job is to keep your cat hydrated, keep things gentle, and watch for the signs that it's more serious.

Common causes

• A sudden change of food, or eating something new like a treat, table scraps or prey
• Milk. Most adult cats are lactose intolerant.
• Stress, from moving house, a new pet, building work or a vet trip
• Parasites such as roundworms, giardia or coccidia, especially in kittens
• Infections
• Longer-term conditions, including food sensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease and hyperthyroidism, if it keeps coming back

Is it an emergency? Check this first

Call your vet now if any of these apply:

• It's a kitten, a senior cat, or a cat with an existing condition such as diabetes or kidney disease. They dehydrate fast.
• There's blood (red, or black and tarry), or a lot of mucus
• Your cat is also vomiting, isn't eating, or seems weak, wobbly or hiding
• The diarrhoea is very watery and frequent
• You think your cat may have eaten something toxic, such as lilies, medicines or cleaning products
• Their gums are pale, dry or tacky

Home care for a mild case

This is for an otherwise bright, healthy adult cat that's still eating and drinking.

1. Make sure water is always available. Put out extra bowls, and offer wet food or a little water mixed into food.
2. Don't starve your cat. Unlike dogs, cats shouldn't be fasted for long, because not eating can cause a serious liver condition (hepatic lipidosis). Instead, offer small, frequent meals.
3. Feed something bland. A vet gastrointestinal diet is best. In the meantime, plain boiled chicken breast with no skin, bones or seasoning is a reasonable short-term option for a day or two.
4. Go back to normal food gradually over 3 to 5 days once stools firm up.
5. Cut out milk and treats until things are back to normal.

A probiotic made for cats may help some cats recover faster. Pumpkin is often suggested online, but there is little evidence for it in cats, and too much can make diarrhoea worse.

Never give

• Human anti-diarrhoea medicines like loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate. They can be dangerous for cats.
• Any human painkiller. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is deadly to cats even in small amounts, and ibuprofen and aspirin can cause serious harm.

See a vet if

• It hasn't settled after 48 hours, even if your cat seems well
• It keeps coming back
• Your cat is losing weight

Take a fresh stool sample in a clean container if you can. It helps your vet test for parasites.

Preventing it

• Change foods gradually over 7 to 10 days
• Deworm regularly, as your vet recommends
• Keep milk, scraps and toxic plants away from your cat