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Diarrhea in cats
The usual suspects
Home care for the mild case
For an otherwise normal adult cat with a soft stool or two: water always available (diarrhea dehydrates faster than people expect), the usual familiar food in normal portions, and nothing new introduced "to help" - no fasting, no sudden rice-and-chicken experiments unless your vet has told you that plan before. The standard veterinary advice is consistent on the point: brief and mild gets watched; anything more gets examined. Probiotic products formulated for cats are a reasonable question for your vet, not a substitute for the exam when the red flags below show up.
Red flags that change the timeline
- Blood in the stool - red or black and tarry, both count.
- Vomiting joining the diarrhea, or any lethargy, hiding, or refusal to eat.
- Duration: longer than a day or two - Cornell's guidance is to seek veterinary care as soon as possible at that point, sooner if poor appetite, lethargy or vomiting joins in.
- The vulnerable cats: kittens, seniors, and cats with known conditions dehydrate fast - same-day advice for them, not tomorrow's.
What the vet will want to know
When it started, how often, what it looks like (color, mucus, blood), what the cat ate in the days before - including treats and anything stolen - and what else changed at home. That is exactly the record the meal and vomit log keeps, and a fresh stool sample in a clean bag is a useful thing to bring. If a recent diet change is the likely trigger, the diet transition guide explains how to walk it back safely.