For the first time, I noticed mucousy, bloody diarrhea around my indoor cat's anus after he passed a smelly stool. He is a 1 1/2 year Siamese tabby point mix, and we have also been catsitting another cat for 2 days. He's been very agitated/aggressive and has also been eating the other cat's dry food and more treats than usual. Is the bloody diarhhea probably just due to increased stress and change in diet? Should I go to a vet immediately or monitor it for a few days? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 9 lbs

I'm sorry to hear that Casper has had so much diarrhea lately! Yes, it is certainly possible that the stress of his visitor coupled with his ingestion of the other cat's food and treats could have caused some gastroenteritis (inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract), which led to diarrhea. A bit of blood can occur in the stool as a result of irritation to the colon. If Casper is still eating, drinking and acting relatively normally, you can try a home remedy. Start by withholding food for 24 hours, then offer a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken for a few days before gradually mixing his normal food with the boiled chicken over another 5-7 days. If at any point Casper becomes lethargic, starts vomiting, has profuse bloody diarrhea, or stops eating, he will need to take a trip to the vet for further evaluation. I hope this helps and that all goes well!