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Why is my cat's poop orange and loose after a recent food change?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 11 months and 15 days old

Hello! I woke today and found half of my cat's poop normal and the other half loose and orange. He pooped again today and it's loose and orange as well. He's eating and behaving normally otherwise. I changed Felix's food 2 days ago, not the brand only the flavor. Thank you for your continuous support!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 16th, 2017

I am sorry to hear about Felix's stool problems! We can see loose stools or color changes in stool as a result of a change in food (even if you are feeding the same brand, a different flavor may have different ingredients or coloring agents). If Felix's energy level is normal and he has no vomiting, then you can try switching him back to his original food and seeing if his stools return to normal after a few days,or you can try picking up a probiotic at the pet store and see if this improves the stools. If these do not work, a trip to the vet is recommended (or if he starts vomiting/stops eating/is lethargic). In the future, if you want to switch foods it is recommended to do so gradually, slowly mixing the new food in with the old food.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Amber W

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Published on September 16th, 2017

    My suspicion is that the new flavor of food is causing the change in Felix's stool. Felix may have a sensitivity to the new flavor so you may want to go back to the old flavor to see if that helps. For the next day or two you can try to offer Felix a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice. This may be enough to settle his stomach and then you can reintroduce his regular diet. A probiotic like Fortiflora may also help resolve the irregular stool. As long as Felix's diarrhea resolves in the next day or two I wouldn't be too concerned. If the diarrhea does not start to resolve or any other signs of ill health develop then I would recommend taking Felix to see your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Felix is feeling better soon!

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