Thread by @richterscale

In case any of you have a cat who has been experiencing colitis or IBS-like symptoms, you may way to try eliminating thickeners like xanthan gum, guar gum, and carrageenan from their diet.

Knute had developed the worst poos, but taking him off these ingredients fixed it FAST.

Knute's medical history is COMPLICATED to say the least, but he's had gastric issues for years, at least partly caused by the pile of meds he has to take for his heart. It got really bad in the last few months, and we really worried for him. Grain-free did nothing for him.

We tried eliminating specific proteins, but it didn't matter. He would come get me every time he had to poo because it was so unpleasant for him, and let me tell you, the aftermath wasn't pleasant for me either.

R did a ton of reading on cat intestinal issues and finally came across discussion of these thickeners, so we tried some cat food without them.

BOOM, solid poos.

Knute started eating more happily, too. The difference in his mood is AMAZING.

Obviously, this isn't going to be the fix for every cat with tummy problems, but if your cat is having similar trouble, give the no-thickener diet a try.

Are the brands more expensive? Ha ha ha, you KNOW they are.

But we've had huge success with Feline Natural and Tiki Cat.

We also discovered the magic of--and this is pretty gross--lamb green tripe.

It's the unprocessed stomach lining of a lamb. You can get it in dried pellet form, and if we so much as open the bag, Knute loses his little mind. One pellet mixed into a bowl of his food is HEAVEN.

Of course Knute wants other cats to know about this, but he's pretty embarrassed that I'm talking so publicly about his poo.