Hi, I am new here. I have just adopted an adult Bengal who has been diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). I took her in because my dog also has IBS so I have some experience with it.

Anyway, little Boomer has settled into her new home nicely now and is doing quite well, however, I have questions about her food. Her prior owner was feeding her ProPlan kitten kibble, even though she is two years old. (Like lots of pets with IBS, she throws up if she eats tinned food or raw food.) She hasn't been throwing up nor has she had any obvious IBS symptoms, other than loose stools. BUT she eats like a horse! I have never seen anything like it. She will go through 3 or 4 cups of kibble a day, and she excretes in huge amounts also. I clean her box 4 times a day, and each time it looks like the box hasn't been cleaned in a week, there is so much feces in it. While there is no obvious signs of it in her feces (e.g. her feces does not contain chunks of kibble or anything) I suspect she is not digesting her food properly - I think that the kitten chow may be too high in fat and/or protein. Does anyone have any ideas about what could be going on here? She's otherwise healthy, glossy-coated, not overweight, with great muscle tone.

I have just switched my dog with IBS from prescription I/D food to Wellness brand holistic food, and it has been great for her - she's been able to go off her medication and she is a lot less sick. Should I try to transition the kitty? I started the dog with a 1/8 to 7/8 mix of her new food and spent about three weeks in the transition - does this sound about right for a cat, too?

Also, any advice on dealing with a previously-kenneled Bengal would be appreciated. She's doing pretty well, and we're rewarding friendly behavior with treats and spending a lot of time in play, etc., but she is still skittish and likes to spend most of her time underneath things or backed into corners - she does not like being out in the open at all.

Thanks so much -
-maryellen

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