Imodium might sound like a good idea to give your cat if they are having diarrhea. Sometimes animals experience the same sort of conditions that we face as humans. We are in fact both mammals, so it’s not so strange that we have some of the same experiences. However, drugs like Imodium should not be given to your cat because while they may be similar to us, they are a different species and our medications were not designed for them.
It may be hard to watch your cat suffer from this condition, and it may even be harder to clean it up if they’re not making it to the litter box in time. But medicating your cat is not the answer, and you should either let it pass naturally, or take them to the vet if you can’t turn off the waterworks.
Since cats are relatively clean animals, you might not be used to having to clean up their misses, because most of the time they will get it into the litter box and you just scoop it out no problem. You have to resist the urge of giving them human medications as a sort of quick fix to get them to stop going where they shouldn’t.
Can I Give My Cat Imodium? Answer: Not Recommended
Over the counter medications for humans are never a good idea for cats. The basic physiology is different than that of humans. Additionally, scientists were not thinking of cats when they made Imodium, nor do they test it on cats to see how they handle it. Your cat is counting on you to give it things that are healthy and not dangerous, so you owe it to them to live up to your end of the bargain.
IF the tables were turned and you were counting on someone to treat you as best as they could you wouldn’t want them giving you medication that is designed for a different species, and include all sorts of chemicals that your body isn’t used to. So don’t subject your cat to that sort of treatment.
The Hands-Off Approach
By letting your cat handle this problem on their own, you are really doing the right thing. Chances are this is an isolated incident and in a few hours they will be back to normal. If you monitor them and log each time they have an episode, you can make a better determination on when it’s time to bring them into the vet.
You can also bring in some grass from outside, and see if your cat will nibble at it. This is something some cats do when they’re having stomach trouble, and is a natural way to help calm down their stomach, and introduce some fibrous material into their digestive system.
The Big Difference
As humans, we don’t like to suffer for too long, and we want to enjoy every minute we’re here on Earth. But pets don’t think the same way we do, and they’re likely not even aware that diarrhea is a “problem”. It’s just something that comes with being a cat. Maybe they ate something they shouldn’t have, or maybe their responding to subtle changes in their environment. Who knows what it could be. That’s why if you immediately cover it up with medication you are potentially masking a bigger problem.
If you’ve recently changed your cat’s food, this could be how their system is reacting to it. Just keep up with the new food and make sure that they are fed at the same time each day so they have consistency. They may not eat it all at once, but as long as you feed them at the same time they can come to rely on it.
Consulting Your Veterinarian
If your cat has been experiencing chronic trouble with their stomach, you should definitely bring them in to see the vet. That’s why taking a hands-off approach and monitoring their behavior is preferred, because you can see how the condition will naturally escalate or go away on its own. By keeping notes you can better answer the vet’s questions, and the two of you can come up with a good treatment option.