This is a specific conversation about Cat food for sensitive stomachs — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
Digestive sensitivity in cats is often down to food intolerance rather than a true allergy, and limited-ingredient or novel-protein diets tend to work best — though it sounds like lamb didn't agree with your cat at all, which rules that protein out for now. To point you in the right direction, it would help to know: is it mainly loose stools, vomiting, or both? How long has this been going on overall? And what were you feeding before you tried the lamb?
It's been going on about three months. Before the lamb we were on a supermarket mixed variety pack — chicken, fish, beef, all sorts. The lamb was supposed to be simpler but he's had worse loose stools since switching and he's been really lethargic the past few weeks. He's a five-year-old Cornish Rex.
inparticular.ai
That's a useful picture. The mixed variety pack is actually a common culprit — constant protein rotation can keep a sensitive gut perpetually irritated because it never gets a chance to settle. The lethargy on top of the loose stools after switching to lamb suggests that particular protein doesn't suit him, which isn't unusual. Cornish Rexes can have quite reactive digestive systems. Before I suggest a direction, one question: in those three months has he been seen by a vet, or has this been managed at home so far?
He had a check-up about six weeks ago. The vet said he seemed otherwise healthy and suggested we try a more consistent diet rather than the variety packs, but didn't recommend a specific food.
inparticular.ai
Good — that rules out anything more serious and gives you a clear brief: one protein, consistently fed, no rotating. Given that lamb has just made things worse, I'd go with a high-quality chicken-based limited-ingredient food. Chicken is the protein most cats tolerate well, and keeping it grain-free removes another common irritant. My recommendation is Canagan Grain-Free Free-Run Chicken for cats. It's a single named protein, grain-free, high meat content, and the ingredient list is short and clean — exactly what you want when you're trying to identify and eliminate triggers. It's available in both wet and dry formats, and for a sensitive stomach I'd start with the wet food to keep him well hydrated while his gut settles.
How long should it take before I see an improvement? And do I transition him slowly even though the current food is making him worse?
inparticular.ai
Yes, still transition gradually — about seven to ten days mixing the new food in, even when you're keen to move away from what's causing the problem. A sudden switch can cause its own flare-up and then you won't know what's doing what. With a clean limited-ingredient food like Canagan, most cats with dietary sensitivity show meaningful improvement within two to three weeks — firmer stools usually come first, and energy tends to follow once the gut irritation calms down. If the lethargy hasn't lifted after three weeks on the new food, it's worth going back to the vet, but I'd expect you to see a difference before that.
That makes sense. I'll order the wet Canagan and do the gradual switch. Thanks for being so specific — most advice just says 'try a sensitive stomach food' without explaining why.
inparticular.ai
Glad it's useful. The reasoning matters because 'sensitive stomach food' covers a huge range of products, some of which still have multiple proteins or fillers that keep the problem going. Stick to one protein, watch for improvement, and don't reintroduce variety until he's been stable for at least six to eight weeks. Good luck with him.
