Abyssinian cat loose stools — what actually helps

Three brands tried and still dealing with loose stools tells me this isn't a bad batch or a fluke — there's something systemic going on, and most likely it's ingredient sensitivity rather than illness. Cats are obligate carnivores with very specific nutritional needs, and a lot of commercial foods include fillers, by-products, and plant proteins that some cats simply can't tolerate well. Wet food is generally the right base for any cat's diet, especially for kidney health over time. To point you toward something that'll actually work: what are the three brands you've tried, and do you know whether they shared any common ingredients — things like chicken, grains, or peas? Also, has your vet ruled out parasites or IBD?

That's a really useful pattern — all three contained chicken, and all three caused the same problem. Chicken is one of the most common protein sensitivities in cats, partly because it's so overused in commercial food that sensitive cats get constant low-level exposure. The Royal Canin dry on top of that would have added corn and other starches her gut may not appreciate either. I'd want to move her to a single-protein wet food with no chicken, no grains, and a very short ingredient list. Has she ever eaten duck, rabbit, or fish as a main protein, or has it always been chicken-based?

Then a proper elimination trial with a novel protein is exactly what she needs. My recommendation is Almo Nature HFC Just Chicken Alternative — actually, given the chicken sensitivity, go straight for their HFC Duck in Broth or Rabbit in Broth pouches. Almo Nature HFC is as close to single-ingredient as commercial cat food gets: it's just the named meat in natural broth, no thickeners, no by-products, no plant proteins, no grains. The ingredient list is genuinely short. For a 7-year-old Abyssinian with an otherwise healthy gut, this kind of clean novel protein trial usually shows results within two to three weeks. Start with one protein — duck or rabbit — and don't mix in anything else for the first month so you get a clean read. It's available in multipacks on Amazon UK and works out reasonably economical given the portion size.

Given that her current food is actively causing problems, a cold turkey switch is actually fine here — in fact it's often better for elimination purposes because a gradual transition keeps the offending ingredients in her system longer. Just make the full switch in one go. You might see slightly different stools in the first few days as her gut adjusts to a new protein, but within a week you should have a clear sense of whether this is working. If stools are still loose after three weeks on Almo Nature HFC with a single novel protein and nothing else, that's when I'd go back to the vet and push for a more thorough GI workup, because at that point it's unlikely to be a simple food sensitivity.

Good plan. Stick strictly to one protein for the full month — no treats with chicken, no mixed flavours — and you'll know exactly what you're dealing with. Most cats with chicken sensitivity do really well once they're off it completely. Hope she settles down quickly.