It started with my suspicion that Akira and possibly Kai, had gastrointestinal issues because they were hunting and partially eating cockroaches.
But coincidentally with their hunting episodes, I was also giving everyone a new raw treat. Everyone else, including Indra, was fine with the new treat, but it looks like Akira isn’t. It must be some ingredient in the treat that she cannot agree with.
I’ve tried and tested it twice now and it’s more or less confirmed – she is sensitive to something in that new treat.
So now I’m not sure if the cockroaches have been wrongly accused of their “crime” of making Akira sick. Maybe it wasn’t even them in the first place! But I’m glad I did not harm any of the cockroaches. I only use the “filth and cleanliness do not mix” idea and that settled the cockroach problem – 100%.
In any case, it isn’t good for the kittens to eat cockroaches too.
This is Akira and Indra, taking an afternoon nap.
This is Kai.
Akira and Kai are still waiting patiently at the drain hole for cockroaches every day. But there are no more cockroaches now. The other day, the threesome (plus Indra) caught an alate (the insects that fly around light at night) and they got so, so excited.
I had actually settled Akira’s gastrointestinal problem on the first round. The fever subsided and she got better. Then, diarrhoea developed (yes, I had given the new treat), which the vet had prepared me because of the gassy gut, so I thought it was a late symptom of the fever and gassy stomach. She recovered from the diarrhoea and all was well. Then, I tried the treat again, and almost instantly, the diarrhoea came back! So, without the cockroaches to blame now, I am certain it is the new treat.
It must be some food intolerance to some ingredient in this new treat.
Hence, no more new treat for everyone in Bunny’s Place because Akira cannot take it, unless I can sneak it to the rest without Akira noticing it.
My conclusion now is that perhaps the cockroach eating caused the initial fever and gastrointestinal problem and the new treat caused some stomach upset. Then, after the infection was cured, it was the new treat that caused the diarrhoea. Luckily the diarrhoea could be quickly arrested with kaolin pectin. What a life-saver!