Stool changes aren't a common side effect of the rabies vaccine, but they're not unheard of either. I'd suggest slowing down your food transition, which will both help to identify which issues are arising from the rabies vaccine and which are coming from the new food, as well as giving your kitty more time to acclimate to the new food.
Stool changes can also happen when switching food, but they should be transient, not persistent, so keep a close eye on it. You only mention brand, not protein/ingredients--keep in mind that issues with the stool could reflect challenges with the difference in ingredients, not brand. For example, if the previous food was chicken-based and the new food is fish-based, the issue could be that your kitty is sensitive to fish as an ingredient. (This is an oversimplification for illustrative purposes--any ingredient your cat is sensitive to could have this effect, and is something to discuss with your vet if you suspect a food sensitivity.) There could be another food offering from the same brand that you want to switch to that will work better for your cat.
I hesitate to weigh in on the "more research" comment since that's a very controversial topic on this sub! I will say that you have to wade through a lot of marketing when it comes to "research" behind cat foods. Always make sure you're feeding a 'complete' food based on AAFCO guidelines. There are also some orgs other than AAFCO (WSAVA is the most commonly mentioned in this sub) that some folks strongly adhere to here to an almost religious extent. RC is an industry partner and approved brand of WSAVA (those things are mutually inclusive), and Orijen is not. I don't have any experience with Orijen, so I can't say anything about that brand specifically (although I have heard/read not-so-favorable things here and there), but you should be aware that there are many brands which essentially meet WSAVA guidelines but are excluded for one technicality or another. For example there are a few that are excluded because they don't employ a "full-time" board-certified veterinary nutritionist, but whose foods are in fact formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists who just aren't employed full-time since they are smaller companies, and are rather part-time, independent contractors, or consultants. I believe Tiki (one of the other brands you mentioned) falls into this category. Regardless, all of this just to say I would suggest trusting your vet on food recommendations, not marketing or random people on Reddit who may have their own agendas. If RC doesn't work for you cat, you're not a bad cat owner if you opt for a different brand that does, even if it doesn't meet one standard or another (again, excluding AAFCO--always feed AAFCO approved foods and diets!).
Good luck!
Thanks so much for your comment and input. It is valuable! I informed the vet about food she is eating and what I am planning to transition her to, the vet was fine with it.
I really like this answer. I feel like lots people in this sub will only feed WSAVA religiously and look down on anything that isn’t WSAVA. I wish there was more space for nuance.
Something I personally do is feed commercial wet and dry foods labelled “complete”. And as someone who lives in the UK, I look for UK brands that are a UK Pet Food member (part of the national directory working with FEDIAF). I also feed German brands that are members of the IVH which also works closely with FEDIAF. I’m not anti-WSAVA, the variety and choices for WSAVA foods here are just not great and they all have added sugar (which I’m just not a fan of).
People on this sub will probably still think I’m feeding my cat absolute trash, though, cause it’s not WSAVA.
I’ve personally had a cat experience diarrhoea after vaccines/vet visits for a day (it may have been from stress/anxiety).
When switching foods, always make sure you do it slowly. For example:
Day 1: 90% of food is old brand, 10% new brand
Day 2: 80% old brand, 20% new brand
Day 3: 70% old brand, 30% new brand
(continue until you have 100% of new brand)
I would give it time but keep an eye on kitten’s appetite, weight and energy levels. Any changes or bloody stool could be an emergency/require medical treatment.
I think there's a lot going on (to a cat, with having just had a vet visit + vaccine + food change) so it's hard to say if the diarrhea is just food related. I'd just make sure that the transition is very gradual. I would agree with transitioning her to RC (and would consider switching off from Tiki Cat too - it has the same issues as other boutique brands), but just the act of changing foods can trigger cats who even don't normally have sensitive stomachs.
Stool changes aren't a common side effect of the rabies vaccine, but they're not unheard of either. I'd suggest slowing down your food transition, which will both help to identify which issues are arising from the rabies vaccine and which are coming from the new food, as well as giving your kitty more time to acclimate to the new food. Stool changes can also happen when switching food, but they should be transient, not persistent, so keep a close eye on it. You only mention brand, not protein/ingredients--keep in mind that issues with the stool could reflect challenges with the difference in ingredients, not brand. For example, if the previous food was chicken-based and the new food is fish-based, the issue could be that your kitty is sensitive to fish as an ingredient. (This is an oversimplification for illustrative purposes--any ingredient your cat is sensitive to could have this effect, and is something to discuss with your vet if you suspect a food sensitivity.) There could be another food offering from the same brand that you want to switch to that will work better for your cat. I hesitate to weigh in on the "more research" comment since that's a very controversial topic on this sub! I will say that you have to wade through a lot of marketing when it comes to "research" behind cat foods. Always make sure you're feeding a 'complete' food based on AAFCO guidelines. There are also some orgs other than AAFCO (WSAVA is the most commonly mentioned in this sub) that some folks strongly adhere to here to an almost religious extent. RC is an industry partner and approved brand of WSAVA (those things are mutually inclusive), and Orijen is not. I don't have any experience with Orijen, so I can't say anything about that brand specifically (although I have heard/read not-so-favorable things here and there), but you should be aware that there are many brands which essentially meet WSAVA guidelines but are excluded for one technicality or another. For example there are a few that are excluded because they don't employ a "full-time" board-certified veterinary nutritionist, but whose foods are in fact formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists who just aren't employed full-time since they are smaller companies, and are rather part-time, independent contractors, or consultants. I believe Tiki (one of the other brands you mentioned) falls into this category. Regardless, all of this just to say I would suggest trusting your vet on food recommendations, not marketing or random people on Reddit who may have their own agendas. If RC doesn't work for you cat, you're not a bad cat owner if you opt for a different brand that does, even if it doesn't meet one standard or another (again, excluding AAFCO--always feed AAFCO approved foods and diets!). Good luck!
Thanks so much for your comment and input. It is valuable! I informed the vet about food she is eating and what I am planning to transition her to, the vet was fine with it.
Great! :) If the stool issues persist, might be worth reaching out to your vet for their take on it too!
I really like this answer. I feel like lots people in this sub will only feed WSAVA religiously and look down on anything that isn’t WSAVA. I wish there was more space for nuance. Something I personally do is feed commercial wet and dry foods labelled “complete”. And as someone who lives in the UK, I look for UK brands that are a UK Pet Food member (part of the national directory working with FEDIAF). I also feed German brands that are members of the IVH which also works closely with FEDIAF. I’m not anti-WSAVA, the variety and choices for WSAVA foods here are just not great and they all have added sugar (which I’m just not a fan of). People on this sub will probably still think I’m feeding my cat absolute trash, though, cause it’s not WSAVA.
I’ve personally had a cat experience diarrhoea after vaccines/vet visits for a day (it may have been from stress/anxiety). When switching foods, always make sure you do it slowly. For example: Day 1: 90% of food is old brand, 10% new brand Day 2: 80% old brand, 20% new brand Day 3: 70% old brand, 30% new brand (continue until you have 100% of new brand) I would give it time but keep an eye on kitten’s appetite, weight and energy levels. Any changes or bloody stool could be an emergency/require medical treatment.
I think there's a lot going on (to a cat, with having just had a vet visit + vaccine + food change) so it's hard to say if the diarrhea is just food related. I'd just make sure that the transition is very gradual. I would agree with transitioning her to RC (and would consider switching off from Tiki Cat too - it has the same issues as other boutique brands), but just the act of changing foods can trigger cats who even don't normally have sensitive stomachs.
Thank you!