Why is my cats poop half black, half brown, and hard?

[descendants]

Hi, just some backstory.
So I recently moved out of my dad's house in early June to a new place with my boyfriend and my cat, Peaches, was doing just fine up until a few weeks ago when she stopped eating her dry food. She has only done this once before, where she stopped eating because she had fleas, after the fleas were gone she ate again just fine, this was probably more than 5 months ago. Now I am having the same problem again, but no fleas. She used to go outside at my dads, so we think maybe she is protesting? But she wont even eat wet can food.

Peaches is a begger for food, she will try to eat our human food and gets excited when I open a can of wet food for her, but she will only lick the gravy she'll leave all the pieces in the bowl licked clean. Which is so unusual for her because she used to eat a whole can in 20 minutes, I used to have to take it away from her because she would annihilate it... Trust me I want to take her in the vet like first thing in the morning every day, but I lost my job this month and I have a new job but dont get paid until the 15th. Like I cant even pay rent this month I am so broke. When I do for paid I am taking her in, but I'm hoping someone can tell me what it could possibly be so I know what to pay for at the vet like blood work or x rays? so yeah.. her poop is part black, part light brown, but not very light... I have a picture if anyone actually would want to see it and its actually pretty normal sized, considering how little she has been eating... please tell me what this could be

[Lilith]

Hi and welcome

Faeces can stay in the gut for a very long while - hope no-one is eating a late breakfast but I've first hand experience of a human who was having copious diarrohea even though they hadn't eaten for a month. And haven't we all had a motion that's part hard, part soft - sorry for graphic details folks!

So it sounds to me as if Peaches is still passing stool from her dried food, but this is changing colour because of her new eating habits. I've often seen these bi-coloured motions from cats and dogs.

The Gourmet pate food is a good idea if you have a faddy cat as it has no lumps ... she may indeed be stressed by the change in her life, and need tempting; you could also try her on Encore though this isn't a complete food. Sainsbury's 'Delicious' is another one they seem to like and finish up. A bit expensive I know when you'll be trying to economise but it might get her eating properly again.

This is just an educated guess, by the way and if you have any worries, it would be best to get her checked out of course. It might be a good idea to ring the vet's surgery - in my experience they, or nurses/receptionists are usually happy to discuss and advise over the phone, and they may be able to reassure you - I've only got practical experience as an owner, but they're the experts.

Hope this helps for now and there will be other people along with more advice.

Good luck with her and hope your prospects pick up too, all the best