Constipation in Cats | Lola The Rescued Cat
Monday, November 16, 2015

Constipation in Cats

Not that long ago Lola had a bout of constipation so I decided to write a post about it to help you recognize the signs and symptoms and to help prevent it.  If you think your cat is constipated, please seek veterinary advice for a definitive diagnosis and treatment options.

lola the rescued cat

 What is constipation?
Constipation is absent, infrequent or difficult bowel movements, and is one of the most common health problems associated with a cat’s digestive system.  It is also characterized as the passage of dry or hard feces.  Cats usually have one healthy bowel movement a day, but if your cats are not, or are showing any of the symptoms below, they need to be examined by your veterinarian. 

What are the causes of constipation?
According to Dr. Karen Becker, many cats are fed dry food, but they are obligate carnivores.  When a cat owner replaces a cat’s natural diet with one that contains only 10 to 12% moisture, dehydration and constipation are common symptoms.  Obesity and lack of exercise can exacerbate dehydration and constipation.  Physical activity can stimulate muscle contractions (known as peristalsis) which helps move feces through the colon.  Other causes of constipation can be (but are not limited to):
  • Low fiber diet (eating dry food instead of wet food)
  • Hairballs/excessive grooming
  • Foreign objects (strings, clothing, etc.)
  • Side effects of medication
  • Tumors or blockages
  • Intercat aggression (cat fears another cat and is afraid to use the litterbox)
  • Inability to walk to or access the litterbox

Lola’s main problem is dehydration and low fiber diet and I’ve posted before about her dislike of wet food.  I have tried more brands of wet food than I can keep track of, and she does not eat them.  I can get her to eat maybe 2 to 3 teaspoons of wet food a day (providing it’s Fancy Feast grilled variety – no fish flavors, or Purina Pro Plan), but that’s it.  At one point I bought a fountain to encourage her to drink more water, but she was afraid of it.



lola the rescued cat


How can I tell if my cat is constipated?

Your cat should have a bowel movement daily, and the stools should be formed and soft enough so litter sticks to them.  If the stools are dry and hard, litter doesn’t stick to them, or your cat doesn’t have a bowel movement daily, she could be suffering from constipation.  This is Lola.  She has been going daily, but her stools are still hard. (I know this because I’ve been on poop patrol since her diagnosis.) Other signs may be:


  • Straining to defecate and possible crying out in pain when defecating
  • Going into the litter box and coming out without going
  • Colon filled with a large amount of hard, fecal matter
  • Vomiting
  • Lethargy
  • Lack of grooming
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Swelling around the anus 

How can I help my constipated cat?
After you have a diagnosis from your veterinarian, there are different treatment options they may give you.  These include:

  • Increasing fluid consumption.  This can be done by eliminating dry food and transitioning to a wet food diet, or encouraging her to drink more water by purchasing a fountain. 
  • Using a laxative. 
  • Increasing fiber in their diet. 
  • Enemas and/or manual removal of the feces. 
  • Increased exercise.


lola the rescued cat

I’m very lucky, because I have an excellent vet, Dr. Arnold Plotnick (Mr. Cat Man Do himself.)  In his blog he writes: “To treat the constipation, I would make sure to feed canned food only; avoid dry food.  Stool softeners should be prescribed, so that the feces are more easily passed.  Lactulose is a very effective stool softener, but many cats hate the taste of it.  You may want to consider a different stool softener, such as Miralax.  This is a powder that you can buy over the counter at most pharmacies.  A good starting dose is ¼ teaspoon mixed into every wet food meal.  If the stool is still too firm, increase to ½ tsp.  If the stool is too runny, decrease to 1/8.  Eventually you’ll find the dose that gives the proper consistency stool.”

That’s exactly how I treat Lola’s constipation (with the exception of no dry food.  Dr. P and I have had conversations about Lola's aversion to wet food, but I continue to encourage her to eat it.)  On days where she won’t eat the food with the Miralax mixed in I give her Lactulose. I make sure her water is fresh, and in the very near future I will try a fountain again. I also give her pumpkin from time to time. 

Do you have a constipated cat? What works for them?
Dawn

References: 

Photos Credits: 
pippy & timmy - Flickr
Lemonade at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
HappyCatHome - Flickr

























                                                                      









Would you like to comment?

  1. Binga takes lactulose daily... and often pumpkin too! It all seems to help her.

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  2. One of the cats who came before us had constipation issues as he became a senior. Knowing what we do now, he should have had a lot more hydration and canned food. We hope that Lola finally realizes how good canned food is!

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  3. Carmine has IBD with chronic constipation. We have been feeding him pumpkin everyday, and that usually works pretty well for him. :) It's nice that he doesn't mind eating it, too!

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  4. Sammy fortunately will eat wet food along with his kibble.......but I give him EXTRA water in his wet food - I just mix in a couple of tablespoons of water with the wet food - works like magic - he laps it ALL up; good and extra water along with it. He stays hydrated and has no potty issues which is great since he's almost 16. Hope Lola's problems don't return!

    Hugs, Sammy

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  5. A helpful post! The staff makes me eat wet food, even though I prefer kibble for this very reason!!

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  6. Some of us (mainly Fiona and Giulietta) are not that fond of wet food either. Sometimes Fiona just buries hers. We all love the fountain, however. What type did you try? Was it noisy? We have a stainless steel Drinkwell 360. It is quiet. Mom also has bowls of water in several places in the house. We are happy you found something that is working for Lola. This was an excellent post with lots of great and useful information. Mom says, "thanks." XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

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  7. It sounds like you covered everything I have ever heard of for constipation-pumpkin, more water and lactulose. I am glad Lola is doing better.

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  8. Pawsum posty. Now let's get to da fountain. It can be scary. And it can be a cwap shoot to find da one yous kitty will luv da mostest. Sis Lexi has always luvved fountains. All of them so dusn't matter to her, just turn on da water and back away. MOL But me? Da furst fountain we got...well let's just say me was horrified by da whole lot of it. Me wuld cweep up on it and jump ifin it splashed or anyfin' moved. MOL It took well over a month afur me wuld get close enuff to see dat it was water. MOL consistency. Mommy sez peeps give up too soon and toss out da fountain afur kitty has a chance to acclimate. Keep a bowl of furesh water acwoss fwum it so Lola dusn't have to use da fountain. And in no time, yous'll see her takin' dat furst dwink. Good luck, weez sendin' purrayers.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

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  9. Pawsum posty. Now let's get to da fountain. It can be scary. And it can be a cwap shoot to find da one yous kitty will luv da mostest. Sis Lexi has always luvved fountains. All of them so dusn't matter to her, just turn on da water and back away. MOL But me? Da furst fountain we got...well let's just say me was horrified by da whole lot of it. Me wuld cweep up on it and jump ifin it splashed or anyfin' moved. MOL It took well over a month afur me wuld get close enuff to see dat it was water. MOL consistency. Mommy sez peeps give up too soon and toss out da fountain afur kitty has a chance to acclimate. Keep a bowl of furesh water acwoss fwum it so Lola dusn't have to use da fountain. And in no time, yous'll see her takin' dat furst dwink. Good luck, weez sendin' purrayers.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Lexi

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  10. hay ewe gals....thanx for sharin thiz post; yes inn deed we all haz had a wee bit of trubull with R bowelz ....lactulose
    did de trix for boomer; coconut oil for tuna, N dai$y got water added two her canned goodz .....hope full lee itz a thing
    oh de past...for uz & ewe both ~~ ♥♥♥

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  11. My Angel Tara used to get constipated quite often and I found that hairball treats used to get things moving!

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  12. Zoey suffers from megacolon. She gets miralax and cisapride in her food, along with lots of water. Interestingly, the prescription food that she eats (high fiber) is a dry food and they don't make it in a canned version. But she still gets mostly canned food and the prescription diet food as a snack.

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  13. Mom's kitty gets constipated, but we have trouble getting her to eat any moist food... we haven't tried miralax though.

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  14. Great post! Another thing that causes constipation are certain meds (don't recall seeing that listed above, and if it is, I apologize). Whenever Cody is on Prednisonol for his allergies, he has to have pure pumpkin as well. After spending $500 to have his anal glands expressed once, I will occasionally add pumpkin to his diet regardless. Also, changing flavors of his food helps to unblock him too!
    catchatwithcarenandcody

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  15. HAH! Nicky had constipation problems. His stool were so hard, he used to take them outta the box and play hockey with them. I have lots of pumpkin and usually do a lot of running to keep me regular. Have you tried mixing wet food into Lola’s kibble or adding water?.

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  16. We never have this problem in our house since we all eat homemade raw food but we used to have the opposite problem! It can take a long time for some cats to transition to wet when they are kibble fanatics. The pet food manufacturers make it so! It took Echo weeks to begin eating raw from canned even. Patience is the key to any change for us kitties.

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  17. Great post! Thankfully we haven't run into this issue, though I admit it is difficult to keep an eye on my cat's stools -- with five cats in the house, I can't keep up with whose poop is whose! But I haven't noticed anything unusual, so I think everyone is fine. I've heard good things about pumpkin though. Thanks for the great tips!

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  18. Great post. I have no problems with Truffle eating wet food, but Brulee is a very picky eater and usually prefers the dry food. I've found some wet food that she will eat, but I also let them eat wet food and keep plenty of water out.

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  19. This is great information to have on hand! Neither of my cats have ever had a problem with constipation, but it is something that may happen one day. It is always best to be prepared (especially for problems that are common like constipation). Nobody wants an uncomfortable kitty.

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