All of us who live with cats want the best for them. If we suspect that they have a health problem, we immediately worry, because they love each other so much that when we see them sad or upset, we cannot help worrying about them.
An example of this is when we notice that our friend goes to the sandbox but cannot relieve himself. Let's know what to do if my cat cannot defecate.
Why can't my cat defecate?
There are several reasons why a cat may have trouble defecating. The most common causes are:
Hair balls
Normally, a cat can expel them without difficulty, but sometimes the accumulation of hair is such that creates an intestinal blockage that prevents proper digestion.
What to do?
It is very important brush the animal daily, and give malt for cats once a week. In case you have constipation, you can give a tablespoon of vinegar. If it still does not improve, it will be necessary to take it to the vet.
Lack of water
Cats that drink little water may have a harder time defecating.
What to do? It should be given either wet food (cans) or soak its dry feed with water to keep you hydrated.
Obesity
One of the consequences of obesity is constipation, which can be particularly serious the greater the weight of the animal.
To do? If our furry has a few kilos left over, You have to take him to the vet for advice on what food you can give him and in what quantity. Also, we will have to force our beloved cat a little to exercise.
Poor quality food
If we give him a low-quality meal, with cereals and by-products, low in fiber, your digestion will not be entirely good.
To do? It is convenient to choose give him a feed that has a high percentage (at least 70%) of meat and that is free of cereals (corn, wheat, oats, rice).
Injury
The cat that has suffered an injury to the pelvic area or lower back you may feel very painful when you have a bowel movement or urinate.
What to do? You have to take him to the vet to give you pain reliever medicine. If necessary, your provider may put a catheter on you until you get better.
Toys
If you have swallowed a toy or other object, it may got stuck in your digestive system.
To do? In these cases you have to go to the vet as soon as possible.
Has between 0 and 1 month of life
The baby kitten does not know how to relieve himself. So he won't have a bowel movement unless we help him.
What to do? We will pass a cotton ball moistened with warm water through the ano-genital area, using one for urine and another (other 🙂) for stool within ten minutes of having eaten. If you still cannot do anything, we will give you a circular massage, clockwise, on your abdomen and we will stimulate the ano-genital area again. If two days pass and he does not defecate, we will take him to the vet.
How to know if a cat is constipated?
We will know that our cat has constipation if:
- He spends a lot of time in the sandbox and / or goes more often than usual.
- There is less stool than usual.
- The stool is very hard and dry.
- He has stopped eating.
- His behavior has changed.
- Complains a lot when trying to have a bowel movement.
An adult cat can go up to 3 days without doing it, but it will always be better to do it every day, since otherwise his life would be in danger of death. For this reason, whenever we suspect that our friend has a problem to relieve himself, we will take him to the vet to examine him and tell us what to do to restore his health.
Cats do not know how to talk, but if we observe them daily we can know how they feel at all times.