For those who like to keep pets, pet illness is the most troublesome thing. Especially for novices who have no experience, they don’t know where to start when their pets feel unwell. Here, let’s talk about a problem that cat owners often encounter, that is, cat constipation. Some cat owners may not be able to tell whether a cat is constipated. Let’s learn more about cat constipation.

Symptoms of constipation in cats:

· The feces is too dry and has no viscosity

· Going back and forth to the defecation area (little/no defecation)

· Expression of pain (accompanied by screams) when trying to defecate

· The abdomen is swollen or too tight when touched (the cat will feel pain)

· Loss of appetite/weight loss

· Blood in the stool/mucus

· Swelling around the anus

Generally, cats have normal defecation frequency. Just dry stool does not mean that they are constipated. Relatively speaking, elderly cats are more likely to suffer from constipation, especially if blood/mucus appears in their feces. They should rush to the nearest hospital for diagnosis and treatment immediately. It is likely to be cancer, Life-threatening diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Causes of constipation:

· Dehydration

·Colon obstruction caused by swallowed foreign bodies/tumors

· Hairball Syndrome (Portal: About the causes of hairballs and vomiting in cats)

· Intestinal obstruction

· Obesity

· Emergency response (environmental changes, pressure, etc.)

· Orthopedics/Nervous system diseases (pelvis, hind limb fractures, painful defecation caused by arthritis)

· Anal gland abnormalities

Most cases of constipation are not life-threatening and are merely signs of illness. We only need to help the cat adjust its diet, mood, etc. in time after discovery to avoid an emergency red alert.

Adjustment and basic treatment after constipation:

· Replenish moisture

Increase the amount of moisture obtained. The moisture content of ordinary cat food is 20%-30%.Canned cats can reach 80% (generally the water content of canned cats is 75%-85%), which is the simplest way to increase water intake.

· Pumpkin puree

Mix pumpkin puree and unsalted butter at a ratio of 2:1, warm it and mix it into your daily diet. It not only increases the aroma and taste of food, but also promotes gastrointestinal motility and relieves constipation.

· Increase food intake frequency

Cats with constipation usually eat less (picky eaters), so they can increase the amount of food or eat smaller meals more frequently.

· Sunflower seed powder

Sunflower seeds are indigestible to cats and can pass through the digestive system unchanged, promoting the formation of feces. (Use a blender to grind and mix into food)

· Milk/stool softener

Many cats like milk, but milk can cause them diarrhea. It can help cats defecate through diarrhea. In addition, stool softeners are mild and will not harm the cat's body, and can be used as a lubricant to help cats defecate. (But it is still recommended to follow the doctor’s advice)

· Others

Increase the amount of exercise for cats; if there are multiple cats at home, it is recommended to prepare multiple litter boxes to avoid causing the cats to be in a bad mood.

Note: Flaxseed powder and psyllium husk powder can also relieve constipation in cats and should be used under the supervision of a doctor. The former will cause food poisoning if not cooked, and the latter has a short-lasting effect and is not suitable for long-term use. It is not recommended that you use these two methods to help cats treat constipation.

Healthy cats are not prone to excessive intake of vegetables and will suffer from diarrhea and soft stools. If you want to treat and prevent constipation, you can use the pumpkin puree mentioned above. In addition, cats who often have nausea and vomiting indicate a poor digestive system. Even if they are constipated, they cannot feed vegetables, which will aggravate the vomiting reaction. They can eat smaller meals more frequently and eat easily digestible food (raw food, skeletons made of plant fiber, starch, etc.) ).

If the above methods still cannot provide an effective solution, parents are asked to take the cat to the hospital immediately. The doctor may need to save the cat through enema, surgery and other methods.

Cats are carnivores. It is recommended to feed them raw food to simulate their natural diet to the greatest extent. This kind of cat feces is hard, segment-shaped, dry, grayish white, and beige. The most important thing is that it has a low smell. It will be very brittle after leaving the body and is held together by hair. Some people worry that cats will get parasites if they eat raw food. In fact, you don’t need to worry too much. Cats eat mice and have their own resistance. Later, people kept them as pets and became more and more delicate. It is a good thing to love pets, but don’t spoil them.!