3 year old male cat constipated and often eating plants

[Erisha]

Hello everyone. My male cat of 3 years has got very thin hard poop and has been avoiding food(mostly in the morning, at night he's fine) which I give him which is mostly rice and boiled fish with some fish soup. He liked eating this only which was why I gave him this food. However sometime back he started liking dry food so much he wants it mixed in. Yet he won't eat it in the morning. And on the other hand he is always in the habit of eating plants I keep in the garden. Are the two related? Plants and constipation? He does vomit out the leaves. Does rice cause constipation? Is he unwilling to eat in morning because of hot weather? I haven't posted in a while because I always take him to the vet but this week she's not available.. What should I do to encourage him to eat in the morning? And yes he drinks lots of water.

 

[di and bob]

He may be constipated to the point he can't eat anything until he poops, even the little bit. A steady diet of fish can lead to thiamine deficiencies. Rice is bland and doesn't contribute much either, though it is a good source of fiber. He may be eating plants because his body craves something it is lacking in his diet. You might try mixing some pure canned pumpkin in his food to see if that will help him go, and call your vet and see if you can give him 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of human Miralax in a small amount of food or a beaten egg yolk. buy some different brands and types of canned cat food and see if he will eat any to give him some added nutrients, or if not, offer a good quality dry food if he will eat that, or a cat vitamin supplement to mix in his fish. I think with a greater variety of food and his constipation taken care of he will be fine. a vet check wouldn't hurt if he is due.....

 

[Erisha]

Thanks for your reply. I was thinking of switching to a dry food that's got better ingredients so I'll give him that today and will try pumpkin as well. Thanks again.

 

[suzeanna]

To your question about the rice -- since rice can be given to cats to help with diarrhea, I think it could possibly be a bit of a contributing factor in this case. If the weather is hot in the mornings, maybe he would actually enjoy a small hydrating canned food meal! I usually mix in a little hot water from the kettle to my cat's bowl of pate canned food since I keep the can in the fridge.

 

[Maurey]

Could you switch to wet food, instead? Even fairly cheap wet food will be better than the vast majority of dry. The lack of moisture in kibble can also contribute to constipation. Ultimately, if he doesn't poop soon, and in decent consistency, I agree with di and bob -- if he doesn't poop soon, he should probably see a vet in case of blockage.