I Want To Shout It From The Rooftops, She Ate Pumpkin!!

[stacydc83]

Ok so I just responded to my previous post about Lily but, I am SO PROUD of her! I have to tell someone! She just ate pumpkin, willingly! She's clearly quite constipated, and a lot of people on here said to try pumpkin. I assumed, because she's so picky she wouldnt touch it, so I bought it, and Mom and I shoved it down her throat thinking that would be the only way to get it in here. We did it tonight, and got it in there, but it flung everywhere. She was licking it off the floor!! The pickiest girl in the world LIKES pumpkin.
AND!! I was really getting worried this evening, along with the constipation, she hadn't peed yet today and I was getting so nervous that something was seriously wrong, that I would have to figure out some way to get to the vet, she peed!! a BIG nice clump of pee. Now I just gotta get number 2 going and I'll be the happiest person ever! (I'm sure she'll be happy too)

 

[silkenpaw]

It’s amazing how happy those little things make us! Concatulations, Lily!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

YAY!

 

[stacydc83]

Well that must've been a fluke, this morning she had NO interest in eating it on her own, so on my finger into the mouth it went. She is peeing normal again so yaye, but still no poo My Mom mentioned maybe she had gone outside, I highly doubt it because she will pee out there but pooping is only done in the litter box, i've never seen her do it, i've seen her come in from outside just to do number 2. She is a little more active and seems a little happier today though. How long is too long without a definite good poop? 2 days ago I had seen a little bit in the box, the little balls of poop that I knew she had some constipation going on. So at least she's getting some out, just not a good "clean her outter" poo. Oh, another question? I was doing tons of research on constipation and I read that once they have a big bout of it, they will be have constipation issues the rest of their life. Is this true? I certainly hope not. I'm okay with after this is over giving her pumpkin maybe once a week but not every single day and worrying over the box constantly. I'm hoping once I get her more active and get her hair balls under control she'll start going better.

 

[white shadow]

Hi stacydc83 !

I read that once they have a big bout of it, they will be have constipation issues the rest of their life. Is this true?

No, not true.

Cats can develop a condition called megacolon...........but, that is something that develops slowly over time, and for a variety of reasons.

Here's a complete Feline Constipation 101 - for free! Feline Constipation Home Page

It's an easy, but honest and reliable read...IMO it should be a required read for anyone with a cat! Heck, many folks don't even know how their own digestive system works !

If you want to jump right in to the heart of the matter, click the "How to Help" balloon.

There's an alternative to pumpkin that's effective and can be offered to cats who turn up their noses at pumpkin.....it's guar gum. Dr. Lisa Pierson uses it in her own home made foods. You can read about that here: Making Cat Food
and here's a snippet:

• Soluble fiber such as guar gum: Start with 1/16 tsp once or twice-daily (use one half of a 1/8 tsp measuring spoon) – add extra water (1-2 tablespoons) to the meal or an amount just short of your cat refusing to eat the food. Fiber absorbs water like a sponge and then swells thereby adding bulk to the feces. Therefore, we want to add extra water to the food.

You can purchase guar gum from Whole Foods Market or online here [LINK].

Many people use pumpkin (canned – plain….not pumpkin pie filling with added sugar and spices) but some cats do not like it. I prefer guar gum because it is more convenient and is not an unnecessary source of carbohydrates for our carnivores. It lasts forever (it is not perishable) and most cats readily eat it when mixed into their food. If you want to try pumpkin, use 1/2 – 1 teaspoon 2-3 times per day mixed into their food. Some people freeze the pumpkin in ice cube trays for convenience.........​

....staying tuned !
.

 

[stephanietx]

We mix it in wet food and my kitties get it that way. They won't eat it on its own.

 

[stacydc83]

Thank you for that very informative website! Still too bad that she decided she only liked the pumpkin one time, but its okay, its actually not that hard to hold her and stick it in her mouth. Still no presents for me yet, I'm still "patiently" for her to go. She's still acting pretty normal, lazy. I was gonna see if she wanted to make a few laps around the house with me, but its so muggy out there today. I don't know how Zoe enjoys being out there in the heat of the day but she loves it! Lily's been following me when I go to the kitchen, and asking for treats but I told her "no input of treats until I see output"!
I will definitely keep you updated, and I'll post as soon as I find a present in that litter box!

 

[daftcat75]

If you’re really concerned and just want to clean her out, a teaspoon to a tablespoon of raw egg yolk might do the trick. And then some. Egg yolk contains choline which stimulates the contractions in the gut to move poop along. But it also contains lecithin which is like bile in that it will emulsify fat making it more soluble (more liquid.). If that sounds messy, it’s because it can be. Depending on the cat, it could have a drain-o effect clearing out her backlog (so to speak.). Some cats aren’t as sensitive to egg yolks and the lecithin. That’s why I say, “depending on the cat.” Either way, egg yolk shouldn’t be harmful and she’ll probably love the taste. I would give it a good 24 hours before you gave her any more or another laxative-like product though.

 

[stacydc83]

We...have POOP!!! Not a huge one, but couple of clumbs followed by a skinnier log (yeah sorry so descriptive). I'm hoping the pumpkin is starting to work and this is the first of many to really clean her out. She just ate some of her dinner, and now she's "hiding" in the garage, because there was some slight thunder a few miles out and we know how that goes. Once she deems it safe, I'll get her back in and give her some more pumpkin. And probably tomorrow give her a break for it. I'm interested in trying the raw egg yolk daftcat75 . I can see it being messy, I'm sure that would be something I have to force down her also and its not thick like pumpkin. I also want to try the broth that you talk about, I'm just a lousy cook and probably would be another thing I'd have to force down here. (notice the trend of Lily being super picky and not accepting of new things?)

 

[daftcat75]

No no. Don’t force the egg yolk on her. Just break it open and spoon some yolk onto a flat plate for her. I’m sure she’ll just lick it right up.

 

[daftcat75]

You don’t want to give her the raw white. It has a protein that binds biotin making it unavailable to the cat. A little won’t hurt if you get some on the plate from the yolk. But don’t do like I used to do and let her lick the scrambled egg bowl clean after I poured it into the pan. You can cook the white and give that to her for extra protein.

 

[golondrina]

Hi daftcat. I hadn't seen or heard the word "daft" since I left England in 1958 after 10 years in Wallasey. Are you English? I hope you don't mind my question, I am a "word" maniac.

 

[daftcat75]

Hi daftcat. I hadn't seen or heard the word "daft" since I left England in 1958 after 10 years in Wallasey. Are you English? I hope you don't mind my question, I am a "word" maniac.

I am not English. Except maybe in some distant genealogy. I am a fan of The Stray Cats and Daft Punk. Somewhere over the years, the two got mashed up into a userid.

 

[golondrina]

Thank you for replying daftcat. I didn't know about this group but I'd better not pursue the subject here since I'm hijacking Stacydc's thread. I hope she will forgive me

 

[daftcat75]

If it’s a play on AC/DC, then stacydc83 has a fun handle too.

 

[stacydc83]

nah, I'm not that creative, its just my name and initials, . I never thought of that though!