my zazzles this morning is straining when using the litter tray, Is olive oil safe for a natural laxative?
Zazzles is around 5 months old now i think and NOOOOOOOO he defintely DOESNT have a prob with exercise.He and his bro Doom were running thrugh the house at super sonic speed chasing each other all last night til they ran themselves down.The little terrors spilt my coffee on me twice in the process!LOL!!!!!!! Drove me crazyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Zazzles is a fairly young cat, right? What I would call a toddler?
I would NOT treat the constipation, but rather take him (or her) to the Vet to be checked out as kittens are prone to getting in to things and this could be a result of ingestion of a foreign objectNot saying it is, but before you do anything to "fix it", I would at least run it by a Vet. Or perhaps it's fixed itself by now?
What do you feed them? Plenty of water helps avoid constipation, as does plenty of exercise, but I'm guessing the latter is not a problem
Thanks,i will try it!
I've never heard of using olive oil for constipation, but you can use plain pureed pumpkin (no spices added). Sometimes even a bit of psyillium husk helps. Unless this is a chronic problem, I would get to the vet for a check up to rule out any medical problems first.
YES he has used the litter tray since the post but its not on a reg basis and he can be heard straining when he is using it.
Has he had ANY bowel movements in the last six days (since you started posting)? Or are they just not on a regular basis? What EXACTLY is happening with him? Is he still acting like a normal 5 month old kitten (eating ravenously, drinking well, running around like crazy), or he becoming lethargic?
It's not surprising that he doesn't like the pumpkin. I think it's 50/50 for cats to like it. What are you feeding him? Wet or dry food?
Thanks so much Im not sure about the brands you suggested, if i can get em in australia but im definately gong to look into it while at the mall tomorrow!!! Ive not bought catnip as yet but i was in fact thinking of getting them some this morning actually but i dont get money til next wed so i guess i will try the oily tuna in the meantime but ty so much for the links.im going to read em now
I was going to suggest the Laxatone, too. I used it for Bertha last week when she hadn't been to the toilet for two days. She's usually regular as clockwork, so I acted quickly. She's back to normal now.
I don't know if they're available where you live, but I also give Bertha three Fiber Formula dry cat treats before I feed her. She's on a quasi-diet and this helps to reduce her appetite. But, it also helps to keep her regular. As far as I know, they are only available through a vet, unfortunately.
You might consider providing cat grass and fresh catnip for him. Both are fibrous, and most cats love them. You can buy packets of seeds to start at home, or you could buy sprouted plants at the pet store.
Finally, I've read that some people use Slippery Elm Bark to improve their cat's digestion. Here is an exhaustive discussion of cat constipation:
http://www.felineconstipation.org/prevention.html
Finally, here's a link to a website that may give you more information:
http://www.petmd.com/cat/emergency/...pation|pmt|b&gclid=CNT9-7mArMUCFYaTfgodQSYAew
Good luck!
Best regards,
some dry foods will contribute to constipation due to the low moisture. you could try one of the hairball dry foods or the weight-control ones. they are often high in fiber. just read the bag. or you could add psyllium, wheat bran, or pumpkin to wet food. but if you add fiber, make sure your cat is well hydrated before you start. you don't want the fiber to become impacted.
Do you think if i give zazzles more dry food..if i can get one he likes..it would give him more fibre and therefore help this prob??
yes one teaspoon and plain pumpkin...
Personally, I wouldn't add in more kibble, because as mentioned above, dry foods often contribute to constipation, especially if he doesn't drink that much anyway..
I would like to ask again about the pumpkin though. How much did you add to his food, now that I know you mainly feed canned food. Did you start with just a tiny amount, like 1 TEASPOON per meal? And you are using just plain canned pumpkin, right? Not pumpkin pie filling, but plain pumpkin? If you mix one TEASPOON really well into his food, he really shouldn't be able to taste it. Or try using half that and see if you can get away with it, then slowly increase it.
When you say you can "hear" him straining in the litter box, what exactly do you mean? Does he cry out? What are his stools like? Are they rock hard or are they normal? How often does he have a bowel movement?