Poop 💩 question

danteshuman

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
So lately I have noticed my cat’s poop looks like a chain of 4-5 tootsie rolls stuck together in a log. Solid, but segmented. Is he constipated or is it the hairballs he has been having from his current shedding? (I have been brushing him, lost his hairball medicine but will give him some in the next few days.)

He eats mostly wet (3/4 wet.) Should I try adding a little water to his wet food? Or give him a laxative (hairball medicine.) If he has this kind of poop consistently for a month, what should I do?
 

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,187
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Sounds like it is slightly dry. Is your hairball med that effective that him missing it for a few days could cause this? Pretty good stuff, if so! Adding a bit of water to his food is fine, if he will eat it that way. Or, you can try adding a couple of drops of olive oil to his food. I would hesitate about giving him any laxative until it would become more apparent that is your only option.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

danteshuman

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
It is effective in getting to stop throwing up.... as a laxative? Not really. He only gets hairballs when he sheds seasonally.

I have been adding a bit of water, which he eats. The few drops of olive oil? No. 🤦🏻‍♀️
 

stephanietx

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
14,768
Purraise
3,489
Location
Texas
Cut out the dry food, add a little water and maybe a little bit of plain canned pumpkin to the wet food and you should see improvement. Go with a good food with very little fillers.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

danteshuman

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
A good food! 🤣🤣🤣 My super picky eater will starve himself & hates pumpkin. He does like baked yams though. I fought with him for almost two years trying to get him to eat a non tuna wet food & a healthy wet food. I finally gave up & decided to wean him down off the wet food..... with the aim of getting him changed to 1/2 tuna wet food & 1/2 healthier dry food. He used to be fed 6 times a day and was still a picky twerp who never completely gave up his dry food. I feed him 3 times a day & he eats between 1 to 1.5 cans (3oz) a day ..... depending on if I’m trying to get him to eat a non fishy wet food or not. ⭐Yes I’m fully aware fancy feast is NOT healthy & why dry food is not optimal over a HEALTHY wet food. ⭐On the dry verus wet food debate I have known cats that ate mostly science diet (until they became very old) & they lived 18, 19 & 21 years.

He eats fancy feast tuna medley, turkey medley, ocean whitefish medley, fancy feastgravy lovers beef, my best friend forever variety pack pouches in non shrimp & non salmon flavors for wet food. His dry food is blue Buffalo wilderness duck (& he pigs out on dry food at Nana’s house because she feeds them blue Buffalo wilderness salmon.)

I don’t know why he is slightly constipated. If it lasts a month or longer I may have to crack and get him a water fountain or let him drink out of the kitchen sink. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I refill his bowl of water every day and twice a day when he gets flea medication (plus an extra bowl full off water for 3 days after his Cheristin is applied.) If it persists for a couple of months I will take him to the vet.
 

stephanietx

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
14,768
Purraise
3,489
Location
Texas
Fish foods are generally not good for kitties due to the high mercury content and they make kitties more prone to urinary tract issues (stones, crystals, infections). Have you tried raw?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

danteshuman

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
I know fish is not great for him. This month I was going to reduce him down to only getting 2 meals a day...... so half his diet would be a duck dry food. I’m going to deal with his mild constipation first,

Raw food is not an option. I don’t trust that it will be handled properly/kept in the right temperature. So it needs to be canned or dry. I know people love raw food & say it is great. Nor am I going to make him homemade food daily; I live off frozen meals. (Physically I am no longer up to cooking.)



This all started as thing about my cat being mildly constipated not his diet.


⭐The few drops of olive oil worked! 😀 Thank you! I don’t think giving him olive oil every day is healthy though. So I’m going to try adding a spoonful or so of water to each of his wet food meals for a couple of weeks.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

danteshuman

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 27, 2017
Messages
5,030
Purraise
6,077
Location
California
So he is still slightly constipated. He eats maybe 2 cups per week max of dry food, so I don’t think that is the issue. Should I give up and let him drink out of the kitchen faucet? Would cat safe chicken broth get him to drink more? (He prefers fish but he gets to much fish in his diet already.) He isn’t to impressed with the fountain at Nana’s house.

Adding water to his food is hot and miss depending on how awake I am when feeding him.


I think he may have always been slightly constipated & I just didn’t notice. 😢 I should have noticed!
 
Top