Nutrition for the constipated cat: right foods, advice and natural remedies


Your cat can no longer defecate? Of course there is some problem and it is possible to solve it with food: feeding for the constipated cat and all the most useful tips.

Scrupulously observing your cat’s litter every day have you noticed that there is something ‘missing’? If your cat can no longer defecate it could be a health problem that can be solved with food or with some useful tips that will avoid the formation of ‘blockages’ inside his intestines. But how to understand that the cat suffers from constipation? There are also other signals that its body sends. And what is the correct nutrition for the constipated cat? A series of tips and natural remedies that will help regulate the intestines of your beloved domestic feline.


Feline constipation: more obvious symptoms

The most correct medical term would be ‘coprostasis’, which indicates the impossibility or extreme difficulty of the cat to expel its feces. We can easily notice this by looking at its litter box and noticing that it is empty. If our cat, who normally could defecate once or twice a day, begins to no longer do its needs, it is necessary to intervene promptly to avoid an intestinal blockage and the surgical removal of the same.

But in addition to the obvious absence of feces, what are the other signals that the body of a constipated cat sends us? Certainly a cat that can not ‘free’ itself writhes from pain, although it can not express it in words. Even when we try to touch him he complains and maybe runs away as far as possible.

Usually the constipated cat can not ingest other food and in some cases even refuses to drink. Not to mention episodes of vomiting and nausea that can make his state of health even more debilitated. You will notice that he is also quite shy and loves to be alone, more than usual. Constipation can also be revealed with small and hard stools, in some cases perhaps with traces of blood. Since he does not feel well, the cat may also show himself to be quite irritated and irritable.


Why the cat is constipated

The reasons why a cat can no longer defecate are different, but it is useful to understand the cause to solve it and possibly do everything to avoid it. Here are the most frequent causes of feline constipation.

  • It has ingested a foreign body: an ingested, inedible object may have become stuck in his intestines, creating a sort of ‘cap’.
  • It ingested his own hair :why is it important to regularly brush the cat’s hair? To avoid that with its continuous grooming activity (self-cleaning) it ingests so much hair to form boluses that obstruct the passage of feces.
  • Latent diseases: one of the effects of obesity in cats is constipation; even an inflammation of the digestive system can cause the same problem, while in the most serious cases (and rare, fortunately) to cause it is a neurological problem. To the ‘black’ list are also added hyperthyroidism and diabetes in cats.

Feeding for the constipated cat: how to change its diet

If well-being starts from nutrition, the latter, if not correct, can also be the main cause of the intestinal and digestive disorders of any living being. Let’s see how a wrong diet, or lacking in some elements, can harm the feline’s body.

  • Low-fiber diet,
  • diet low in water and dehydration.

Without necessarily resorting to drugs (never use them without the prescription of the veterinarian!), we can begin to add to his gruel a teaspoon of vaseline or olive oil, to regularize the activity of the intestine and soften the hardened stools. We never forget to fill his bowl with water, so that he never suffers from feline dehydration.

To increase the intake of fiber, we can add pumpkin or zucchini (cooked and passed) to its food ration; malt pasta can also be a valid remedy against constipation. In general, when the cat is constipated we also introduce wet food into the cat’s diet. Finally, another idea is to add blue fish in his diet: tuna and sardines can be among the first choices.


Natural remedies for the constipated cat

If the diet alone is not enough to make the activity of your intestines regular, then we add to it proper physical activity and regular walks. Although it may seem secondary, even brushing his hair regularly can give him enormous benefits: to avoid the formation of hairballs, the coat must be deprived of its dead hair, which will remain stuck in the brush.

We never forget to keep the cat’s weight under control and to subject it to periodic visits to the veterinarian. Needless to say, as soon as we notice an absence of feces in the litter, prolonged for at least 3 or 4 days we must immediately contact the expert.


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