Constipated Cat

[Theland]

Please help. My year old Ragdoll speyed she cat has been having difficulty passing a stool.
Given my lack of money for vets bills, is there anything I can do with her diet to help her?
She only ever eats Purina biscuits, although she has access to meat that we feed our other cats.
Her stools are hard and she has terrible trouble passing them.
Her name is Sybil, and I love her, and feel useless to help her. Would a bit of fresh fish help?

[LazyGun]

Sorry to hear your cat is having some distress, Theland.

This site has quite a few helpful hints, some of which might be useful;
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/constipation

Increasing fibre in the cats diet, with something like mashed pumpkin might help; Access to plenty of water. Some canned tuna in sunflower oil might help as well.

[Chaffinch]

Give her some milk........................usually errr loosens stools. Always make sure she has plenty of water available .

[society]

Here something which you might find helpful -
http://www.ehow.com/how_7220649_cat-constipation.html

Hope your puss feel better real soon.

[Theland]

Thank you all for your help. I'll start with the milk. Really appreciated.

[bunkmoreland]

i'm sorry,you have a Rag Doll cat ,which is soo expensive to buy and look after because of their particular care needs. You now find your cat needs a vet,and you dont have the funds,so you come on here looking for help for you to find a cheaper alternative!!! Please get your cat to a vet immeadiately

[bunkmoreland]

Impacted stools are very painful and the idea of ordinary milk to a cat is just dangerous! It can cause severe diahorrea. Please see a vet for sybil's sake theland.

[wolf63]

What about some tuna in oil - maybe it will help her go without too much discomfort.

If you are entitled to housing benefits you may qualify for PDSA treatment.


:-)

[murraymints]

Pdsa are very good !

[Purple_Popple]

Do not give your cart cows milk! This will lead to severe loose stools and dehydration. Buy a cheap bottle of cod liver oil and put a reaspoon in her food each meal time until bowl movements are easier for her.

[Purple_Popple]

Teaspoon

[Baldric]

We have two large Dogs and a Cat,
If needbe, both of us would do-without if any of them needed Vet-care and that was the only way we could afford it!
Not impressed!

[boxtops]

Prioritise, theland - your cat needs clinical help, she must be in great pain. PDSA will help if you really can't afford vet bills - but if you have pet insurance, you could claim off that for her treatment. I'd be surprised if you have a pedigree cat but not the insurance covering her?

[boxtops]

Theland, seriously - you need to know that she doesn't have some sort of blockage in her bowel - get to the vet, Baldric is right.

[Theland]

Will see the local vet. Thank you.

[boxtops]

Let us know, theland - hope she's OK.

[ladybirder]

Theland no wonder she is constipated if her diet is mainly biscuits. She is not getting the nourishment and vitamins she needs. Poor poor cat, you really must sort her diet out as soon as this crisis is over, I'm sure the vet will advise accordingly. I do hope she's OK.

[Theland]

Yes, the biscuits will have to stop despite her preference for them.
Cruel to be kind.

[boxtops]

Ladybirder, a lot of cats eat only biscuits.... not something I agree with myself, but I know several which do.

[boxtops]

We use pouches or tins for our mob, the biscuits are a sort of "afters" for our guys!

[ladybirder]

Must be a lot of constipated cats then boxy which will please a lot of people on this site:-)

Theland, my little cat died last weekend aged 20+ years. To get her to eat proper food my vet advised me to get some wet cat food and smear it all around her mouth. A cat will then naturally start to clean itself and will then get the taste of the Felix or whatever and problem fixed. It was actually that easy with mine and worked first time. Remove the biscuits first of course and let her get hungry. She can still have biscuits for treats now and again.