Hi there XXXXXXXXX,
In order to better answer your question I need some more info:
- Is your cat able to urinate normally?
- When was the last time you saw him produce a bowel motion?
- Is he long or short haired?
- Does he seem to be in pain or discomfort?
- Is he repeatedly trying to use the litter box but with no success?
Thanks in advance for the extra info.
Regards,
Dr J
It sounds like your boy may be constipated. The reason I asked about urine production is that male cats can develop a urethral blockage preventing them from passing urine which is often mistaken for constipation by observant owners. This is often preceded by them producing small amounts of bloody urine with great pain (back arching, vocalising etc) - this is always a life threatening condition.
However, if your boy can pass urine normally then he is certainly not blocked.
The best 'at home' remedy for constipation is to pop around a teaspoon or two of cooking oil on some wet food twice a day for a few days. This helps coat the poop at his terminal colon to help them slide through more easily. If you can source it, Lactulose syrup works perfectly for this situation, however you may need a prescription from your Vet for this.
You can also purchase a product called "Microlax" from your drug store to help make him feel better. This is a suppository that needs to be inserted up the bottom, so if you do decide to try this make sure you lubricate the nozzle and insert if very gently HALF WAY into his bottom before squeezing out the contents. This breaks up the poop in the terminal colon and coats it allowing the cat to poop easily within 5 - 10 minutes. If you don't feel comfortable or confident in doing this, then you are better off letting your Vet handle this problem.
Also if you do the above suggestions and with no results it is better to visit your Vet as he may require an enema under sedation / anaesthetic.
However, it is of worry to me that he has seemd to gain weight very suddenly and appears bloated. This can also be caused by fluid accumulation within his abdoment (you may be able to feel the fluid in there by placing a hand on either side of his tummy and rocking it gently). Fluid can accumulate within the abdomen due to a heart condition or even some types of cancer so to be safe I strongly recommend you get your boy examined by a Vet as soon as you can.
I hope this helps and please let me know how you get on with your boy. Please reply if you need any further help or assistance won't you.
Cat Veterinarian
BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science - Massey University, NZ)