Accepted Answer

Hi,

I'm sorry to hear your cat is having this problem.

While canned pumpkin is good to give in a small amount of canned cat food, on a daily basis to add beneficial natural fiber to his system, it's not an 'instant fix' and usually takes a week or two to see some results, so it's not a good idea at this time, when your cat is currently constipated. Also, cats don't like the taste, that's why he won't eat it; it's necessary to mix about 1 tsp. with a small amount of canned cat food, which disguises the taste.

It's important to keep him hydrated, and get more fluids into him. You can do this with a dropper (medicine dropper or syringe). Give him one dropper of plain water or children's clear Pedialyte every 20 minutes for an hour, then repeat in 2-3 hours if he's not drinking on his own.

You can also offer him some milk to lap; most cats are lactose intolerant, so milk is a natural laxative. If you have any hairball remedy in the house, or can buy some at your local pet store, like Laxatone or Petromalt, offer him a 2 inch ribbon of the gel. Place it on his foreleg near his paw, if he won't take it from your finger. Cats hate sticky stuff on their fur, so he should lick it off. You can also mix 1/8 tsp. of Metamucil into a small amount of canned cat food. Wait with the Metamucil, to see if the other remedies help him.

It's best that your cat is evaluated, diagnosed and treated by a vet, as soon as possible. Check out if there are any ER vet centers in your area, or surrounding towns. Watch to make sure your cat is urinating, because if he's not, and is straining in the litterbox, this may be a symptom of a serious urinary blockage, and/or constipation. In male cats this is a medical emergency.

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/constipation.html
http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/urethral.html

I hope you can have him seen as soon as possible and he will be fine.

Cher

Expert:	Jessesmom
Pos. Feedback:	99.7 %
Accepts:
Answered:	8/8/2009

Feline Specialist Health/Behavior

Feline Healthcare and Behavior Specialist 40+ years Experience