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What can I give my constipated cat to help him quickly at home?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Caracat | Male | neutered | 4 years and 2 months old | 26 lbs

My 4 year old cat appears to have constipation. We can't afford a vet. How can we help him quickly? We've been givng him prune juice and water with an eye dropper?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on February 8th, 2020

Hi, and thanks for your question.
Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation.
If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required.
Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Davis
Veterinarian
Published on April 15th, 2018
She can give plain canned pumpkin, a tablespoon in each meal, in addition to feeding wet food with some added water or chicken broth. The fiber will bulk up the stool and prevent it from getting to dry and hard. Also having more water in the stool makes it easier to pass. If she doesn’t pass any poop by tomorrow your veterinarian may need to give an enema. This can become a chronic problem in some cats so adding additional water and fiber daily will help prevent constipation in the future. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Soska.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on March 20th, 2018
Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines.
In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet.
I strongly advise taking ZUZU to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on September 20th, 2018
No, you need to take her to the vet in order to get this constipation investigated before nay other medication or supplement is given. Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on February 21st, 2017
Poor Pita! If you are concerned he is constipated, I can give you a home remedy to try to help him. Constipation can be caused by anal sac impaction, intestinal parasites, a foreign body, too little fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or even tumors in the GI tract. I recommend giving him a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with his food to see if that helps. If he is still constipated in 24-48 hours, he will need to see a vet as he will likely need a laxative or an enema. Your vet can diagnose the cause of the constipation as well.

If he is pooping normally, then I would try a bland diet to see if that helps his stomach. Withhold food for 12-24 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If Pita still isn't feeling better on this bland diet, or she develops other signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, or lethargy, then I would have him seen by a vet.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Is it okay to mix pumpkin with KMR for my kitten's constipation?

Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required.

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Why is my cat coughing and constipated with tiny dry poop?

This could be due to a mild constipation, possibly due to hairballs. Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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Is it safe to give my very constipated senior cat an enema at home?

Poor Marshmellow! It would not be safe to give her an enema at home. You can give her some canned pumpkin to see if this helps soften her stool but it really sounds like she needs to see a veterinarian for care. Your veterinarian can also discuss medication options like Lactulose or Miralax to soften her stool in the future and prevent constipation. In older cats constipation often occurs secondary to some other issue like kidney disease or inflammatory bowel disease so blood work would be a good idea for Marshmellow.

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My dog or cat is constipated. What natural home remedies can I try?

It really depends on the type of animal. If this is for a dog or cat you can give a small amount of puréed pumpkin twice a day to see if this helps. For small dogs/cats I would start with only 1/4 teaspoon twice a day. For larger dogs you can give 1 teaspoon twice a day. If the constipation continues I would talk to your vet about stronger stool softeners. If this doesn't answer your question, please write another question in the forum with more details about your pets problems and the type of pet, age, etc. Thank you!! I hope this helps!

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My cat is constipated and in pain. Should I use an at-home enema?

Poor Baby! If you are not comfortable giving the enema, I recommend to call your veterinarian and discuss your concerns. At this point, she may need more care than an enema. She may need fluids or a sedated enema. I also recommend to discuss a specific food made by Royal Canin called Fiber Response. It is formulated for cats with constipation and many cats will get relief within a few days. This diet baby needed lifelong. I hope Baby starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My senior cat is severely constipated and very sick. What can I do?

Poor Angel! This can be such a problem in older cats. You can add in some canned pumpkin (1 teaspoon a day) to help increase her fiber intake. Also, if you haven't already, I would talk to your vet about doing some abdominal x-rays. These will help the vet see how large the colon is and how much stool is present. Cats can get something called megacolon where the muscles in their colon don't work well and they get easily constipated. These cats usually need to be sedated and manually have some of the stool removed and then put on a drug called cisapride. Some cats will have to stay on this drug long term, but I have personally had good success with putting them on a food called Royal Canin GI Fiber Response and eventually getting them off cisapride and stool softeners. It is a prescription food so I would talk to your vet about it. Also, . Every cat is different and your vet will need to help guide you through this process. If your vet doesn't think she has megacolon then cisapride may not be needed but if she is REALLY backed up then she may still need to be sedated and have some feces removed to help her out. I hope this helps!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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My cat is constipated on prednisone. Can I safely give him an enema?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Instead of an enema, I would recommend you first try something that is less involved and likely to help which is giving him about 1 teaspoon of canned pumpkin with his meals. This usually helps with constipation in cats. Good luck and have a great day!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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