My cat won't eat, is throwing up, and seems constipated. What should I do?

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!

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!

Cats often are not constipated but are having diarrhea. With her age I would be concerned about a disease causing a decreased appetite. I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian for blood work and possible x-rays. At this age kidney disease, cancer and hyperthyroidism are very common. Also bad dental disease can cause a change in appetite. She most likely has an underlying disease that is causing her these secondary issues. I do not think changing her diet will be enough to make her feel better. A veterinarian visit is best. Hope she feels better soon

Cats should have a bowel movement roughly twice a day. When they don't, that generally means there is a problem. Sometimes this can be a sign of an inappropriate diet, not enough water intake, a neurological issue or a tumor blocking the intestines. Since she is older and it sounds like it's been a year, I recommend to start with a veterinary visit. Bring in a fresh sample of stool so the vet can check it. Make sure to speak with the veterinarian about food options as well. Increasing the amount of fiber in the diet can often help as can feeding a canned food with additional water added. There is also a special prescription diet made by Royal Canin called Fiber Response that many cats respond well to. Older cats often need more care (just like older humans) so have her examined within the next day or so. I hope this helps.

Poor Toby! As a starting point, be sure that Toby is urinating normal volumes in the litter box without straining. The signs of urinary obstructions in male cats strongly mimic those of constipation (straining in the litter box unproductively, vocalizing, vomiting), and urinary obstructions are a life-threatening emergency. If Toby is not urinating normal volumes, go to an emergency vet immediately. Constipation is a relatively common problem in cats. Cats should normally have at least 1 normal (not dry and hard) bowel movement per day, but occasionally, a cat will skip a day. If Toby is truly constipated, make sure he is drinking plenty of water. Try mixing additional water in with his food to assure that he is well hydrated. Dehydration will exacerbate constipation. If he will eat it, you can also try offering him small amounts of canned pure pumpkin to increase his fiber intake. I have never found oils to be overly effective in constipated cats. If the constipation persists, Toby may need to go to his vet for an exam. Some constipated cats require enemas and prescription stool softeners. This article also has some additional information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/best-home-made-remedies-for-your-constipated-pet/ . I hope this helps and that all goes well!

I’m sorry to hear about Sapphire! If she is not vomiting and is drinking water, you can try a dose or two of laxatone: https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/tomlyn-laxatone-tuna-flavored-hairball-lubricant This helps with mild constipation, especially due to hairballs. You can also try ONE dose of miralax liquid (regular human strength. Give 1/4 tsp by mouth once. (If there are other things going on it could worsen dehydration so do NOT give more than one dose just in case). But the truth is, once Sapphire goes 24 hours without eating, it’s time to see the vet. At that point we have to consider something else like a fever, infection, injury, organ disease, toxin etc. Even if it is regular old constipation, an enema or stronger laxative may be needed. Do no under any circumstance try to give an enema to Sapphire at home. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Sapphire!

Constipation in cats can definitely cause SIGNIFICANT irritability. Depending on the level of constipation it can be extremely uncomfortable and painful. If you seen your cat straining near the litter box or outside, I can assure you that she is in some level of pain. While vegetables and fibrous products can certain ease constipation at times, it also has the potential of making matters worse. She already may have a clogged up intestinal tract and by feeding her, we may just be creating more of a back up. It sounds like you may have gotten some of the feces out, but there could be quite a bit left in there. If you can get to the vet, I would recommend this as a first choice. They will be able to palpate the abdomen as well as shoot an x-ray to determine the magnitude of constipation (if that is in fact the issue). If they feel it is necessary, they can perform warm soap/water/lube rectal enemas in order to loosen the bowel contents. While this is something that can be done at home on the most well-behaved cats, it does not sound like Coca currently falls in that category! If you do not feel going to the vet is an option, certain stool softeners can be used that can be picked up at a local pharmacy such as duralax or miralax.