Why is my 1-month-old kitten constipated, eating less, and lazy?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Acil, she is super cute! It sounds as though Acil may be constipated. If she is a bottle fed kitten that is sometimes a side effect of the Kitten Milk Replacer. I usually recommend starting bottle fed kittens on kitten food as early as 3 weeks to help prevent constipation. The safest and best thing for her is for you to bring her to a Vet today. She is very young and constipation can be very uncomfortable. There are no safe human medications to give her. Cats do not handle human medications due to their metabolism. I hope this helps and good luck!

Poor fluid intake, low fiber diet, food sensitivities and intestinal parasites can all contribute to constipation in kittens. I recommend adding a probiotic/fibre supplement such as fortiflora and ensure she is kept up to date with deworming medications. Monitor for feces production, she may require another enema if not resolving

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend that bottle fed kittens start to be weaned at 3 weeks due to constipation issues with formula. If it has been a week since she has pooped I recommend a vet exam for an enema if needed. Constipation can be deadly for neonates. I would start canned kitten food. You can try a 1/4 tsp or less of plain canned pumpkin but extra fiber can go either way (more constipated or loosens the stool). I wish Kachie the best!

If she is experiencing a lot of pain than she should be examined by a vet to determine the cause. She may be just having some constipation issues but a vet could check to make sure she doesn't have a congenital malformation and/or problems with her hips or pelvis. If it is just constipation than you could add a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to her diet to increase the fiber and see if that helps.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Kachie! Constipation is serious in pediatric puppies and kittens. Since it has been a week I urge you to take Katchie to the Vet and see if an enema is needed. Kitten milk replacer/formula commonly causes GI problems, either diarrhea or constipation. After every bottle feeding the kitten needs to be stimulated with a warm wet soft washcloth over the anus and genitals. I always recommend bottle fed kittens be weaned sooner, around 3 weeks. So I would start offering canned kitten food mixed with formula and decrease bottle feeding. By 5 weeks she should be off formula and eating kitten food 100%. I wish Kachie the best!

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 Remy to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

It’s definitely concerning that Sarisin still has not defecated and is not eating despite treatment. I am wondering if any diagnostics have been performed - constipation can be secondary to ingestion of a foreign object or kidney disease. Blood work and x-rays might help determine why the current treatments aren’t working. I would definitely check in with your vet before giving an enema - not all enemas are safe for cats, and even a water enema can be difficult to administer. Hope your kitty is feeling better soon!