How to Deal With a Cat's Constipation
- 1). Balance your cat's diet. If you have been feeding your cat high levels of meat, it probably has a low level of fiber in its diet. Diets with high levels of fiber can also eventually lead to cases of constipation after a period of very loose bowel movements. Buy your cat processed cat food that has a balanced level of fiber in it. Dry foods may work, but wet foods are generally better, because dry foods require your cat to drink more water, and a low water intake could already be a contributing factor to your cat's condition. Even with wet food, though, make sure that your cat always has water available to drink.
- 2). Administer laxative to your cat. Small quantities of fiber supplements intended for humans are generally safe for cats. Just mix it in with your cat's normal food.
- 3). Groom and brush your cat often. Aside from an imbalanced diet, something else that could cause your cat to become constipated is the presence of a hairball in its digestive tract. By frequently brushing your cat, you minimize the amount of loose hairs that it can ingest.
- 4). Feed your cat petroleum jelly. Many cats will willingly eat it by itself. The jelly will help to lubricate any hairball that could be blocking its digestive tract.
- 5). Check for more serious problems. If your cat's condition persists, you may want to make a visit to the veterinarian. A tumor or polyp in the digestive system could be blocking the path of your pet's stool, or it could be suffering from megacolon, a stretching of the colon and rectum.
