Feline constipationthe causes and symptoms

Feline constipation or cat constipationis not a disease but rather a symptom of a problem in the cat"s largeintestine.

Is your cat straining when going to the toilet and notpassing any feces?
Is kitty passing hard, dry stools (feces) or goingto the toilet less frequently?

This may be a sign that your cat isconstipated.

If your cat lives indoors and uses a litter box, it will be easier tomonitor your cat"s toilet habits. If your cat lives outdoors and uses the garden, it will be difficult to check its toilet habits.

It is considered "normal" if your cat defecates twice a day, butthis is dependent on various factors:

The cat"s diet, the amount yourcat is fed and the frequency of feeding will determine how often yourcat empties its bowels.
As the cat owner, you need to establish what"s"normal" for your cat.

There are a number of symptoms associated with constipation and these include:

Straining to pass stools or difficulty in passing stools
Frequent and unsuccessful attempts to pass feces
Cat passes stools less frequently
Cat has no bowel movements i.e. passes no stools
The feces that the cat passes is hard, dry and lumpy
Feces may contain blood
The cat is restless
The cat may have a tender abdomen and show discomfort when the abdominal area is touched
The cat may walk or move in an arched position and even meow in pain when trying to defecate
Cat may avoid using the litter box and defecate in inappropriate areas of the home

NOTE: It"simportant to note that cats with a bladder infection (also known ascystitis) or a blocked bladder often strain to pass urine and they tendto use the litter box more frequently without passing any urine.

The signs of cat constipation andbladder problems are similar. It is important for you to establish ifthe cat is constipated or if it has a urinary tract infection.

Wesuggest a visit to the veterinary surgeon if you are unsure - ablockage or infection can be serious.

Thecause of feline constipation varies considerably. It may be related tosomething as simple as diet or it may be due to a serious abdominaltumor.

For this reason, you should not ignore the signs of catconstipation.

HairIngestion

Long and shorthaired cats are both at risk ofingesting hair during self-grooming.

This ingested hair results in theformation of coarse and hard feces intertwined with hair and thisbecomes very difficult for kitty to pass.

Bone Ingestion

Free-roaming cats that hunt for birds and rodents often ingest bonesand bones can cause constipation (or more serious bowel obstruction andperforation).

Gardeners often use bone meal as an organic fertilizerwhen planting. Apart from the other health risks associated withingesting bone meal, it can be very constipating and cat owners need toprevent their cats from consuming it.

Diet

Whilst cats do drink water, they do get a substantial amount of waterfrom their food.

Cats that are fed exclusively on dry kibbles,especially poor quality dry biscuits, may be at greater risk of becomingconstipated.

Confinementand Lack of Exercise

Cats that are confined indoors with limitedspace to exercise are at risk of becoming constipated.

Cats that areboarded in catteries for an extended time may be hesitant to use alitter box and this will result in feline constipation.

OldAge

Geriatric cats are prone to constipation.

This is due to a lack ofexercise, a decrease in the contraction of the large bowel and a generaldecline in the muscle tone of the large intestine.

As the large bowelfails to contract and push the feces along towards the rectum, the catbecomes constipated.

KeyGaskell Syndrome

This condition is also known as feline dysautonomia.

It is defined as a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system, whichaffects various internal organs including the large intestine. There is amarked degeneration of the nerves.

This results in a decrease in themuscular contractions of the bowel which moves feces along theintestine towards the rectum. This inactivity leads to constipation.

Physical Injury

Sadly, a common injury to cats is caused by tail-pulling.

Pulling the tail causes damage to the nerves and this produces pain when the catdefecates. As a result of this, the cat becomes constipated.

Physical Trauma

An injury to the pelvis (e.g. pelvic fracture) and internal abdominalinjuries from a motor vehicle accident causes the pelvic area tobecome restricted with resultant feline constipation.

Obstruction

A blockage of the intestinal tract may be caused by a cat ingesting aforeign body like a button, string or wool. This is more common inkittens when they are exploring their environments.

Tumors - (benign ormalignant) can also cause a bowel obstruction and this in turn resultsin feline constipation.