 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2006Constipation, cat refuses to go.
I am hoping someone can help my cat. About four months ago we adopted a very sweet 7 yr old tortie from the local shelter. Over the last month or so she developed a problem using her litter box. She will stop using it for a few days, but unlike the usual problem, she doesn’t go elsewhere in the house. She just seems to hold it. She has had a couple of accidents on the bed. Most recently early this morning, when she was resting, on my wife’s leg… She also has gone in her carrier on the way to the vets, both #1 and #2. We since got a second litter box, which helped for about a week and then the problem returned. The main problem is she seems to be holding her bowel movements, until she becomes constipated. So far she has had 2 enemas. Each time the vet said that the stool was a little hard that hard but she should have been able to pass it on her own. We changed her diet to soft food that the vet recommended, but she does like it at all and has only been nibbling for the last 2 days. It started after we had to leave her in a cat hotel for a few days. That may have triggered something because she was at the shelter for 6 months. Her former owner gave her up because she was urinating outside the litter box. I read many training books and was prepared to deal with that issue but never expected her to not go at all. Sorry for the long post I just don’t want to miss anything. I can tell she is uncomfortable and it is very heartbreaking. Any advice would help. Regards, Brian > Sorry for the long post I just don't want to miss anything. I can tell she is > uncomfortable and it is very heartbreaking. Any advice would help. at least you nailed the problem down to stress? anxiety? maybe she thinks that sh.tting is the reason you "punished" her by giving her another taste of the shelter... it sounds like she's scared to crap in the box let alone on your wifes leg.. I would say it's not a physical but a mental problem she probably thinks you don't want her crapping in the house she probably thinks the cat hotel was a form of punishment one can only guess how she came to think this way at one point she had no problem going in the box no fear... but after the cat hotel... she clammed up so! you must praise her for going poo poo maybe next time you have a need for a cat hotel, maybe consider a friend stopping by to feed and water and scoop the litter. give her some time.. take her and set her over in the litter.. encourage her.. that sort of thing you must climb in there yourself.. and.. just kidding.. Best to yous >you must climb in there yourself.. and.. just kidding.. I tried but I didn't fit. :) Thanks for the laugh. I forgot to mention, when we first got her she was literally scared of her own poop. If there was any in the litter box, she would run past the bathroom. We clean it as much as possible. Even the vet is starting to think it might be a behavioral problem. And she was very resistant to the idea at first. I still don't want to rule out the any physical problems yet. We've been trying the pumpkin and wet food, which she likes, but it isn’t helping much. We just switched her to food the vet recommended (Hills R/D) but it smell nasty and the cat doesn’t like it. Has anyone experienced this? What else can I try? > Has anyone experienced this? What else can I try? I think she will get back in the groove in time before you got her... she may have been attacked by a larger animal while going to the bathroom she may have been severely scolded for doing something natural she may have had to lay in her own crap at the shelter...(probably not.. but maybe) maybe she crapped in the woods one day, only to be attacked by a nest of yellow jackets (them bees build underground)... regardless... something started this behavior, and now you know a trigger given the trigger and the behavior (running from and holding in her poop) it points to severe scolding I say she viewed the catstel as punishment because of the very nature of the experience (being seemingly rejected by her owner.. left to strangers) i say she layed in dung at the shetler because of the catstel I think it's two things scolded for crapping (back in the day when she was an outdoor cat?) very negative experience having to do with her own poop.. (like being attacked while going) or running from her own poop is classic -plausible deniability (guilty but not responsible) I say give her time, assure her it's ok to go potty there she's sh.t-shot (shell-shot) something bad happened around her regular cycles (in her former experiences) have you considered getting another cat? is she the only cat there? since they be social creatures, she can learn from another cat >have you considered getting another cat? is she the only cat there? >since they be social creatures, she can learn from another cat We've considered it but she came from a multicat household and the shelter said she started the problem because she was stressed by the other animals and we should have more then just her. I more suspect a dirty litter box was the original culprit. She is pretty maticulious about cleanliness. (like most cats). Although she is also very gentle and its a good bet she might have been bullied by a meaner cat. She now hisses at other cats (at the vets) and she even hisses at the dust mop. I hope she does get back into the swing of things soon. I am afraid the trips to the vet (not to mention the enemas) are just piling on more stress. Do you think we should confine her to a smaller area until she calms down? I know she'll cry at first. but I think it may make her feel more secure in an empty house, during the day. thanks for your advice. Regards, Brian >Do you > think we should confine her to a smaller area until she calms down? I thought about that too but I think she might see it as punishment / maybe not if the area is one that can be hers and hers alone, and not just part time... if she wanted solitude she could easily go under a bed or something I can see the point in giving her a very small world where she can focus.. maybe she's just never had a real home. there might be a benefit to your idea... it probably would chill her out If my cat was constipated as you describe; I would replace her kitty litter with yard dirt, or looser dirt from the garden. (maybe a week or so) My logic is; this would send her a message that it's good to use the box, and that you approve. I think the dirt might remind her of pooping outside. so far, the only litter she knows is or was in confinement. I've been to shelters I know they stay in a little cage. barely large enough to turn around in. Im thinking she used to be an outdoor cat, and so far the humans she has known just stick her in the back, lock her up, yell at her, that sort of thing. I think it's safe to assume this anyway. I need to go outside and get my cats some grass to munch on I need to re-up on catnip.. they like that too > Even the vet is starting to think it might be a behavioral problem. And she > was very resistant to the idea at first. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Has anyone experienced this? What else can I try? Honestly, I might go for a second opinion with a different vet. Also, if she's not eating the Hill's, I would go back to the other canned food you were feeding, along with the pumpkin. Are her litterboxes in a private area, away from the household traffic? Check with a guy named Barry Parrish in Lynchburg VA. He'll suck the sh.t out of your cat's a.s for free. it shuts up. it gets on the plane, it offers me a glass of water and I'd like that offer with a smile, fat a.s HEY, I thought they had a sign on commercial flights that says "You have to be this tall to ride this".. > Check with a guy named Barry Parrish in Lynchburg VA. He'll suck the > sh.t out of your cat's a.s for free. Some good news, She is using her litter boxes regularly for #1 and she finally went # 1 on her own. There was much but she barely ate since saturday, so I am hoping the pipes are flowing again. We did switch back to the regular canned food with pumpkin and mix in a little of the hills. Even though we mix it thoughly, she still manages to eat around the hills. It definately helped and she ate a decent amount yesterday. (she never really ate much anyway and always maintained her weight). Alot of praise seems to help too. When we first got her she was scared after using the litter box, after a while the praise just seemed to confuse her and eventually she accepted the praise and then started expecting it. I think we have her back to the confused stage. Hopefully when I get home she'll have used her box again. thanks for the advice everyone. regards, Brian Brian, Has she gone #2 yet? I hope she's better, Rhonda > Some good news, > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > regards, > Brian >Has she gone #2 yet? She has gone, but only small amounts. She just started eating more so I hope she goes a lot today. If not I have an appointment at the vet for friday. Hopefully she won't need another enema. She is going #1 without problem. Oddly, she chose to use the litter box which sits in our bedroom more then the more private one. I have been heaping on the praise, so now when she pees, she makes a big production out of it to make sure I notice. (I think I created a monster). Thanks, Brian Check with a guy named Barry Parrish in Lynchburg VA. He'll suck th sh.t out of your cat's a.s for free Sent via http://Pets-99.com , http://AnimalForum.ws & http://AnimalBlog.org Check with a guy named Barry Parrish in Lynchburg VA. He'll suck th sh.t out of your cat's a.s for free Sent via http://Pets-99.com , http://AnimalForum.ws & http://AnimalBlog.org Check with a guy named Barry Parrish in Lynchburg VA. He'll suck th sh.t out of your cat's a.s for free Sent via http://Pets-99.com , http://AnimalForum.ws & http://AnimalBlog.org Check with a guy named Barry Parrish in Lynchburg VA. He'll suck th sh.t out of your cat's a.s for free Sent via http://Pets-99.com , http://AnimalForum.ws & http://AnimalBlog.org
|
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.