Please, help me make this kitten go poop!

Ok, so on Wednesday I took home a little kitten from the no-kill dog and cat rescue shelter I work for (to foster temporarily), my coworker had taken one of the dogs to the vet, and came back with a kitten. A woman found him on Tuesday night just randomly somwhere, we think a stray/feral mom abandoned him, there are a lot of those cats in the area he was found.

Anyways, on Friday morning I took him to the vet because he had not pooped since I'd had him. They gave him an enema, and the vet said after that, a "significant amount" came out. I went ahead and had them do a fecal on him, and it came back worm free! But he still hasn't pooped for me!

Details
- We think kitten is about 4.5 weeks old

- I have been stimulating him to go to the bathroom with a warm, damp cotton ball. He pees right away, but does not poop! He seems to try though, and he fusses a lot.

- He is fed some kitten milk (powdered KMR) and some wet kitten food, he likes it best when I mix up the KMR and then mix the liquid and kitten food together, and he eats like a little piggie. I do not bottle feed him, he seems to like lapping it out of a bowl much better.

- He can walk, and can now run somewhat too, still looks a little drunken with his walk, but his muscles are getting stronger. He loves to explore, he cries a lot when you hold him because he wants to walk around.

- To make him poop I have tried giving him some of that hairball stuff that is supposed to lubricate the colon or whatever (per the vet), but that hasn't worked either. It was suggested to me to give him something that we know causes diarrhea in kittens.

Should I do that? Anyone have any suggestions?

I have no experiences with kittens this young, but I'm wondering if he got cleaned out very thoroughly with the enema and he just doesn't have anything to come out. I would stick with majority of his intake as wet food. Have you tried using a washcloth to stimulate him? That's a bit rougher and more like a cat's tongue, so maybe that would help?? Hopefully, someone will be along with more experience to help.

You can give him a little bit of canned pumpkin, not the mix, just the straight canned pumpkin. Mix it with his wet food. How many litter pans do you have? Are they the regular size pans (I use the aluminun foil baking pans you get cheap at the grocery store for kittens) for just a few bucks you can get up to four. Use plain clay litter, no clumping nothing fancy, not smelly stuff either. If you can smell it in the box, don't use it. Also are you sure the kitten isn't pooping someplace other than the box? Is his belly hard and after he eats does he cry and seem restless? Is he a manx cross by any chance? I would also add more liquid to his food and formula- KMR is fine, but it does have cow's milk in it and that can be constipating.

He is too young to use a box, so I don't have any litter boxes for him. He does not go pee unless I stimulate him.

What, in your opinion, is the BEST kitten formula on the market? I was told KMR was one of the best, but everyone seems to have different opinions on raising kittens!

No, he's not going poo anywhere he shouldn't be. He lives in a cat carrier when I'm not able to watch him (cause he's really small still), and I would certainly notice if he was pooing in there. And no, he doesn't get fussy after he eats. His belly is never hard, but his tummy always seems a little bloated-looking, like a little bit of a wormy belly, but the vet checked him for worms on Friday and said he didn't have any. I did call the vet on Saturday and they said that he should poo again by sometime today, but he hasn't yet.

He gets very fussy when I stimulate him, and it looks like he tries to go but can't. He onl pees.

No he's not a manx cross, he has a tail, a longish one for a kitten.

I've been mixing his wet kitten food in with the KMR, I call it kitten food soup. He really likes it.

All of the kittens I've raised were using a litterbox by 4.5 weeks. Maybe try putting him in a litterbox and see how if that's what he's been holding out for? Usually they start using a box when they start on solid foods, whatever age that might be.

Originally Posted by Sweet72947

He gets very fussy when I stimulate him, and it looks like he tries to go but can't.

He onl pees.

Click to expand...

If the pumpkin/stimulating washcloth idea doesn't work, try a couple of drops of mineral oil in his bottle or baby food for a few days...I would call the e-vet back tomorrow if nothing has happened before then. Kittens should be using a box between 4-6 weeks, though.

Disclaimer : I don't have any first hand experience either. This is just stuff I've heard.

Good luck !

I have three cats I raised recently from 4 weeks on. I could never get them to poo, and after I had them for three days (and was going to make a vet appt that day) I found them at 4 am in their box, all covered in it. I was never so happy to see kittens covered in poo! After that they used the litter box, so maybe that is what your kitten needs?

Update:

On Monday, I took the kitten to an evet (because there were no other vets open due to the holiday), and he received another enema, upon which "a lot" came out, they said. They also gave me some kitty stool softener to use. My friend then took the kitten home that night to watch him for a day, and at 11:45 Monday night, he pooped by himself.

And he hasn't gone since. Even though we've been giving him the kitty stool softener and feeding mostly canned food (like the vet said to do, since it has more fiber).

??????????????????

Btw, he was born to a stray/feral cat. How would he even have a concept as to what a litter box is, and how could he be holding out for one? He did have one when he was first brought to the shelter, but he didn't seem to have any clue what it was or what to do with it.

I am bottle feeding 5 abandoned kittens and they are now 4.5 weeks old. At 3.5 weeks they used the box perfectly. Please give this kitten a litter box. It will know what to do. Outside cats use dirt the same way inside cats use litter boxes-dig go and cover

I guess its worth a shot, but he had a box for an entire day when I first got him and he never used it.

Any updates on this situation?

hissy
I was brought a tiny baby kitten found under a bush two days ago and I have the same issue as the poster, other than I haven't taken it to the vet yet. I'm positive it's eyes recently opened as they are not fully developed yet. It's teeth have not even come through yet. I think it might actually be some sort of manx mix because the tail doesn't look full length...but it doesn't look full manx either. I was wondering why you had asked specifically about a manx cross? Are they more prone to this problem?

pmack said:

@hissy
I was brought a tiny baby kitten found under a bush two days ago and I have the same issue as the poster, other than I haven't taken it to the vet yet. I'm positive it's eyes recently opened as they are not fully developed yet. It's teeth have not even come through yet. I think it might actually be some sort of manx mix because the tail doesn't look full length...but it doesn't look full manx either. I was wondering why you had asked specifically about a manx cross? Are they more prone to this problem?

Click to expand...

This is an old thread, and our very knowleable forum veteran Hissy is not so often around anymore.

The best if probably if you start your own thread anew.

I shall also try and look through this thread and try to give you an answer, but Im no Hissy.

Welcome and 

Good luck!

StefanZ
I made an account just to ask that question because it related to me well. I have no idea how to post anything else

pmack said:

@hissy
I was brought a tiny baby kitten found under a bush two days ago and I have the same issue as the poster, other than I haven't taken it to the vet yet. I'm positive it's eyes recently opened as they are not fully developed yet. It's teeth have not even come through yet. I think it might actually be some sort of manx mix because the tail doesn't look full length...but it doesn't look full manx either. I was wondering why you had asked specifically about a manx cross? Are they more prone to this problem?

Click to expand...

OK, I think I understand now.   Some "manx-tails"  may have internal damages.   On which there is not much to do, unless some top notch veterinary surgeons of professors calibre gets a fancy to see what can be done...

Do yoou see any such symptoms??

Does he evacuate and eliminate pee and poo as he should, or do you have difficulties with it?    Is THIS your question, really?

Constipation is much more frequent than internal damages, so if he is constipated, dont despair, there are many tricks to try with.  Some mentioned in this thread here above.