New cat owner....poop and general health questions

Hi.  I'm a first-time poster on this site, having lurked off and on since I got my new-for-me kitty a couple of months ago.  He's an abandoned stray that's been hanging around our apartment building.  I took him in towards late December as I didn't want him to freeze, even though animals aren't allowed in my building.

Several of my neighbors (at least three of them, besides me) was feeding him whenever he came over to visit.  One of them told me he was hanging out at a nearby warehouse where people drop off unwanted animals.

Anyway, the first time my baby pooped here it was one piece, kind of small and on the hard side.  Up to this point he was eating dry food only.  I was told by one of my neighbors that this cat doesn't eat canned food.  He didn't know what he was talking about.  When I switched to a combination of canned food and dry, my cat didn't have any more pooping problems.

He started pooping about twice a day, and it wasn't too hard and he wasn't straining.

When I got him, I put my cat on dry Meow Mix (original formula), then added Meow Mix canned.  He seems to like the juice in canned Meow Mix.  He'll suck it all up but leave most of the can behind!  

Not long ago I found he had tapeworms, so I made sure I got him to the vets.  She gave him the medication that is applied to their skin and it worked.  Haven't seen any tapeworms since.  This med is good for other kinds of worms too.  She also advised me to put him on Purina One dry food (urinary tract health) and gave me a list of recommended foods for my kitty.

I couldn't find Purina One urinary tract health dry food at first, so I put him on a combination of Meow Mix dry food and Purina One Healthy Metabolism dry food.  The vet's list had a number of recommended canned food, inc. Fancy Feast and other brands.  That list said it's best to avoid fish-based foods, and ones with fillers, by-products etc.  Try telling that to my cat.  He is very finicky, and as far as canned food is concerned he will only touch Meow Mix.  

Mixing both that and a recommended brand per the vet's instructions didn't seem to help.  He wants Meow Mix canned and doesn't care for Fancy Feast, et al.

Anyway, after I put him on Meow Mix canned food and dry, he started pooping twice a day w/o any problems like I said before.  But now that he's had the tapeworm medication and I've been trying to switch him to something healthier, my cat will only poop about once a day, and it seems to be on the firm side.  It seems as though he's going back to what he was doing when I took him in.

Pumpkin is not acting like he's in any kind of distress.  I know what it feels like to have severe constipation and complications from it as I've had a strangulated hernia/bowel obstruction.  I guess you could say because of this I can be obsessed about pooping!    If he was in any kind of pain because of this, I think I would know.   

He has plenty of water on hand.  Pumpkin always has his dry food available to munch on whenever he wants it, along with his canned food.  What could be causing this problem?  

Did the tapeworm medication have something to do with this?  His poop seems to be a lighter shade of brown since he had it (sorry about the tmi).  It doesn't seem to smell as bad as before (again, sorry about the tmi).  

Could the addition of the Purina One dry food be another reason?  I'm mixing it with the Meow Mix and so far he seems to like the combination.  I think he's drinking enough water.  

Sometimes his backside seems a little pink.  I don't know if it's from straining or something else.  Sometimes it doesn't look like that.  

Pumpkin is about 3-4 years old according to the vet.  He weighs nearly 13 pounds.  When I took him to the vet's for his tapeworm meds and first checkup, he also had his feline leukemia and FIV tests (passed those, thank God) and had his rabies and distemper shots.  He needs to go for his distemper booster next week.

Re. the canned Meow Mix, I found a small bone in one several days ago.  I go through each can meticulously before giving it to him and would switch him to the Fancy Feast or something else if he would eat it.  I find he seems to poop more when he eats Meow Mix canned.  Yesterday he pooped twice, but today (so far) it's been only once and a small amount at that.

Sorry this is so long.  Thoughts, anyone?  I want to make sure that Pumpkin is ok.  He's grooming himself like usual.  Pees ok.  Doesn't play as much with his laser light toy and catnip rats as he used to, but I figured that he's getting bored with them.  Doesn't act sick at all.

Thanks for listening!

Thanks for adoping a cat from the shelter.

For a cat on canned/dry food, pooping once a day is I would guess about average.  The density is more telling than frequency:  you should be able to crumble the feces somewhat easily.  If you have to take a sledge hammer to it, then you got a problem.  Smell is also telling:  the smellier, the more problematic.  If there is any red in the feces, it could be blood, which is a sign of straining or constipation.  (It could also be from red dyes [artificial or from beets] in the food you are feeding Pumpkin.)

Why did the vet recommend Purina One urinary tract health dry food--any sign that he was developing a UTI, or as a preventive step?

In which case, IMHO, the vet should have pushed wet food:  wet food is better than dry, and will certainly help any constipation issues. 

Meow Mix is (well, to be blunt) a lousy food; Fancy Feast classic (only) is a step up.  Your vet is right that male cats especially should avoid fish.  (Read the label:  some foods labels "chicken" actually list fish as the second or third ingredient.)

I feed raw; Ritz poops maybe three times a week, not much. One reason I transitioned Ritz to raw is because she became addicted to Fance Feast Classic Seafood.  Cats love seafood because of the strong flavor, scent.  I would urge you to keep on finding other foods Pumpkin will eat.  And decrease the dry food.

Finally, plain pumpkin can be added to wet food to help cats poop more easily.

Thanks you for rescuing Pumpkin! He's going to have a much better life with you than on the streets.

As for his poop, a firm stool once a day sounds pretty good. As Ritz said, it's the smell and consistency that you have to worry about. And you haven't seem him in distress or anything, so I'm sure he's fine.

Ritz said:

Thanks for adoping a cat from the shelter.

For a cat on canned/dry food, pooping once a day is I would guess about average.  The density is more telling than frequency:  you should be able to crumble the feces somewhat easily.  If you have to take a sledge hammer to it, then you got a problem.  Smell is also telling:  the smellier, the more problematic.  If there is any red in the feces, it could be blood, which is a sign of straining or constipation.  (It could also be from red dyes [artificial or from beets] in the food you are feeding Pumpkin.)

Why did the vet recommend Purina One urinary tract health dry food--any sign that he was developing a UTI, or as a preventive step?

In which case, IMHO, the vet should have pushed wet food:  wet food is better than dry, and will certainly help any constipation issues. 

Meow Mix is (well, to be blunt) a lousy food; Fancy Feast classic (only) is a step up.  Your vet is right that male cats especially should avoid fish.  (Read the label:  some foods labels "chicken" actually list fish as the second or third ingredient.)

I feed raw; Ritz poops maybe three times a week, not much. One reason I transitioned Ritz to raw is because she became addicted to Fance Feast Classic Seafood.  Cats love seafood because of the strong flavor, scent.  I would urge you to keep on finding other foods Pumpkin will eat.  And decrease the dry food.

Finally, plain pumpkin can be added to wet food to help cats poop more easily.

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Actually, Pumpkin came from the streets.  I live in a small town in upstate NY and our county is predominantly rural.  Onlly problem is, our community is considered a "resort" of sorts because of camping, fishing etc.  Traffic can be quite heavy and I live off one of the main drags in town.  I praise God that my kitty didn't get hit by a car before I got him!

He's doing better poop-wise.  I was concerned because this seemed to be a dramatic change.  When he pooped for the first time here, he strained and had one little firm piece.  I then put him on canned food and that was no longer a problem.  He went twice a day, but it was so smelly.  Then he was diagnosed with tapeworms.  The medication they gave him cleared it up.

Now his poop doesn't smell as bad as it used to (could the tapeworms have been to blame?), but I'm still trying to get him to eat a wider variety of food.  The vet recommended Purina One as a preventative measure, not because Pumpkin is having urinary tract problems.  I've got a large bag of Meow Mix I'm trying to use up as I don't want it to go to waste.  I'm mixing it with the other Purina One dry (Healthy Metabolism).  Once the Meow Mix is used up, the only dry food I'll have on hand will be Purina One.  

Re. canned food, Pumpkin won't touch Fancy Feast no matter how good it is.  Even ones that smell good to me!  lol  He is very picky.  He won't eat Purina One canned, Sheba, etc, etc.  

To help correct the poo problem, I started to add extra water to the Meow Mix canned and it seems to have helped.  I've taken some of the canned and some of the dry, mixed it together and added a little water.  I know that sounds gross but he seemed to like it.  Once anyway!

This evening he has a great big poop (sorry about the tmi!).  Two smaller but really firm pieces, followed by large pieces that weren't too hard but not too squishy either.  Just right.  I guess.  It didn't smell that bad either.

I can't believe I'm talking about the texture and smell of cat poop.  I guess this is the only place I can get away with it!  heheeee  

What do you mean by "raw" food?  Is there a certain brand you're referring to?  

My vet called today and said about 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of canned pumpkin twice daily should help.  I hope that he will like it. 

Diana

pushylady said:

Thanks you for rescuing Pumpkin! He's going to have a much better life with you than on the streets.

As for his poop, a firm stool once a day sounds pretty good. As Ritz said, it's the smell and consistency that you have to worry about. And you haven't seem him in distress or anything, so I'm sure he's fine.I'm 

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I'm glad to have Pumpkin here!  He's been a tremendous blessing and a fine companion!  I love him to pieces!  As soon as I get a decent camera I'll post a photo of him here.

Pumpkin finally had a decent poop today.  He had that small one this morning and a few hours ago he had another one.  This time it was different - two small and very firm lumps, followed by several large pieces that weren't too hard or too squishy.  They didn't smell bad either.  

Diana

Well, it's been going on 34 hours since my cat  pooped.  I'm beginning to wonder if there is a problem.  I thought that since he pooped really good the other night, that it was just a fluke.

I tried to give him pumpkin but he didn't want it.  So, I took a very tiny amount and put it on his lips.   He didn't like it one bit but managed to lick it off.  I opened another can of his favorite wet food and put a little less than a teaspoon in.  I didn't want him to get too much.  I mixed it in as much as I could (to try and hide it from him) and he ate at least part of it.  

His appetite seems to be good.  He ate some canned food last night, some dry and had water.  My cat urinates ok.  I was surprised when I got up to not find any poop in his box.  

What am I doing wrong?  He doesn't seem to be in distress, but when I tried to force him to eat the pumpkin he tried hiding on me a couple of times.  I wasn't harsh or anything.  At one point I found him parked in front of my apartment door.  Maybe he wanted out?  He's an indoor cat only.  I won't let him run.

If he doesn't poop within the next few hours I'm going to call the vet again, but if anyone out there has advice I'd appreciate it.  My kitty has gone from straining really hard to poop when I first got him, to pooping twice daily, and now this.  It can't be his litter box.  I keep it clean.

Help!

Diana

Hi Dianajune

Relax.  Not pooping for 34 hours is not a drama.  I bet you have a poop in the next day and a half.  

You haven't noticed any discomfort of straining or other signs that pooping is an issue - it's more that you are taking an interest and don't quite know what is normal yet.  And quite probably, 'normal' hasn't happened yet anyway because of all the diet changes and dealing with the tapeworms.

Here are my recommendations:

1.  No way with the urinary tract specific dry food.  You don't need it, and it can do harm when 'prescribed' as a staple.  You can read heaps about this from a vet on this link (lengthy) http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

2.  The best food for health you can give is WET food.  This will help prevent urinary tract issues, partly because of the extra moisture.  This will help prevent a lot of health problems.  If you can, ditch the kibble and just feed wet food (canned, or raw).  Look for wet food that has no grains (like rice, maize) or carbohydrates (like vegetables), and hopefully something carageenan free.  A cat eats meat, and its system can only access nutrition from meat sources.  (And don't worry about animal fat - it's good for a cat and necessary for a cat).  I don't know your brands over there, but these cat-nutrition principals will guide you as you read food labels.  By the way, your vet is correct in not including a lot of fish in the diet.

3.  Raw feeding is where you feed uncooked human grade fresh meat.  Some countries have commercially prepared raw for cats - meaning you can buy it already mixed in the correct balance of organs/liver/bone/meat, and all you have to do is defrost it and feed it.  I feed mostly raw, being convinced of the health benefits and wanting to be in control of what my cat eats - i want to KNOW.  I feed a frankenprey method where I buy organs/liver/bone in meat/meat, and feed raw chunks.  Hop over to the raw feeding forum under nutrition if you want heaps and heaps more info.  They are a wealth of scientifically researched knowledge.

Ok, on to poo.  It will depend on what you feed your cat.  If you feed your cat a lot of stuff it cannot digest or access for nutrition, you will have more poo - junk in, junk out.  It will also stink more.  For example, if you feed raw only, your cat may only poo every 2-3days, and I kid you not, I can pick a chunk up and hold it to my nose and not smell a thing.  Raw is a very nutritious diet with no junk.  On the other hand, if you feed kibble, or junky canned, which will both be full of grains (a cat cannot digest this or derive any nutrition for it), the poo is stinky, and lots is produced.  There are some poo pictures for you on this link, you have to scroll down quite a bit: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood

So, that site I linked to will have everything and more you could ever want to know about what to feed your cat - written by a vet.  What I've said here is basically a summary.  Please be aware that there will be chemical changes to the digestive system depending on what you feed.  Kibble makes some pretty bad changes (read the above link if you want the science - basically it makes the system more alkaline, slows it down, and this has contributed to a lot of problems like urinary stones). So don't worry too much about daily poos until your cat is settled into a particular diet...the system needs to adapt and just settle down.  It can take a couple weeks until you can see what is 'normal'.

Last thing, don't mix kibble and anything wet - it will be a breeding ground for the bacteria that coats the kibble.

Best wishes!

Oh, PS, if you think he does need pumpkin, and some extra water, mix them into his canned food.  Use about 1/4-1/2 a tsp of the pumpkin per day.  Once it's mixed in, he won't (hopefully) be able to detect it or eat around it, and of course you won't be 'fighting/frightening' him to get him to eat it.

 to both of tammyp's posts.

Try not to sweat the poop part too much; because of the changes in Pumpkin's diet and tapeworm, his system hasn't had a chance to become normalized.  Feed the best quality canned (wet) food you can afford, no kibble, and think about raw feeding.

Let us know how things progress.

Thanks to Tammy and Ritz for responding.

I need help.....things seems to be getting worse and I don't know what's going to happen to my baby.

A short time ago I did a thorough cleaning of his litterbox and showed it to him, thinking it would help inspire him to poop.  I went to the bathroom to put things away, came back and found a small pumpkin/brownish colored  puddle on my livingroom carpet.  It didn't smell like poop, so I think he threw up.  He was pawing at the carpet around it and then walked away.

I let him alone after that and decided to try and hold him, to comfort my kitty.  He squawked at first and kicked with his rear paws.  He doesn't normally like to be picked up from the floor and has done that before (except for the squawking part).  He stayed next to me on my bed and then got down and pooped in his litterbox.

He passed five pieces.  Three of them were about an inch or more long, two were small.  They were all quite firm.  Too firm if you ask me, but I could squish them if I wanted to.  I put his poop in a baggie to take to the vets.  I also bagged the paper towel I used to try and clean up that "puddle" so the vet could see it.

What really gets me is that a couple of minutes ago, he ate some dry food.  Before that, when I was in the bathroom to bag this stuff, I came out finding him at his water dish, pawing at the floor around it.  I think he just had a drink.

He just climbed back on one of his chairs and is looking at me.  He doesn't appear to be really sick, but I'm concerned about his pooping issues and that he apparently threw up too.

I'm getting a ride to the vets this afternoon.  I have to wait until about 2pm to take him.  Couldn't get an appt for any sooner than that.

Thoughts?  I hope he's going to be ok.  I'm scared.

Diana

I am currently caring for a cat for constipation issues.
 

Here is what the vet told me: The poop should be either soft or within 48 hours. The time to worry is poop becomes too firm or no poop within 48 hours. Signs of constipation include no poop, straining, meowing in the litter box, or even diarrhea because small amounts of liquid poop will work its way around the hard masses and that will be the only poop to come out.

Here is another post I made referring to a link which explains pretty well what is "soft poop."

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/255191/bristol-stool-scale#post_3314578

Do not worry too much. You sound like you're very proactive, which is a big help in dealing with constipation.

Ask the vet about Miralax, if you should give it. It is OTC and cheap. The added water is a big help.

Good luck!

OK, now that I have more time...

The vomit and sensitivity to holding could be a sign of constipation, so it is good you are going to the vet.

If he does have constipation, try keeping a journal so you don't have to remember and keep track of progress. I kept a journal and knew when to ask the vet if we should try weaning off the meds.

Does your cat have hairballs? This could cause digestive tract obstruction and constipation. Some forum members use egg yolk lecithin to combat hairballs.

What about exercise? More exercise helps improve gut motility. The faster things move through the digestive tract, the less dry the poop will be.

There are many different remedies for constipation, but since you are going to the vet, you should let them tell you what to do before trying them.

Let us know how it goes, then we might have more tips for you!

Many thanks once again to all who responded to my post.  Here's the latest on my kitty:

The vet doesn't think anything serious is going on.  She did xrays of his belly and it didn't show any masses, etc.  He had some gas and poop but nothing serious, like a blockage.  She ran bloodwork too and it all came back normal.

I was given Laxotone to give to Pumpkin three times a day, which will be gradually reduced to one or two doses every couple of weeks.

She gave me a sample of Hills Prescription Diet (g.i. health), but I doubt that he will touch it.  I'll give him some this evening, along with his other stuff.

She also suggested some Metamucil (plain, not orange) sprinkled on his food.  I'll give that a try depending on how the Laxotone works out.  She suggested a water fountain as that could better hydrate him.

Pumpkin and I have had a very long day.  He's not very happy with me at the moment and is taking a nap in one of his favorite chairs.  He tried to escape from my father's truck but we got him in time.  Thank God he didn't try that while we were on the road.  He managed to wiggle the door of his carrier out of place.  

Thanks for listening!

Diana

So, let me get this straight.  When you called her before, she suggested you give him pumpkin, but during this visit, she suggested using Metamucil?  Am I getting this right?  Did you try the pumpkin and Pumpkin ( ) didn't like it, or what?  If possible, I would really try to use the pumpkin vs the Metamucil, just because it's more natural.  That's true pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix , although they do both come in a can.

Whew...so glad the little rascal didn't escape.  I've had that problem with the cage door not quite being closed before too.  I THOUGHT the bottom part was in the hole, but it wasn't .  Luckily, my cats were too big to squeeze their way out, but it could have been a disaster

How is he doing? He sounds like he's having normal "adjustment" issues. I am just worried your apartment will not be happy about him being there. Have you got a backup plan in case they find out and don't like it?

I recently took in a cat from outdoors who is also picky about what she eats. She also wants junk. But I've found if I buy a pouch of liquidy natural food, she likes that. So I can just get her a higher quality pouch of food (Weruva, Wellness) instead of a lower quality can of food. It sounds like your cat likes liquidy food too, you might want to give it a shot. I'm surprised your vet reccomended Fancy Feast, because it does have by-products in it.

mrsgreenjeens said:

So, let me get this straight.  When you called her before, she suggested you give him pumpkin, but during this visit, she suggested using Metamucil?  Am I getting this right?  Did you try the pumpkin and Pumpkin (

) didn't like it, or what?  If possible, I would really try to use the pumpkin vs the Metamucil, just because it's more natural.  That's true pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix , although they do both come in a can.

Whew...so glad the little rascal didn't escape.  I've had that problem with the cage door not quite being closed before too.  I THOUGHT the bottom part was in the hole, but it wasn't

.  Luckily, my cats were too big to squeeze their way out, but it could have been a disaster

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There were two different vets.  The first one I spoke to was the one he saw on his first appt, I believe.  Then when I called again after he got sick, I spoke with a male vet.  The one we saw yesterday was another lady.  

I wanted to try the Laxotone first and he's had three doses so far.  No poop yet for today.  I cleaned his litterbox this morning and found one hard lump but I'm positive it was from yesterday.  When he scatters them it's easy to miss them.  There wasn't the usual litter mess outside the box, so I'm sure it was from yesterday.

He eats, but oftentimes I have to put the food in front of him (not always).  I had to go out for a little while today and don't know if he had water while I was gone.  I could tell from the lack of a mess near his bowls that he didn't eat while I was gone, but he did once I put food in front of him.  He also had some treats.

Pumpkin is sleeping as I write this.  He doesn't like the Laxatone and I'm worried it might not work.  I hope it kicks in soon.  Nothing showed up on any of the tests he had, inc. xrays.  

Diana

AgentSpooky said:

How is he doing? He sounds like he's having normal "adjustment" issues. I am just worried your apartment will not be happy about him being there. Have you got a backup plan in case they find out and don't like it?

I recently took in a cat from outdoors who is also picky about what she eats. She also wants junk. But I've found if I buy a pouch of liquidy natural food, she likes that. So I can just get her a higher quality pouch of food (Weruva, Wellness) instead of a lower quality can of food. It sounds like your cat likes liquidy food too, you might want to give it a shot. I'm surprised your vet reccomended Fancy Feast, because it does have by-products in it.

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Pumpkin has had three doses of the Laxatone but has not pooped yet today.  I am worried this won't work.  Maybe he hasn't been on it long enough?  I was told to give him three doses a day until his first regular bm.  Then cut back after that.

I gave him extra canned food today, and made this weird concoction that he seems to like (dry Meow Mix with water and some of his favorite canned food mixed in).  Sometimes I have to put his food in front of him before he touches it.  He ate some, along with his treats and took a nap.  I had to wake him up for this afternoon's dose of Laxatone and he wasn't happy at all.  I dread giving it to him again a few hours from now.

I'm at a loss as to why this is going on.  I can't stop worrying about him.  The tests he had turned out good, but why isn't he pooping more?  

Diana

I don't think there is too much to worry about - which is great!  Remember he's been running free with no care and has survived and that's just a testament to how well cats cope with all sorts of digestion stuff (mainly in the natural environment).  He now has you to help care for him

1.  One thing to understand is that vets have very little nutrition training - and what they have, is done by the pet food companies, who then sponsor them in practice by providing them with food samples as a way to get more people feeding their foods.  Unless you are seeing a vet who knows about nutrition, bear every recommendation with a huge grain of salt and balance it against the research you have/will do.  The site I linked before is awesome.  It also condemns 'prescription' diets like the Hills brands as a marketing ploy.  I agree.  I had my vet recommend the same digestive sensitive Hills canned food.  I looked at the ingredients and asked what made it gentle on the stomach.  She didn't know.  Then I asked if she would have any objection to me feeding plain cooked chicken - she was fine with this, but stipulated no rice.  So I then asked, if rice is bad, why is 'Brewers Rice' (left over waste rice) doing in this can?  Again, she couldn't answer, but being helpful, she asked if it was ok for the Hills sales vet to phone me.  It was fine - the upshot was, that that vet-rep didn't know how to answer my questions, did not know about recent legislative changes in some US states dealing with inclusion of maize in pet food as it was a known allergen, and could not answer any question but skirted around it with politician speak.  If you look at the ingredient list on the Hills can, and compare it to a 'normal' can, you will find pretty much the same ingredients, and you will find a lot of things a cat shouldnt be eating (grains for instance - Hills also uses some iffy preservatives linked to cancer).

2.  Metamucil.  I wouldnt.  Metamucil is  psyllium, and what it does is swell the poop.  This is ok for a human, as our insides work by gripping a bulky stool to push it out.  Unfortunately, in some humans with digestive disease (eg: IBD, IBS) our systems don't deal well with this at all.  More unfortunately, a cat's digestive system is nothing like a humans!  There was a lengthy article I read about this dealing with time spent in the gut (cats are fast - psyllium slows it down), and acidity etc, but I can't remember the exact science...if you want it try here: http://www.felineconstipation.org/, and also look at http://www.catinfo.org/  ('what I feed my cats' deals with psyllium - she prefers guar gum). Basically, you don't want a bulky stool for most cases of constipation...you want a soft stool, so water is the best bet when not dealing with an obstruction.  

So in summary, wet food (grain free, carageenan free), with a little added water if necessary.   A little cooked pumpkin is ok.  And give it a week...

Oh, and buy a pot plant with some catgrass.  Cats love it and it gives them some extra nutrients - they munch on grass in the wild.  Sometimes they do it to make themselves vomit, so don't be concerned at clear vomit with grass...they are simply self medicating.  You may also find that the poop forms around a thread of grass if he gobbles long strands like my cat.  Mostly this is not a problem for anyone and I figure it helps digestion.  Sometimes it creates a 'hanger' with half the grass thread still internal and he will 'scooch' his butt across the floor to 'wipe' it off - no carpets here thankfully.  Again, not a medical problem - just a cleaning job!  If ever there is a grass half in/half out, don't pull it out, just snip with scissors.

Hi dianajune,

Have you kept track of how much he is eating? About 4 oz a day would be average. This thread is vaguely familiar to another member's. Nothing showing up on tests, some symptoms of constipation, but after a second round of bloodwork they found something. It wasn't found before because it was too early. I don't mean to scare you, but you might want to call the vet and ask about how soon the Laxatone should work and let them know about how much he is eating. Also ask about the iffy appetite and how long that should go or what sort of other appetite symptoms would warrant another vet trip. Medical advice is what the vet is there for, and you did pay them. I call my vet all the time if I've taken them in for treatments and have questions. Yes, I sometimes feel I'm being pushy about it, but I feel a lot better after I've talked to the vet and I know what to do.
 

Tammy,

Pumpkin finally had a poop a little while ago, but he strained like crazy.  He had one piece (not too thin, but not wide either) and it was very firm.  Too much so, I think.  Plus he had another piece that was pea-sized.  His poop seemed overly dry.  There was no mucus or blood.

Not long after that, Pumpkin was due for his next dose of Laxatone,  He was in a huff but seems to be over it now. This time I managed to get most of it in/on his mouth.  

I don't know if he pooped because the Laxatone kicked in or because I was massaging his abdomen beforehand.  He loves to be rubbed down.

He had another bite of dry food.  i changed the water in his big bowl and set up another water dish besides.  One thing I forgot to mention is his vet recommended a water fountain, but the ones I saw online are electric.  I'm not comfortable with the thought of having my cat use an electric water dish.  Isn't that a shock hazard?  That may sound like a stupid question, but I have misgivings about that.  Are there any battery operated ones?

My kitty already tried canned pumpkin and he will not eat it.  I managed to sneak a small amount into his food the other day and he threw it up yesterday morning.  I'll see if I can find meat to cook myself (chicken or beef) that he will eat.  Pumpkin seems to like fish-based foods.  Would tuna in oil be ok?

I hope he will be ok. Pumpkin is finally in the mood to play with his laser light toy.  I'm hoping this problem will pass.

As for the cat grass, I'll see if one of the stores around here carries it.   I'm willing to try anything that will help him.

Thanks!

Diana