Pumpkin's ongoing tummy issues and how to help him cope with the heat

It's been awhile since my last post.  I've had alot going on, inc. getting help with a "reasonable accomodation" at my apartment, etc, etc.  So if anyone messaged me in response to one of my threads and I didn't get back to you, that's why, and I'm very sorry about that.

I posted in the past about Pumpkin's poop problems (or the lack thereof).  I've had him to the vets several times, the most recent of which was a couple of days ago.  Off and on during the past week, Pumpkin has had very small poops - total volume-wise and the actual size of the pieces.  He's been on Laxatone and is taking it three times a day now.

A couple of times in the past week I found  poop on the livingroom carpet, but at the same time there was some in the box too.  This is the first time he did this since we moved here in May.  The first incident happened while I was at the store.  I didn't see it until I came back.  The second time was about a day or two later and it happened overnight while I was sleeping.

A few months ago in our old place I saw him poop in his litterbox and then drag his fanny across the livingroom carpet as if to pry loose the remaining piece that was hanging there.  I don't know for sure if that's what he did both times since we moved, but it's likely.

So I took him to the vet again a couple of days ago.  They took xrays and compared them to the ones they did in March.  He was actually backed up more in March than this time around.  And the vet said the stools weren't hard.  No megacolon either, praise God.  He simply needs to drink more water.

She gave him injections of water underneath his skin and prescribed Lactulose.  Getting him to take his new medicine is a challenge.  He hates it.  Anyway, within a coupl eof hours after I gave him his new medicine, he had a sizeable bowel movement.  More than he's done in days.  

That's the last time Pumpkin pooped.  Day before yesterday.  No poop yesterday and so far none today.  He pees ok and eats good.  Rambunctious as ever at night.  He's napping now.

Pumpkin's diet is good in that I got him off his treats.  He still eats Purina One Urinary Tract Health combined with Meow Mix Hairball formula, with a little original flavor thrown in.  He's no longer eating Meow Mix canned.....not that he's touched it that much lately.  I stopped buying it because I wasn't thrilled with the quality and his lack of interest.  I'm trying to get him to eat Fancy Feast now.

Why hasn't he pooped again since that day I took him to the vet?  Is it because he pooped so much that evening?  Re. the lactulose, I have to smear it on his paws.  There's no way he will let me put the syringe in his mouth...been there, done that....he went ballistic.

He takes 1 ml twice a day, and they said to keep him on the Laxatone too.

Re. the heat - I don't have a/c and have several fans on as I write this, two of which are trained on him.  I can afford to get an a/c - that's not the problem.  It's getting help with bringing one here as I don't have a car and can't do heavy lifting.  Dad took us to the vets the other day but I don't want to ask him to help with this.  He's having problems with one of his arms too.

I tried looking for a tabletop dehumidifier but Walmart doesn't carry them.  

I've been rubbing him down with a wet cloth several times a day during this heatwave, hoping that will help.  For the most part he tolerates this, but sometimes he won't.

I have an important errand to run next week which, if I take the bus, will keep me away from home for several hours due to the rotten schedule.  I don't want to leave him alone that long.  This will be moot if I can get an a/c here before then, but what if I can't?  My two box fans don't have feet and tip over easy.  I have them securely propped up and running when I'm home.  I don't dare leave them like that unattended.  I have three other smaller fans I could use but I don't think they'd be adequate.

Suggestions?  Sorry this is so long.  Thanks.

Diana  

Can you get one delivered? I'd think there'd be some store that ships. Sorry you and your little fella are going through all this.

Cat's fur insulates them from the heat as well as the cold. (Of course, it is needless to say that adult cats can tolerate heat better than kittens.) It is good that you are wetting him down. We all know the problem in keeping cats cool during the hot weather months is that many of them really don't like to get wet. He may not like it, but it does cool him.

 I helped a friend care for her foster kittens around this time last year; we set up several disposable aluminum roasting pans with frozen ice packs (for cooling plastic coolers) inside with a layer of towels covering it (the top will be a flat, smooth toweled surface to sleep on), a cat carrier with the same set up inside, a cardboard box (cardboard insulates very well) and bowls of fresh water accessible at all times. We also covered the surfaces they like to sleep on with wet towels. We circulated the air with a tower fan and left an umbrella open on the floor to block Western exposure later in the day. Kittens seem to rotate these spots (they slept most of the day) but they even seem to prefer places where we thought must be hot and uncomfortable. Maybe they knew better.

I usually leave a door to the bedroom (where I have a window unit) ajar during the day so my cat can come and go as she pleases, but she doesn't really seem to care for the air conditioner. I don't even have the thermostat set that cold either, about 28- 30 °C (82.4-86 °F), which most people will probably find uncomfortable in the summer. Perhaps it's the noise that she doesn't like.

When the weather is predicted to be very hot, I leave most of the windows shut completely in other rooms, leaving only a few open just slightly before I leave in the morning. (Shades down all the way.) It sounds like a paradox, but I found out this actually keeps the house cooler because the hot air is kept out. Even when I drop in during the afternoon, worried to death that my cat is dying from the heat, the house is much cooler than outside. (And my cat, alive and well, in a non-air conditioned room.) I use a floor fan and ceiling fans to keep the air circulating.

Even if you don't have AC in time for your trip next week, it's highly doubtful your kitty will roast to death in just a few hours inside a human dwelling. Cats are connoisseurs of comfort, so your kitty will most likely find a spot that keeps him cool while you are gone, on the bare floor under the bed, in a corner of a closet or on tiled bathroom floor, for example. Just do the best you can.

Re: constipation- diet change is the only thing that can make a difference. If he is having problems now on it, it will only get worse as the time goes by, and it will be much more difficult to treat (not to mention more expensive), so do aim to eliminate dry kibbles entirely at one point.

For laxative, I use Miralax for my cat and recommend it over Lactulose. Unlike Lactulose, it does not cause cramping and is easier to give.