Is my kitten constipated?

My neighbor opened his garage to find some kittens looking back at him. He brought them over to see if I could help out. I took one (a boy) and my aunt took one (a girl) to care for. Her's is doing well, is on KMR and is going to the bathroom good. Mine however is peeing but not pooing. I read up on how sometimes the bum may need stimulated so I have tried that. When it gets to the point of him looking like he is trying to push to go, he meows something fierce (like it's hurting him). I don't know if the new feeling of using the bathroom is just alarming to him or if he is actually constipated and that's why he's squealing. I couldn't get anything out of him and decided to stop after a few tries as it seemed to really bother him. He is doing good drinking his KMR from a bottle and he does pass gas but he's not pooed in 2 days and I'm starting to worry. Am I doing something wrong? Should I just keep stimulating? Is there something I can give him? Or is this something a vet should take a look at? He's very playful when he's awake and sleeping any other time just like a kitten. He doesn't act like he's uncomfortable but I know that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't (if he could only talk to tell me, haha). I haven't gone around poking his belly but when I hold him his belly isn't hard feeling or anything (not sure if that makes a difference, just adding for details that may lead to a good answer). I don't want him to be unable to go. He so little that it breaks my heart. Thanks for any advice.

Constipation is very unusual in a neo nate kitten, often they have nothing much to poop at all, but I am going to refer this thread to another advisor who specializes in young kittens.

Hi, I need a little more information to give you good advice.

How long have you had the kitten? Has the kitten ever pooped since you've had him? And how old is the kitten? If you don't know, then can you answer the following: are his eyes open? Is he standing?? Walking? If he is walking does he walk steadily or is he wobbly? Does he run? Does he play?

This is unrelated but there any way the kittens can be in the same home together instead of you each having one? Kittens learn so much from mom and from one another, it is really too bad they have been separated from  both mom and each other so soon in life.  This is a rough start.

In terms of the stimulation bothering him one thing you can try is running some warm water and placing his bum under it, then gently tapping with your finger.  This is much less irritating to kittens.

He does play, not really running yet (although he does get excited and get sparks of energy when he bats a jingle ball around). His coordination needs a tad but more work but other than that he is walking fine. I'd say he's in between 2 to 3 weeks (it's a guess). He can stand and walk but it still needs some fine tuning but he's definitely not as wobbly like a younger kitten would be. I have yet to see the mommy cat around. I only have seen one outside cat around me and I believe it's fixed. His eyes are open (still blue like they tend to be when the eye opening is newer) and he is very alert and plays a lot. I have had the kitten for about 3 or 4 days and he's not went poo once but he is peeing quite a bit so I'm taking that as a good sign with that. He's eating just fine so that's not a problem either but I'm wondering why he hasn't went when his sister is already pooing and both are only on KMR. He doesn't act like he's uncomfortable but I do know that's not always a sure fire way of knowing he's not, I just know he hasn't went and I assume that would be pretty uncomfortable for him. It's just heartbreaking to know he's not going and then when you stimulate to try to get him to go that he's making such a loud noise that it sounds like he's being hurt and I don't like that. I assume it's because he's either not used to the feeling/scared or constipated. But I will try your suggestion, thank you.

Okay so I would think probably around 3 weeks or a bit older from what you have said.  If he is walking around  well and playing he is older than 2 weeks.

Honestly, just because you haven't seen mom doesn't mean she's not there.  She is probably feral and ferals are excellent at hiding from humans.  At his age it would have probably been better if he could have stayed with her.  If he and the other kitten were in good shape (healthy weight, relatively clean) it is nearly certain mom left to get food and was coming back.  With that said, we have to go from where we are now.

It is common that kittens wont' poop for a few days after beginning to be fed KMR but at 3-4 days you are definitely getting to the point where it should have happened. In general kittens should poop every 3 feedings ish. To ease constipation though, you can do a few things. First, dillute the KMR. Mix 1/2 water and 2/3 KMR or if necessary go half and half. Second, add a drop or two of vegetable oil to the KMR.

Let us know if this works or not and if you have any other questions.  Honestly, if it does not work and you are sure he has not pooped by tomorrow (which would be day 5, correct?) I'd definitely consult a vet :/

tulosai said:

 
Okay so I would think probably around 3 weeks or a bit older from what you have said.  If he is walking around  well and playing he is older than 2 weeks.

Honestly, just because you haven't seen mom doesn't mean she's not there.  She is probably feral and ferals are excellent at hiding from humans.  At his age it would have probably been better if he could have stayed with her.  If he and the other kitten were in good shape (healthy weight, relatively clean) it is nearly certain mom left to get food and was coming back.  With that said, we have to go from where we are now.

It is common that kittens wont' poop for a few days after beginning to be fed KMR but at 3-4 days you are definitely getting to the point where it should have happened. In general kittens should poop every 3 feedings ish. To ease constipation though, you can do a few things. First, dillute the KMR. Mix 1/2 water and 2/3 KMR or if necessary go half and half. Second, add a drop or two of vegetable oil to the KMR.

Let us know if this works or not and if you have any other questions.  Honestly, if it does not work and you are sure he has not pooped by tomorrow (which would be day 5, correct?) I'd definitely consult a vet :/

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I agree, he sounds to be at least 3 weeks, maybe up to 5.

I agree too, theirs mom was surely near.  But on the other side, the easiest to foster ferale born kittens is if they are adopted at 5-6 weeks.   After they are 8-tish it becomes more difficult (still fully possible, but they perhaps wont be the same happy sociale people loving cats, they will be more of nice family cats but shy of visiting guests ).

So, althugh they were fetched a little too early, this was no such big deal as fetching newborns who seems abandoned, but are not at all abandoned...

(this with minimum 8+ is for home cats, ferales are one of the few exceptions, as it is much easier to foster them at this young age)

I agree also with all these good stimulating tips Tulosai wrote, including bum under running warm water.

I want to reinforce this with drops of oil.

I would say it to be somewhat more,  three or four drops  of vegetable oil.   Even more effective is minerale oil, say some mild baby oil.

But it may be enough with vegetable oil, so try with this at first.   Take some qood quality olive oil or coldpressed  rapeseed oil (=canola), they are healthy nourishment by itself.

ps.  Be sure he is well watered.  being slightly dehydrated makes too the poo harder...   So give him perhas a few drops of water between the feedings with kmr.  OR dilute the kmr, as was one of the advices...

But if the advices wont help, yes go to vets.

Okay, so kitten is just a couple days under 4 weeks old.

Constipation is quite common when going from moms milk to kmr. It is important that we get him pooped asap, but it's not critical yet.

First thing I want to make sure of is you are feeding in the correct position, it is life and death with newborns, however if the nipple cut is a bit too big it can still easily happen in a young kitten as well. 

Kitten should always be fed on it's tummy with head slightly tilted upwards.

Bottle filled and turned upside down should quickly form a drop, but not come running out, maybe a very slow delayed drip is fine for this age.

Once we get the kitten pooped, you will want to set up a litterbox. Very low sided for easy access, as they will use it by 4 weeks actually.

Feed 4 times a day, not needed during the night.

I can't begin to tell you how badly the kittens should be kept in pairs.

See, as their motor skills develop, and they start getting spurts of spunkiness, they will interact with each other, which teaches them skills for the rest of their lives, how to correctly play and interact with other cats, what is too hard of a bite, and it also prevents the kitten from using your hand as a toy, biting, scratching, etc. This is how they learn the limits, what hurts, what is okay.

It will also keep them social with other cats in their future.

Poop-there are a few things you can do. First off you don't want to try too hard and make his butt sore, this is why I found that sticking his butt under warm running water and tapping his butt works beautifully.

Be sure the water temp doesn't get hotter as it runs.

Hold kitten in one hand on it's back so the tummy is exposed, using your other hand for pooping him.

You can tap with your finger or use a cloth, but keep it under the running water.

He is likely too stopped up now to go without help, so you will mix his kmr to a 50/50 mix, half kmr half water.

Add 3 drops of either olive oil, or mineral oil, last choice is veg oil, to each bottle. 

He should poop within a day or so.

If he does not, pick up some simple glycerin suppositories. It will look like bullet shaped. Obviously too big for his tiny butt so on the tapered half (save one side for holding it) you are going to use a knife and shave it down to a straw size, NOT like a Mc Donalds straw! haha, they're huge, , with the tip tapered for easy insertion.

Don't try doing this on his back, he will squirm too much. Just while holding him on your lap, or set in front of you on a table. 

Gently push it in as much as you can while still keeping a grip on it or he will pop it right back out.

Hold it there for as long as you possibly can so it melts and lubes his hard poop up well. Several minutes.

Glycerin suppositories are not harmful, so if it doesn't work within an hour or so, do it again.

He should be pooping then, and should be a good amt.

If you are unable to successfully poop him in the next few days, then he will need an enema.

I don't think I can give you that advice on here so would need a vet to do this.

Good luck!

Oh, be sure when he is pooping, to adjust his formula to the correct mix,of 2 to 1.

Thanks everyone for your advice! I will try these things. If he does not go soon I'm definitely not against going to a vet for help. This was something I've thought about already and was just wondering if there were things I could try first.

Not so sure I'd want to try to administer a enema on my own though. If it gets to that point where nothing else worked, I will take him there and let them do that since they better know that they are doing.

Thanks again, everyone! 

AnimalLover07 said:

 
Thanks everyone for your advice! I will try these things. If he does not go soon I'm definitely not against going to a vet for help. This was something I've thought about already and was just wondering if there were things I could try first.

Not so sure I'd want to try to administer a enema on my own though. If it gets to that point where nothing else worked, I will take him there and let them do that since they better know that they are doing.

Thanks again, everyone! 

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Exactly why I didn't offer any "how-to's" Hope he poops soon!

Thanks for your help, everyone! The day I posted my last message I tried the combo milk, water and olive oil then later on one almost last ditch effort of stimulating him to poo before just taking him to the vet and low and behold, he finally went! And he's went consistently since! Cannot even explain how relieved I am (and how relieved he must be)! Thanks so much for the advice!

AnimalLover07 said:

 
Thanks for your help, everyone! The day I posted my last message I tried the combo milk, water and olive oil then later on one almost last ditch effort of stimulating him to poo before just taking him to the vet and low and behold, he finally went! And he's went consistently since! Cannot even explain how relieved I am (and how relieved he must be)! Thanks so much for the advice!

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Ahh! Good 'ol olive oil did the trick

He will likely be fine now, go back to the proper dilution for formula now, if he goes 2 full days with no poop, add oil again.

Good news!

One thing I do to help prevent them from getting sore when stimulating is dabbing on a small amount of butt cream or plain Vaseline, and then rubbing with a q-tip.

Also, a good first time litter box are those disposable baking trays you buy from the grocery store. They look like cardboard and come in 2-packs. They're the perfect size, as in the photo.