My cat, Chester, has always been skinny and active. After we moved, we noticed him putting on a little weight. He has become lazy and extra snuggly. Now, very suddenly, he is seriously bloated and obviously uncomfortable. He is having trouble moving around, and he keeps squatting like he is trying to poop, but nothing happens. I figured he was constipated, and read that milk would help, but it does not seem to be doing anything. Does anyone know what might be going on or how I can help him?
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Bloated, uncomfortable cat.
- Thread starter sarawrr
- Start Date
When was the last time used the litterbox successfully? Did it look and smell normal (for him)?
If his behaviour has changed and he's no longer as playful or active as usual, I would have him seen by a vet. If he hasn't eliminated successfully, I would do so sooner rather than later for sure. It could be constipation, or it could be something more serious that is causing him to feel lethargic like a different type of blockage like eating indigestible items, growths, or parasites, or he may be feeling unwell from other causes. Showing obvious discomfort would push me to get a vet appointment today. There could be internal swelling and inflammation beyond just what's in his tummy and it's best to get it checked out. We can't even determine what the issue would be, much less help treat him at home.
While it's great to read up on potential causes and treatments, not having a solid diagnosis could do more harm than good. There are some things that can address constipation - since cats are lactose intolerant, I wouldn't recommend milk. While it can soften stools and cause diarrhea, they can also vomit it back up. It could just make Chester even sicker, even more uncomfortable, and that's really the opposite of what he needs right now. If you just read up on things that can address constipation without even knowing if constipation is the root cause without advice of a vet, you can run into hazy territory. Some might say that feeding more liver can cause looser stools, but the caveat to that is that liver is high enough in vitamin A that when fed too much, can cause vitamin A toxicity. Self-diagnoses can be double edged swords.
There are prescription laxatives and over the counter laxatives that are safe for cats only if you're POSITIVE he is just constipated, and again, I would only do so with a vet's OK.
If his behaviour has changed and he's no longer as playful or active as usual, I would have him seen by a vet. If he hasn't eliminated successfully, I would do so sooner rather than later for sure. It could be constipation, or it could be something more serious that is causing him to feel lethargic like a different type of blockage like eating indigestible items, growths, or parasites, or he may be feeling unwell from other causes. Showing obvious discomfort would push me to get a vet appointment today. There could be internal swelling and inflammation beyond just what's in his tummy and it's best to get it checked out. We can't even determine what the issue would be, much less help treat him at home.
While it's great to read up on potential causes and treatments, not having a solid diagnosis could do more harm than good. There are some things that can address constipation - since cats are lactose intolerant, I wouldn't recommend milk. While it can soften stools and cause diarrhea, they can also vomit it back up. It could just make Chester even sicker, even more uncomfortable, and that's really the opposite of what he needs right now. If you just read up on things that can address constipation without even knowing if constipation is the root cause without advice of a vet, you can run into hazy territory. Some might say that feeding more liver can cause looser stools, but the caveat to that is that liver is high enough in vitamin A that when fed too much, can cause vitamin A toxicity. Self-diagnoses can be double edged swords.
There are prescription laxatives and over the counter laxatives that are safe for cats only if you're POSITIVE he is just constipated, and again, I would only do so with a vet's OK.
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