Stress and constipation. Am I an idiot to put the two together?

I left my 2 kitties at a cat sitter's who is supposedly a cat behaviour psychologist/expert. I thought this would be beneficial for a number of reasons, including encouraging my 10-month old boy kitty to poop inside his litter box rather than on the floor next to it.

I question her credentials for a number of reasons, one of which is that she supposedly got her credentials in the US, yet cannot really speak English. One would think that this sort of course work would require a fairly high level of English, so...

Anyhow, my boy kitty has suffered from constipation on-and-off since I got him from the breeder 6 months ago. This may have caused the initial problem of not using his litter box. I try to treat the constipation now when I see it by adding psyllium and water to his food, but nonetheless, I think he has become used to pooping on the floor so continues to do so.

My kitties were at her house for 15 days and he only pooped 5 times. He normally poops every day or every 1.5 days. His diet supposedly stayed the same, so he was obviously very constipated for a reason.

He is a very shy, sensitive cat, so I suggested that he MAYBE experienced some stress due to a change in environment and being surrounded by 9 other cats and humans he did not know. I was sure to say that it was not her fault, of course, but that he is just a cat who does not seem to like change.

This "professional" cat psychologist became very aggressive in her email, lashing out at me, "screaming" at me (I have never seen so many exclamation points), basically telling me that I have NO idea what I was talking about and that he played and ate - indicators that he wasn't stressed at all - and that it is all MY fault based on what I feed him because I am giving them a raw food diet, which she is VERY much against. Hmmm....interesting because before my kitty ate raw food, his constipation was actually worse.

Besides the possibility that she could be bi-polar (this is the 4th email where she was very aggressive, accusatory, critical, dogmatic and just down right nasty), my question to you is:

Have you ever experienced cat constipation due to stress or is it all diet/hairball related?

I have seen some websites which do state that a change in a cat's schedule can give a cat stress which can lead to constipation. So, it can't be completely wrong...or can it?

p.s. I will be taking him to a vet to get checked out in January once the pet insurance kicks in.

I know that stress can definitely affect a cat's urination. Not sure if it could cause constipation. However, stress in general can have an effect on the cat's entire system, so it doesn't seem too far fetched.

One thing I'd be more worried about is this woman - you say she claims your cat was getting the same diet as usual, but if she is so anti-raw and seems possibly a little unhinged do you trust that she wouldn't switch your cat to a new food without telling you? And you said he was more constipated before switching to raw, so could this be just a symptom of her taking his diet into her own hands and not telling you?

I would cease communication with this woman altogether.

Cats will "go" outside the box when they associate the box with their "problem", be it UTI or constipation or whatever.

Use an enzyme cleaner to remove all traces of odor, and put the feces into the litter box and gently show him. Move the litter box into the space where he has been pooping.

Constipation is usually the result of not enough hydration and/or too little fiber. Each cat's needs are different, depending on their individual system. You can try adding some plain, canned pumpkin to his diet for extra fiber.

The idea of bringing your cat to a behaviorist seems bizarre to me because that experience alone would be stressful. Cats don't do well with change. You are the best person to work out issues with your cats, possibly with the aid of bringing someone to your home if needed.

Have you spoken to the breeder or a vet about the constipation?

Lastly, please don't say she's bipolar. She's obviously unwell, and I wouldn't trust her with my cats either, but mental illness is serious and bipolar shouldn't be said casually.

Konuku said:

 

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Plenty has been said but i will just add that stress can cause diarrhea, not constipation.  Constipation is either a medical or food issue

Sorry, I did not mean to use that term casually. My sister is bi-polar and she has become enraged at the drop of a hat in a very similar way as this woman. Her erratic up and down behaviour reminds me of my sister on a bad day. Didn't mean to cause offence. 

talkingpeanut said:

The idea of bringing your cat to a behaviorist seems bizarre to me because that experience alone would be stressful. Cats don't do well with change. You are the best person to work out issues with your cats, possibly with the aid of bringing someone to your home if needed.

Have you spoken to the breeder or a vet about the constipation?

Lastly, please don't say she's bipolar. She's obviously unwell, and I wouldn't trust her with my cats either, but mental illness is serious and bipolar shouldn't be said casually.

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Sorry, forgot to mention that I did not take him to a cat behaviouralist just to take him to a cat behaviouralist. She advertises herself as a cat sitter who is also a certified cat behaviouralist. I went away for 2 weeks. This is why she had them. She was supposed to help him in his behaviour if she could while she was sitting them.

Yes, this woman is worrisome and she maybe did change their food. I did wonder, but it is impossible to know. I am desperately trying to find another cat sitter for Christmas. I was willing to give her one more chance until I she became aggressive with me the 4th time just yesterday. There is obviously a deeper problem here and not her just having a bad day.

Yes, never give her your cats again. Can you have someone come to your house to feed them?

talkingpeanut said:

Yes, never give her your cats again. Can you have someone come to your house to feed them?

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I know. I had reservations this first time because she lashed out at me a few days before I brought them to her - all because she heard I was going to use someone else to watch them...which wasn't even true. A true professional would probably think, "Maybe I should confirm this, and if it is true, express my disappointment in a friendly calm way, offering my services for a future visit." But alas no. I got hit with accusations and names. When she found out that she was mistaken, she did not even apologise but blamed my neighbour for misinforming her boyfriend and then bounced back to being super friendly as if nothing had happened and glad to have my business (she got paid almost €550 for doing very little - you think she'd appreciate that). But I had no alternative plan and had to leave. I tried to have faith but lashing out 4 times now is just too much (once was really too much but...). Scary.

I normally would have a neighbour feed them but 2 weeks is a long time and they are Ragdolls so get depressed without human company for so long. I have left 4 or 5 days like this, but after that, I feel like they need to be around people. I will try to look for a house sitter the next time. But being Christmas and now very last minute, it is all a bit tricky.

Thanks for caring.