Constipation - new to cats

I am very new to cats, so need all the suggestions and info you, guys, could share.

1) What are possible causes of constipation?

-- just to answer your potential questions, he does eat kibble. He was always on dry food only in his previous home, so we have been trying to transition him slowly and gradually, but I guess, it needs to happen faster.

So, my next question is:

2) what is the best way (or best ways) to transition a cat that was only on dry food to a more varied diet (and possibly - to wet diet only if that's the best)?

3) In his previous home his water access was severely restricted (don't ask - those people were absolute jerks and plain idiots). So now my concern is that he has gotten used to subsisting on minimal water even though his water bowl is kept full.

So, my question is:

-- How do we encourage him to drink more?

4) Could there be any other reasons for constipation besides dry food?

Thank you!!!

Dehydration is probably the biggest and most obvious constipation culprit. There are a lot of things that affect constipation, but every instance can benefit from increased water consumption! Most cats are not naturally big drinkers anyway, so a wet food diet is of course beneficial. The more wet food, the better. Moving water is often more enticing (because in nature moving water is the cleanest), so lots of cats prefer to drink from a pet fountain or even just a small stream from a sink or tub faucet. Occasionally you'll get a cat that just does not drink much no matter what, so in that case you can add extra water to their wet food.

For transitioning a cat to wet food, the first thing to do is just try offering them a couple kinds (pate style vs chunks of meat, chicken vs beef flavors, etc) and see if they'll eat it any of those straight away. (Do try to avoid flavors that are heavy on fish, because eating a lot of fish is not good for cats and it can be difficult to get them to eat anything else once they've tried it.) I've been lucky and all the cats I've had took to wet food like this, so I haven't had to do a lot of work to transition them. Many cats are really weirded out by the texture of this kind of food at first, though, especially if they've been fed dry forever. These links have a lot of suggestions for cats that are more stubborn:

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/transit...-to-a-new-type-of-food-canned-raw-or-homemade

So, constipation can occur when cats are not getting enough water, they are stressed, they are not getting enough exercise and the bowels are therefore not moving around much, they are ingesting too much fur during grooming, something in their diet is blocking them up, or there is an underlying issue and constipation is a secondary symptom. Mild constipation can often be treated successfully with home remedies, but constipation can get dangerous. A cat needs to see a vet if it has not had a bowel movement for more than 2 days, stool is small, dry, round balls, appetite decreases, it cries in pain while straining, vomiting occurs after straining, or it becomes lethargic. Be aware that the worse constipation gets, the more costly it is to treat at the vet, so if you're in doubt, err on the side of going in early. X-rays, ultrasounds, and enemas are often needed for badly blocked up kitties.

My cat has chronic constipation, and I've seen several vets and done a lot of research, and I've come to the conclusion that we sometimes just don't know for sure why constipation happens! It's important to stay on top of it because if a cat is constipated for a long time, a condition called megacolon can develop. Increasing water intake, getting your cat to exercise more, and brushing your cat often are things that can help every constipated cat. If that is not enough, Miralax, available in US drugstores, is great to draw water into stool to make it softer and easier to pass. 1/8 a tsp once or twice a day mixed with wet food is the standard starting dose, and you can go up to 1/4 tsp twice a day. Soluble fiber can also help the stool absorb water, which is why a spoonful of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) can also help constipated cats. Personally I've used acacia fiber because my vet recommended it for my kitty, and it's tasteless. (Insoluble fiber, however, is a dangerous quick fix. It can push the stool through the colon rapidly, but it will also add bulk to the stool and possibly make it even more difficult to pass, so you have to be careful.) For long-term constipation, these remedies seem to lose their effectiveness after a while. The only thing I've tried so far that seems to have really helped and not stopped working after a while is adding probiotics to every meal. Basically I see it as something about my cat's colon is off and not working right, and probiotics are helping put things back to a healthier state.

I hope this is helpful, and I hope your cat's constipation is not too terrible!

Too much bone in the diet (a concern for raw feeders, not those who feed commercial canned and dry foods), not enough fiber or water in the diet, lack of gut motility (called ileus. One of my cats had that once), a blockage in the digestive tract from a hairball or foreign object can cause constipation.

Molly92 gave you links to how to transition a cat from dry food to canned food.

Restricting access to water is abuse, IMO. I'm glad you were able to get the cat away from that household. Keep the water bowl full at all times. Cats in general don't drink a lot of water, even those who eat only dry food. Adding water to the canned food is the easiest way to get more water into the cat. There are more tips here: http://www.thecatsite.com/a/tips-to-increase-your-cat-s-water-intake

sometimes they have a preference to drinking out of tall bowls vs short bowls-I have one who only drinks out of a cup on the counter. Try to stay away from plastic. I also have a cat who will only drink water that's been sitting outside for a day-if I change it to fresh-forget it-she turns her nose up. this is the same cat who drinks out of the faucet. Silly kitties.

I have had good luck with canned pumpkin for constipation.

Sometimes they will lick it right off your finger-I have 2 that will. 1 hates it=so I have to smear a tiny bit to the side of her mouth as she will NOT eat wet food ever. luckily for her-I only need to give her 1/2 teaspoon to be effective.

If you're able to transition to canned food, you can add water to the food to make it the consistency of thick oatmeal.  That way your kitty will get water and good food.  I would recommend a grain-free canned food for him. 

Thank you very much, Molly, LTS3, foxxycat and stephanie!

We've been encouraging his water drinking and things already look much better.

But it turns out that he might be the guy who prefers a running type of water source - constantly pawing at the bowl and drinking sort of licking off the sides of the bowl, not lapping.

I am going to post other questions regarding water sources in appropriate forums.

Thank you all very much - I've learned so much!