Constipation?

My cat's name is Tycho and he's an adult. He usually eats a lot and poops a lot, and he NEVER comes away from the litter box without having left something.

But just tonight he started licking under his tail a lot and meowing (and not his normal meow, like an "I'm in pain" meow) and he came away from the litter box just now not having left anything. He's moving sluggish and acting odd, he won't let me touch anywhere besides his head (which is VERY out of the ordinary) and he looks bloated. 

I'm a college student and I don't have the money for a big vet visit right now. I also have a final early tomorrow so I wouldn't be able to take him in anyways. Has anyone else experienced this? And if so, did you have to go to the vet or did it blow over? I am afraid to leave him tomorrow for fear it will get worse but I have to. 

Thanks, 

Shelby 

I've had chronically constipated cats (elderly cats) and one now that every once in awhile he appears to have a problem, but he doesn't present the one you have described.  Yes, he gets in the box and gets in the pooping position and tries to go, even sniffs at the box afterwards as if there should be something there, but no yowls of pain.  And then normally the next morning I will find he has had a bowel movement.  I usually give him a dose of Miralax, just to make sure nothing is plugging up the works (it helps soften any hard stools)

What you describe doesn't sound like that, especially if he's looking bloated.  It's possible he has an obstruction.  That's not good .  I can't say for sure, but can only give you my own experiences.  But with an obstruction, they don't normally do a lot of licking, that I've heard of.  All that licking could indicate some sort of anal gland issue, but then again, with an anal gland issue, I've never heard of trouble with elimination .  It's the act of expelling the stools that actually expresses the anal glands, which is what you want to happen.   Can you just lift his tail, or look while he's licking and see if there's a raw spot that might be an abscess?  That could mean a ruptured anal gland.  

Sorry, I'm just guessing at different things here, trying to give you a few things that it might or might not be, but, really, only a Vet would know for sure.

Hopefully he's had a bowel movement by now and you'll know it's not an obstruction, because that can be deadly. 

Thank you so much for responding! I was so panicked last night when I posted this because he literally has never acted like that before! 

I appreciate all the descriptions, they definitely helped. I left the house at around 6:15 this morning and he was no longer yowling but was still moving sluggish and seemed bloated. However, when I got home at around 3:30 this afternoon, he seemed to be much better. I don't know if he had a bowel movement or not, because I have a self-cleaning litter box that sweeps it out of sight within 20 minutes (it was expensive but SO worth it), but he seemed skinnier and less bloated. I was able to touch him and pick him up and he was moving around a lot more. 

And due to your descriptions, I think I may have identified the problem. I don't think it was obstruction, I think his stool was just too dry. Have you ever had issues with dry cat food? He usually gets a balance of wet and dry food, but recently I put him on only dry because he seemed to like the dry food so much. He ate only dry for three or four days, and he didn't drink much water. He refused to touch the dry food last night, which I saw as odd, but when I put the wet food down this afternoon, he went right for it. I think that may have been the issue. Have you ever had that happen before? 

Also, an hour or so after I got home, he did urinate. No poop, but I figure urination is a good sign. 

Thank you so much for responding  

-Shelby 

Just wanted to add that we have an article on this very topic. Maybe this will help too - 

 [article="33339"]Everything You Need To Know About Constipation In Cats​[/article]  

MShelby94 said:

 
Thank you so much for responding! I was so panicked last night when I posted this because he literally has never acted like that before! 

I appreciate all the descriptions, they definitely helped. I left the house at around 6:15 this morning and he was no longer yowling but was still moving sluggish and seemed bloated. However, when I got home at around 3:30 this afternoon, he seemed to be much better. I don't know if he had a bowel movement or not, because I have a self-cleaning litter box that sweeps it out of sight within 20 minutes (it was expensive but SO worth it), but he seemed skinnier and less bloated. I was able to touch him and pick him up and he was moving around a lot more. 

And due to your descriptions, I think I may have identified the problem. I don't think it was obstruction, I think his stool was just too dry. Have you ever had issues with dry cat food? He usually gets a balance of wet and dry food, but recently I put him on only dry because he seemed to like the dry food so much. He ate only dry for three or four days, and he didn't drink much water. He refused to touch the dry food last night, which I saw as odd, but when I put the wet food down this afternoon, he went right for it. I think that may have been the issue. Have you ever had that happen before? 

Also, an hour or so after I got home, he did urinate. No poop, but I figure urination is a good sign. 

Thank you so much for responding  

-Shelby 

Click to expand...

I'm so glad he doing better.

As to whether or not feeding him all dry food when he's used to having both, IMHO it could have caused some of the problem.  Dry food is just that...dry.  Cats don't typically drink much anyway, and you said it yourself that he didn't drink much while he was on the wet food strike, so chances are he got a little dehydrated, which could definitely cause harder than normal stools.  Be sure to read that article Anne provided as there are lots of great tips in there to try to prevent any future occurrences.