Is My Kitten Constipated?

[butterbiscuit]

Hey guys, i just brought my 7 week old kitten home yesterday. I had plans for putting him on a raw diet so i bought some premade raw from a trusted distributor. However, the vet recommended some Royal Canin weaning kibbles mashed with water - which my kitten totally ignored and refused to eat. Then i brought out some raw and he really seem to like it. He's been peeing and playing ok but i haven't seen him poop yet. It's probably been about 18 hrs since his last poop - is this considered as constipation and should i be worried? I've fed him for a total of 3 small meals now. Also, could the vaccination + deworming he got done yesterday play a role?

 

[duckpond]

I have never fed raw. so no tips there.

I do know my cats will not eat kibble mixed with water. they like canned food, and they like kibble, but they wont eat if i mix. I do think raw is good, but i also know kittens need a lot of food, i dont know how much when feeding raw. I just worry about 3 small meals and a 7 week old kitten?

Best of luck, hopefully all is well. But if he has not went soon i would have a vet check i think.

 

[butterbiscuit]

You may want to post this in the kitten, or raw forum. I have never fed raw. so no tips there.

I do know my cats will not eat kibble mixed with water. they like canned food, and they like kibble, but they wont eat if i mix. I do think raw is good, but i also know kittens need a lot of food, i dont know how much when feeding raw. I just worry about 3 small meals and a 7 week old kitten?

Best of luck, hopefully all is well. But if he has not went soon i would have a vet check i think.

I've had him for less than 24 hours and I've been giving him as much as he can finish in one sitting. I'm still figuring out his feeding schedule as he's been sleeping a lot due to his vaccination. I'm a first time cat mom so I'm worried if I'm doing anything wrong

 

[talkingpeanut]

Where did you get this little one? Was he with mom? Trying to get a sense of what he was eating, since he’s very young to leave his littermates.

 

[duckpond]

With kittens of his age they will, in my opinion need more food than they can eat in three feedings. when i have had young kittens i gave wet food as many times a day as i could, 6 or 7 times. Then i left kitten dry food out all the time. For this age group, kitten kibble is important i think because they need the tiny size kibbles. wet or raw maybe important too, as they need the moisture, and calories.

I have not raised many kittens, without the mom, that were younger than 8 to 12 weeks, maybe someone else who has more kitten experience will chime in soon. Good luck with him, im sure you guys will figure it out. If he seems hungry feed him

Is he your avatar? such a cutie! Butterbiscuit? i like it

 

[butterbiscuit]

Where did you get this little one? Was he with mom? Trying to get a sense of what he was eating, since he’s very young to leave his littermates.

Yes, the kitten was with his mom but he was already weaned. I adopted him from someone who's moving away and couldn't care for the kittens. The kitten was previously eating canned + weaning kibble. I did bring him to a vet yesterday and he have me the green light to bring him home.. so i'm not sure if i made a mistake feeding him raw

 

[butterbiscuit]

With kittens of his age they will, in my opinion need more food than they can eat in three feedings. when i have had young kittens i gave wet food as many times a day as i could, 6 or 7 times. Then i left kitten dry food out all the time. For this age group, kitten kibble is important i think because they need the tiny size kibbles. wet or raw maybe important too, as they need the moisture, and calories.

I have not raised many kittens, without the mom, that were younger than 8 to 12 weeks, maybe someone else who has more kitten experience will chime in soon. Good luck with him, im sure you guys will figure it out. If he seems hungry feed him

Is he your avatar? such a cutie! Butterbiscuit? i like it

Yup, thats him hahaha. His name is Biscuit I do leave his weaning kibbles out for him but i don't think he likes it that much. He kinda just sniffs it and walks away. He's a male Persian and i know how they can be very prone to kidney issue, that's why i opted for raw to prevent future problems. I'll probably try to do the 'poop stimulating' trick if he doesn't goes soon.

 

[Sarthur2]

Give him as much to eat as he wants as often as he wants. Also, I would not worry about his pooping for a day or two since you just got him. Give him time to adjust.

 

[butterbiscuit]

Give him as much to eat as he wants as often as he wants. Also, I would not worry about his pooping for a day or two since you just got him. Give him time to adjust.

Alright, noted! Other than the pooping issue he's eating, playing and even peeing fine.. Anyways, how many hours of not pooping is considered ok for kittens adjusting to their new home + diet?

 

[Sarthur2]

Like I said, it could be a couple of days. Also, raw food diets produce less poop than a commercial diet. I’d be more concerned about getting enough food into him right now.

 

[butterbiscuit]

Like I said, it could be a couple of days. Also, raw food diets produce less poop than a commercial diet. I’d be more concerned about getting enough food into him right now.

Understood. I’m currently feeding him 4-5 times a day for as much as he wants. However, I can feel that his belly is kinda bloated when I hold him. Would this be an issue?

 

[Sarthur2]

Kittens tend to have big bellies that thin out as they grow. It’s part of what makes them cute!

However, feel free to add a couple drops of olive oil to his diet. This will help him poop.

 

[butterbiscuit]

Kittens tend to have big bellies that thin out as they grow. It’s part of what makes them cute!

However, feel free to add a couple drops of olive oil to his diet. This will help him poop.

I've added about 5 drops of extra virgin olive oil for a meal yesterday and today. No sign of poop so far. He's still eating well and playing all the time. Hoping there will be some action later

 

[lisahe]

What Sarthur2 says about raw-fed cats pooping less is definitely true of our cats. And when they do go, it's not very much. Another factor here could be that it sounds like Biscuit switched foods quickly (his choice, as these things often are!); that can affect the digestive system, too. It doesn't sound like he's uncomfortable, so that's a good sign.

You might want to take a look at the ingredients for the food you bought. Many raw foods include bone, which can cause constipation. Another current thread on TCS (that's about a supply issue more than anything) mentions bone content in raw foods. It might be worth taking a look to see what one raw feeder who's very knowledgeable about commercial raw foods says about bone.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[butterbiscuit]

What Sarthur2 says about raw-fed cats pooping less is definitely true of our cats. And when they do go, it's not very much. Another factor here could be that it sounds like Biscuit switched foods quickly (his choice, as these things often are!); that can affect the digestive system, too. It doesn't sound like he's uncomfortable, so that's a good sign.

You might want to take a look at the ingredients for the food you bought. Many raw foods include bone, which can cause constipation. Another current thread on TCS (that's about a supply issue more than anything) mentions bone content in raw foods. It might be worth taking a look to see what one raw feeder who's very knowledgeable about commercial raw foods says about bone.

Anyway, good luck!

oh my goodness, Biscuit finally pooped!!! what a relief, honestly. it took him 4 days i've been mixing some pumpkin enriched wet food into his raw food for his past few meals and that seemed to do the trick. his poop was dark brown-ish and kind of segmented (i'll attach a pic). is this an ok poo? do you think its the raw food that's making him constipated or it's just due to settling in a new home?

 

[Sarthur2]

I think it’s a combination of things. It’s a good poop though for being on raw food. He may only poop every couple of days, so don’t worry. The pumpkin will help.

 

[Azazel]

The poop looks good to me. Cats on raw food usually poop less and have fewer and drier poops. As long as he's not struggling to poo (crying while pooping) or entering and exiting the litter box multiple times without success I think he's fine.