If your cat is not eating or pooping for two or three days, don’t think twice and seek help from a veterinarian immediately.
To maintain good health, every cat needs to poop and eat just like humans. If it doesn’t, toxic substances will hoard in its body, and this can cause serious health problems.
Before we discuss the reasons and remedies of why your cat not eating or pooping, it pays off to ensure that your pet isn’t just pooping at a different place.
It can be any place in your home or outside. Similarly, you should check under beds, storerooms, and other areas that you don’t utilize often.
At the same time, you need to check:
- How is your pet behaving and feeling other than not eating or pooping and its activity level?
- Is it urinating normally?
- What food did it last eat? Have you changed the cat’s diet recently?
- Are they biting or chewing things they should not?
Answers to these straightforward questions will help you as well as your vet. Plus, all these things are necessary to diagnose the actual problem.
How Long Can A Cat Go Without Pooping?
Cats are routine-based pets, so you can notice if they don’t use their litter box for a couple of days. If that’s the case with you, you will be wondering how long your cat can go without pooping. The simple and short answer is for up to two days. If longer than that, then it is an indication that there is some problem.
So, keep scrolling, and we will answer you how to solve this issue and show you some remedies to control the problem.
Constipation in cats?
Constipation looks harmless but do you know for some felines, constipation can be life-ending?
Constipation is a serious situation for any cat breed in which they are not able to poop or pass feces rarely or in a smaller amount. While constipation in cats can happen occasionally, but obstipation is a more dangerous form of constipation, in which cats cannot excrete poop.
Remember that constipation is the major symptom that leads to various other problems. So you might also witness these signs when your cat is suffering from constipation:
- Nausea
- Decreased appetite
- Vomiting
- Muscle loss
- Difficulty jumping up
- Walking stiffly
- Hiding
- Drinking more or less water
- Peeing more
- Weight loss
If you witness any of the symptoms stated above, with constipation or without it, immediately consult your vet.
Some Tips and Home Remedies For Cats not eating or pooping:
Here are some effective home remedies for cars not eating or pooping, and most of the time, they will solve your cat’s constipation at your home.
Water Consumption And Wet Food
Dehydration is the primary cause of constipation in cats. So give them more water as it will help them to stay well-hydrated. Usually, felines are not that good at drinking water, so the other way to enhance their water consumption is by giving them wet food. This will radically increase their water consumption and significantly decrease the chances of constipation.
Furthermore, you can also place multiple water bowls for your cat as it will encourage them to drink more water. As per consumer reports, pet water fountains, a dripping faucet, and sprinkling the water with clam or tuna juice or beef broth can significantly increase the water intake in cats.
Try a New Appetite
This is effective when your cat doesn’t eat like normal. Food allergies are the main causes of intestinal inflammation as well as constipation in kittens. Here we will advise you to change the protein source in the cat’s food to decrease inflammation and enable the cat’s intestines to move routinely.
For cats that are allergic to particular food items, you can use special diets and hypoallergenic diets. However, remember that it takes up to 8 weeks for an appetite change to work. Though have patience as it is long-term management.
Lastly, don’t overlook the suggested transition period mentioned on the cat food box.
Is Your Cat Fat?
Obesity is the main reason for intestinal inflammation, and it affects the process of exertion in humans as well as in cats. During intestinal inflammation, things get too slow in the cat’s intestines. Water absorption gets too much from the stool, which is why a cat cannot poop.
In too severe cases, the cat’s belly fat also blocks the movement of stools, especially if your cat is overweight. So, help your cat to maintain the ideal weight to prevent these issues.
Daily Exercise and Enhancement
Exercise helps to maintain adequate movement of the intestines and prevents constipation. So, keep your pet engaged and active with things such as toys, trees, window seats, and play with them. Daily exercise also offers enrichment to your cat and reduces stress and anxiety.
Say NO to Stress and Anxiety
Cats at home can get stressed, especially when their daily regime gets affected. There can be several changes in regimes like when you bring a new pet in your home, change their dietary schedule, a sudden increase in noises, or a dog barking loudly in your neighborhood.
For almost all cats, it is not that easy to adjust to these routine changes. But you need to play a role here and help your cat in reducing stress and anxiety.
Place More Litter Boxes
It might look awkward to some, but cats are picky and particular about their litter boxes. Similarly, if cats don’t like the placement of their litter box or even its type, they will not use it, resulting in constipation. Hence you can use more than one litter box for your cat. Ideally, you should have at least one litter box for your pet on every floor of your house.
Fiber or Probiotics Can Help
Probiotics are an ideal source of “good bacteria,” and they support intestines. Healthy intestines are useful to move stool normally and keep it soft so that cats can exert comfortably and routinely.
Fiber also strengthens the normal movement in the cat’s intestines and keeps more water inside the intestines, which is vital to prevent constipation.
You will find various fiber types on the market. However, not all these types are suitable for all cat breeds. The safest thing to do is to consult your vet and pick the right one for your cat. However, some common fiber and probiotics sources are Psyllium husks and wheat bran.
Furthermore, canned pumpkin is also recommended, but it has too much sugar; that’s why not many vets recommend it for cats.
Pay attention when your pet cat not eating or pooping:
Closely monitor your cat’s routine, defecation, and its consistency. Similarly, don’t hesitate to contact your vet if you see too hard and dry feces or if your pet is straining while pooping.
Similarly, if your cat looks hungry but not eating or it is not eating much but acting normal, this is something that you cannot afford to overlook. Immediately contact your vet for further treatment.
The simple rule that all pet owners need to follow here is: If your cat is not eating normally, it will not be pooping routinely.
When should you take your pet to the vet for not eating or pooping?
The reasons why your cat is not pooping or eating can vary significantly, but regardless of the reason, it’s vital to take your pet to your vet if the situation lasts for more than 24 hours.
Useful Tips to lure your cat into eating:
If you notice that your cat is not eating or it is eating less than normal, the following tips can significantly help you:
- Try warming up the food item.
- Give them strong-smelling foods like sardines.
- Change the cat food’s brand.
- Try to feed your cat manually, by hand, and ensure that their nose is clean.
- Try to heat the food as per their body temperature I-e 38C.
Prevention is always better:
Dehydration is severe and often causes constipation in cats. So, ensure that your cat has ample access to clean drinking water. Similarly, if your cat is suffering from kidney disease or any other disease that leads to dehydration, you will need fluid therapy for your cat.
In some cases, vets may recommend joint supplements, especially for cats with arthritis. Similarly, cats with a past history of constipation may need a special diet or supplement that contains additional fiber.
Lastly, you need to prevent your cat from obstipation and megacolon as these can be severe for cats. Your cat’s elimination behaviors matter a lot for their overall well-being. So, keep an eye on it and its frequency.
In the End:
If your cat is not pooping or eating at all, you need to take her to the vet immediately. Cats can only go for a couple of days without eating and pooping, and if it gets long, they might suffer from serious liver dysfunction.
If the case is severe, your vet will show you the right treatment and a clearer picture of what’s wrong with your cat. So, to conclude, taking your cat to the vet for a checkup is always the safe bet and ideal place to figure out why it is not pooping or eating.