New here - My kitten always cries in the litterbox!

[PooshieCat]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and I have joined this forum in hopes of figuring out what's wrong with my kitten.. To give a lil background..

Pooshie, my sweet little girl who I brought home with me when she was just 7 weeks old! She was a stray kitten with no mother and wasn't weaned off properly, was lost, malnourished, and just barely surviving. The first 2 months I had spent a few thousands dollars trying to help her recover as she had few health issues.

She's now 6 months old and weighs 5lb (she's an American Shorthair) she's on a wet food diet only and eats Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient for kittens. She was doing really well until last month when she started getting very constipated out of no where.. She was hiding it so well that I barely noticed up until she started crying in the litter box. When I took her to vets, she had xray done and it showed she had megacolon and was prescribed Lactulose 3ml a day to help clear out all the poop. After that she was back to her usual self until last week she started crying very loud in the litterbox and strains very much and it looks like she spends all her energy trying to push out.. It's so painful to watch. I called the vets again and they told me it's probably constipation however I been giving her lactulose daily I haven't missed a dose and her poop seems healthy and soft usually about 1-3inch long but it is soft to touch and loses it shape.. She also pees multiple times a day so I'm not sure what is causing her so much pain?? Although I noticed her only crying when she's trying to poop but like I said the poops soft and she poops about 8 times a day and will cry very loud about 3 of the times.

I have an appointment with the vet on Friday to get done more testing and possibly blood works done but I am here searching for some second opinion. She cries so much, meows so loud that it echos through entire house and I hate watching her in so much pain! I don't know how to help her!

Some stuff to also note, she has had a habit of pooping in her sleep always ever since day 1 but I just figured it was because she was a stray under 2 months old kitten who was never taught. I had to litter train her and now she goes to litterbox always but just when she's asleep she'll do it where ever she's sleeping.

This month I've also caught her pee a large amount outside of the litter box twice which is something she has never done before.

I also noticed she's been drinking water alot which is something she never did before as I always add alot of water to her wet food until it has a soupy texture.

She also stopped eating and I'm afraid she'll start losing weight again. She used to eat alot like 2 cans a day but now she doesn't even finish one whole can a day. She sleeps more than usual but still plays around alot, is very energetic and is affectionate and cuddles and purrs.

Another odd thing to mention is that, I'm gone during the day and so I wanted to transition her to dry food for day time when I'm gone but every time I tried to transition her to a high quality dry food (I tried plenty from grain to grain free, limited ingredient, sensitive stomach, hill science) half way through her transition she always ends up getting severely constipated so I always had to stop the transition.

Despite her litterbox situation, she hasn't shown any sign of Lethargy, no vomiting, no blood in stool or cloudy pee.

I am very sorry for this lengthy post being all over the place. I'm just very worried for her and am not able to think clearly.. Any advice/opinions greatly appreciated!

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I think you need to get her to the vet today if possible. She is obviously in pain and not eating is not a good sign. Cats can go down hill quickly when they stop eating. You can try giving her canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, to see if that helps with loosening up the stool.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

Hi I'm sorry to hear all the problems this little one has had, you are doing a great thing taking care of her in spite of all her issues.

Has the vet done some blood work? Do you have any results that you could share with us?

Has a culture been done both in the poop and in the urine to discard infections ?

Has she been dewormed?

Have you tried probiotics?

With a cat that has some digestive problems specially constipation issues, I would suggest you stick to wet food, if you want her eating while you are out you could consider getting a time feeder that way you can leave the food in the feeder container and program it to open around midday, the container will keep the food from getting dry, and canned food can be unrefrigerated for several hours without problem or since you are already adding water to her food you could freeze some of it in small portions and leave one portion out that way after a few hours it will thaw and she can eat it

 

[PooshieCat]

I think you need to get her to the vet today if possible. She is obviously in pain and not eating is not a good sign. Cats can go down hill quickly when they stop eating. You can try giving her canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, to see if that helps with loosening up the stool.

I already tried pumpkin purée but I think it wasn’t strong enough as it had no affect on her.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

I already tried pumpkin purée but I think it wasn’t strong enough as it had no affect on her.

For mega colon they also recommend giving psyllium plantago have you tried adding a bit to his food?

 

[PooshieCat]

Hi I'm sorry to hear all the problems this little one has had, you are doing a great thing taking care of her in spite of all her issues.

Has the vet done some blood work? Do you have any results that you could share with us?

Has a culture been done both in the poop and in the urine to discard infections ?

Has she been dewormed?

Have you tried probiotics?

With a cat that has some digestive problems specially constipation issues, I would suggest you stick to wet food, if you want her eating while you are out you could consider getting a time feeder that way you can leave the food in the feeder container and program it to open around midday, the container will keep the food from getting dry, and canned food can be unrefrigerated for several hours without problem or since you are already adding water to her food you could freeze some of it in small portions and leave one portion out that way after a few hours it will thaw and she can eat it

Hi! I was able to change her vet appointment from Friday to the closest is tomorrow. So I don’t find out what is wrong with her until then. and seems like she has had only problem with constipation ever since last month and the only medication she’s been on daily is Lactulose which does help her with poop and her poop appears to be healthy brown and soft but she always cries while letting it out. She is dewormed and currently up to date with all her vaccinations and is Felv negative. Also thank you for the wet food suggestions, upon further research I’m now thinking of keeping on only a wet food diet and give up on dry food as I never thought of freezing her wet food and giving it when im gone.. I also wasn’t aware of an automated wet food feeder so I will definitely look into that!

 

[Lisa and Witn (GA)]

I am glad you were able to move up her appointment. Let us know how she is doing after her appointment. Hoping it is something that can be easily taken care of.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

Hi! I was able to change her vet appointment from Friday to the closest is tomorrow. So I don’t find out what is wrong with her until then. and seems like she has had only problem with constipation ever since last month and the only medication she’s been on daily is Lactulose which does help her with poop and her poop appears to be healthy brown and soft but she always cries while letting it out. She is dewormed and currently up to date with all her vaccinations and is Felv negative. Also thank you for the wet food suggestions, upon further research I’m now thinking of keeping on only a wet food diet and give up on dry food as I never thought of freezing her wet food and giving it when im gone.. I also wasn’t aware of an automated wet food feeder so I will definitely look into that!

There are lots of different types from the sofistacted like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UNQZ2QI/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20 to more simple ones like this, which has the advantage that you can put a frozen pouch or ice below the trays https://www.amazon.com/WOpet-Automatic-Feeder-Dogs-Included/dp/B07M9J4SNR/?tag=felinediabetesfdmb-20

Good luck with the vet

 

[Deb & Wink]

Poop that is too soft can be more difficult to pass than poop that is too hard. You need to find a happy medium on the lactulose you give your cat. Or with some of the suggestions below or from your vet.

Adding water to your cats diet will help your cat from becoming dehydrated. Being dehydrated can cause the food to move slower in the colon, making it harder to move and then poop out. I add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water to each of my cats meals. Until the food is a bit soupy, like a medium thickness pea soup or corn chowder. (Darn, now I'm hungry for some food.)

I have a cat with suspected idiopathic megacolon (they don't know the cause). She gets 1/8 teaspoon Miralax and 1/8 psyllium fiber mixed in her wet food each AM along with extra water. You want to add the extra water to the food because the Miralax works by drawing water from other tissues in the body to make the poop softer and easier to pass. (Go out and buy a cheap set of plastic measuring spoons at Wal-mart or the dollar store.)

Food, add water, stir well to mix, then add the psyllium and/or miralax and mix well again. I've found is the best sequence. If you add the psyllium before you have added the water, it doesn't mix as well.

My cat also gets 1/8 teaspoon psyllium fiber added to her wet food in the PM.

Psyllium fiber gets clumpy and lumpy if left to sit too long after mixing with the food. There is also the risk that the psyllium fiber could get stuck in her throat and partially block her windpipe if the food is left sitting too long. Not recommended if you free fed your cat. So, try the additive mentioned in a little bit of food first, and see if she likes it. Your cat will need to eat the food in one go. Leaving it to sit out will make it unappetizing for your cat.

The Miralax is tasteless and odorless and may be more acceptable to your cat.

It took some experimenting to find what would work best with my cat. You'll need to experiment a bit to find what will help your pet Pooshie.

Pooping in her sleep could be because she had an injury, such as pelvic fracture, prior to your finding her and the muscles and nerves in her hindquarters are not able to hold the poop in as well. There are 'kitty diapers' your cat could wear while sleeping. I've seen them used on geriatric cats with dementia that are no longer able to be 'cognizant' of their surroundings and poop and pee as they walk around.

Impacted anal glands are another possibility for pooping issues. Anal glands excrete a substance that helps to lubricate the poop and lets it pass easier. Ask your vet. If they didn't check, they should have.

They may need to check for 'outlet obstruction' also, if the vet thinks it's megacolon.

There is a support group for Feline Megacolon. Here is one I found on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1666701553575089/

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I would also get her urine tested if she is going multiple times a day. She may have a UTI which can be painful and could be putting her off her food.
Please keep us posted as to how she is. She is very cute.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

Wishing you all the best at the vets tomorrow

 

[JanetNJ]

That loose poop may be squeezing out around a hard impacted poop. The peeing out of the box is probably because she has a bad association with the box because of the painful poop.

 

[PooshieCat]

Hello everyone so a little bit of update! This past week I had done more X-ray, bloodwork, and ultrasound costing me over $1k but both bloodwork and ultrasound came back negative and her X-ray was filled all the way with poop (megacolon). She ended up needing 2 enemas. Thou dry food isn’t recommended for cats with constipation she was however prescribed Royal Canin Feline Fibre dry cat food which is supposed to help with constipation. She was also put on Miralax 1/8 tsp 2 times a day for morning and night and I was advised to stop giving her lactose. However it’s been 2 days and she’s severely constipated again!!!!!!! She can't walk, she stopped eating, she cries nonstop! Idk what to do! I'm so frustrated and helpless and I've been crying for her nonstop! I'm afraid I'll lose her. She seemed to do fine until I started giving her like 10-15 pieces of the dry food in a separate bowl during each wet food meal and she seems to like the dry food but I don't know what to do someone please help me

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

Poor little thing. I am sorry this has happened again.
I would stop feeding her the dry food and feed her all wet food with added water. It is more moisture she needs. I would continue with the Miralax and are you giving plain mashed pumpkin? That may help with the bulking up of the stools.
She may need another enema.

 

[PooshieCat]

I've been still feeding her wet food 4 times a day as usual and I add 1/4 cup water and make it a soup texture and I have been adding 1 spoon of pumpkin 2 times daily dry food was there more as a treat like 10 pieces a day so I'm still not sure if it's that causing her constipation. Something to note, the day I brought her from getting enemas done she was fully cleaned out but I noticed she was still crying in the litterbox. The next day I started her on miralax and thou she was pooping she was still crying and today she completely stopped pooping and her stomach seems full of poop and whenever I touch her she starts crying

 

[Bron and Sheba (GA)]

I wonder if she has a small tear in her rectum which is painful? She may need some cream put there (that won’t hurt her if she licks it.)

has she had her urine tested? It is possible it is painful to pee.

how many days since she’s pooped?. She shouldn’t be swollen if it is only two days

I would change your subject line to ‘Help with Megacolon, crying in litter box’ and you may get more replies.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

I'm very sorry to hear she's having trouble again, I agree with Bron I will go to all wet, and in the mean time maybe you could try giving her to eat some Vaseline (yes plain Vaseline) that may help the poo pass not that is the best solution but it usually helps and I would try it before another enema

 

[Deb & Wink]

The Miralax can be increased by an additional 1/8 teaspoon per dose. So 1/4 t in am, 1/4 t in pm. My vet had me increase the amount of Miralax "until you see an effect". Occasionally I gave a bit too much and had to back off the next day. Some days, it's a level 1/4t but on other days it's a rounded 1/4t.

You need to add extra water to the diet somehow also.

 

[Diane Tyler's Mom GA]

I hope you can figure this out for that poor baby. I could actually cry thinking about her.
Please keep us updated on your precious girl

 

[Charlotte and Lucky’s mom]

Hi there! Sorry your kitty is in pain. I would definitely add in the miralax as the others have suggested along with the lactulose. You may want to discuss adjusting dosage amounts or frequency with your vet if the stools are too soft. There should be a happy medium with the stools.

I would definitely have a urinalysis done to rule out a bladder infection and/or crystalluria. Some cats are sensitive to dry foods. Crystals can be produced because the pH of their urine increases and this can cause inflammation and discomfort to them. If left long enough, these crystals can actually precipitate into bladder stones.
I would also make sure that her anal glands are checked rectally to make sure that they are empty and if not, expressed while they are doing the rectal. Hopefully your vet has small fingers. Soft stools can cause these glands to get backed up which will create rectal discomfort. Typically it is advised against feeding any amounts of dry food to a cat with a history of constipation. There is not enough moisture in it and if their motility is inadequate, then the stools will become harder and more difficult to pass. As tempting and convenient as it may be when you are not home, I would advise against the dry and substitute a timed feeder of moist food throughout the day as others have suggested.
I have seen a few cases where there has been a tear in the rectal tissue (within the distal colon internally) and some of the GIT has gotten entrapped in the tear. There is no bulging around or alongside her rectum, correct? (Picture a clock’s face at 10 or 2 position). Impacted anal glands may bulge also alongside the rectum but it’s more of the 8 or 4 o’clock position.

Fingers and furry toes crossed that your vet will find the reason she is in discomfort and hopefully there will be an easy remedy to resolve the problem.

 

[PooshieCat]

I mentioned anal glands to my vet but she suggested It wasn't something I should be worried about. Also my kitten seems to pee normal she doesn't strain nor cry to pee and she doesn't show shy sign of urine infection - vet also agreed. It only seems to be a poop issue. As of now I am completely going to stop feeding dry and tomorrow morning I will increase her miralax dose. I was so worried that I gave her 2ml of lactulose today at 2 different meal time but I think I shouldn't have done that as now she seems to have very loose droplets of poop but still unable to go... She has been napping the whole day away

 

[PooshieCat]

I attached a picture of her xray that was done, incase anyone interested. She also had ultrasound and bloodwork done but nothing was detected in either of the testing. My vet told me her condition is due to megacolon only

 

[Charlotte and Lucky’s mom]

Well with veterinary medicine you rule out problems unless the problem is blatantly obvious. You can’t definitely rule out a bladder infection or crystals or pH variation without a urinalysis. If everything is normal, then you’ve ruled out those possible problems. Urine problems and constipation problems are often confused by people. You can’t assume anything without checking either by tests or by a physical. If her stools are Uber soft then you can also get a rectal tissue irritation similar to diaper rash. Is there any evidence of that? Angry looking tissue? If this were my cat and she had this history, I would still check her anals. Just saying. Rule out any possibilities before you assume all is well. They can get full in a cat. It’s not a dog only issue.

 

[Charlotte and Lucky’s mom]

I attached a picture of her xray that was done, incase anyone interested. She also had ultrasound and bloodwork done but nothing was detected in either of the testing. My vet told me her condition is due to megacolon only

Woah! This is severe constipation borderline obstipation! Definitely needs more fiber and or current med adjustment and more moisture in her wet food. Ouch!

 

[PooshieCat]

Well with veterinary medicine you rule out problems unless the problem is blatantly obvious. You can’t definitely rule out a bladder infection or crystals or pH variation without a urinalysis. If everything is normal, then you’ve ruled out those possible problems. Urine problems and constipation problems are often confused by people. You can’t assume anything without checking either by tests or by a physical. If her stools are Uber soft then you can also get a rectal tissue irritation similar to diaper rash. Is there any evidence of that? Angry looking tissue? If this were my cat and she had this history, I would still check her anals. Just saying. Rule out any possibilities before you assume all is well. They can get full in a cat. It’s not a dog only issue.

I've given her pumpkin puree mixed in with her wet food 2 times a day for 2 days now but I don't think that's being any useful either I knew I shouldn't have put her on dry food as in past her body rejected every other dry foods that I've tried but my vet assured me this one will work.

 

[Charlotte and Lucky’s mom]

She is not a candidate for any dry food. I would try and adjust her current meds and moisture in her food. You don’t want her developing chronic problems with a mega colon and possible nerve damage.

 

[Charlotte and Lucky’s mom]

I attached a picture of her xray that was done, incase anyone interested. She also had ultrasound and bloodwork done but nothing was detected in either of the testing. My vet told me her condition is due to megacolon only

Ask your vet about possibly incorporating cisapride into her meds for her motility issues. Some cats do well when this is added in.

 

[PooshieCat]

She is not a candidate for any dry food. I would try and adjust her current meds and moisture in her food. You don’t want her developing chronic problems with a mega colon and possible nerve damage.

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll see a lil result since I stopped giving dry food today and I will also increase her miralax dose to 1/4 with a 1/4 cup of water mixed in with food. My only problem is that she eats little then walks away then will come back to finish off so normally she takes about an hour or so to finish 1 small meal and I'm not sure if it'll take away the effect of miralax for being out so long. She hates being syringe and it's a nightmare giving it to her that way.

Also how do I get her anal gland checked? Or know if it's inflamed? I tried talking to the vet about it but she kept dismissing it so I'm not sure if she will listen.

 

[Charlotte and Lucky’s mom]

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll see a lil result since I stopped giving dry food today and I will also increase her miralax dose to 1/4 with a 1/4 cup of water mixed in with food. My only problem is that she eats little then walks away then will come back to finish off so normally she takes about an hour or so to finish 1 small meal and I'm not sure if it'll take away the effect of miralax for being out so long. She hates being syringe and it's a nightmare giving it to her that way.

Also how do I get her anal gland checked? Or know if it's inflamed? I tried talking to the vet about it but she kept dismissing it so I'm not sure if she will listen.

The anals don’t have to be checked often if she is having normal stools. ECID in regards to their stool consistency so that will affect when their anals should be checked. Some people express the anals from the outside applying pressure to the gland but rectally you are able to know that they are fully expressed. The vet should do the rectal expression however. They are located at 4 and 8 o’clock if the anus is the clock face. Check the anus and see if it’s very red and angry looking. If it is, then a diaper rash paste without zinc oxide can be applied but you’ll need to use an ecollar until it is healed up so she doesn’t lick the paste off.

 

[JanetNJ]

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll see a lil result since I stopped giving dry food today and I will also increase her miralax dose to 1/4 with a 1/4 cup of water mixed in with food. My only problem is that she eats little then walks away then will come back to finish off so normally she takes about an hour or so to finish 1 small meal and I'm not sure if it'll take away the effect of miralax for being out so long. She hates being syringe and it's a nightmare giving it to her that way.

Also how do I get her anal gland checked? Or know if it's inflamed? I tried talking to the vet about it but she kept dismissing it so I'm not sure if she will listen.

Maybe put the miralax in a small portion of her food. Once she eats that give her the rest of the food.

 

[Veronica & Babu-chiri]

Giving them vaseline to help the poo get thorough was recommended to me and it did helped so you may consider giving her that for a couple of days if it doesn't work it won't hurt either