Conference misery::feline_v1

    Definately try the milk!!!  It has always worked for us, and my cat is
    17 yrs old!  Whenever she was constipated, drinking her milk was what
    worked the best!
    
    Mel

    I think your kitty is trying to tell you something.  If he goes
    to the litter box (but can't go) everytime you are in the bathroom...
    my guess is he is giving you a message...HELP!!
    
    If the milk don't work....I would visit the vet.  I hear constipation
    could be a sign of something more serious.  I don't want to worry
    you....but only your Vet could tell!  
    
    Sandy
    
    

    This is a sure sign of CYSTITUS.  My Lightning has it.  It is very
    treatable is caught early.  TO THE VET!!! TO THE VET!!! TO THE
    VET,VET,VET!!!!!  Please don't wait.  It is deadly if not treated.
    
    Sandi, mom to Thunder, Lightning, DejaVu, Patches & Storm
    
    

      This month's "Cat Fancy" has an article on a malady called
    "mega-colon" which is caused by low exercize, overweight, and old
    age... I hope she doesn't have that...get her to the vet....
    
    JM

    A lot of times owners mistake a cat's straining in the litter box
    as a sign of constipation, but most often it is a bladder problem
    that is ailing them.  Cystitis or other bladder problems should
    be ruled out first.  It isn't that common for a cat to have true
    constipation unless they have some type of blockage in their intestinal
    tract.  Bladder problems are much more common.
    
    Take her in to the vet.
    
    Jo

    Take your cat to the vet right away.  If this is a bladder
    blockage it can be fatal if not treated within 24 hours of
    complete blockage.
    
    Please let us know how she is doing.
    

    re: -1
    
    It been a week now!  She'd be dead now if she had the a bladder
    blockage.    I was talking to NDC adn we both found no poop and no pee
    problem to be weird to have both at the same time. 

    Not all that weird if you have an FUS cat. Often FUS cats that are
    overweight can get constipated and go through the same motions as a cat
    who is blocked. I've had this happen to Argus (who wound up havingan
    enema.
    
    And the cat doesn't hve to be overweight to have this problem. A few
    months ago, my skinny little Panther, who loves dry food and hates
    water was began doing the litterbox dance, and was so dehydrated the
    vet had to give him fluid injections. (The first key that he was sick
    was that he didn't want to eat, then followed by the litterbox
    straining). He was also given some stool softener pills. After 3 days
    on the pills he finally passed a stool that was hard as a rock.
    
    Bottom line, get the cat to the vet ASAP. And the earlier you get the
    cat to the vet, the cheaper the treatment will be.
    
    Deb

    
    Bring the cat to the vet.  Zach had to brought to a neurological
    specialist because of problems with urinating and fecal elimination.
    Initially they said it was probably a bladder problem and that he
    was straining to urinate, not to have a bowel movement.  I knew
    his stance when he was in the litter box, and practically had to
    through a fit at the vet to listen to me.
    
    

    A urinary problem can start out as a partial blockage and
    then turn into a complete blockage.  (Or it can happen
    as a complete blockage semi-instantaneously).  Please,
    take this cat to the vet.
    

    re: .7 ?  I just want to clear up a possible misconception. 
    While I had no idea about why constipation and FUS might show
    up at the same time, I was very clear about one thing....
    
    DON'T FOOL AROUND WITH IT, GO TO THE VET.
    
    (Just so you folks don't think I'm giving bad advice ;-)
    

    OK, today is a new day.  Does Kitty have an appointment with the Vet??
    
    There are many reasons why a kitty will strain to go in the kitty-box,
    and without a vet check-up, we would not know the reason.
    
    I am not a person who rushes to the vet everytime my babies don't
    *look* well (alright, I do for Thunder) but in this case, I would at
    least make a call.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Sandi, mom to Thunder, Lightning, DejaVu, Patches and Storm
    
    

    I WORK FOR A PET STORE AND WE SEE THIS ALOT.  THIS SORT OF PROBLEM CAN
    BE ALLEVIATED BY GIVING THE CAT ABOUT 1/8 OF A TEASPOON OF MINERAL OIL.
    IT SOUNDS GROSS BUT IT IS A NATURAL LAXATIVE AND PRODUCES QUICK
    RESULTS.
    DON'T GIVE HER MILK SINCE SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO DIGEST IT AND IT COULD
    ACTUALLY CONSTIPATE HER.  ALSO, IF YOU'VE CHANGED HER FOOD OR ADDED A 
    DIFFERENT TREAT TO HER DIET THAT COULD ALSO BE THE CAUSE.  
    WHEN YOU GIVE HER THE MINERAL OIL DON'T MIX IT WITH HER FOOD GIVE IT 
    TO HER DIRECTLY(WHICH YOU MAY NEED ASSISTANCE FOR!)  USE AN EYEDROPPER
    AND SQUIRT IT DIRECTLY DOWN HER THROAT.
    HOPE THIS HELP YOU OUT.
    

    RE #13:  BY ALL MEANS CONSULT WITH YOUR VET.  NONE OF US ARE DOCTORS
    AND ALL WE CAN DO IS SPEAK FROM PAST EXPERIENCES!  ONLY YOUR VET WILL
    NKNOW FOR SURE.  IF SHE DOES PASS A STOOL TAKE IT WITH YOU.  LET US 
    KNOW HOW SHE IS.
    
    

    
    Hi all you concerned CAT lovers -
    
    Thanks for all the concern ... heres a update ... brought cat to vet
    and doctor gave the cat (female) as shot and pills to give twice a day.
    
    I also give the cat Mineral oil but have to give it in food.  She will
    not let me put it in her mouth.
    
    The doctor told me to also put a teaspoon of salt in her food so that
    she will drink more water and will make her pee more.
    
    He took her temperature and it was fine.  
    
    RE: last few;  Why not mix mineral water with food ??????
    
    What does the doctor need to do to check for URINARY INFECTION ?
    The doctor told me that males only get this not females ????   I may of
    misunderstood this though!!!
    
    P.S. If she is not peeing with regularity, how long does a cat have to
    live ???  Just curious .. because this has been happening for over a
    week now and she seems fine x'cept for the litter box. 

    re: males only get bladder infections, females don't.
    
    Piffle. :)  I just took our kitten in for having trouble urinating.  Now
    she is on pills for a while and lower magnesium diet.  
    
    Male cats are more susceptible to urinary infections, but females
    can and do get it.  
    
    

    re: males only get bladder infections, females don't.
    
    I wish someone would tell this to Pip, Eirene and Alexandra. They can
    get them just like males, the difference is that MALES are very likely
    to go from INFECTION to BLOCKAGE. It is when the blockage occurs that
    the cat has only hours before it becomes toxic.
    
    Deb

re: not using box for a week and still okay...

well, the good news is that your cat wasn't completely blocked or she would
be dead by now...the bad news is, she probably wasn't peeing in the box, but
it is probable she peed somewhere...if you get my drift.  It is unlikely she
went 7 or more days without peeing - in fact, it ain't possible due to the
physiology of the animal.  You probably haven't noticed where because it
was probably lots of little piddles, rather than one big puddle.  When it gets
REAL hot, you may begin to notice them....due to the smell.

    Holly (female) got a urinary tract infection also.  I got
    the same speech about "how unusual for a female."
    
    I don't know why you can't mix mineral water with food;
    sounds like a good idea to me if it doesn't make the
    food too soggy to be palatable.
    
    If one of my cats shows signs of urinary problems, I whip
    them right into the vet, because of the death within
    24 hours of complete blockage business;  you just don't know how
    long they have been having trouble before you've happened
    to notice it.  better safe than sorry category.
    

    >                                        you just don't know how
    >long they have been having trouble before you've happened
    >to notice it.  
    
    Karen brings up a real good point. I cat is usually really sick by the
    time s/he starts to show it. We have had dozens of bladder infections
    and usually the only thing I notice befire the cat is showing any
    symptoms is that the coat s a bit dull.
    
    I'm confused as to why you want to mix mineral water with the cats
    food, unless you meant mineral oil. Mineral oil is a laxative, but I don't
    think that mineral water is. Another option is to mix bran into the
    cat's moist food. That keeps the moisture in the stool and the stool
    remains stool soft so that the cat doesn't have trouble passing it.
    
    Deb

    re: mixing mineral oil with food
    
    For the same reason you don't mix Laxatone or Petromalt with food.
    You would cut down on the absorbtion of the food and/or inhibit the
    effectiveness of the mineral oil by mixing the two.
    
    Mineral oil, Laxatone etc work by not being absorbed by the cat's
    intestine.  It coats the furball and allows it to slide through the
    cat's digestive track.  If you do that to food, it won't be absorbed
    and will  do the cat no good.  That's why you don't give Laxatone etc
    within one hour of feeding.
    
    Nancy DC

    If you can't get her to take the mineral oil, perhaps a more
    palatable laxative would work - like Petromalt or Laxatone.
    Also, there is one called Petrolax that comes in a tube similar
    to the toothpaste pumps.  The advantage is that you can stick
    the "nozzle" into the cat's mouth and pump.  The petrolax goes
    into the cat's mouth and hopefully, they swallow.
      N

A little charm might be the answer with giving your cat petromalt....I offered
Nicholas a large chunk of it on my finger, and he simply smelled it real well
and then proceeded to lick it off.  Now, I don't have to jam it down his
throat....I still have to "dose" the rest of the crew, but Nick LIKES it
because I never forced him....I wish I had been more patient with the rest
of the crew.

It's worth a try.   8^}

    When we got Ming she would not lick it off my finger like Mocha
    does. I call her breeder and she said put it on the edge of her
    dish and she will lick it off. Sure enough.
    
    One more suggestion to try.
    
    Funny fur faces we all have.
    
    Barbara