4-month-old kitten with bottom problems

L
Lilacaramel Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I’m really at my wit's end. To explain the situation, four months ago I rescued a kitten I found in my garden; he was only 10 days old.

Since then, he's had loads of problems with his bottom (soft poo that really irritated the skin, severe constipation...). I've had to clean his bum regularly and he just can't stand it anymore.

This has been going on for over four months now and the poor little guy holds it in because he's scared of doing a poo. When he needs to go, he doesn't go to his litter tray; he just stays where he is, strains a bit, and then walks off with his anus dilated and the poo ready to come out. He also scoots his bum across the floor... He’s been wormed, of course. The problem is he’s getting poo everywhere, and obviously, he miaows loudly whenever we try to clean him. Since we aren't home during the day when we're at work, if he starts trying to go, he ends up with poo stuck to his bottom for several hours with his anus dilated.

My husband can't cope with it anymore because there is poo all over the house, yet he manages to wee in the litter tray just fine. I don't understand why he can't just do his business properly in one go. I've tried everything: different food, different litter, using bleach, cat grass... you name it. Nothing works.

I'm coming to you as a last resort because I honestly don't know what to do anymore; my husband doesn't want him in the house anymore and I've seen several vets who haven't been able to help me.

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22 answers
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    • P
    Pandaimpulsif8756 Icon representing the flag French
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    How’s your cat doing today?
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    L
    Lunaisy Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, thanks for your advice. Basically, little Lou goes to his litter tray and pushes so hard, but nothing comes out. He’s not constipated at all; the vet has done several X-rays and his tummy is soft at the moment. It turns out the poo inside his bowel is actually very soft (thanks to his diet and the laxatives). The issue is really a total lack of muscle tone in the colon; the bowel isn’t contracting at all to move the stools along...

    I’ve just rescued two 6-week-old kittens after their mum was killed on the road. One of them is doing the same thing as your kitten: he pushes but the poo doesn’t come all the way out, so the poor little thing wanders around with it stuck to his bottom. I thought he was constipated, but the vet told me his stools were normal. She’s given him an anti-inflammatory jab for now and I’ve got a cream to put on his bum to help with the swelling. I’m crossing my fingers that it works and that it isn't anything more serious.

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    C
    Camille62870 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, thanks for your advice. Essentially, little Lou goes to his litter tray and strains so hard, but nothing comes out. He’s definitely not constipated though—the vet has done several X-rays and his tummy is soft to the touch. It turns out the stools inside his bowel are actually very soft (thanks to his diet and the laxatives). The real issue is a total lack of muscle tone in the colon; the bowel isn't contracting at all to push the stools out...
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    C
    Camille62870 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, I’d like to get in touch via email (or any other way), as I’m going through the exact same thing with my little Samba, who is only 3 months old. We’re at the vet every single week, but nothing seems to help. He’s had an enema, he’s on laxatives, he's on a special diet... The vet tells me that unfortunately there’s no treatment for lazy bowel syndrome... and that basically he’ll just suffer from one blockage after another for the rest of his life. They’ve even mentioned putting him to sleep... I’m absolutely distraught 😭 Did you ever find a solution back then? Thanks for your reply.
    Translated from French
    Doudou229
    Doudou229 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi @Lilacaramel and @Missbull,

    I’ve got the same advice for both of your furbabies...

    Firstly, try adding some organic coconut oil to their food:

    https://www.vismedicatrixnaturae.fr/remedes-recettes/l-huile-de-noix-de-coco-une-panacee-indispensable/

    Secondly, try a course of organic blonde psyllium husk (powder), which will help clear up constipation or help with diarrhoea and gas.

    (It’s one of nature’s best gifts for digestion, for both humans and animals.)

    Cats: 1 to 2.5ml per day

    Dogs: 2.5 to 5ml per 22 lbs (10kg) per day

    Mix the psyllium with five times its volume of water, wait for the gel to form, and divide the daily dose into each of their meals.

    Uses: Irritable bowel, constipation

    Atherosclerosis and therefore all cardiovascular diseases

    Semi-liquid stools, diarrhoea, dysentery

    Haemorrhoids

    Triglyceridaemia

    Ulcerative colitis (to maintain remission)

    Weight loss and obesity.

    You can find blonde psyllium husk in health food shops, the health food aisle of some large supermarkets, or online.

    In powder form, it’s about £6 for 200g.

    Make sure you get the kind for human consumption.

    Thirdly, you absolutely must switch your furbabies to a raw diet (BARF for cats). This type of food provides much more hydration, and the shorter digestion time results in smaller stools that are much easier to pass.

    Dry food and wet food don’t provide those vital digestive enzymes for the simple reason that the food is cooked! And for the digestion of a cat, which is essentially a carnivore, they need raw food.

    https://www.pinterest.fr/Doudou229/barf-chat/

    As for that laxative syrup (it probably has sugar in the ingredients, along with other additives and excipients) :-(

    For a 5-month-old’s gut, no, he can’t carry on like that...

    Raw feeding is much easier on the gut, the kidneys, and the liver...

    To both of you and your little ones, I’m not a vet, but I see cats coming onto the BARF forums and this more natural diet manages to get them back on track—not all of them, unfortunately, when they are already too ill... But for those who are no longer on dry food, there are much brighter days ahead.

    If you want any more info:

    http://www.b-a-r-f.com

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    M
    Missbull Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks so much for the really quick reply. I’ll do everything I can to help him get better. Thank you again—I’m so glad to hear your cat is on the mend. We do love them, don’t we? 😉

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    L
    Lilacaramel Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, my cat is five months old now and he’s doing better. Unfortunately, he wasn't cared for properly in those first few days by the local vets here; they didn't really know what they were doing and wouldn't admit it. If I can give you one piece of advice, it's don't hang around too long with a vet who seems out of their depth. I booked an appointment at a specialist clinic instead. It definitely cost me more, but they found out what was wrong with my boy and consulted one another on his case.

    Because of the poor care during his bout of diarrhoea, the poor thing has been left with a permanently deformed anus (it's smaller than a normal cat's). From now on, his bowel is completely misshapen because he was straining so hard to use the litter tray. The vets prescribed him a laxative syrup that’s normally given to elderly people (we gave it to him for three weeks) and some special high-fibre dry food. He’s doing normal poos now, but he has terrible wind. He’s developed a bit of a phobia of the litter tray when he needs a poo, so I'm constantly having to pick them up from all over our basement.

    I know my situation is a bit of a one-off, but don't hesitate to go to a specialist clinic; they really know their stuff. Also, an enema isn't always necessary for a kitten, but they had to do one for mine because he was completely backed up.

    Sorry if I haven't been much help.

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    M
    Missbull Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, I’m having exactly the same problem. I rescued a kitten who’s about 3 or 4 months old. He’s always had soft poo and gas. Four days ago, he spent the whole day in his litter tray; he was trying to go but just couldn't. There was a clear liquid leaking from his bottom. I went straight to the vet. She gave him an enema. I picked him up and he seemed back to his normal self, and she recommended some specialist dry food, obviously, but now his bottom won’t close properly and he’s still having soft poo, so he’s getting it everywhere. I’m hesitant to take him back to the vet because I’m worried they’ll poke around again and he’s already been through enough. No one can tell me exactly what’s wrong with him. How is your kitten doing now—is he any better? If so, what did you end up doing? I hope he’s alright. Thanks.
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    L
    Lilacaramel Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi everyone, As you all suggested, I went to the vet clinic. It actually took several vets to figure out my cat’s condition. It’s not very good news. He has an abnormal colon—it’s deformed and completely out of proportion with his anus. The problem is that his anus is extremely narrow compared to a normal cat. The vet did an X-ray and saw it there. He’s advised us to feed him high-fibre dry food plus high-fibre vegetables. If that doesn't sort things out, along with the medication he’s prescribed, we’ll have to put him to sleep because the situation is unbearable for him and it's likely to get worse as he gets older. My cat isn’t doing well at all this morning. We get the feeling his bowels have started moving and it’s causing him a lot of pain. So, that’s the update. Thank you so much for all your advice.
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    L
    Lyzzza Icon representing the flag French
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    @lila @courgette is probably right, this cat definitely has some kind of underlying health issue and it’s quite surprising that a vet hasn’t been able to treat him. So, for feeding him, I think the new Sheba 'soup' range would be excellent. My cats usually eat dry food, but I have one on medication and I crush his tablets into Sheba or Gourmet pouches; he eats them without even realising. It’s very handy and, above all, they find it VERY tempting!
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