Poop-related problems in cats are relatively common and usually treatable with home remedies. However, there may be times when a problem in cats’ poops indicates an underlying health issue. This can be pretty uncomfortable for them, considering they cannot always tell you what’s wrong.
As a pet owner, it is your responsibility to keep track of their poop conditions, especially if you just recently incorporated some changes in their diet.
In this post, let’s find out what you can do to encourage healthy cat poop!
How Often Should A Cat Poop?
Like humans, there is no specific frequency for cats to poop. It all depends on how often they eat, the amount of food they consume, existing illnesses, feeling stressed out, and what kind of food is included in their diet.
Ideally, a cat should poop at least once daily to maintain a healthy bowel movement. If you notice them doing it more often or missing a few days, consult your veterinarian immediately. Such actions may indicate that something is wrong with your cat’s health.
What Should A Healthy Cat Poop Look Like?
A healthy cat poop should be dark brown and not hard or soft. It may be related to your cat’s health if it suddenly becomes rock-solid or mushy. If the poop is watery, it may be due to diarrhea, possibly caused by the following reasons:
- Food allergies
- Dietary intolerance
- Cat illnesses like colitis, hypothyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, or cancer
- Eating toxic substances, usually from food or plants
- Parasites
- Dairy products
Home Remedies For Constipation In Cats
Here are the remedies that you can do to encourage healthy cat poop:
1. Increase water consumption
Dehydration may be one of the reasons why your cat’s poop is far from being healthy. If they are constipated, or their poop is hard, you might need to help them increase their water consumption.
You might already know that cats are not that good at drinking standing water, and one way to keep them well-hydrated is to feed them wet food. This significantly helps in increasing their water intake and minimizing the risk of them being constipated.
Another way of encouraging them to drink more is to set up water bowls in different parts of the home. Some owners also try leaving a faucet dripping, trying water fountains, and putting flavor in the water cats usually like, such as tuna juice, beef broth, and clam juice.
Remember that too much sodium is not suitable for your pet, so check your wet food before feeding them. Also, leave a plain water source for your cat if you try flavoring their water in case they don’t like it.
2. Try a new diet for healthy cat poop
Food allergies can be just as severe for cats as it does for humans. It can sometimes lead to intestinal inflammation, which is pretty uncomfortable.
If your cat is experiencing a problem related to their current diet, you can try changing its protein source to lamb, chicken, etc. This may help reduce the inflammation in their intestines and allow them to move normally, encouraging a healthier bowel source. You can also add cat probiotics to their meals.
Cats can be allergic to many things without you knowing, so it’s best to stick with hypoallergenic diets if possible. It usually takes around 8 to 12 weeks for a diet change to work, so be patient, keep a cat poop chart, and watch out for any negative reactions.
3. Maintain a healthy weight with exercise and enrichment
Obesity is among the leading causes of intestinal inflammation in cats. Too much fat around the belly can interfere with the movement of stools, and it can also absorb too much water from broken-down food, which often leads to constipation.
If you need help finding ways to maintain their weight or lose some volume, your doctor can also help you curate a diet plan that might work for your pet.
Exercise can also promote better movement of the intestines. You can encourage them to be active with toys, scratching posts, and walking around the neighborhood. This can also help with their anxiety and weight loss.
4. Minimize stress
Cats are prone to stress and anxiety when their routine has been disrupted. Some situations that may cause this are moving in with a new family, nearby construction, or a dog barking in the area.
They need time to adjust to specific changes, so it’s best to leave them alone for some time while still monitoring their behavior. You can help reduce stress by using herbs, supplements (Solliquin and Zylkene), pheromones (Feliway), and medications.
5. More litter boxes
Some cats can be particular with their litter boxes. If they are not comfortable with their current litter box, they might not use it as much, which may lead to stress and constipation.
If you only have one kitty, you can still put a litter box on every floor of your home. You can also experiment with different boxes and determine which one your cat would like best.
6. Try fiber or probiotics
Probiotics are good bacteria that can help maintain a healthy intestine. Incorporating this into your pet’s diet can help the stool movement and encourage a healthy poop.
Fibers are responsible for feeding good bacteria. They can retain water in the intestine, thus preventing constipation and keeping the area clean.
Fiber may work differently in cats, so it is essential to research and consult a doctor to find the best one. The most common sources of fiber that usually work are wheat bran and Psyllium husks (Metamucil).
Conclusion
Only pet parents know how important healthy cat poop is. Cats cannot always express if something is wrong with them, but you can easily recognize any disturbance in their health with their bowel movement and products.
If your cat struggles with their stool, try following the tips above.
Are you interested in helping an animal today? Check out Doobert to see what you can do to make the world better for these beautiful souls.
