is he constipated?

I have a 16 week old kitten that I have had for 4 weeks. He has used the
litter tray perfectly until the last 3 days. He has started having his
bowel movements outside the tray. When I first had him the bowel movements
were very soft bordering on diarrhoea, but they have become gradually much
firmer. as they have become firmer I noticed that for the last week he has
stopped covering them up and the ones he has done outside the tray are
pretty firm. I was wondering if he may be a little constipated and it was
getting a little painful for him. Is it a matter of trying him on different
food to see if I can get them softer, or is there soimething I could add to
his food? He is on dry food, Royal Canin and Hills.

Thanks for your help

Dear Deb,

I am glad you asked this question!

Are you using clumping litter in the litter pan? Kittens will lick it
off their paws and it will actually act as a form of "cement" in their
colon. Even that little bit of "dust" on their paws after using the
litter box is enough in their tiny systems to cause serious blockage
and quite quickly can lead to death. Sorry to alarm you! Put your
kitten on high-fiber wet food (canned ) immediately and if kitty cannot
pass normal or even loose stool in a couple days, a trip to the vet is
in order.

I recommend feeding kittens mostly canned food and some semi-soft dry
bits in their earlier months. Plenty of water to keep kitty hydrated.
Milk will not suffice for this purpose. Milk is considered a food, not
a means of hydration to kittens and even older cats.

Most important is to get rid of any litter that is made with clay
products such as clumping litter. Just use the regular dry litter;
un-scented is best for the kittens.

Best of luck and bless you!
Ms. Lou

"Lou" wrote in message
ups.com...
Dear Deb,

I am glad you asked this question!

Are you using clumping litter in the litter pan? Kittens will lick it
off their paws and it will actually act as a form of "cement" in their
colon. Even that little bit of "dust" on their paws after using the
litter box is enough in their tiny systems to cause serious blockage
and quite quickly can lead to death. Sorry to alarm you! Put your
kitten on high-fiber wet food (canned ) immediately and if kitty cannot
pass normal or even loose stool in a couple days, a trip to the vet is
in order.

I recommend feeding kittens mostly canned food and some semi-soft dry
bits in their earlier months. Plenty of water to keep kitty hydrated.
Milk will not suffice for this purpose. Milk is considered a food, not
a means of hydration to kittens and even older cats.

Most important is to get rid of any litter that is made with clay
products such as clumping litter. Just use the regular dry litter;
un-scented is best for the kittens.

Best of luck and bless you!
Ms. Lou

I use a wood based litter rather than a clay based. I gave him some tinned
tuna yesterday and that did the trick nicely - a normal bowel movement in
his tray! I'll keep a close eye on him