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My cat has diarrhea then constipation, straining. Vet or home?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 1 year old | 10 lbs

My cat has had diarrhea for about a day and a half. She has not been eating, but has been drinking water. However, today she seems to be constipated. The poor thing just sits in her litter box and obsessively moves the litter around but nothing comes out. Should I take her to my local veterinarian or is there something I can buy for her to treat her at home?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 1st, 2017

I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian. Constipation in cats usually occurs secondary to another problem such as ingestion of foreign material (especially bones if she hunts outdoors), kidney disease or electrolyte abnormalities. It is also possible that she is having trouble urinating, or only passing very small amounts of diarrhea that you cannot see. A veterinarian would probably recommend an x-ray to confirm constipation and blood work to check kidney values and electrolytes. An enema might be administered if Aria truly is constipated, but this is a very different type of enema from what is available for people over the counter.

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    Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    At this stage I recommend a full vet check and assessment which may include a pelvic xray. Mild constipation can often be treated at home but this mixture of symptoms is commonly associated with a partial obstruction with the liquid being forced around a more solid obstruction causing extreme discomfort. This should be treated as soon as possible to prevent long term stretching of the bowel and nerves with a higher rate or recurrence likely. A higher fiber diet such as royal canin fiber response can be very helpful going forward once the current crisis has been treated succesfully

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