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My cat is constipated. Is it safe to give him a human laxative?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 4 years and 7 months old

consipated 5 year old cat male due to low potassium illness last week. Can i buy a laxative and give to him safely / He is eating and urinating has a way nose ..

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on June 6th, 2018

Unfortunately human laxatives are toxic to cats, so that is not a good idea. Depending on how constipated Martin is, sometimes your vet will have to do an enema to resolve the constipation. If the constipation is mild, you may be able to give a stool softener to help resolve the problem. There are some over the counter and some prescription medications for this. I am attaching a handout below that discusses constipation including medications that we use. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951509 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 9th, 2020

    Hello. The biggest concern would be if the constipation worsens & he becomes obsitpated. Make sure he is drinking as much as possible, including meat broths, stocks, tuna water & of course fresh water. Give him 1/4 teaspoon of Miralax with every meal ( should only be wet food ). If he does not defecate within a day or so, you will need to find a way to have him seen. These two companies do offer payment options that most veterinarians will accept. Please check them out to see if you qualify. Good luck with Pepper & thanks for using PetCoach. https://www.carecredit.com https://www.scratchpay.com

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