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My cat has hard, round poop often. Can pumpkin help with constipation?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 11 years and 11 months old | 6 lbs

My cat sometimes seems constipated and then there are hard round poo balls. Doesn't always happen but it is pretty frequent. I was going to try some of the pumpkin that pet value sells

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 30th, 2019

You can try some of the pumpkin. Also try giving Precious canned food and added water to it, as dehydration is the number one cause of constipation in cats. If this doesn't help, he will need to see a vet.

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Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
How to help a cat with hard constipated stools. Tried Pumpkin which did not really make a difference. This cat does not take pills.
I'm sorry Harley is having problems with constipation! One of the most common causes of constipation in cats is dehydration due to inadequate fluid intake, which can result from a dry food diet. As feces pass through the colon, water is normally reabsorbed via the colon. When a cat is dehydrated, the colon absorbs more water, leading to dry feces and causing constipation. Other causes include a foreign body, gastrointestinal tumors, megacolon, neurological problems, skeletal pain that makes posturing to defecate painful, hairballs, too much fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, stress, gastrointestinal polyps, and obesity. If pumpkin isn't helping, she needs to see a vet as soon as possible. The vet may need to manually remove any impacted feces, and can give an enema if needed. Please do not give her an enema yourself, as humans ones often contain very high levels of phosphate and giving one to a cat can result in high levels of phosphorus in the body, which can be deadly. There
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
Both my cats are on nature variety salomn instinct wet and tsp of firm up pumpkin powder. My female cat had anal gland issues in the past but has been issue free for about two years. But my male cat had diaherra in the past and now suffers from occas
It is unlikely that the pumpkin powder is causing the constipation. You can try canned pumpkin instead. Make sure he drinks enough (Move the drinking bowl or fountain at least 6 feet away from the food bowls. Most cats do not like drinking water that is too close to the food). Do not feed dry food. You should take your kitty in to the vet for an enema before the constipation is severe ( unfortunately poop collects at the pelvic entrance and then the clump of poop gets so big and hard that it cannot get through.).
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat was constipated for three days and it gets better when I gave her some mashed pumpkin on the third day. But now it becomes a weird situation that she only pooped when I give pumpkin and no poop if I don’t. Is this still constipation?
Constipation in cats occurs when cats have infrequent, hard bowel movements, often with some degree of straining. Given Carat's infrequent bowel movements, it sounds quite likely that she has some degree of constipation. My goal for cats that can suffer from constipation is to get them to a point where they have a normal (not too hard/not too soft) bowel movement every day without straining. If a bit of mashed pumpkin keeps Carat regular, feel free to give her a small amount regularly. However, if her constipation issues seem to worsen, it would be best to take her to the vet. Some cats require stool softeners on a chronic basis. I hope this helps and that all goes well for Carat!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
If my cat is middle constipated how much pumpkin should i add to her food? And in dry or wet food? Will this cause a laxative effect and cause diarrhea as well as pain?
Make sure she has plenty of water. You can add 1 teaspoon of pumpkin (NOT pie filling) per 10lbs body weight once or twice daily. Mix well into the food. Canned is preferred since it contains more moisture which will aid defecation. Too much pumpkin may cause diarrhea. It should not cause pain. If Mishka is painful, have her examined by your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Training & Behavior
Hello, my cat has stopped pooping since yesterday. He frequently goes to the litter box but leaves nothing behind (6-7 times per hour). What should I do to make him feel better? I am currently feeding him fish broth to keep him hydrated.
Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required. It is very important to try to figure out if these signs are due to constipation or possibly to a urinary tract infection/inflammation which could cause absolutely similar signs. If that is the case, or if there is any suspicion of it an immediate check up would be required as urinary tract infection can be dangerous in male (especially neutered) cats as it can develop into a urinary tract obstruction/blockage. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not h
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has been pooping these fixed round stools for like 2 days. He poops almost thrice a day, his poops are almost normal but one of his poops are like these once a day. Im leaving the pictures too. Please tell me what's wrong with him..!
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mellow. His still appears to be dry and firm un the pictures. He may be battling constipation. I recommend increasing his water intake and adding canned food to his diet. You can also offer a small amount of canned pumpkin daily. If this does not help him to produce normal stool, then he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Read online that for a cat thats having constipation issues that canned pumpkin or sprinkling wheat germ on food would help. Is this true?
Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Please help can’t cant poop ! What can I do to help him poop?
In mild cases of constipation, a feline hairball laxative such as Laxatone, available at most pet stores, or a teaspoon of canned pumpkin added to the food may help; but if constipation has been going on for more than a couple days, the cat is painful/not eating/vomiting then veterinary care is needed. In male cats we also want to be sure that the issue is not that the cat is trying to pee an unable as male cats can get a blockage of the urethra and be unable to pee which results in them straining in the litterbox. This is a lifethreatening emergency and needs immediate care so if there is any question about whether or not he is peeing he should go to the vet right away.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
what is safe to give cats that are constipated?
If the problem is fairly minor, you could try a small spoonful of canned pumpkin mixed in Red's food twice daily - this adds some fiber and moisture to the diet, and can sometimes help with mild constipation. If the problem is more severe (meaning that he has been straining for 24 hours or more without having a bowel movement), this is much more serious and he will need to see a vet - he will likely need prescription medication to treat the problem, and may also need an enema under sedation depending on how bad the blockage is.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi My 14 yr old cat hasn’t passed faeces for 24 hrs. He ha a big round hard tummy Is there anything I can do?? He is bright eyed and otherwise look well
Hi, and thanks for your question. Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

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