Constipation in Cats, Signs & Symptoms

Constipation causes pain and distress in cats so we want to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms that our cats are constipated. Signs are the things that we observe, such as blood in the stool. Symptoms are the way cats feel, such as painful.

Signs and symptoms that a cat has developed constipation:

• Small hard fecal pellets


• Going more than 24 hours without defecating


• Going to the litter box but not producing stool


• Diarrhea (An intestine irritated because its packed with feces develops spasms. The spasms force small amounts of liquid stool around the packed feces so that soft stool oozes from the anus and it appears the cat has diarrhea.)


• Abdominal pain


• Looking at the belly


• Pulling hair out of the belly


• Licking the bottom obsessively


• Blood in the stool