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How to massage a cat's belly to help with bowel movements

If the cat cooperates, the owner can place the cat in a supine position and gently massage the cat's belly in a clockwise direction. This helps strengthen the cat's intestinal movements and promotes bowel movements. The movement must be gentle and slow to avoid hurting the cat. However, this method may not be effective for cats with severe constipation, so the owner will need to take other measures to help the cat defecate.

Now, let's look at other measures that can solve cat constipation:

  1. Encourage the cat to drink more water

If the owner consistently feeds the cat dry and hard cat food, it can easily lead to constipation. Therefore, the owner can encourage the cat to drink more water or feed it foods with higher water content. This will increase the moisture in the intestinal tract and soften the feces, allowing the cat to defecate. Additionally, the owner can add a suitable amount of probiotics to the water to help improve the cat's gastrointestinal motility and promote defecation.

  1. Help the cat deal with hairballs

Hairballs are also one of the causes of constipation in cats. Owners should pay attention to observing their cats. If the cat vomits and has hair, it may be due to a hairball blocking the intestinal tract, causing constipation. In this case, the owner can feed the cat some catnip or hairball gel to help the cat deal with the hairball issue, thereby reducing the likelihood of constipation.

  1. Use enemas or surgery to remove impacted feces

If the above methods do not improve the cat's condition, the owner should take the cat to the pet hospital as soon as possible for inspection. Under the guidance of a veterinarian, the owner can use enemas to help lubricate the intestines and soften the feces, prompting the feces to exit the body. In severe cases, surgery may be required to cut open the intestine and remove the impacted feces.