# Please help Jasper, the constipated cat **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991 "2003-09-26T15:50:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/1 "2003-09-26T15:50:38Z")
Anybody know how to unconstipate a cat? Jasper’s been constipated for a few days now. I’ve tried: 1/4 of a suppository (yes, I stuck my finger up my cat’s butt - go ahead and laugh) trying to get him to take some mineral oil (he likes to lick the baby oil bottle - but he’s not hungry right now) putting gel baby oil on his butt, much of which he did lick off Poor little guy’s just been lethargic for a few days - I figured out last night what was wrong. I’ve tried all the things listed above in the last 12 hours. I’m fresh out of ideas. P.S. I think this is a GQ question and not IMHO. If I’m wrong, I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/2 "2003-09-26T16:53:47Z")
[Feline constipation: prevention and treatment.](http://www.cah.com/library/felconstip.html) ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/3 "2003-09-26T17:17:03Z")
See if he’ll eat a little canned pumpkin (a teaspoon or so) - often that will get things moving, and many cats actually like it. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/4 "2003-09-26T19:53:22Z")
There are glycerine suppositories that you can get in the pharmacy. These are little sticks of pure glycerine that you cut to size (slightly pointy\_ and insert. (there is just not a better way of saying that) It acts as a stool softener and is safe for kittens and cats. I would take him to the vet - just to be sure. You can also get some kitty laxative (thick mapley stuff that you would also use for hairball treatment). ---
**Author:** ![Opengrave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/919ad9/32.png) [@Opengrave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opengrave)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/5 "2003-09-26T19:58:16Z")
Our vet actually gave us a cat enema which we administered. When we stuck it in he tensed up and when we pressed the syringe he got REALLY freaked out. We set him straight in the litterbox where he did his business and then proceeded to freak out over the experience for about half an hour. He even did the drooling/sneezing, running around acting scared bit. He was not a happy cat! He was OK thought. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/6 "2003-09-26T20:03:25Z")
Take him to the vet; he may inded need a Kitty Enema, and should also be felt up or X rayed to make sure nothing is blocking his intestines. [“Jasper the Constipated Cat” would make a great cartoon series!] ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/7 "2003-09-26T22:50:30Z")
[You may with to read the instructions before giving a cat an enema.](http://www.catenema.com/cat1.html) ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/8 "2003-09-28T12:32:41Z")
Just an update - Jasper finally pooped this morning. Suprisingly, **UncleBill’s** website is the one that helped me the most. 😃 I want to thank everyone for their responses to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/9 "2003-09-28T17:44:17Z")
Commercial hairball medicine should help. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/10 "2003-09-28T20:51:09Z")
Did you wash your hands? ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/11 "2003-09-29T00:04:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by medstar \* > \*\*Did you wash your hands? \*\* I wore gloves _and_ washed my hands. He’s doing fine now, following me around a complaining that i stuck stuff up his butt and he’s not happy about it. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-jasper-the-constipated-cat/203991/12 "2003-09-29T06:15:26Z")
When I was a kid, we had little pistol squirt guns. For the last few years, kids have had super-soaker squirt rifles. But kitties with enemas? Now that’s extreme.