How fast does pumpkin work for cat constipation

How much pumpkin to give my cat for constipation?

Constipation is, unfortunately, a common problem for cats. Your feline friend cant tell you when something is wrong, so its important to keep a close eye on them. This includes their intake of food and their output of poop. If your cat is experiencing constipation, pumpkin can help get things moving again.

How much pumpkin to give my cat for constipation?

Pumpkin can help relieve constipation. Its also healthy for your cat, which makes it a great natural choice. Before we get into how to treat constipation with pumpkin, lets look at how to know your cat is constipated in the first place.

Signs of Constipation

Your cat cant tell you they are constipated, but the symptoms are easy to spot if you know what to look for. The downside is, youll need to inspect their litter box.

Your cat may be constipated if their poop is dryand hard. You may also notice that they are visiting the litter box more often, but are not able to poop.If they show signs of pain when pooping, like meowing or yowling, this is also a sign of constipation.

Your cats stomach may appear swollen and hard if they are constipated. This is because the poop cant go out properly, so it takes up space in your kittys body.

Cat constipation can turn into a serious issue if it isnt treated. Poop can build up in the intestine, creating a blockage. Thats why, in addition to your cats comfort, its important to treat constipation for health reasons.

How Much Pumpkin to Give My Cat?

Pumpkin is good for cats, but too much of a good thing isnt a good idea. If you have an adult cat, youll need to give your cat 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin a day. Kittens should have no more than 1/2 a teaspoon of pumpkin per day.

If your cats bowel movements arent normal within 24 to 48 hours, you can increase the amount of pumpkin. Give them 1 teaspoon of pumpkin twice a day. If necessary, you can double this to two teaspoons twice a day.

Your cat isnt likely to suffer any serious health effects if you overdo their pumpkin intake. However, too much can cause diarrhea. Its best to start with one teaspoon a day and work your way up to 4 teaspoons per day if needed to avoid diarrhea.

Another method is to replace 20% of your cats current food with pumpkin. This will provide them with needed nutrition with less calories than their regular food. This may be especially beneficial for overweight cats, or those with skin or coat issues.

What Should IDo If My Cat Eats too Much Pumpkin?

Your cat has had too much pumpkin if their stools become very loose. If they are a pudding-like consistency, theyve had too much. Orange stool is another sign you should cut back on your cats pumpkin intake.

If your cat shows these signs, skip their next serving of pumpkin. From there, its wise to cut the amount of pumpkin you are giving them in half. If you are feeding them pumpkin for constipation, you can discontinue the pumpkin once they are no longer constipated.

However, you can also choose to continue giving them pumpkin. It can help keep them regular, and it has lots of other benefits as well.

What type of pumpkin to give my cat?

So pumpkin can ease your cats diarrhea, but what kind do you give them?

Canned Pumpkin

Canned pumpkin is easy to give your cat, and gives all the benefits they need. Be sure to get 100% pure canned pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices, which are unhealthy and potentially even poisonous to your cat.

Fresh Pumpkin

If you want to serve your cat fresh pumpkin, youll need to prepare it yourself. Cut and remove the seeds from the pumpkin. Cut it into slices. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until its soft.

Once its cooled, you can serve it to your cat. Store the unused portion in the fridge for a few days. If you want to keep it for future use, you can freeze pumpkin cooked or raw.

Just freeze what you dont plan to feed your cat within the next few days. When you want to serve it, get a portion from the freezer and allow it to thaw. It should thaw on the counter within a few hours. You can also thaw it by placing it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

This is a simple way to keep fresh pumpkin to serve your cat, without a lot of prep work each time.

Pumpkin Puree

You can also make your own pumpkin puree. To make puree, youll need to bake the pumpkin first. Once its baked, remove the skin from the pumpkin. You can then use a food processor, blender, or potato masher to create a puree. Add a few tablespoons of water at a time, until you get the desired consistency.

Just like fresh pumpkin, the puree can be stored in the fridge or frozen until you are ready to use it. The best way to freeze pumpkin puree is to use an ice tray.

Fill the tray with puree. Once its frozen, youll have cube shaped frozen puree. You can then serve them one cube at a time.

Pumpkin Seeds

Your cat can also eat pumpkin seeds. You can prepare them by roasting them in the oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Your cat can also eat the raw seeds. However, if you plan to store them, roasted seeds have a much longer shelf life than fresh seeds.

Is pumpkin good for cats?

Pumpkin is very good for cats. Its full of fiber and vitamins and minerals your cat needs to be healthy.

Fiber

The fiber in pumpkin is what makes it a great constipation remedy. Its also good for overall digestion. It can even help obese cats on a diet feel full.

Fiber helps absorb stomach acid, which can ease tummy problems, including diarrhea.It also helps move hairballs through your cats digestive tract.

Vitamins

Pumpkin is rich in vitamins, particularly A,C, and E. Vitamin A is essential for eye health. Vitamin C helps the immune system function properly. Vitamin E helps keep their skin and coat healthy, and speeds wound healing.

Cats on a well balanced diet should get enough of these vitamins through their regular food. However, the extra vitamins found in pumpkin can still be beneficial.

Zinc and Cucurbitacin

Zinc is another benefit of adding pumpkin to your cats diet. Its beneficial for the immune system. It also contributes to healthy skin and coat.

Cucurbitacin is a biochemical compound that is believed to be antiparasitic. If your cat is receiving parasite preventatives, they should prevent them from picking up parasites. However, pumpkin wont hurt as a second line of defense.

How to get my cat to eat pumpkin?

Youve decided that pumpkin would be good for your cat, and you want to incorporate it into their diet. Now the question is, how do you get your cat to eat it?

Add It to Their Food

Canned or pureed pumpkin can be added to your cats wet or dry food. You can mix it into their food or simply place it on top. Most cats enjoy the taste of pumpkin. In fact, pumpkin can even entice your kitty to eat their food.

Fresh Pumpkin

Fresh baked pumpkin makes an easy snack or treat. Simply give them one to two pieces of baked pumpkin, once or twice a day. It may become your cats favorite snack.

Frozen Pumpkin

If your cat loves cold treats on hot days, frozen pumpkin will do the trick. Freeze pumpkin puree in an ice tray. This gives you perfect individual serving size cubes. Give your cat a frozen cube as a treat.

You can also freeze fresh baked pumpkin. Give your cat a frozen piece and let them enjoy the cool feeling.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds provide the same benefits as the flesh of the pumpkin. If you want to roast the seeds, youll need to allow them to cool before serving. Fresh or roasted seeds can be added to your cats regular food.

You can also feed them to your cat individually as a crunchy treat.

Lastly, you can crush the roasted seeds with a coffee grinder or food processor. You can then add the powder to your cats regular food.

Cat Constipation & Pumpkin: Will It Help?

Cat constipationand pumpkin are surprisingly a tried-and-tested combination.

If youre wondering: is pumpkin toxic to cats, then you can cross it out from all the toxic human food your cats are not allowed to consume.

Adding pumpkin to a cats diet has many health benefits, thanks to the pumpkins high nutrient and fiber content.

Symptoms of Cat Constipation

• Loss of weight.
• Dehydration.
• The presence of hard, dry, tiny fecal pellets in or around the litter box.
• Crying out in pain when defecating.
• Decreased hunger
• Having feces clinging to the fur on the back end

Cat Constipation and Pumpkin Benefits

Pumpkin is rich in fiber, affordable, and enticing to cats, but there are situations when tougher measures are required.

One of the first signs of a constipated cat is less frequent and straining bowel motions.

Frequently, the reason is a lack of fiber, dehydration, or inactivity.

But also know that constipation may be caused by stress, drugs, parasites, intestinal obstructions, neurological issues, or pelvic injury.

If your cat has problems going to the litter box, you should take her to the vet, but pumpkin may help.

There are 10 grams of fiber in every cup of pumpkin. Its rich fiber content helps with:

• Diarrhea:The soluble fiber in pumpkin absorbs excess water in your cats digestive tract, which relieves diarrhea.
• Constipation:Fiber from pumpkin becomes a natural laxative that stimulates bowel movements.
• Weight control: Having a diet high in fiber makes pets feel fuller quicker. If your veterinarian has advised helping your cat lose weight, adding pumpkin into her diet could effectively reduce the need to eat more treats.

Aside from fiber, pumpkin also has high contents of:

• Vitamin A (for eye health and immune system),
• Vitamin C (for collagen production)
• Vitamin E (as a fat-soluble antioxidant)
• Calcium (for healthy teeth, bones, and claws)
• Lutein (to promote healthier coat and skin)
• Iron (cell and hemoglobin production)
• Alpha Carotene (an antioxidant that fights cell damage).
• Cucurbitacin (a biological molecule that may have some antiparasitic action against intestinal parasites).

How Much Pumpkin Can I Give My Cat?

Most of the time, cats love the taste of pumpkin and wouldnt mind eating it as a puree or straight from a can.

However, you can mix pumpkin intowet cat foodif your cat doesnt like its taste.

Dont feed it to kittens unless your veterinarian recommends it.

You can feed adult cats 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin every day. Use a measuring spoon so you add the right amount to their diets.

When youre new to incorporating pumpkin into your cats diet, be on the lookout for firmness, frequency, or other changes in her stools. This could help you determine if the pumpkin is helping with constipation or not.

Warning:Pumpkins may be nutritious but also high in carbohydrates. If yourcat is already diagnosed with diabetesand follows a low-carb meal plan, check with your vet to see if and how pumpkin can be included in your cats meals.

DIY Pumpkin Puree for Cat Constipation

Pumpkin pie filling and spiced pumpkin puree are not ideal for cats. If youre planning to shop for store-bought canned pumpkins, you need to choose a plain, pureed, and unseasoned pumpkin.

If you want to prepare a homemade pumpkin puree to relieve your cat of constipation, buy a pumpkin or butternut squash (yes, they come from the same squash family).

3 Ways to Make Pumpkin Puree Recipe for Cats

• Blend.Remove the seeds and pulp from a pumpkin. Puree the pumpkin until it looks like baby food. You can serve it as is.
• Boil.Deseed your pumpkin. Cut into cubes, put into a pot, and add distilled water. Boil everything until soft throughout. When done, strain the water except for 2 cups. Blend everything until pureed. Store in an airtight bottle in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Bake.Remove the seeds of your pumpkin. Bake in the oven until soft. Serve.

Adding Pumpkin into Your Cats Diet

Even the pumpkin seeds can be given to your cats, but you must clean them thoroughly and roast them in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour or two. Then, you could grind the seeds and feed your cat in powder form when it gets cold.

Here are other ways to squeeze pumpkin into their meals:

• Add into wet cat food.
• Pick a cat food like Applaws that contain pumpkin. Check labels to be sure.
• Find a pumpkin-infused supplement, such as Fruitables. Ideal for cats who arent fond of the pumpkin taste.
• Add butter with a vegetable mix and pumpkin puree for a creamy mixture.
• Combine pureed pumpkin with raw cat food meat with raw liver
• If you pureed a lot of homemade pumpkins, freeze some of them into smaller servings, so you can extend the shelf life and give them to your cats occasionally as treats.

Cat Constipation & Pumpkin Dos and Donts

Before giving your cat, pumpkin puree or treats for her constipation read some of these guidelines:

• Never feed raw pumpkin to your cat.
• When deseeding a pumpkin, remove and throw away the stem. When eaten by your cat, it could prick her digestive tract.
• Pumpkin skin is not edible. Even if youre boiling and blending the ingredients, remove the skin before anything else.
• Pumpkin pulp, the sticky and slimy stuff with the seeds, has been known to block disposals. Imagine what that would do to your cats tummy. Throw it with the skin.
• The canned pumpkin should be plain. If the label hints at sugar, salt, spices, additives, or other chemicals, skip it. These spices can cause vomiting, diarrhea, mouth and lung irritation, and heart or liver issues.
• Dont feed your cat leftover Jack-O-Lanterns that have been sitting on your porch. This pumpkin could have bacteria from being left out in the open, so feeding it to your cat could make her sick.

If your cat doesnt like the taste of pumpkin, dont worry. Shes likely to tell you about her distaste.

If your beloved cat has a sensitive stomach, introduce pumpkin into her diet carefully. Be attentive to her stools afterward, and monitor signs of vomiting, diarrhea, straining while walking or peeing, and painful bowel movements.

Only increase the amount of pumpkin if your cat seems to be doing well with the addition. In most cases, your cat will be able to feel the effect of a teaspoon-worth of pumpkin puree after an hour or two.

If this doesnt help, your cats constipation could signify something serious. The veterinarian could be more helpful in evaluating your cats overall condition.

Even if your cat isnt constipated, adding pumpkin into her diet encourages regular bowel movements and a healthier digestive system.

Purrfect n Pawesome is the brainchild of Amanda, who has been into researching and writing about pets to help other pet parents in nurturing their adorable pets. Currently, she runs Purrfect n Pawesome along with her team of experienced and dedicated pet experts. Along with being an awesome writer and entrepreneur, Amanda is a cat mom to two innocently spoiled cats, Balanca and Scruffy. She has been writing about pet care and nurturing and wants to share her readers experiences, learnings, and knowledge. Over the years, she had the opportunity to work with various pet owners having multiple breeds, and that exposure gave her experience and the lessons of a lifetime. Her family, her entire universe revolves around her two cats, who give her endless support and inspiration to move ahead with her objectives in life. Amanda is a live example of a balanced approach to all parenthood questions we all face in life.