Expert: Jessica - 8/16/2009

Question
I found a 5 week old kitten he is eating good, and i can get him to urinate but i have not seen any evidence of him having a bowl movement is there anythinh i can do different to get him to go, I am feeding him Hills A/d can food mixed with kitten milk and i do that about every 4-6 hours all he does is lay there and sleep, he does not movearound unless i make him do it

Answer
Hi Jennifer.  Kittens this age typically have bowel movements about once every 24 hours, and at 5 weeks old, they are able to produce bowel movements on their own.  Some kittens go more like 48 hours between bowel movements and this doesn't always signal constipation, but if you have had the kitten for longer than 48 hours and he hasn't had a bowel movement, you should have a vet take a look at him.  The vet can palpate the kitten's abdomen to see if he feels constipated.  If so, and depending on to what degree, the kitten may need an enema or a laxative.  My experience has been that formula fed kittens very often suffer from some constipation, and thickening the formula a little (if you're using powdered formula) can sometimes help to reduce this.  It is a little disconcerting that the kitten is so inactive, and this could be an indication that he's feeling uncomfortable, so I would get him to a vet sooner than later.