Located at the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions on either side of the anus, anal sacs hold a mixture of oil and sweat. Your cat normally releases this strongly scented fluid through a small duct along the inner anal edge each time it defecates. Cats producing small stool may not put adequate pressure on the anal sacs and the sacs will be uncomfortably impacted. Untreated sacs may abscess, requiring surgical drainage. Several home remedies are available. (References 1 and 2)
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A warm compress remedy
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Use a warm wet compress to soften the impacted material in your cat's anal sacs, according Dr. Junia Borden Childs, DVM. Prepare the compress by dissolving 1 tbsp. of Epsom salts to 1 cup of warm water. Dip a clean soft cloth in the mixture and hold it against your cat's anal area for 10 minutes. Applying a compress twice daily often softens the impacted material enough that cats begin eliminating it again. (Reference 2)
A dietary home remedy
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Add fiber to the diet with vegetables to encourage bulkier stools.
Give a cat weighing less than 15 lbs. 1/8 cup of minced vegetables, and one weighing more than 15 lbs. 1/4 cup mixed in its food per day. Mix the vegetables with chicken broth for flavor.
The Whole Pet Diet advises using organic vegetables. (Reference 3)
Almost all cats love the taste of pumpkin. Used canned unsweetened, unspiced pumpkin as low-calorie nutrient-dense source of fiber. Adding 1 to 2 tbsps. to your cat's food each day should be enough. (Resource 1)
A homeopathic home remedy
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Treat your pet with a homeopathic preparation of Silica 6C, as either pellets or a liquid. Give 3 to 5 pellets or 2 to 3 drops twice a day for three days. (Reference 1)
Exercise as a home remedy
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Cats that don't exercise enough lose tone in their abdominal and rectal muscles, decreasing the amount of pressure on their anal sacs when defecating. Keep your cat's evacuation system in shape with at least two daily 20-minute exercise sessions.
Increase your indoor cat's exercise by separating its food, bed and litter box as much as possible. Having the items on different floors of your home is ideal.
Purchase inexpensive cat toys like beads, flowing ribbons or cheap feather boas. Attach them to strings and hang them on poles or and wave them in the air above your cat. Or hide them in paper bags, or beneath the furniture or throw rugs so that only small pieces are visible. You cat will think they are prey and attack, especially if you keep them moving. (Resource 2)
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