One of the Catster editors recently asked me a few questions about poop. She wondered whether she needed to be concerned if her cat had a single runny poop. She also wondered whether pooping outside of the litter box might be a sign of a veterinary problem. Poop doesn’t exactly make the world go ’round, but it is something that, for better or for worse, is a major part of life. So, let’s talk about cat poop and cat diarrhea!
Cat diarrhea vs. normal cat poop
Ideally your cat produces nicely formed stools without difficulty on a daily basis. They are mostly easy to scoop out of the box, and they’re comparatively innocuous in general.
Cat diarrhea comes in varying levels of severity. Abnormally soft stools can range from incompletely formed to “soft serve” to “cow patty” to liquid to hemorrhagic. Cat diarrhea, like human diarrhea, occurs when residual undigestible portions of food pass through the intestines abnormally fast, or when excess fluid is added to the stool by the large intestines.
What causes cat diarrhea?
Practically speaking, there are a number of causes of cat diarrhea. Sometimes, cat diarrhea may be a relatively minor problem such as a mild reaction to a diet change. Mild dietary indiscretion can also cause cat diarrhea. As a child I owned a cat who was lactose-intolerant; on the few occasions I tried to create a Norman Rockwell-esque scene by offering her a saucer of milk (you should never give cow’s milk to a cat!), she created a very non-Rockwell-esque scene in the litter box.
Stress is another potential cause (cat diarrhea can occur if something literally scares the you-know-what out of them). And finally, more serious problems can cause cat diarrhea. These range from treatable issues like parasites and mild intestinal infections to more serious problems such as exposure to toxins, foreign objects in the intestines, liver or kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease (also known as infiltrative bowel disease, or simply IBD), and cancers such as lymphoma or intestinal adenocarcinoma.
When should you worry about cat diarrhea? What if your cat has diarrhea and seems fine otherwise?
So when is cat diarrhea a big deal? When it’s really bad, when it’s accompanied by other symptoms, or when the cat feels or looks significantly sick.
For instance, if your cat has one soft stool but is still playful and eating and drinking normally, you probably don’t need to rush to the vet. This is especially true if you just switched foods (in which case you should consider switching back), or if you know she consumed a suspicious but not especially dangerous food item (such as turkey skin or milk).
However, if your cat is lethargic, won’t eat, is suffering from profuse hemorrhagic diarrhea, has 10 episodes of diarrhea in one day, or if vomiting occurs concurrently with the diarrhea, then you need to seek veterinary attention. Vomiting and diarrhea often occur together, and they are a dangerous combination because they can trigger severe dehydration.
If your cat is having frequent diarrhea, a checkup is a good idea even if she’s not showing any other symptoms. Some cat parasites can spread to people, and IBD and lymphoma are serious problems. Chronic cat diarrhea should not be ignored.
Cat diarrhea, cat constipation and pooping outside of the litter box
How about pooping outside of the litter box? Cat diarrhea is a common cause of this behavior, so if your cat has an abnormally soft stool outside of the box, then what you really need to focus on is the diarrhea.
Conversely, constipation also can cause cats to defecate in inappropriate places. This appears to occur because cats grow weary of going back and forth to the litter box without success, and begin trying to eliminate the contents of their bowels wherever they may be. Constipated cats may posture and strain unproductively in or out of the box, and if they produce stool it may be hard and dry.
Constipation isn’t just miserable. It’s also potentially life-threatening, and I have encountered several unfortunate cats who died from the stress of trying to defecate while hopelessly constipated. Cats with urinary obstructions can also sometimes look constipated or pass feces outside of the box while they are straining to urinate, and urinary obstruction is urgently life-threatening. Some cats with masses or tumors in their rectums or near their anuses will defecate outside of the box — often with signs of discomfort.
The bottom line on what to do about cat diarrhea
In short, if your cat seems to be having any distress in passing urine or feces, then book an immediate vet visit.
However, some cats intermittently (or regularly) pass normal bowel movements outside of the litter box. Most of the time this is a behavioral issue. The first step in such cases is to see the vet to be sure there is no medical problem. After getting a clean bill of health, the next step is to implement a behavioral modification plan (this link addresses urinating outside of the box, but the treatment tactics are the same). And take comfort from one fact: Finding cat poop outside of the box may be unpleasant, but it’s better than finding urine.
Wondering how to stop diarrhea yourself? Check out some diarrhea remedies for humans right here >>
Thumbnail: Photography by Africa Studio / Shutterstock.
This piece was originally published in 2017.
About the author
Dr. Eric Barchas is a professional traveler who spends his spare time working as a full-time veterinarian; contributing to Dogster and Catster; walking, cooking, camping, and exploring the outdoors; skiing (when conditions permit); and reading Booker-shortlisted novels. In between trips Dr. Barchas lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Denise, and his canine pal, Buster. His main veterinary interests are emergency and critical care, wellness, pain management and promotion of the human-animal bond. Dr. Barchas has to Dogster and Catster since May 2005.
52 thoughts on “Cat Diarrhea — When Is It a Concern?”
I’m so frustrated and depressed. Since October our 9-year-old cat has been defecating all over the house. She even gets up on my kitchen counters and leaves a trail of diarrhea behind her. Clearly, she’s creating an unhealthy environment for my family.
She was an older feral kitten when we took her in and has never fully trusted humans so getting her to the vet is extremely difficult. However, we managed to catch her and took her to the vet a couple of months ago. We spent over $500.00 on tests, and our vet is still scratching his head. Meanwhile, her condition has worsened. Now, she’s not grooming herself.
Thinking it’s a food allergy, our vet wants to give her a steroid shot, but I doubt that will do anything as we haven’t changed her food. And we haven’t been able to catch her to get her back in her carrier in order to take her back to the vet. One of our cats was positive for tapeworms, and so I wonder if she has that. Our vet tested her for it and the results were negative, but I wonder if it was a false negative.
I’m at the point where I don’t know what to do.
Wow! Thank you! Iconstantly needed to write on my sute something luke that.
Can I take a part of you post to my website?
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The same thing happens to my cat. Did you find a remedy?
My cat which is a stray has suffered really badly for the last 8 months from diarrhea….Ive tried all kinds of prescription foods but the best thing is boiled chicken mixed with Libbys Pure unsweetened canned pumpkin….poops still not perfect but at least manageable ….
My diabetic cat Bootsy has these spells when his poop just oozes out of him for 3-6 days straight, the vet can’t find anything wrong with him, no parasites or infection, any idea what could be causing this?
Hi there,
So sorry to hear you and your cat are going through this! Please keep in touch with your vet. These articles might provide some additional insight, too:
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-has-diarrhea-causes-and-help
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/6-tips-on-how-to-prevent-diabetes-in-your-cat
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-6-tips-feline-diabetes
Could it IBD or Lymphoma? My cat has IBD, he had antibotics and that seemed to wake up the sleeping giant inside. Before that he had the opposite problem, I spent over $2K getting him diagnosed. He had other problems as well such as huge appetite always hungry. So I had to test for TLI and Hypothyroidism. If he has IBD, you need an ultrasound to diagnose that. I spent extra money doing X-rays which pointed to a problem. It might be worth doing an ultrasound? You want to know sooner than later. I found out my kitty had this issue building for along time, probably a couple years, but had no clue. The vet doesn’t know how long this has been building. Good luck!
I know this post is old so I hope you get this:
My Wilbur has the exact same thing!!! 8 mos old, totally healthy otherwise. Still playful and drinking eating, etc during these episodes. I do switch him to boiled chicken breast with bone broth and white rice and that does seem to help. It seems like every 2-4 months we deal with this! I’ve taken him to the vet multiple times, only to find out he is totally healthy!! Hope that Bootsie is doing okay. Lmk if you discover anything?
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I have to add some comments to my last lengthy email (again, I apologize). Stool samples I’ve given to my new the vet 3 years ago showed no infections or other problems for the Maine Coon (both cats are in-door only cats). He did say though that she had lost a tooth and recommended an (expensive) teeth cleaning.
I have two Maine Coons (brother and sister) with colitis (diarrhoea or part normal stool with blood). I have gone through all the Vet’s diet food and it made no difference. The solution I found was to feed them a good high meat content food, portioned for their needs (as I am from the UK ) my choice is Canagan Free Range Chicken dry food, tins of Canagan tuna and JR’s Pure meat sticks broken onto small bits for a treat or grated on top of their food to give a variety (the sticks are made for Dogs but ok for cats as they are pure meat). Additionally I give them a 14 STRAIN probiotic (Bio-kult), (not all probiotics are the same) and a b12 supplement (Cobalaplex) every 7 to 10 days, this regime has totally stopped the diarrhoea and blood. In your position I would try the probiotic and b12 supplement first with your Vet’s approval. The only other problem I found is with the OMEGAS (3 and 6). Unfortunately it is complicated, but in general I found plant based Omegas cause more problems than the fish oil. Specifically I found 1.2% sunflower oil ok, but any more gives them diarrhoea.
hi just a quick question my ragdoll kitten who has a dewclaw on his back legs . Is this normal ?regards Lyn
I desperately need some help. I apologize for the lengthy email. I’ve had cats all my life and I now have a 13 year old Maine Coon cat I adopted from the humane society 12 years ago (she had been given up by 3 previous owners for pooping out of the box). She has an abnormal rib-cage bone which protrudes out of her belly area. We also have a Forrest Himilayan cat (my girlfriends) who always uses the litter box (although she does throw-up every few days.) I have 4 litter boxes (1 upstairs and 3 downstairs). I change the boxes downstairs every weekend (because I can’t make it downstairs every day) hence the 1 litter box upstairs that gets scooped every other day. We have dozens and dozens of scratch pads throughout the house, 2 huge cat trees, cat-walks built on the walls and electronic heating pads for each cat (1 in my girlfriends room for the Himilayan and 1 in my room for my Maine Coon.) They both typically lay on their heating pads all day long.
My 13 year old Maine Coon is the greatest cat I’ve ever seen and she constantly rolls around on her back on the floor showing how happy she is, loves to play and shows no signs of distress (other than she constantly begs for wet food). For the last 5 years though I’ve been struggling with her pooping more and more out of the box (sometimes runny, runny diarrhea stools and other times small pretzel-looking stools that are somewhat solid. The diarrhea seems to happen on an irregular basis although I’ve been try to tie it to a specific wet food. She does use the litter for a lot of the time, I just get a surprise every week or so, sometimes puddle diarrhea stools and other times pretzel type stools.
When I took her to my home-town vet 5 years ago, they told me that she possibly had a chicken-by-product reaction and that her pooping out of the box problem may not ever be solvable.
So 4 years ago I had a cat-whisper come out to the house (twice) where she recommended I use the World’s Greatest Cat liter, I buy wider, flatter litter boxes and she was put on an expensive ‘gasterial’ type prescription dry and wet food. I tried this for the last 4 years and although it got a little better, I still got a surprise out-of-the-box diarrhea type poop every week or so.
I thought it might be due to occasionally giving her wet food and tried to keep track of her stool samples and limit the wet food. I took her to a new vet 3 years ago who again put her on the expensive prescription gasterial food.
I lost my job last year and suffer from back problems so I could no longer buy the expensive gasterial food and I couldn’t buy the World’s Greatest Litter any more because it only comes in big bags that are difficult for me to carry (I had to change to the Tidy cat light litter that I could carry.) I bought cheaper food off the shelf and I’ve tried a variety of different dry and wet foods (reading the labels for each food to see if it contains any chicken by-products.)
I recently took my Maine Coon to Pet Smart and spent the last of my money to have her belly shaved because she tends to build up knots there after a few years. I asked Pet Smart what food would be best to get for her that doesn’t have any chicken by-products and they recommended Blue Wellness or Blue Buffalo. I emptied my savings and also bought a bunch of the grain-free salmon and duck Blue Wellness dry and wet foods along with having someone help me carry a few bags of the World’s Greatest Cat Litter which I sprinkled into all the litter boxes.
Both cats won’t touch the Blue Wellness dry food and after giving them a spoon-full of the Blue Wellnes wet food, they went “crazy” over it constantly begging for more (I only give each of them 1 table-spoon of wet food every week.) They both act like they are starving to death (licking their mouth like they need food) unless I give them a little wet food each week (both cats seem to sniff each others lips to see if one them got any wet food).
After giving my Maine Coon a table-spoon of the Blue Wellness wet food, I immediately got a surprise puddle-type, diarrhea poop the next day (which again tells me to ignore their constant begging and never give her wet food.) I have never seen her soo happy though after giving her the Blue Wellness wet food the other day and she rushes out any time I go into the laundry room (where I get the wet food cans from thinking she is going to get wet food.)
I (now) have 5 different kinds of dry foods (ie. Crave, Iams, Friskies, Beyond and Blue Wellness.) Neither cat will eat any of the grain-free Beyond or Blue Wellness dry food.
As a person who has raised cats all their life, I feel like I should know the correct foods to feed them and I’ve been trying to keep track of which dry/wet foods cause problems but have sadly I have failed at this task (ie. the Himilayan throwing up more and the Maine Coon having more diarrhea).
I can’t afford to go back to the expensive prescription food and am unable to always buy the World’s Greatest Cat litter.
Can you please give me any recommendations? I feel like I should take my Maine Coon to the vet again but they will only put her on the expensive prescription stuff and I’m tapped out for money. She shows no signs of distress and happily rolls around on the floor every day. Many thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.
I have a cat with a mega colon and on the rx dry high fiber diet, I do give her mixed in with the dry 1/4 of a small can or less and she has responded well to that. she is on cisapride and a stool softner. I mention this as a way for the cat to eat the dry high fiber gastro RX food.
My other cat has had painful off and on poops so she gets the grain free with 1/ of the fiber along with a Instinct wet food. I thik you have to introduce a different diet slowly. It helped but not all the time. I also use powder probiotics.
Hi there,
I recently moved from Canada to Italy with my 2 cats and have yet to find an English speaking vet so it’s hard to take my cat in for a checkup. My one cat who has been sensitive his whole life ( food allergies, stress sores etc) has had diarrhea since we arrived (1 month ago). He poops once a day but it is always liquid, accompanied by gas. He is playful as always, eats well. I should note that we did change his food but this was one month ago as well and we stuck to fish as he is allergic to beef and chicken. I also started him on a broad spectrum enzyme formula which has reduced the frequency of stools but has not helped it become more formed. Do you have any other suggestions I can try?
Hi —
Thanks for reaching out! We suggest finding an English-speaking vet as soon as you’re able. These articles might provide some insight, too:
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-has-diarrhea-causes-and-help
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/why-do-cats-suffer-from-chronic-diarrhea
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
Could you try getting a translation online? Type out what the issue is, print it, and take it to the vet? The translation site would be on the top of the page and perhaps the vet could then do it in reverse?
I have a two-year-old cat that has had two litters recently about six months apart I was going to get her fixed and we found out she was pregnant again the first letter she got diarrhea real bad but it stopped eventually this go around she’s had diarrhea for three weeks and I thought it was blood but it’s actually it looks more like the food she’s eating now but she’s in so much pain when she poops she cries out like somebody is murdering her what should I do
Your delay in getting kitty to her vet and taking time to write here is distressing. By all means rush your cat to a vet NOW!
Hi there,
Sorry to hear your kitty is feeling under the weather! Please see a vet ASAP. Here is info on emergency vets and affording vet bills:
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/when-should-you-call-an-emergency-vet-and-how-do-you-find-one-for-your-cat
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/affordable-vet-care-for-your-cat
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/what-to-do-if-you-need-help-with-vet-bills
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Hey michaela, i got 2 new kittens and we found the other one who ran away yesterday. I’ll give it back to the vet cause he’s the one who gave her to us in the first place. Thanks ❤️
You’re welcome Chorouq. So glad to hear you found the lost kitten!
Never mind she jumped out of the balcony, it’s night time i couldn’t find her, she’s really hard to catch. I’ll check if i can find her tomorrow. I guess i’m unlucky
My one and a half month kitten died from diarrhea i guess, there was some blood in it too, we took him to the vet and gave him some medication but he died that same day. Today i brought another cat from that vet and she’s very scared, she’s hidden behind the fridge and i’m scared if my other cat that died pooped in there. Can she get sick if maybe she touches it ? I’m really worried
Hi there,
We suggest contacting your vet with this question. Goodluck finding your cat!
Hello,
I just adopted 2 cats. They’re brother and sister and 3 months old. I adopted them through an agency who works with petsmart. The pet store was out of the food that they had been feeding them, so the adoption agency representative suggested a different type of food. She said the kittens may experience some diarrhea. Our little girl Chloe had diarrhea today (only once that I saw).. She was very playful this morning, however, this afternoon she seems to be sleeping a lot. Not a lot of playing. Her brother is doing great. His stools were softer, but he’s playing and very energetic. Should I be concerned? Or give it a bit more time?
Thank you!
Hi Alex,
We suggest contacting a vet with this question. The diarrhea may be temporary due to the food change but it never hurts to check in with your vet. Best of luck!
Here’s more info on cat food:
https://www.catster.com/topic/cat-food/
And more info on cat diarrhea:
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-when-to-worry-or-not-for-cats-of-all-ages
Just a thought since I had issues with my cat and diarrhea. Cat 13 years old, main coon mix of some sort. He’s had diarrhea for 1 yr. I tried everything. Different probiotics, Changed food to grain free. Natural remedies a million *pumpkin, changing the protein, herbal supps*. Nothing worked. Vet checked stool and all came back negative. The vet thought he had IBD but didn’t want to do a biopsy on him since it was intrusive and felt that if she prescribed him Tylosin powder once a day *forever* which is fine since it’s non-toxic this would help him. Presto… It’s put him back to how he was!!!! I give it to him once a day mixed in water and squirt in his mouth. He hates it, however, this is the only thing that helped him. Ask your vet… this seems to be the only solution for some. I just didn’t want people or their pets to suffer if this was the solution. My cat would visit the box 5 times a day and sometimes wouldn’t make it. None of those issues anymore. If I miss a dose I notice his poop reverting back to how it was. You can try and hide this medicine in your cat’s food but it’s impossible lol. THEY KNOW!!!!!! I hope this helps if you tried everything… and maybe your vet doesn’t know about this solution so ask!!!
My russian blue cat had diarrhea for one!!! year. It was once a day ,but with blood. Changed 3 doctors who prescribed just metronidazole or tylosin. Now I switched him to another vet who said it’s food related , all premium quality food give him soft stool. Conclusion- allergy to chicken, turkey and duck. So no more birds for him. Vet suggested give him yogurt, to normalize flora in his gut. Before I give him Forti flora probiotics for cats ,but because it content chicken it didn’t work. After switching him to Lamb and blueberry by ND and adding yogurt he is excellent shape , energetic and I am happy like never before .
I too got a cat through a pet food store adoption room. I happened to notice him because he did have chronic diarrhea and was trying his best to remain clean. I took him to the vet immediately, and since nothing else was wrong with him he said he may belong to the approximately 5% of cats with chronic diarrhea. He said it was okay to give him Imodium, just like people take. I purchased the small blue pills of generic Imodium from Walgreens. I crush them into a powder every couple of weeks, and put the equivalent of 1/4 of a pill into his food twice a day. I tasted it myself and it’s pretty neutral. Apparently the the wet cat food flavor masks it well, because he doesn’t have any trouble eating it. It totally clears up the diarrhea, and he’s a happy boy because he can stay spotlessly clean, as is his preference.
Thank you for this article! I have had this kitten, Cupcake, since the summer and she has had diarrhea almost the whole time. She has been to the vet, is now parasite free and tested negative for feline leukemia, still with diarrhea, soft-stools. She has to be in a room by herself because she can just be walking, and poop! So, I am going to ask my vet about Imodium and I may try 1 other type of wet food, I too have tried probiotics, yogurt-Activia, “Gentle” cat food ,etc. Thanks for the suggestion!
Follow up to last post. My cat had same symptoms as Charmaine’s. Soft serve type stools soon after eating. But no other symptoms. Lasted for 5 days. Vet actually gave a antiinflammatory shot. Then gave Metronidazole to take home. ( an antibiotic).
Also gave packs of probiotics to put in food. Was glad I took him. Vet wasn’t sure the cause. Said it could be an infection caught from outside or from a food change. (Must change food gradually. ).
My cat just had the same problem as Charmaine’s. The vet said his colon is full of gas. He gave antiinflammatory meds and probiotics to put in his food. Was glad I took him bc all that gas can be painful. Good luck.
Hi my cat of 15 years suffers from obstapation for many years due to a special diet and veterinary care she has been doing extremely well for years suddenly I had to take a family member in with a cat of his own -mostly the cats are separated but at times they are open house amongst supervision- my cat of isn’t acceptable of this and wants to be left alone and hisses for distance- suddenly this young 6 year old cat preyed and attached Delila from behind and suddenly the next day she is suffering from diarrhea and today (day two) she wasn’t solid but went outside in a bedroom- should I be concerned?
Hi Tina,
We suggest contacting your vet. These pieces might help, too:
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-tips-constipation-what-can-you-do-about-it
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-poop-diarrhea-in-cats-ask-a-vet
https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/cat-aggression
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-problems-tips-cats-aggressive-aggression
https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/do-you-have-an-aggressive-cat
https://www.catster.com/cat-behavior/stop-cats-fighting
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-fight-cats-fighting-tips-how-to-stop-prevent-violence
My cat had diarrhea that has now stopped but how long should it take for her to have a more normal bm?
Hi Paula,
We suggest asking your vet for advice. These articles might also provide more insight on diarrhea in cats:
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/what-causes-chronic-diarrhea-in-rescue-cats
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/what-causes-diarrhea-of-unknown-origin-in-cats
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-when-to-worry-or-not-for-cats-of-all-ages
Best of luck and hope your kitty feels better!
My cat has been having chronic soft stools since he took his tapeworm medicine three weeks ago. His stools were normal before he took the medicine. However my vet said that the medicine shouldn’t be giving him diarrhea and that it’s probably his food. I was mixing both wet and dry food and I didn’t change his diet or anything but my vet said to try feeding him dry food only. So two weeks after feeding him dry food only he’s still having diarrhea. Other than that he seems fine, he is still playful, he doesn’t act sick and he actually eats a lot. I try to feed him a smaller amount, he’s a small cat, but he always begs for more, he will actually chew into his cat food bag, so I just give him more food until he is satisfied. I have read online that tapeworm medicine can cause diarrhea and since that is when his problem started could that be the cause?
Hi we have had construction started next door to our house and my little kitten has now started with runny poo since and only when they are not there he settles down just wondering how to fix this as he is fine with eating and drinking water and he still plays but just been pooing since the construction started and its going to be going on for another 2 months
Hi Kristy,
Sorry to hear your cat is experiencing issues. These articles might help and we suggest going to the vet if this issue persists.
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/five-tips-calming-stressed-cat
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/stress-in-the-home-affects-your-cat-but-you-can-help
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-health-tips-reduce-stress-anxiety
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-care-behavior-stress-change
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
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My cat was straining to pee for a few and so we gave a Apple acid vinegar and the problem had easily vanished but now he is pooping liquid in litter and sometimes even outside the litter box but she is playful and loves to eat food . is there any cure for this?
Hi there—
We suggest contacting your vet about this issue. Here’s some more info on cat diarrhea and pooping issues:
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
My cat has been having loose stools off and on for the past few months. We took him to the vet to have a look, they took a stool sample and he didn’t have any parasites. He had blood work 6 moths ago and all was good. We did see that he needed his anal glands expressed and when they did it shot out on the walk at the vets, but the young vet was timid and I’m afraid she didn’t properly express the glands. They gave him an antibiotic and he started having some what normal stools but still back & forth between normal and loose/pudding type stools. He’s very active, drinks water and eats good. No change in diet. Should I take him back to the vet? The vet mentioned he may need probiotics and I bought some and thought maybe I should add them to his food? Any thoughts on why he’s still not always having a normal stool? Maybe the anal glands need to be fully expressed? Thanks for the info!
Hi Heather,
Sorry to hear your kitty isn’t feeling well! We suggest taking him back to the vet.
My one cat has very soft, non-formed stools constantly. She eats well and otherwise seems to be in good health. She has occasional blood in the stool. I’ve mentioned this to the vet. I’m told to bring in a stool specimen which always comes back as no parasites found. She does not appears to be uncomfortable. The vet doesn’t seems concerned. Any ideas what causes this?
Hi Charmine,
If you’re discussing this with your vet and showing your vet the stool samples, your vet should be able to diagnose your cat (or maybe your kitty is fine!). Hope everything goes well!
The construction crew is feeding him God-knows-what. Restrict him until the construction is done.
Hi there there are five cats in my house hold. I noticed poops all over the house and regularly then I realise it wasn’t just one cat making a mess. So I thought, they might be sick. I paid attention to their food and especially water because some folks were being sick and was because of contaminated water so I thought maybe that’s happening to them.
After awhile they seem back to normal except for one kitten.
I’m worried about her she still is pooping everywhere and she can’t seem to control herself I’ve watched it surprise she almost ran in a circle grabbing at her tail while it was coming out. Absolutely no control she runs from the house and it’s a trail of mess in her wake.
I haven’t seen any solid stool from her in weeks. All watery. Lastnight I got a shock going into the bathroom as it was all over the place facet included.
She eats,sleeps,plays as usual but it can’t be normal for her to be going for weeks like that.
What do you think is wrongs with her?
Hi Stephanie,
Here are some articles that might help, but we suggest getting your kitty to the vet ASAP!
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-health-five-reasons-wont-use-litter-box
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-behavior-litter-box-issues
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-problems-from-diarrhea-to-constipation
https://www.catster.com/cat-health-care/cat-poop-when-to-worry-or-not-for-cats-of-all-ages
https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/why-would-a-cat-poop-on-the-bed