Though cleaning up the litterbox might be a chore, it can also be an opportunity to get clues about your cat’s health. Just by looking at a cat’s poop, as well as their pooping behaviors or habits, you can learn more about their hydration, digestive health, and much more. Some signs may also mean a vet visit is due.
In this Sploot Vets article, we'll talk about healthy vs unhealthy cat poop. We’ll cover some of the most common warning signs in cat poop like blood in cat poop, black cat poop, worms in cat poop, and more!
Overview:
- The appearance of a cat’s poop, along with the cat’s pooping or elimination habits, can provide numerous clues about their health.
- Most cats have a pooping schedule that they adhere to and this can be influenced by diet, hydration, and other factors.
- Some colors of cat poop (e.g. bloody, black) can mean that the cat needs urgent veterinary care.
A. Healthy Cat Poop: Color, Shape, Smell & Frequency
To establish a baseline for healthy cat poop and elimination behaviors, here are some guidelines:
1. What Color Poop Is Normal For Cats?
Healthy cat poop is brown or dark brown in color. It should be free from white specs. Along with the color, it’s also important to look at the consistency. Healthy cat poop is relatively firm but not dry, able to hold an elongated shape.
Note: The type of litter can change the apparent consistency of your cat’s poop. Clumping litter absorbs moisture quickly, forming a solid mass around the feces and making it appear firmer. For this reason, if you’d like to monitor the consistency of your cat’s poop, we recommend using non-clumping litter.
2. What Should Healthy Cat Poop Smell Like?
Healthy cat poop should have a mild odor that is slightly pungent. However, the smell should NOT be foul, sour, rotten, or overpowering. Any of these smells can indicate an imbalance in your cat’s digestive health.
3. Do Cats Have a Poop Schedule?
While kittens can poop up to five times a day, healthy adult cats typically poop once or twice a day. As for older cats or senior cats, their digestive system can slow down, leading to less frequent elimination.
Note: If any cat (kitten, adult, or senior) goes for 36 hours without pooping, it is best to consult an urgent care veterinarian.
B. What Does Unhealthy Cat Poop Look Like?
The following is a deeper dive into the appearance of unhealthy cat poop and what they mean for your feline friend’s health:
1. Runny or Soft Consistency Cat Poop
Runny or soft cat poop (or diarrhea) is a sign that your cat’s digestive system is irritated. This can be due to the following:
- Diet changes – when done too abruptly, this can cause diarrhea
- Stress – this can interfere with normal digestion
- Medications (e.g., antibiotics, dewormers) – these can temporarily disrupt the balance of normal flora in the cat’s gut
- Medical issues – intestinal worms, giardiasis, food allergies in cats, and inflammatory bowel disease can irritate or inflame the gut lining, disrupting digestion, leading to diarrhea.
Note: If your cat is suffering from diarrhea, we recommend bringing them to a vet. Contact an urgent care vet if your cat has had diarrhea for more than 12 hours.
2. Dry or Crumbly Cat Poop
Dry, crumbly cat poop typically points to dehydration or slow gut transit. This is common when a cat is one or more of the following:
- Has a low thirst drive – this is a common issue in cats
- Has a kibble-only diet – these diets have relatively less moisture than wet food or mixed feeding diets
- Doesn’t have open access to water – this leads to poor hydration in cats
- Has a low-fiber diet – pet food with low fiber content causes slow gut transit, leading to drier poop
Note: If your cat has dry poop, we recommend getting veterinary guidance to introduce hydration and/or fiber to their diet.
3. Worms In Cat Poop [White Spots or Elongated]
Some feline intestinal worms are released in a cat’s stool. These worms can be transmitted through a vector, ingestion, in utero, or through nursing, depending on the species of worms.
When worms get released in cat poop, their appearance provides clues on their species. Here is a breakdown of how the most common worms in cat poop look like:
- Tapeworms – appear as white specs or similar to grains of rice
- Roundworms – long, spaghetti-like, can be several inches long
- Whipworms – thread-like worms in cat poop, up to 3 inches long
Note: To get your cat treated for intestinal worms, consult a trusted veterinarian. This is best done early to avoid nutritional problems and pain.
4. Blood In Cat Poop
Bloody cat poop is a concerning symptom, signifying bleeding somewhere in the cat’s digestive tract. Typically, if cat poop has red bloody red streaks, this means that bleeding occurs somewhere in the lower part of the digestive tract, leaving the blood undigested.
Some of the most common causes of red bloody streaks in cat poop include the following:
- Colitis – an inflamed colon can bleed, causing streaks of blood on the stool.
- Hard stool – typically caused by dehydration or constipation, hard stool can be difficult to pass, potentially causing small tears on the rectum.
- Blockages and foreign objects – if a blockage or foreign object is somewhere in the lower digestive tract, it can cause streaks of blood to appear on cat poop.
- Parasites– certain parasites can cause bleeding in the lower GI tract (i.e. large intestines, colon), leading to bright red blood in stool. Some examples include whipworms and coccidia, which can reside in the cat’s colon.
Note: Red streaks of blood on cat poop is considered an urgent care case. Promptly consult your veterinarian if you see fresh blood on your cat’s poop.
5. Black Cat Poop [Hidden or Occult Blood]
The most common cause of black cat poop is digested blood, since the bleeding occurs in the upper part of the GI tract. This blood does not appear as obvious red streaks and is less obvious, therefore, it is also referred to as occult (hidden) blood.
Some of the most common causes of black cat poop with occult blood include the following:
- Blockages and foreign objects – if the blockage or foreign object is lodged in the upper digestive tract (i.e. the small intestines), it can cause bleeding, leading to black cat poop.
- Parasites – some parasites can produce bleeding in the upper GI tract, leading to digested blood in the cat’s poop. The most common cause is hookworms, which reside in the small intestines. However, a heavy infestation of roundworms can also produce bleeding.
Note: Black stool is nearly always a sign of occult blood. Please consult an urgent care veterinarian if you see this color of cat poop.
6. Cat Poop Gray Color
Gray cat poop is not normal. One common cause is a lack of bile in the intestines, pointing to liver or gallbladder dysfunction. Another common cause of gray cat poop is excess fat in stool, which is typically due to pancreatic issues.
Note: Since the most common causes of gray cat poop are linked to systemic issues, we recommend consulting a veterinarian if you observe this color of stool in your cat’s litterbox.
7. Yellow or Green Cat Poop
Green or yellow cat poop is not typical, and can be caused by food moving too quickly through the digestive tract. In such cases, bile in the stool does not get digested and thus appears as its original green color or a partially digested yellow color. This can be caused by stress, sudden diet changes, inflammatory bowel disease, or infections.
However, green cat poop can also be due to the ingestion of something green, such as grass, plant matter, or green-colored treats.
Note: To determine the cause of your cat’s green poop and get started on any needed treatment, we recommend contacting a veterinarian.
8. Orange Cat Poop
Orange cat poop is typically indicative of a lower amounts of bile in the cat’s stool. This produces orange poop, instead of the natural brown color when there is enough digested bile in the poop. Orange cat poop can be caused by liver disease, bile duct blockage, or gallbladder issues.
Note: Since orange cat poop typically points to a systemic issue, we recommend contacting a trusted veterinarian if you observe this issue in your cat.
C. Why Does My Cat’s Poop Smell So Bad
As mentioned early, when cat poop smells foul or overpowering, it is not normal. In such cases, we recommend calling a trusted vet to determine if you need to bring your cat in for a check-up. Here are the most common reasons why cat poop can smell unusually bad:
1. Foul, Rotten, or Sour Smelling Cat Poop
A strong, sour, or rotten odor from your cat’s poop can indicate gastrointestinal infections, parasites, or food intolerances. It can also signal poor nutrient absorption, particularly from conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or Giardia.
2. Metallic or Bloody Smelling Cat Poop
A metallic scent in your cat’s stool is commonly linked to the presence of blood, whether that’s fresh blood from the lower GI tract or digested blood (occult blood) from the upper GI tract. As mentioned earlier, cat poop blood, whether fresh or digested, can be caused by blockages, foreign body ingestion, certain parasites, colitis, and other issues.
D. Other Concerning Cat Pooping Behaviors
Aside from observing the cat poop itself, we also encourage observing your cat’s elimination behaviors, as these also provide clues regarding their health. If you observe any of the following, contact a veterinarian for further guidance:
1. Cat Pooping Outside Litter Box
When a cat suddenly starts pooping (and/or peeing) outside the litter box, it can be a sign of medical issues These include arthritis and/or discomfort due to constipation.
Once possible medical issues are ruled out, other factors, like stress and litterbox dissatisfaction, can be considered. Stress can be due to sudden changes in their environment, while litter box dissatisfaction can be due to recent changes to the litterbox (e.g., type of litter, placement, accessibility).
→ Learn more - Cat Peeing Outside Litter Box: Top 12 Reasons [& What to Do]
2. Cat Not Pooping or Pooping Less Frequently
If your cat isn’t pooping or is going less often, it could signal constipation, dehydration, or more serious issues like obstruction. Cats should typically poop at least once a day. If your cat is struggling to poop for more than 36 hours, we recommend promptly bringing them to an urgent care veterinarian.
Final Thoughts on Health Clues in Cat Poop
We trust that you found this complete guide on healthy vs. unhealthy cat poop helpful. While there’s plenty of clues available from just observing a cat’s poop, veterinarians are able to consider these clues along with lab tests for pinpoint diagnosis.
As a final note, we highly recommend bringing your cat to the veterinarian if you observe any unusual cat poop colors, consistencies, or odors, as well as unusual elimination behaviors like lack of pooping or pooping outside the litterbox.
Sploot Vets: Your All-in-One Cat Vet
If you have further questions or concerns, we’re always here for you. Sploot Veterinary Care provides all-in-one veterinary care for your cat, with primary care, urgent care, and emergency vet services all under one roof! Plus, with our Fear Free certified team, your cat gets top-tier care without the stress.
Visit one of our multiple convenient locations in Denver, Chicago, and Colorado Springs. Our clinic doors are open 365 days a year, with extended daily hours.
Schedule an appointment here or via the Sploot Vets app. Till next time, we’re with you every pounce of the way!
