My Cat Has Poop Stuck In His Anus: What Should I Do?

When you have a cat you get accustomed to their poop antics — from littering outside of the box to find random ‘gifts’ in the most remote corners of your house.

However, if there’s poop stuck in your cat’s anus, there might be a more serious reason behind what could be a very funny situation.

In fact, this happens more commonly than you might think and you will probably need to change your cat’s habits accordingly in order to prevent further problems.

What Should You Do If You See poop Stuck Halfway Uut Your Cat? 

If you can see the piece of stool clearly and your cat lets you handle them, you can remove the poop manually using a cotton ball soaked in lukewarm water.

cat with poop stuck in anus

Your cat will lick the part you cleaned afterward, so it’s very important to use only water or wipes that are specifically designed for cat fur.

Any other kind of wipe could contain chemicals or additives (scents) that may be toxic to your cat.

When an adult cat or a kitten has poop stuck in the anus, it’s fairly easy to spot it right away because they usually start dragging their bum across the floor and often leave an unpleasant streak behind them (in an attempt to get rid of it).

It is very uncomfortable for a cat to find itself in this situation.

Especially because cats are very clean animals and they usually get their fur all dirty while trying to remove the poop with their odd methods.

What To Do If there is a String Stuck in the Poop?

Sometimes you might find a string mixed with the poop and you might feel tempted to pull it out.

However, you should proceed carefully. You can try pulling lightly at the string to see if it comes out. If it does, pull it very slowly (be very gentle).

If it feels stuck, don’t pull the string out, because it might be wrapped around some part of the intestine or stuck in a dangerous spot.

Forcefully pulling it out might cause lacerations or other bad injuries to your cat without knowing.

Why Does Poop Get Stuck in Your Cat Anus?

sick cat

Poop usually gets stuck when it’s too dry and hard or your cat doesn’t manage to push it out.

This is commonly due to constipation.

Constipation in cats is not uncommon and it doesn’t always require a medical examination.

Sometimes cats manage to expel the feces on their own, so check the litter box regularly.

A cat usually poops at least once per day.

You may want to make a preventive call to your vet and discuss the matter with them, especially if you have a kitten.

If your cat keeps getting poop stuck often or regularly enough to be noticed and doesn’t get any better even though you took all the recommended measures, then a medical examination is necessary.

Most common causes of constipation in cats

There are several causes behind constipation in cats and most of them are easily fixed at home without the need for expensive medical procedures.

Cats are very independent and sometimes we may forget that they’re sometimes fragile animals who are often over-sensitive to any minor change in their lifestyle.

Most of them can easily upset thier stomachs too.

Hairballs 

Public enemy number one of cats is the infamous hairballs.

If you have a cat, you cannot escape the fur hell and you probably know that no matter how often you brush their fur, your cat will always manage to ingest enough to cause some trouble.

A cat’s ‘sandpaper tongue’ is capable of brushing away a lot of dead hair each time your cat cleans themselves and all this hair ends up creating little or big balls in the stomach and intestines, where they become hard and difficult to expel.

Unfortunately, brushing your cat regularly doesn’t always solve this problem for good, but there are a few products you can use, like hairball gels or complimentary food designed to remove furballs.

Dry food

orange cat eating

Dry food is very much loved by cat owners because it’s easily portioned, cheaper than wet food, and lasts much longer once you opened the package.

Many famous brands produce high-quality dry food that is designed to provide your cat with all the nutritional elements they need to grow healthy.

However, a good cat diet should not consist of dry food only.

In fact, eating solely or mostly dry food may be harmful because it tends to form gastrointestinal blockages more easily than wet food.

If you notice poop sticking out of your cat or vomiting, it might be because of an excess of dry food in their diet they can’t properly digest.

Try feeding them a larger quantity of wet food in replacement for a few days and see how it goes.

Dirty Litter Box

Cats are very clean and very fussy animals. Some cats take their time in the litter box digging and digging until they find the perfect spot to release themselves.

The litter box should be cleaned every day (or every few days at least). 

When it gets full and starts smelling, your cat will be the first to refuse it.

This means that they will either poop somewhere else (usually as a warning for you, ‘clean my toilet, human!’) or they won’t poop at all, which will make them constipated.

A litter box doesn’t always need to be completely dirty for a cat to reject it.

If you see that your cat stopped covering their poop or you find stools around the litter box, it means they are not appreciating the box in the state it is in.

Some cat parents use odor control cat litters so they don’t need to change the whole litter every day and can just remove the stools.

However, cats have a strong sense of smell, so even if the gravel is clean, they might smell old odors. That means it’s time for a complete change.

How to Prevent Constipation in Cats

The keyword to help a constipated cat is petcare.

You will need to be more careful and attentive about their needs because cats sometimes are the best saboteurs of themselves.

When it comes to cat poop, prevention is always the best method.

Cats have their own messy ways to let you know something is wrong with their bowel movements, and cleaning up after them will be rather unpleasant.

Add Fibers to Your Cat’s Diet

On top of feeding them more wet food, you can also help your cat having regular bowel movements and softer stools by adding some fibers to their diet.

Foods such as pumpkins, peas, spinach, and carrots are all good sources of fibers for your cat.

These are also very good allies against obesity because they will bulk up your cat food and prevent them from overeating.

Remember that cat food should never be spiced or cooked in any fancy way and it would actually be best served boiled with no salt or oil.

Encourage Your Cat to Drink More Water

Cats are known for being the opposite of big drinkers.

cat drinking

Most cats just don’t seem to feel the need to get hydrated, or they ignore it.

However, water is important for the overall health of your cat and especially for a cat who has problems pushing out poop.

Cats usually trust fresh, moving water better than still water, and that’s why they don’t drink from their bowl.

You could try encouraging your cat to drink by pouring water slowly from a bottle into their bowl in front of them, so they can see the water moving.

If you have a few extra bucks to spend and wish to make your cat really happy, you could also purchase one of those beautiful cat water fountains that have automatic water recycle.

Tire Your Cat More

An exhausted cat is a cat who drinks more and has a better bowel movement.

House cats especially have very few chances to exercise properly, so as a cat parent, you should take this responsibility and make sure to reserve a few minutes a day to play with your pet.

On the market, you’ll find plenty of entertaining toys for cats, but even if you can’t spare money for playtime, cats are truly easily entertained.

A string or a tennis ball used properly will provide enough exercise for both you and your furball.

Will the Poop Stuck in My Cat Anus Cause Health Problems?

orange cat sleeping

If your cat has poop hanging out of its anus, it shouldn’t be too worrying and they will be okay if you take a few precautions from now on.

Constipation is fairly common in cats for a variety of reasons, starting with their inclination to get hairballs stuck in their intestines.

That’s why cats need extra care in regards to their fur, diet, and drinking habits.

Make sure your cat’s diet is well-balanced between dry and wet food and if there happen to be constipation issues, adding some fibers to their daily food will surely help.

Your cat should also drink water regularly, so consider finding a method that encourages them to drink, like a cat water fountain.

Of course, discussing your options with the veterinarian should always be the first thing to do when there’s something wrong with your pet.

Their advice will always be more valuable and safe than anyone else’s.

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