What does your cat’s poo tell you about their health?
Cat poo is one of the best indicators of your cat’s health. Like with humans, poo can let you know if there’s an underlying illness or their food has disagreed with them. If you’ve noticed that your cat’s poo might not be quite right, don’t worry, we’ve put together this guide that will let you know what your cat’s poo can tell you about their health.
What does healthy cat poo look like?
If your cat is healthy, their poo should be:
- Dark brown in colour
- Semi-soft (not rock hard, but not mushy either)
- A relatively mild smell (although of course, it may smell a little bit)
A healthy cat will likely poo once a day. They can go longer, up to 48 hours, but anything more than that then you should contact your vet for advice. They may also go more often; perhaps up to three times a day. If their poo is healthy and your cat seems happy, there should be no real cause for concern.
Why does cat poo smell so bad?
Smelly faeces could be an indicator to your cat’s health. Cat poo can be notoriously smelly, which most people put down to strong smelling food – like fish. But if cat poo is unbearable to be around, this could be a sign of a stomach or intestine problem. This could be due to a poor diet, a bacterial infection or perhaps a digestion problem.
Poor diet
If you’re worried about smelly poo, make sure to check your cat’s food ingredients. Some cat food contains “filler” ingredients, which are made from corn or other grains. Make sure that anything you’re feeding your cat has more natural ingredients than fillers, and foods that are more fitting to what a cat’s natural diet would be.
Changing your cat’s food suddenly can also be a reason behind smelly cat poo.
Food intolerance
Your cat might have the best food in the world, but if they have an intolerance to some ingredients, then that could be the cause of their stinky stools. This could be fish, eggs, milk, beef or any other ingredients. If your cat is also itching, losing hair or vomiting in addition to the smelly faeces, it’s likely this could be an allergy or intolerance, so make sure to contact your vet.
What does yellow cat poo mean?
If your cat’s poo is yellow it could mean a number of things, such as:
- Their food is not being digested properly
- They have issues with their liver, pancreas or gallbladder
be able to do tests to check whether your cat has a digestion problem or if there is a more serious issue at hand.
What does white cat poo mean
That’s right. Cats can in fact have white poo. Whether this is white patches or completely white, this can mean:
- Your cat has intestinal worms
- Your cat has a severe bacterial imbalance
- Your car has a bowel infection
Keep an eye on the colouration of the faeces and if it continues to be white or has white patches, make sure to contact your vet.
What does green cat poo mean?
Like with yellow poo, green cat poo can also mean that there is a digestion problem, and their food is flowing too quickly through their system. If the stool is of a normal consistency, it could mean that they have had too many greens in their food which has not been digested properly. Either way, it is best to keep a close watch on the discolouration and take your cat to the vet, particularly if you think they are in pain or distressed.
Toilet training your cat can be hard, but once you’ve got it nailed, it’s unlikely that they will regress. So, if there is a random change in their toilet behaviour (like no longer going in their litter tray even when it has been cleaned regularly), this could be a sign of a distressed kitty.
Your cat’s poo tells you a lot about their health, so make sure that they are going at least once a day and watch out for the consistency and colouration. Don’t forget Argos Pet Insurance can cover your cat if there is something more serious going on. For more help and advice on caring for your cat, check out our We Talk Pet blog.
Argos Pet Insurance is provided by Pinnacle Insurance plc
