Twelve year old male cat started dropping small stools

Twelve year old male cat started dropping small stools

by Gareth
(Featherstone)

Hi…my 12 year old male cat who is generally healthy and vet serviced every year, has recently started dropping small round stools uncontrollably.

He is licking his rectum more and has lost fur around the opening. This does not happen all the time but is regular, like once a day.

He has a favorite window sill he sits on that has now got stool smear marks on it that return when cleaned off each day, suggesting he is leaking stool without knowing it.

He is spending more time with his leg in the air cleaning his rectum. While doing this he appears to have a distant look in his eyes like in a trance. He is becoming more noisy when he wants a pat on the back and will meow like mad until you stroke his back.

Just wondered if anyone had any ideas before going to the vet?

Gareth

Hi Gareth… thanks for visiting and asking. My immediate thought was fecal incontinence. In other words your cat is losing control of his anal sphincter muscle. This results in defecation intermittently or permanently without control.

There is a loss of hair around his bottom because he licks there a lot. And he licks there a lot because he is constantly going to the toilet albeit unintentionally. The licking and loss of hair are normal. The loss of anal control is not.

The usual reasons for this are spinal cord injuries due to a car accident or fall, for example. It may be due to an infection caused by a bite from another cat.

The tail might be paralysed. Although perhaps this is not immediately apparent.

Spinal cord injury may affect the bladder and he might urinate more or be doubly incontinent.

The excessive defecation is not due to diarrhea, clearly, as the stools are small and formed.

OK, I am not a vet. I am suggesting no more. The detail from this comes from Book 1 on this page.

What to do? Go to the vet for X rays and more.

Michael Avatar

From twelve year old male cat started dropping small stools to Cat Health Problems

Comments for
Twelve year old male cat started dropping small stools

Click here to add your own comments

Jun 13, 2010 To Christine
by: Michael

Christine, I am not sure if your comment is addressed to me or Gareth.

Anyway, my email box is far from full! It should work just fine.

I would try my email again if it is me that you want to contact. Or contact me by other means.

My contact details are on this page.

Michael Avatar


Jun 13, 2010 Thanks
by: Anonymous

Many thanks for all your comments. it has given me guidence where to look more. i will get off to the vets with the suggestions and let you know the outcome.
my email address is diy@garethyates.wanadoo.co.uk
if you have any more ideas please keep posting them.
again many thanks to you all.


Jun 13, 2010 To Gareth
by: Dorothy

I’m sorry you and your cat are going through this, and I hope there is an easy answer.

Meanwhile, cats are so fastidious, it must be very uncomfortable for him to be constantly messy around his bottom. I suggest a regular warm soft damp cloth around his bottom to help him stay clean as often as you can manage. I think cat’s like it. It is as though mama-cat is bathing them.

Here is hoping for a speedy recovery.

Dorothy


Jun 13, 2010 My emails are returned to me
by: christine

Hi
This has nothing to do with the above, but I have tried emailing you a few times but they are all
returned with the reason that your mail box is full.
I would like your opinion on something.
I do not know how else to get in contact with you. How else can I write to you?


Leave a Comment

follow it link and logo