Expert: KC - 9/11/2007

Question
What is the indication if a cat's feces has blood in it?

Answer
Hi Lynn - If you've seen blood in your cats feces multiple times, please take him/her to a vet to be evaluated.  A small (very small) amount of really bright blood can indicate hemorrhoids or possibly an infected anal gland.  If your cat has recurrent hemorrhoids, which may be either internal, external, or both, diet can greatly help to reduce them.  An infected or impacted anal glad may or may not be swollen but they can be easily drained by your vet and the cat might need antibiotics for a few days.  However, if you are seeing dark stools, dark blood, or any significant quantity of blood then please take your cat to the vet immediately.  Dark blood indicates bleeding high in the intestinal tract which can indicate a heavy load of intestinal parasites, partially obstructed bowel, among other serious issues...even cancer.  Any quantity of bright blood indicates bleeding externally or else in or near the rectum.  Hopefully what you are seeing is just a small amoung of bright blood, and only once or twice.  If your vet diagnoses the cat with hemorrhoids, then focus on diet...check food labels and try to compare the fiber content, as a high fiber diet will certainly help.  If your cat has had diarrhea, or any soft stools, you'll want to notify your vet about it to check for worms, a bacterial infection, etc.  I hope this helps.