How often do cats walk big?

“How often should my cat “poop”?” “How many times a day does a kitten poop normally?” While not glamorous, these are valid questions that every cat owner has asked themselves at one point or another. According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, healthy cats poop one to three times a day.

However, the exact frequency with which cats and kittens will have a bowel movement depends on various factors, including their diet, age and lifestyle, underlying health issues, degree of stress/relaxation, etc. But this doesn't say much about how much. since your pet has to go outside a day, right? Probably not, but hopefully this comprehensive article on gut health in cats will help.

How often?

If you are the proud owner of a kitten, then you have to clean the litter box more often. Why? Babies eat in relatively small portions, but often. Here's the result. An adult healthy cat relieves itself approximately once a day. Owners of “domestic” cats are a little more “lucky” in this regard: after all, you are the one who keeps the litter box clean. So you have the cards in your hands, if you wish, you will know exactly where, how much and how often. It's a little more difficult with street cats. There is only one way out - keep the animal in the house for several days.

When should you worry?

Although there is no hard and fast rule for how many times a day a cat should poop, one to three times a day is considered normal . If your cat is within the normal range but you still suspect something is wrong, a good question to ask yourself is how different your pet's current bowel movements are from his normal bowel movements.

For example, if your cat usually poops once a day and her stool is hard and normal in color and smell, and then starts pooping three times a day with soft, mushy stools, something may be wrong. In this case, it is very likely that your cat is suffering from diarrhea. On the other hand, if your pet starts pooping every other day and his stool becomes hard and small, he is most likely constipated.

Diarrhea

A cat with diarrhea struggles with abnormally frequent passage of watery or very soft stools that are often strangely colored (yellow or even greyish) and foul-smelling. While diarrhea is usually short-lived, it can still be serious, especially if the cat in question goes to the toilet too many times a day (some cats go more than four times!) but doesn't eat or drink water. Diarrhea is usually caused by a change in diet, although it may be gastrointestinal related and the result of an inflammatory, infectious, or neoplastic disorder. In any case, if the condition persists for more than two days, you should talk to your veterinarian.

Common causes of feline diarrhea include:

A change in their usual diet/food sensitivities or an allergy to the new diet
Inflammatory bowel disease
Viral or bacterial infections
Intestinal parasites
Colitis
Metabolic diseases such as pancreatic disease or thyroid imbalance
Medicines or toxins

Fortunately, most cases of diarrhea in cats can be treated with simple dietary changes. The best cat food for constipation is one that is higher in fiber than normal, or alternatively, softer than normal. To help your cat cope with this condition as effectively as possible and to normalize toileting, it is very important to feed her a dry diet that does not irritate her stomach. In practice, this means avoiding foods that you know your cat reacts poorly to (for example, some cats are sensitive to grain, others are sensitive to chicken...) and sticking to foods that they generally like and do well on. feel. It may also be a good idea to give fiber and probiotic supplements.

Although most cases of diarrhea are harmless and last for a day or two, some cases are a symptom of a more serious health problem. For example, if the condition recurs, it is likely due to another health problem, such as an overactive thyroid, a neurological disorder, an immune system disorder, kidney or liver disease, or any type of viral infection. Finally, it can also be a symptom of lymphoma, a tumor of the lymph nodes. So, if your cat suffers from diarrhea for more than a day or two, or if the condition returns from time to time, be sure to talk to your veterinarian to rule out any serious health problems.

Constipation

Constipation is defined as the inability to have bowel movements regularly and easily. So, if your cat struggles with either an inability to poop regularly (remember, at least once a day) or painful straining when trying to pick up something for the litter box, she's likely suffering from constipation. Now, constipation is quite natural for most cats - from time to time. The problem occurs if the condition lasts too long or occurs too often.

But what lasts too long or too often when it comes to constipation? Experts agree that healthy cats poop between one and three times a day, depending on the cat's age (kittens poop more often, older cats less per day) as well as diet, so if your pet doesn't seem to be pooping litter box for more than one day, you are dealing with constipation. That being said, even if your kitten manages to pass stool once a day, but the stool appears very dry and small, plus the kitten tenses and cries while in the litter box, you are still dealing with constipation.

Common causes of constipation in cats include:

Changing their usual diet
Diet Low in Fiber and Probiotics
Dehydration
Traumatic injury
Infection
Major metabolic abnormality
Intestinal tumors
Adverse reaction to medications

Typically, cats struggle with constipation for simple reasons, such as a change in their normal diet (such as suddenly switching to a high-protein, grain-free, or low-fat food; basically anything that is unusual for your cat). Lack of access to drinking water is often to blame. Unfortunately, most cats are very picky and picky eaters and drinkers, so even if their water bowl is right in front of them all day, they may not drink it unless it is fresh and cold.

So what to do about this disease? In general, it is recommended to introduce high-fiber foods into your cat's diet at least occasionally, as well as as much wet formula as possible. This is a great way to prevent constipation in the first place, but it can also help if your pet seems to be struggling with frequent bouts of constipation. That being said, if the condition lasts more than two days or occurs very frequently, you should talk to your veterinarian to rule out other, more serious health problems. You should be especially concerned if your cat screams in pain while trying to poop, or if you see blood in her stool.

Why does a cat get constipated?

Constipation can be said to occur when an animal has bowel movements every other day or even two days. If you suspect something is wrong, you need to conduct your own research, checking the eating habits and preferences of your pet. Lifestyle also matters: lazy couch potato cats, as a rule, walk around less often than their more active relatives. Activity in purely domestic cats should be supported and even stimulated by offering them appropriate outdoor games and entertainment. Perhaps the pet's food is made from medium-strength wheat (filler), other grains (rice), and contains a lot of carbohydrates. We must not forget that cats are naturally carnivores; they need meat and animal protein. Be sure to check how much your family pet drinks. Lack of moisture almost inevitably leads to constipation.

As you can see, it is not at all necessary to drop everything and immediately run to the veterinarian. There are some things you can handle on your own.

Cat poops: the norm per day

Before we talk about specific factors that may cause your cat to go to the toilet less often or more often, it's important to cover the basics. A general rule of thumb is that your cat should have a bowel movement at least once a day. It is equally important that the stool is of a certain shape and color: ideally, not too hard and not too soft, a normal brown color. Another important question to ask yourself is how difficult or easy it is for your cat to actually poop. Your cat should not strain or meow during feeding as he should pass the stool without any discomfort or pain.

So, a healthy cat should:

Poop at least once a day
Bowel movements occur normally without straining.
The stool will be well formed and brown in color.
It will also not be too hard, not too soft and have a normal smell.

Why does a cat often walk in a big way?

We noted above: we consider going to the litter box once a day as a conditional norm. We make an exception for kittens, young and very active cats - they walk “big” more often. Pinch your nose with your hand again and inspect the excrement. They are “watery”, emit a nauseating odor, your cat has given up going to the litter box and now does her business wherever she has to - all these signs indicate the presence of certain problems.

First of all, as in the previous case, review your diet. Perhaps the key to the solution lies here. Make sure that your cat does not consume milk or milk-containing products (yogurt, etc.): many purrs suffer from individual lactose intolerance.

In most cases, diarrhea goes away within a day or two. If this is not your case, the diarrhea does not stop, there is blood in the stool, or you find worms or other parasites, do not delay a visit to the veterinarian.

Reasons for frequent visits to the toilet

The main reason why a cat poops frequently is an improper diet. Because of this, the usual functioning of the digestive system is disrupted, it malfunctions and frequent visits to the toilet occur, during which the cat may not necessarily go too far.

Other reasons include:

Stress . Cats, just like people, can tolerate stress. When moving, sudden changes in environment, early separation from their mother, and other reasons, cats may be in a state of stress. Some people experience this with difficulty bowel movements, while others, on the contrary;
Wrong nutrition . An animal that does not eat properly may feel discomfort in the body. Heavy foods that take a long time to digest, cause fermentation in the intestines and gas formation, can cause frequent urge to go to the toilet. At the same time, the cat becomes restless, irritable, and his trips are not always crowned with success;
Constipation . Frequent trips to the toilet in a cat can be directly related to difficulties in defecation. The accumulation of poisoned food, which has already formed in the feces, but for some reason cannot empty the animal’s intestines, causes bloating, abdominal pain and frequent urge to go to the toilet. This happens due to poor nutrition of the pet. The owner simply does not monitor his regime, and this leads to such problems.

Strong smell

Why does cat poop smell so strong? Everyone has heard about the extraordinary odor of cat feces, even those who are far from the animal world. There is only one explanation: purrs attach paramount importance to various odors. Your pussy leaves its scent marks everywhere. And when it rubs against its owner’s legs, and when it “butts” its head. Cats leave a unique smell everywhere, including on furniture and household items.

By the way, they are well aware of the specific aroma of their feces. Therefore, most cats try to bury (hide) them deeper and further away, so as not to attract the attention of large predators. However, there are also so-called “alpha”, or dominant cats. They display the products of their vital activity - they say, admire and smell. It’s a curious detail, but excrement contains a lot of useful and “educational” information. Japanese scientists say that whiskers “encrypt” even information about their own owners in feces. By the smell you can determine who left the “gift” - a cat or a female cat, what age it is, what food preferences are, what individual preferences are. However, you and I, no matter how hard we try, will not understand anything. Let’s just note one important thing: the smell has become too strong and intolerable - it’s better to show your pet to a veterinarian. Such a visit becomes a necessity when the animal suffers from chronic constipation or, conversely, incessant diarrhea. The final diagnosis of your pet will be made exclusively by a specialist.

Original publication: How Often Do Cats Poop? Author: Reyna Abraham. Source: cuteness.com Photo: pixabay.com

Habit of marking territory

It is quite possible that frequent visits to the litter box are caused by a completely ordinary instinct that forces cats to mark their territory. This is also typical for some cats, who nevertheless behave more restrainedly and, instead of marking their owner’s things, simply often go to their litter box. Of course, all this is usually accompanied by a characteristic meow. This behavior can also often be seen in pregnant individuals.

If you are sure that the animal is not sick, there is no need to worry about this.

Causes of blood in urine in men and women

The most common causes of blood in urine in men include:

neoplasms or prostate adenoma;
advanced sexually transmitted infection (spreading to the urethra and bladder);
acute and chronic prostatitis;
very heavy physical activity.

In women, hematuria is most often caused by:

acute or chronic form of cystitis (accompanied by frequent urges, cramps and pain);
urethritis (there are blood impurities in all portions of urine);
endometriosis;
hematuria in pregnant women (associated with hormonal changes).

In any case, to find out the cause, you need the help of a specialist. If you have such a symptom, you need to contact a urologist and undergo a full examination with instrumental and laboratory tests that will help to accurately identify the cause of hematuria and select the right treatment.

Why does blood appear in urine?

One of the common causes of hematuria in both women and men is urolithiasis during an exacerbation. The stone, passing through the ureters, injures the mucous membrane, causing its damage. At the same time, severe pain is felt. The wounds bleed, and the blood is washed off along with the urine, which is painted in the corresponding color, and the bloody discharge has a bright scarlet color.

In old age, the cause of blood in the urine may be age-related narrowing of the urinary canal. The most dangerous diagnosis for such a symptom is considered to be cancer of the prostate, bladder or kidneys. It is worth considering here that malignant tumors of these organs respond well to treatment. The main thing is to consult a doctor in time, i.e. at the first symptoms that appear.

Other possible causes of hematuria:

taking anticoagulants (heparin or aspirin);
wound or severe bruise of the kidney;
bladder polyps or tumors;
genitourinary infections.

If blood appears at the end of urination, then the cause should be sought in the bladder, if outside the process of urine excretion - in the urethra (urethra, most often due to damage to its walls). If additional joint pain is observed, the cause may be systemic lupus erythematosus.