posted
Tonight, I found green feces in the litterbox. I've only had my cat for a month but I've never noticed it before. He's acting normally otherwise...playing, eating etc. Is this a problem? Should I call a vet or could this simply be because he's on a high fiber diet?
Posts: 1214 | Registered: Aug 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Different cat foods will give my cat different colored feces, and one kind (nope, don't remember which one - sorry!) makes it a pretty noticeable bright green.
Also, cats sometimes eat different types of grasses, and that can also make the feces green.
If your cat is otherwise healthy looking, I wouldn't worry about it. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Do you go to the doctor when your feces turn green? You feel fine, don't you? I'm sure the cat feels fine too. Its only a natural thing. The only thing that I would worry about is red feces which could mean internal bleeding.
Posts: 3389 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
My kitties' feces changes periodically with no change in what I'm feeding them. Unfortunately, I have kids who periodically forget to clean up after themselves (found Mungo last night eating kernel corn and loving it), so I'm sure that's a factor. The doc said exactly what Alt said. As long as there's no indication of blood and they're eating and acting normally, there's no need for panic.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
What food are you using, is it one of the new 'indoor' formula's? They have more clorophyl type stuff in them, so might produce more of that. If you continue to notice it, you might ask your vet at your next visit, but seeing you've had the cat a month, that could be a year away. I wouldn't worry too much. If you'd feel better though, call the receptionist at your vet's office on a weekday, and they'll tell you something.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Does the feces itself look good? It's not runny or bloody, or way too much or anything? If so, then it's probably from the food and nothing to worry about.
Other things to watch out for: either in the litter box or on his bed or favorite sleeping spots, especially if your cat goes outside (and they're so much safer and healthier indoors that my vet and I strongly recommend they stay inside) is small whitish things that look a little like rice grains. Those are tape worm segments, and indicate that your cat has intestinal parasites and needs to go to the vet.
Other handy tips for new cat owners:
Little black curled or spiral looking things that turn red in water are indications of fleas. The best long-term flea prevention and removal stuff is Diatomaceous Earth brushed into your carpet, which is extremely non-toxic, (it's a mineral compound, like rock) is approved by the FDA for use in food, even, and will dry out the fleas and flea eggs and kill them.
Watch for excessive ear-scratching, which can be a sign of ear infection. Scratching every now and then is not a problem but if it's frequent, and particularly if accompanied by him holding his head tilted or one ear down, then it can mean he has an ear infection.
Any time the cat starts going outside the litter box, he's telling you something. Either you aren't keeping the box clean enough to suit him (and they're pretty finicky) or he's got a urinary tract infection, or some other medical problem. Cats don't have to be trained to use a litter box. They prefer it. There's never really a behavioral problem that needs correcting, unless it's training the human to keep the box cleaner. Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
| IP: Logged |
quote:The only thing that I would worry about is red feces which could mean internal bleeding.
Actually, blood in stool is usually black, not red. Red blood is usually indicative of some type of trauma near the anus, not of internal bleeding.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, bleeding from the stomach/small intestine is almost always black. Blood from the large intestine can be red OR black. Depends on how long the blood has been in there and how much it has begun to break down and the total quantity of blood. Rapidly GI bleeding patients can show up in ERs with passing clots of blood or liquid blood or just black, jet black, tarry stools.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
