Red bum

My kitty's anal opening appears really red and sore this morning. What would cause that, and is there anything I can do for her?

Has she had any issues? Diarrhea, constipation, new meds, have you noticed her "scooting" ( dragging her butt along the floor ).

I don't think you can really do anything, other than finding the cause of it.

Last night she had some of her poop stuck to her butt and she was scooting. I got a moist tissue and removed it, but she was complaining loudly! I guess that is how it got red.

Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom

Last night she had some of her poop stuck to her butt and she was scooting. I got a moist tissue and removed it, but she was complaining loudly! I guess that is how it got red.

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Yup, that would explain it.

Give it a day or two and it should be back to normal

I would watch her VERY closely. It is not normal for a cat to have poop stuck to their behind (unless they are a long haired cat). Cats are naturally very clean. And scooting on the floor is not normal as well. Her bum may be red from straining to push a hard poop out. She MAY be constipated or have enlarged anal glands. If she has small hard poops, is straining in the litterbox, leaving poops around the house, throwing up, or continues scooting on the floor I would take her to the vet to be checked. It is not healthy for constipation to be left for long. She could become blocked and require an enema at the vets office. My cat was diagnosed with constipation and now has megacolon because it was left for too long.

Please keep us updated on how she is doing....

She does have long fur, and when I plucked it off, it wasn't too hard. She left skid marks all over the bathroom floor, which I got cleaned up today. I don't think she is constipated. I will keep an eye on her.

Originally Posted by Dusty's Mom

She does have long fur, and when I plucked it off, it wasn't too hard. She left skid marks all over the bathroom floor, which I got cleaned up today. I don't think she is constipated. I will keep an eye on her.

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I had issues with Kizzy too If his poo is even the slightest bit soft, it gets stuck in his butt fur...

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

I had issues with Kizzy too

If his poo is even the slightest bit soft, it gets stuck in his butt fur...

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Of course it does happen....and I hope this is a one time occurance of this situation. But it also can be a sign that something is wrong (ie: constipation, enlarged anal glands, etc.). My longhaired cat has IBD and much diarrhea / loose stools over the years so I do know cats can get poop on their behinds. But I don't recall a time of seeing scooting on the floor or a red bum. The bum is obviously irritated and should be watched closely.

Sometimes they pass fur through their poop and it can become difficult. Definitely keep an eye on her, if the reason why she had difficulty passing is because of the symptom, it could be something much more serious. There are supplements you can give cats to help them pass fur balls and regulate their system.

Bijou is short-haired but every once in awhile he gets a "will-not" and I'll find the little treasure somewhere. It's not real hard but again it's not real soft - just right!

If you cleaned your kitty's butt, that would explain why it is red - they are quite sensitive to our cleaning methods.

As for giving your kitty supplements, do not give your cat anything unless you talk to your vet first.

Originally Posted by Denali

Of course it does happen....and I hope this is a one time occurance of this situation. But it also can be a sign that something is wrong (ie: constipation, enlarged anal glands, etc.). My longhaired cat has IBD and much diarrhea / loose stools over the years so I do know cats can get poop on their behinds. But I don't recall a time of seeing scooting on the floor or a red bum. The bum is obviously irritated and should be watched closely.

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I never said not to watch the kitty

I said the wiping of the butt would explain the redness.

The OP already stated that she was keeping and eye on her kitty. So why do I need to repeat it if its already being done?

Really, any change in normal behaviour can be a sign that something is wrong, and IME with Kizzy, he scooted to try to get the poo off and yes, when I helped clean him, he would get a red bum. Look at it this way, cats aren't used to being wiped like we humans are

Anything spoken here is out of personal opinion and not veterniary advice... as always, if concerned seek counsil from your qualified veterinarian