Our question this week was:

I have an 8-year-old long haired domestic cat and when she goes to “poo” the “poo” sticks to the hairs around her bottom and stays there. We have had to have her put under to trim this hair 2 years ago and have now got to have the procedure done again. Are there any tips you can give on how to avoid this problem or make it easier to cope with without having to have her euthanized.

Thanks,

Helena Watson

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote that feces (poo) sticks to my cats hair –and want to know what you can do.

Great question with no easy answer. This happens to some cats. Really, you have three options – the first is to ensure that your cat is an ideal weight. This seems to be a more common problem with overweight cats.

Second, keep your cats hair trimmed. This is a more common problem in long-haired cats. It is easier for feces to stick to the long hair.

Lastly, make sure the feces are nice and firm. It is easier for really sticky or loose stool to stick to the hair. Some diets produce firmer stools than others. You can try a gradual change to a new food – try it for a few weeks and observe your cats stool.

In some pets, the feces can stick to the hair so much that they can’t push out any new stool. This condition is called Pseudocoprostasis. This article might help you as it gives some additional tips.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra