Vet 2025 Guide: What Should My Cat's Poop Look Like? 🚽😺

By Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc – Understanding your cat’s poop is a simple yet powerful way to monitor their health. Let’s walk through what’s normal, what’s not, and when to call the vet.

📘 Table of Contents

• Why Checking Poop Matters
• Characteristics of Healthy Cat Poop
• How Often Should They Poop?
• Color Guide: Brown to Black
• Consistency: Sausage, Mushy, Diarrhea
• Warning Signs in the Litter Box
• Home Care Tips
• When to Call the Vet
• How Ask A Vet Helps
• Conclusion

1. Why Checking Poop Matters

Your cat’s stool is like a health report—revealing info about digestion, hydration, parasites, bleeding, and more :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}. Catching changes early can lead to faster treatment and better outcomes.

2. Healthy Cat Poop: What Is Normal?

• Color: Chocolate to dark brown :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
• Shape: Sausage or log-shaped, smooth or slightly lumpy :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
• Firmness: Firm yet pliable—holds shape, easy to scoop :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• Odor: Mild—shouldn't be overly foul :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
• Contents: No blood, mucus, worms, or foreign matter :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

3. How Often Should Cats Poop?

Most cats poop at least once a day, often every 12–24 hours. About 85% of healthy cats follow this routine :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}. Consistency day-to-day is more important than exact frequency.

4. Color Guide: Brown to Black

5. Consistency: From Firm to Diarrhea

• Hard pellets: Constipation—may need fiber/globes :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
• Sausage/log: Ideal consistency—firm and formed :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}
• Mushy: Mild GI upset or diet change—monitor for 1–2 days :contentReference[oaicite:17]{index=17}
• Very soft/watery: Diarrhea—could indicate infection, parasites, or disease :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}
• Ribbon-like: Possible colon or obstruction issue—see vet :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}

6. Warning Signs in the Litter Box

• Blood (bright red or tarry) in stool :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}
• Mucus-coated stool :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}
• Worms or white specks :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}
• Foreign objects (string, toys) :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}
• Unusual colors or persistent changes :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}
• Strong, sour odor :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}

7. Home Care Tips

• Use non-clumping litter to check consistency :contentReference[oaicite:26]{index=26}
• Keep a stool log—color, shape, frequency
• Add fiber (pumpkin, psyllium) for mild constipation or loose stool :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}
• Offer highly digestible, sensitive‑stomach diet for GI upset :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}
• Ensure hydration; wet food helps maintain consistency
• Monitor behavior—appetite, energy, litter box use

8. When to Call the Vet

Contact your vet immediately if you notice:

• Black/tarry or red/bloody stool :contentReference[oaicite:29]{index=29}
• White/pale stool :contentReference[oaicite:30]{index=30}
• Mucus or worms in stool :contentReference[oaicite:31]{index=31}
• Persistent diarrhea >48 hrs or in vulnerable cats (kittens, seniors) :contentReference[oaicite:32]{index=32}
• Constipation >2 days or straining :contentReference[oaicite:33]{index=33}
• Changes with vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, appetite change :contentReference[oaicite:34]{index=34}

Bring a fresh stool sample or photograph. Vets may run fecal flotation, blood tests, imaging or biopsies depending on symptoms :contentReference[oaicite:35]{index=35}.

9. How Ask A Vet Helps

• On-demand vet advice for abnormal stool observations
• Stool-tracking via Woopf for ongoing health logs
• Guidance on dietary tweaks, supplements and when to escalate care

10. Conclusion

Monitoring your cat’s poop is one of the easiest and most effective ways to track digestive health. In 2025, prioritize stool checks, use supportive home care, and leverage Ask A Vet for expert guidance. Early detection leads to better health outcomes—for your curious kitty and your peace of mind. 🐾🚽

Warm regards,
Dr Duncan Houston BVSc
Founder, Ask A Vet Blog
Visit Ask A Vet & download the Ask A Vet app for easy health monitoring tools and personalized vet support.