What Cat Poop Color and Other Characteristics Can Tell You

While it may sound unpleasant to observe your cat's poop, litter box contents can tell you a lot about their health. Stool quality can give you information about many things, such as hydration levels, the presence of intestinal parasites or imbalances in the gut microbiome.

The gut microbiome is a vast and diverse community of trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms, that reside in the digestive tract. These microorganisms play an integral role in maintaining your cat's health, supporting digestion, vitamin synthesis, immune system health and organ function. A balanced gut microbiome helps protect against harmful microbes, while an imbalanced gut microbiome — known as dysbiosis — has been linked to conditions such as obesity, gastrointestinal (GI) disease, diabetes and allergies.

If you notice abnormalities in your cat's stool or litter box habits, reach out to your veterinarian. They can help identify the underlying issue and recommend next steps.

Monitoring your cat's stool regularly can help you catch any underlying health issues early when they're more minor and easier to treat. The primary cat poop characteristics to note include color, consistency, shape/size, contents, frequency and smell.

Color

Normal, healthy cat poop is typically brown in color, though the exact shade of brown can vary based on the color of your cat's food. Different colors or variations can be signs of something unusual going on internally.

What if Your Cat's Poop Is Yellow?

If your cat's food is yellow or orange, their poop may have a yellowish hue. However, pronounced or unusually yellow cat poop may be a sign of liver disease or digestive issues or infections.

What if Your Cat's Poop Is White?

White, gray or pale cat poop can indicate gallbladder, liver or pancreatic disease. It can also occur with certain medications or from eating bone meal. Greasy-looking cat poop can be a sign of issues with the gallbladder, liver, pancreas or upper GI tract as well.

What if Your Cat's Poop Is Green?

Green cat poop can indicate gut or gallbladder inflammation or infection. Greenish poop may also be caused by eating grass or green-colored food.

What if Your Cat's Poop Is Red — Is It Bloody Cat Poop?

Fresh blood in the stool, appearing as streaks of red blood or red-colored mucus, can indicate issues in the lower GI tract.

What if Your Cat's Poop Is Black?

Black stool can indicate digested blood from an issue in the upper GI tract. Digested blood may appear as tarry stool, black mucus or a substance resembling coffee grounds.

Consistency

Normal stool should be well-formed and firm yet pliable. Stiff, hard stool may indicate dehydration or constipation, while soft stool or diarrhea can indicate inflammation in the gut or other health conditions.

Shape/Size

Healthy cat poop should be shaped like a sausage, segmented and leave little-to-no residue when scooped from the litter box. Small, hard pellets that look like rabbit poop can indicate constipation or dehydration. Soft stool that leaves residue when scooped from the litter box or watery stool (diarrhea) is generally considered abnormal and may indicate digestive issues.

Contents

Normal cat poop shouldn't contain anything unusual. The following contents warrant your (and your vet's) attention:

• White segments resembling grains of rice, indicating intestinal parasites

• Excess hair, indicating excessive grooming or shedding

• Foreign items such as rocks, dirt, bits of toys or hair ties, indicating your cat is eating things they shouldn't

Frequency

Most cats defecate once or twice a day (some cats may defecate every other day), often after eating a meal. This can change as cats age. More frequent trips to the litter box with small amounts of diarrhea can be a sign of colon irritation or inflammation. More frequent trips to the litter box with large amounts of soft stool or liquid diarrhea can indicate an issue with the small intestine. Straining or spending more time in the litter box while only producing small amounts of hard stool is a sign of constipation.

Smell

Healthy cat poop has a mild odor — it shouldn't be overwhelmingly pungent. Unusually strong-smelling stool can be a sign of a bacterial infection, inflammation, gut microbiome imbalance or even bleeding in the GI tract.