Monitoring your cat’s poo is the best way for you to keep track of their current health status. Here’s how to identify what a healthy cat poo looks like, smells like and how often your cat should poo.
A guaranteed method to ensure your cat is producing a healthy poo is by feeding them the right food for their age, breed and activity level. Match your cat’s needs with a super premium cat food which is scientifically formulated to optimise your unique cat’s health so they can live a longer and happier life. Our Cat Food Finder tool can recommend the best diet for your cat so they’ll be healthy inside and out in no time.
Use our guide below to understand the characteristics of a healthy cat poo and what you should look out for to determine whether your cat is being fed the ideal nutrition.
Texture – What does a healthy cat poo feel like?
We’re not encouraging you to pick it up (although you can if you want to, wearing gloves of course), but even scooping your cat’s poo out of the tray each day will give you a general idea about its texture. If your cat is fed a super premium diet, they should produce perfect cat poos that aren’t too hard nor too soft. They should have the consistency of playdough, making it comfortable for your cat to pass and easy for you to clean up. These poos can be shaped like short logs or round nuggets.
Colour – What does a healthy cat poo look like?
A healthy brown poo signals that your cat’s digestive health is as it should be. There’s no exact shade of brown that’s considered the healthiest as the colour can range from light brown to dark brown depending on what your cat is eating. The most important thing to check is whether the poo is the same colour each day as ongoing abnormalities in colour, or even a single instance of black poo can signal a health concern.
Contents – What’s inside a healthy cat poo?
While a small amount of fur should be expected, your cat’s poo should not contain any other additional contents. Your cat swallowing too much fur, or foreign materials like dental floss, hair elastics and string, can cause serious damage in their digestive tract. Make sure your cat receives the care they deserve by feeding them food that promotes hairball control and digestive health, and keeping dangerous items out of their reach.
Coating – Should there be any?
Healthy cats will produce poos that do not have any distinct coating. These poos will have a slight sheen due to the moisture within the poo. On the other hand, if you notice jelly-like mucus covering your cat’s poo this is not normal and a checkup at your local Greencross Vets is necessary to diagnose the cause.
Frequency – How often do cats poo?
If your cat is in good health, they should only be taking trips to the litter box to poo 1-3 times a day. Anything less than one poo every 24 hours could indicate that your cat is experiencing constipation. Your cat may poo more frequently if you’re feeding them a diet that’s high in fibre and thus more easily digestible. However if your cat is producing poos more than 2-3 times a day, this is also unexpected behaviour and should be checked by your Greencross Vet.
Size – How big is too big?
The amount of indigestible food in your cat’s diet will affect the size of their poos, so if you’re feeding your cat a regular diet, you can expect them to produce the same amount of waste each day. If there’s a sudden change in the size of your cat’s poo, then it’s best to consult your Greencross Vet to find out why this has happened. One of the major benefits of feeding your cat super premium food is that the highly digestible ingredients mean your cat will produce a smaller amount of waste. Compared to the poos that result from non-premium food, healthy poos will be firm and compact, but still pliable.
Odour – What should a healthy cat poo smell like?
It’s normal for a cat poo to smell bad when you’re near the litter box, but the odour shouldn’t be so overpowering that it follows you around the house. As a pet parent, you’ll be familiar with the unique smell of your cat’s poo so if it’s smellier than usual, this suggests a change in their health status. A super premium diet will result in poos that are less smelly as the proteins in this food are easier to digest and won’t cause a buildup of odourous gases in the poo.
Feeding your cat super premium cat food that is complete and balanced will directly result in them producing healthy cat poos. If you want to improve your cat’s well-being, use our Cat Food Finder to understand the diet that’s optimised for their age, breed and health needs. Gradually switching to this food will mean that your cat produces smaller, firm poos that are pleasant for them to pass and more pleasant for you to clean up. Come into your local Petbarn where our trained team members can also provide you with personalised advice on your cat’s nutrition.
