What is Cat Scooting and What Can you Do About it?

When most people picture an animal scooting their bottom across the floor, they probably think of a dog, most often. It’s a fairly common thing to see among the canines, but for cats, it’s not as much of an issue, so if you ever see your cat running his bottom across your floor or carpet, there is probably good reason and it should be looked into. The main reason a cat will do this is because it has an itchy bottom, and there are typically a number of causes for it. Here are the most common reasons your cat might develop an itchy bottom.

Allergies

Allergies can be caused due to a number of things, such as certain proteins in food. But the most common type of allergies results from environmental factors. Allergies can cause skin irritations, and this includes the anal region. If your cat has skin allergies, such as allergies to mites, mold, fleas, even pollen, this can inflame the rectal skin area too, and they scoot to relieve the itch.

Worms

This is a big one for animals. Worms will irritate your cat’s anus and cause itchiness that make your cat need to scratch the itch. They do this by scooting, and it is the cause, you need to have your cat checked by his vet to be sure it is worms, and get the proper treatment. You can check to see if you see any signs of worms in your cat’s poop in his litter box. Tape worms are common in cats, and you may be able to detect little rice grain looking objects in his poop, which is what a tape worm would look like. Other types of parasites might not be so noticeable, but you may be getting other hints that he has worms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or blood in the stool. Any of these signs means a trip to the vet is warranted.

Anal gland issues

Dogs are really the ones to suffer with more anal gland problems than cats, although it is possible for cats to get these too. These are two little sacs that sit on either side of the anus. They are the glands that produce a very pungent liquid that is said to be used for marking their territory. Whenever an animal poops, the sacs should get emptied, however, sometimes inflammation occurs and the glands can get full and build up the fluid inside until they become uncomfortable. When this happens, the glands need to be manually expressed, or emptied, and most people will take their pet to the vet or a groomer to have this done. Until it is done, your cat’s anus will itch and be uncomfortable, making them scoot as a way to try to relieve the irritation.

If you see your cat scooting, try seeing if you notice any redness around the anus area. Check their poop for any signs of bowel issues, like blood or loose stool, or for signs of worms. But the best way to determine what the cause is, is to schedule your cat for an appointment with his veterinarian to let them do a check up on your cat’s itchy bottom and determine the cause and start treatment, such as deworming treatments, or medication for the allergies. The sooner you get your cat’s problem treated, the quicker he will feel better, be more comfortable, and your carpets will be saved from your cat’s dragging bottom.

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