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My cat has blood on her stool. Is it an emergency or can I wait?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 10 lbs

My 5 year old cat has blood in her stool. Her stool is not dark or dry but there is a lot of blood around the surface of the stool. She sat down on the floor a few minutes later and left a bloody spot on the ground too. Is there something wrong with her intestines or is it caused by irritation of her rectum/anus? Should I bring her to the vet right away or wait a few days to see if it subsides? She has been eating and drinking normally. No vomiting or diarrhea.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Anna M., DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 11th, 2017

If the blood is coating the outside of the stool and the stool seems hard, she may have irritated her anus passing a hard/firm stool. If she's otherwise acting normal, you may monitor her for 24 hours but if the bleeding continues beyond that, or if she starts showing any other symptoms, I'd bring her in to the vet. As long as she's eating and drinking well this is not an emergency, but I'd have her seen to determine where the bleeding is coming from. Hope this helps!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 19th, 2019

    I recommend to have your cat examined by the veterinarian within the next 24 hours. Pets can get blood in the stool for many reasons including infections, parasites, liver disease or having a stool that is overly firm and dry. Make sure to bring in a fresh stool sample for testing. The blood indicates that her intestines are very irritated and she may be uncomfortable. Best to play it safe. I hope this helps.

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