Not So Crappy! Reframing Poop to Not Hate Cleaning Cat Litter

April 11, 2024

The put up Not So Crappy! Reframing Poop to Not Hate Cleaning Cat Litter by Dr. Lauren Demos DVM (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over whole articles infringes on copyright legal guidelines. You might not be conscious of it, however all of those articles have been assigned, contracted and paid for, so they don’t seem to be thought-about public area. However, we respect that you just just like the article and would like it if you happen to continued sharing simply the primary paragraph of an article, then linking out to the remainder of the piece on Catster.com.

Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren! Read my introduction to study extra about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.

Poop. We all may shudder a bit when the subject arises. But touching it? Looking at it? Quantifying and qualifying it? That’s an entire completely different stage of “eww” for many people.

But what if we reframed these destructive connotations about poo, right into a constructive?

This week’s article goals to offer simply that perception, and present you simply how your cat’s stool might be helpful for indicating your cat’s well being, happiness, and past. We usually assume lengthy and arduous about what goes into our cats: e.g. food- is it wholesome, tasty, how usually and the way a lot ought to we feed…however we frequently spend little to no time on what’s popping out of our cats. Yet it may be equally necessary. Let’s change that.

We are inclined to give attention to what cats eat, however not the opposite finish of digestion.

Rethinking Cat Poop

So, what’s poop? Essentially, it’s what’s leftover from consuming, that the physique couldn’t digest, or wished to get rid of. In people, poop is round 76% water, the frequency of defecation is predominantly decided by the ingestion and quantity of fiber, and the common variety of stool productions is round 1.2 every day.1 Though revealed knowledge is sparse, it’s possible honest to say that cats are related. Additionally, similar to folks, one research in cats discovered that there’s large variation within the size of time it takes to digest meals relying on the person.2 (Importantly, this identical research discovered as a facet notice that dry pilling your cat, e.g., giving your cat a tablet with out meals or water– led to three out of 17 cats having the tablet caught of their esophagus for over an hour!) But now, again to poop!

Poop additionally displays the general well being of the producer. Too agency, and there could also be dehydration. Too moist, and the physique isn’t absorbing all of the water from the stool. (Note, this isn’t as a consequence of an extra of water! I’ve had many purchasers through the years that inform me they cease feeding their cat moist meals as a result of their cat’s stool was too comfortable, or their cat had diarrhea! Nope! The colon had a problem, and couldn’t take in the water earlier than the stool left the physique. It wasn’t the quantity of water itself! And canned meals is nice for cats, so please don’t fall into that entice of pondering canned meals causes diarrhea by containing an excessive amount of water!)

Poop additionally displays the quantity, sort and distribution of micro organism residing within the digestive tract, additionally known as the microbiome. This has develop into a buzzword space of medication lately, taking a look at the whole lot from how the microbiome contributes to intestine well being, but in addition mind, kidney and coronary heart well being, in addition to the immune system. And new knowledge is frequently forthcoming! For occasion, a current publication discovered that sure probiotic strains might considerably scale back pores and skin allergy symptoms in sure cats. Sounds like an enormous deal? It is. All of that is easy, straightforward, side-effect-free drugs that’s cost-effective, and secure. What’s to not love?

Pancake the cat sprawling on a rug Pancake sprawling

What Is a Fecal Transplant?

Did you understand that in human and feline drugs we will use one thing known as fecal transplants to assist with continual diarrhea or different circumstances? I’ve met many individuals who’ve spoken about their constructive experiences with FMT: fecal microbiota transplants.

As a vet, I’ve had some wonderful leads to my very own sufferers, together with my first FMT affected person that I’ll name Jesse, who was a 16-year-old Domestic Shorthair diabetic with a few years’ historical past of diarrhea. His house owners have been able to euthanize him after attempting years of medicines aimed to enhance his stool, and his high quality of life was poor, however a fecal transplant purchased him virtually an additional year- with regular stool showing inside 24 hours of his transplant.

Basically, the method is much like blood donation—simply involving a distinct organ. A donor cat (wholesome and screened for fecal parasites) gives stool, which is then liquified and used to populate the recipient cat’s fecal tract, subsequently transplanting wholesome micro organism. It’s an amazingly easy, and but efficient, course of. It’s not all the time healing for sufferers, however it may be a great software within the diarrhea arsenal. Medicine might be each useful and mind-aweing, at occasions! The intestine, fairly merely, is sort of merely highly effective.

Pancake and Tiller spend the majority of their day sleeping Pancake and Tiller at relaxation

Rules of Thumb for Cat Poop

So, the place does this all go away us? Cleaning the litter field could also be a drag (or litter tray, for these so inclined), however the data it will possibly present is proverbial gold. Here are just a few guidelines of thumb, in terms of feline feces:

Overall consistency ought to be pliable, however agency. Since all of us like meals, utilizing a Snickers bar analogy: you must be capable of deform it, however the stool ought to nonetheless be agency. (Hopefully nobody is consuming lunch or dessert whereas studying this!)
Color: a light-weight to darkish brown. Black can point out digested blood. I’ve additionally had purchasers begin new meals that led to paint adjustments of their cat’s feces. A whitish colour can imply a scarcity of pancreatic enzymes, although that is unusual in cats.
Smell: extremely malodorous or smelly stool might point out a problem, resembling microbiome upset. But all stool will odor to some extent- that’s regular!
If utilizing probiotics, use one advisable by your veterinarian. Many probiotics don’t meet label claims when examined, subsequently utilizing one that really stands as much as scrutiny is necessary. In one research, solely 2 of 25 examined probiotics truly matched product labelling. I personally have a tendency to make use of Fortiflora to begin, as many cats just like the style, and it’s straightforward to make use of, along with assembly label claims.
Middening is the time period for cats defecating inappropriately. In indoor cats, this implies outdoors the litter tray. It can point out communication about stress, and even dislike of the litter field or litter. Speak together with your vet, if that is occurring. Middening shouldn’t be confused with cats that go to the tray, however defecate over the sting, or miss the field.
Size: Most feline feces is across the diameter of the common human finger. If it’s extraordinarily skinny, say pencil diameter, this may point out a narrowing or stricture of the intestinal tract, and ought to be investigated. If it’s very giant, it will possibly point out intestinal motility points, and also needs to be talked about to your vet.
Never be afraid to take photographs of your cat’s stool if one thing doesn’t look proper. Similarly, a video of them within the field can assist your vet to see and share any issues you will have!

The outdated saying goes: it’ll all come out in the long run. In this occasion of poop, actually, that’s true. Health indicators, and gastrointestinal perform, can all be assessed by taking a look at what your cat leaves behind. Hopefully, this sheds some new gentle on the every day cleansing of the field, and provides you one thing else to consider through the time you might be cleansing, making cleansing the field each useful, and thought-provoking!

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