Butt Scoot with know obvious pattern

[Milkman]

I have tried a search, but the circumstances discussed don't seem to match our situation.

My 5 year old short hair tortie, Stella Katz, has infrequent issues with sticky poop compelling her to do the butt-scoot, presumably, to remove the poop.

Here are some bullets to describe the circumstances:

• No particular pattern; sometimes every day, sometimes not for weeks
• Iams original dry food w/ an evening treat of FANCY FEAST
• No particular effect withholding the canned treats
• Only has been happening for the last year
• New house, but been here 2.5 years
• No evidence of worms
• Never see her do it unless she has poop stuck on butt
• Tried bigger litter pan, no effect
• Tried more room in the litter box; removed drawer from inside of "cabinet-style" litter box in disguise, no effect
• Tried more and less litter in the pan
• Tried different types of litter
• Appears to be healthy
• Indoor/outdoor; mostly indoor
• Runny poop veeeery rarely
• Generally very "normal" poops, for her

My wife suspects it may have to with *where* she poops in the box, which dovetails with my concern that it may be too dark in the cabinet. Is it possible there could be too little light?

I've seen much discussion of anal glands, but that generally initiates a butt scoot w/out the hanging butt-biscuits. I don't think that's our problem.

I appreciate any and all suggestions/input; thanks in advance!

[RachandNito]

Have you had a veterinarian do a fecal analysis? You can't be sure the cat doesn't have parasites unless a fecal analysis is done. Even negative fecals don't always mean there are no parasites there. A lot of parasites can live in animal and not show signs.

Are you sure it's not the anal glands? This is a very, very common cause of the scooting problem and if you haven't had a vet check your kitty's glands, then I think it would definitely be worth looking in to.

[Milkman]

If it were the anal glands, wouldn't she scoot with or without a poopy butt? I understand they are compelled to scoot after defecation, but she only does it with a butt-biscuit(s) present.

No fecal analysis has been done.

[marie73]

My girls do the butt scoot when they have some dookie stuck on their butts, but it doesn't happen very often. Maybe your kitty needs more water. Since your cat seems to like it (and wet food is healthier, plus a great source of water in their diet), I would increase the wet, decrease the dry food, maybe give her some petrolium jelly to see if that moves things along a little better.

[laurief]

Could be parasites. Could be constipation. Could be diet. I don't see how it could have anything to do with the litterbox or litter.

I recommend switching her gradually to an all canned food diet. If she's constipated, that should help resolve the problem.

Laurie

[Milkman]

Thanks for all the replies so far! The girls would certainly be on board w/ more wet food for sure. Stella, the one w/ the issues, doesn't seem to eat as much of the dry food as Gladys, but they both enjoy the wet food a lot as I mentioned before.

Something I forgot to mention in the bullets is that Stella will usually hit the litter box shortly after the evening canned treat. Often times it goes fine. Sometimes not so fine. Doesn't seem to be linked to the flavor.

We suspected the litter box figuring that she just may have difficulty depending on what the landscape may be at any given time, but it doesn't matter freshly groomed or not. I got the largest plastic storage bin I could possibly fit in there, like the kind you buy to store things under the bed. I know I would certainly prefer more room than less if I go like a cat. I figure cats have their preferences like people do.