Seeing your cat suddenly scoot its bare butt across the floor isn't something that any pet owner wants to experience. Even so, it can happen all the same. If you've caught your cat scooting and don't know what to make of it, then here are three possible causes for you to look into with at an animal hospital that could be behind it.
Anal Glands
Blocked anal glands is something that you primarily hear about with dogs, but cats have anal glands too. When these glands get backed up, the fluid inside of them can become infected, leading to irritation, inflammation, and itchiness. So when a cat experiences this, they scoot across the floor in an effort to scratch themselves and relieve the irritation they're feeling.
Anal glands can be expressed at home, but only once you've received training from a veterinarian. During your visit, if it turns out to be this problem, talk to your vet about teaching you how to solve the issue at home.
Diarrhea
Another potential cause for cat scooting is diarrhea. Diarrhea is sometimes acidic, which can cause a burning sensation on its way out. When a cat has bad diarrhea, they can sometimes have irritation or pain in the rectum. Scooting is performed in an effort to scratch it, but also to remove any residue that might be still burning. For this reason, you should always clean the floor where a cat has scooted.
You should be able to tell if your cat is having diarrhea when you scoop the litter box. If you find evidence of it, get to a vet, as dehydration and electrolyte imbalances could become an issue quickly.
Obesity
Lastly, obesity is sometimes to blame for this problem. When cats get to be too large, they sometimes have difficulty cleaning themselves effectively. While primarily diarrhea is to blame for causing irritation of the rectum, if any remaining fecal matter isn't cleared away properly, it can cause irritation or infections to develop. Cats will scoot to try and get this stuff off of them and in an effort to feel a little better.
If your cat is overweight, your vet will work with you to put them on a food plan that will gradually reduce their weight in a safe way, which should help to put an end to their scooting.
A scooting cat isn't something anyone wants to see. But if you do, get in touch with a vet at an animal hospital, as there's likely an important reason to blame for your cat to be acting this way.
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