You can learn a lot about your feline’s overall health from their poop.
Experts say that different colors of your cat’s poop can reveal different health conditions. And if any unusual symptoms persist for more than a few days, you should take your cat to the vet for a regular check-up.
In this article, I will discuss white stool in cats in general as well as other possible colors of your cat’s poop and what they represent.
If your feline has a white poop, they probably contain tapeworms. They’re white flecks in the shape of rice as well as long-wiggly spaghetti-like strands.
So, let’s dive in and discuss white stool in cats and why it’s dangerous.
Why Is My Cat’s Poop White?
Cats can have white poop. Therefore, if the poop is white, your feline may be suffering from severe bacterial imbalance and severe infection in the bowel.
If you see small white patches in fresh poop, your feline probably has worms. They’re very common, long, skinny roundworms or rice-shaped tapeworms which can be seen with a naked human eye.
I suggest that you take a sample of your cat’s feces to a local vet clinic to determine if they have worms. Moreover, observe your cat’s poop every second day. That way, you will “catch” any health issues early.
Now, let’s discuss a few different reasons for white cat poop including tapeworms and possible treatments.
1. Fungal Toxicosis
If your cat has a white poop, they probably have fungal toxicosis, which is a fungal disease caused by toxins from fungi and mold.
Your feline can have inhaled or ingested fungus or mold spores, which can result in white poop, sickness, and organ damage. Also known as mycotoxicosis, this illness requires immediate medical attention.
Try to remember where your cat might have inhaled or ingested the fungus or mold spores, and see if any of their food and/or bedding has turned moldy.
If you notice anything unusual, take a sample of it with you to the vet’s clinic. That way, you can help your vet establish a diagnosis quicker.
Don’t worry as this illness can be successfully treated with antifungal medications, IV fluids, antifungal sinus injections, and stomach pumping.
2. Your Cat’s Diet
If you see a pale cat poop, the diet could be the reason for this condition. For instance, a raw diet can cause pale cat poop than when your pet eats commercial cat food.
Keep in mind that when a diet consists of bones and raw meat, your cat’s stool turns white and can typically be described as chalky.
If your feline’s diet hasn’t changed but you’re still seeing changes in their poop, take your pet to the vet for a routine check-up.
Moreover, ask your vet for diet recommendations for cats based on your pet’s breed and age.
Normal feline poop has a brown color, so a white kitten poop can be a clear indication that they’re not completely digesting their food.
3. Intestinal Parasites
A brown cat poop with white spots or flecks typically indicates your feline deals with worms. They’re internal parasites but symptoms of the worms such as eggs or parts of worms can be noticed in a cat’s poop.
If you see small white parts that resemble rice, your feline likely has tapeworms, but if you see long thin spaghetti-like white portions, your pet probably has roundworms, but don’t worry as they’re easy to treat. (*)
Take your feline to the vet for a diagnosis and treatment. Just make sure you take a sample of your feline’s cat poop to the vet clinic, so they can recognize which of the worms your feline contains in their system.
4. Lack of Bile
In some cases, a white cat poop indicates a lack of bile which uncovers a problem with the liver or gallbladder. If this is the case with your feline, the poop can also have a clay-like texture.
The digestive fluid bile is produced by the liver and kept in the gallbladder, so pale or white feces can indicate that your cat experiences liver disease. Or that the bile is obstructed in some other way.
In healthy cats, bile helps with food digestion through their intestine. So, if the bile ducts have a blockage, this can cause many different symptoms such as weight loss, bleeding, dark yellow urine, and light-colored feces.
Examination of the cat’s feces can help your vet check for bilirubin levels as well as liver enzymes to determine the issue.
5. Lack of Gut Bacteria
If your feline lacks good flora, that could be the reason behind their white feces. So, take your pet to the vet immediately to determine if this is the case.
If you leave this less serious but still concerning issue untreated, your feline’s health and digestion will be impacted.
Regular gut health in felines can be influenced by various things like stress, illness, and malnourishment.
If your pet has this issue, your vet can prescribe cat-friendly probiotics to help build up good gut bacteria, which aids to strengthen their immune system, help digestion, and reduce bad bacteria.
6. Old Cat Poop Turns White
Old feline poop can become white as it develops mold. This mold can start to create in just a few hours.
Moreover, keep in mind that poop is more prone to develop mold in litter boxes that aren’t cleaned regularly.
Also, note that mold spores aren’t only hazardous to cats but also to people, so it’s of high importance to safely dispose of any cat feces as well as the litter.
You can either use a bin bag or a sealed plastic bag to dispose of the poop properly.
Once you remove the poop, wash and dry the tray, then add new litter. Lastly, don’t forget to wash your hands well and clean the litter box often to prevent future mold growth.
Otherwise, your feline can inhale mold spores and get sick. If you suspect that your cat has already inhaled mold spores, observe them closely for coughing, respiratory distress, and nasal discharge.
And if you notice any of the symptoms mentioned, consult your vet for advice.
What Does Light-Colored Poop Mean in Cats?
Light-colored poop doesn’t indicate a health issue as long as it’s brown and consistent. A healthy cat poop has brown color and a hard but malleable texture.
Also, the poop in healthy cats can range in shade. They can be light or dark brown, depending on their diets. However, keep in mind that the color should be consistent every day.
If you notice anything abnormal in the poop, take a sample and take it to your vet’s clinic. Moreover, if your feline isn’t producing firm brown poop regularly, consult the vet for advice on food recommendations based on their lifestyle, age, breed, etc.
And while light brown poop isn’t unusual, what about white poop? Well, as I already established, white stools aren’t normal. So, they should be examined by your vet as soon as possible.
They can be a result of a severe underlying condition, worms, lack of bile, etc.
What Color Poop Is Bad For Cats?
White isn’t the only color that can indicate a medical issue in cats. For instance, red or black color indicates a serious issue as well.
These two colors usually indicate that your pet suffers bleeding somewhere in their digestive tract and this can quickly turn into a life-threatening situation so have your vet examine your pet immediately.
Green and yellow colors shouldn’t be ignored as well. They typically mean that your feline is feeling sick. Orange color, on the other hand, indicates a liver or gallbladder medical problem.
What Does Unhealthy Cat Poop Look Like?
As I already established, a healthy cat’s poop is light or dark brown with a hard but malleable consistency.
However, very hard stools and runny stools can indicate a problem. Moreover, poop in other colors is also an unhealthy cat poop and can also indicate a medical issue.
In this section, I will dissect the colors of poop in felines so you can have a better understanding of your cat’s medical condition if any.
Hard Cat Poop
In most cases, a very hard poop indicates that your feline needs to drink more water as they’re likely dehydrated.
You can add some juice from canned tuna to their water as cats love tuna and the strong smell of this treat can encourage your feline to drink more water.
However, keep in mind that if your cat keeps on having hard stools, you should take them to the vet for a check-up.
Runny Cat Poop
Runny stools, as well as diarrhea, can indicate some health issues so take your pet cat to your vet as quickly as possible.
Brown Cat Poop
Normal cat poop in cats usually has brown color and solid texture. However, healthy cat poop can still vary in color shades, depending on the diet.
Black Cat Poop
Although the chocolate brown color doesn’t indicate a medical issue, the black color in your cat’s poop does. So, if your cat’s poop is black, there’s probably a serious issue with your cat’s intestinal tract.
Also, don’t freak out but black stool also indicates bleeding in the upper area of your feline’s gastrointestinal ingestion tract. So, visit the vet immediately, as if untreated, the bleeding can turn into a life-threatening situation.
Red Cat Poop
Just like black poop, red poop can also indicate bleeding in the lower portion of your cat’s gastrointestinal ingestion tract.
The bleeding typically occurs because of consumption of intolerant and/or unhealthy foods that will often trigger allergies in cats.
Note that elevated stress can also cause blood clots to show in their poop, however, have your cat checked by a vet anyway.
Yellow and Green Cat Poop
If your cat’s poop is yellow and/or green stools every once in a while, don’t worry as it’s a clear indication of stool passing through your pet’s intestines too fast hence causing issues with their digestion.
White Spots in Your Cat’s Poop or White Cat Poop
As I already established, white spots in your feline’s poop can indicate parasites like tapeworms or roundworms.
This condition is more common in outdoor and recently adopted cats. Most pets get parasites from the soil they touch or through fleas that inhibit their coat.
Orange Cat Poop
The orange stool isn’t very common but happens in some cases when felines have severe issues. Therefore, when you see your feline releasing orange stool, consult your vet right away.
Orange stool indicates a liver or gallbladder problem so your vet must examine your cat and see what’s happening.
Gray Cat Poop
Gray stool might indicate that you’re conducting some mistakes when feeding your feline. For instance, your cat’s poop will be gray, if they had too much food.
However, don’t worry as you can make things right by lowering the food amount that your feline gets, so start feeding your pet less food and see if their stool comes back to normal.
Furthermore, a gray cat’s stool can also indicate a lack of probiotics. If you believe that this is the case, ask your vet for advice.
Finally, gray stool can also mean that there’s something wrong with bile production. If your feline keeps releasing gray stool, have your vet resolve the issue.
Final Tips on Cat Poop Turn White
Overall, healthy animals produce brown and solid poops. Moreover, although some odor isn’t abnormal, your cat’s poop shouldn’t have a foul smell.
If you notice white poop in your cat’s litter box, make sure it’s not old as older poops turn moldy and therefore white.
If that’s not the case, having your vet examine your feline as white poop can indicate a broad range of medical issues such as internal parasites, fungal toxicosis, liver or gallbladder issues, etc.
In my personal experience and the experience of other cat owners, white spots in your cat’s stool or white cat poop in the litter box usually indicate worms (long skinny roundworms or rice-shaped tapeworms).
They’re both large enough to be detected with a naked human eye, so you can easily see if this is the case if the poop is white.
And don’t worry as it’s a less serious issue. Just take a sample of your cat’s stool to your local vet. They will determine what’s the issue and provide treatment.
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*image by FurryFritz/depositphotos