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My recently adopted cat has blood in his stool. Should I see a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 12 lbs

Hi! My 7.5 year old cat has blood in his stool. I adopted him from a shelter 4 weeks ago, and he has had blood spots (from dots up to thumbnail size) in 50 - 75% of his stools since adoption. He defecates quickly and without pain, doesn’t have constipation or diarrhoea, stools seem normal consistency, no tenderness around the hind legs/back/tummy, no trouble sitting. He's on a mix of wet and dry food (same as at the shelter). Should I take him to the vet?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on October 3rd, 2017

Thanks for adopting Eli. Blood in the stool without constipation is often due to intestinal parasites. Please take a sample to your veterinarian and they will look under the microscope for parasite eggs. If they find some they will prescribe the correct dewormer for Eli. If there are no parasites and this continues Eli should go in for an exam. He could have an anal infection, rectal polyp or intestinal inflammation causing the blood. Cats do have blood in the stool more often than other animals so if he's normal and this only happens once in a while I would just keep an eye on him, and bring him in if it is a constant issue. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Eli.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on August 5th, 2018
Blood in the stools can be minor or serious, there are many gastrointestinal conditions that can cause that, if you find blood again in the next few days i would recommend taking her to the vet in order to get it checked.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on February 15th, 2019
If Etzeo was a stray previously, he could have intestinal worms. This can cause blood in the stools. Other causes include giardia, GI illness, eating something rotten, or a foreign body. I would take him into the vet this weekend to get checked out. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on February 22nd, 2017
This could be due to intestinal worms, and I would take Finn into the vet with a sample of his stool for the vet to examine under the microscope. The vet can confirm if he does have intestinal worms, and can give him a deworming treatment for them. Other causes of bloody stool include dietary indiscretion, trauma to the GI tract, a foreign body, and GI ulcers. The vet can rule those in or out as causes of his occasional bloody stools.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My 6-month-old kitten has blood in his stool. What should I do?

Blood in the stool is very worrisome to owners and I understand that but if it is a one time occurrence I would not be overly concerned. The most common reason for this colonic irritation is internal parasites. I suggest you speak to your vet about deworming. The two common parasites to cause blood in stool is hookworms and coccidia both of which are treated with different dewormers. You should have your vet run a fecal test first to figure out if that is the underlying reason. I would also suggest you start her on a probiotic and use it for at least 2 weeks. I recommend Fortiflora but any probiotic for cats should be OK (no human probiotics). ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/Purina-FortiFlora-Cat-GR-1/dp/B019K79PZY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=278E7D3H93B4O&keywords=fortiflora+for+cats&qid=1560006557&s=gateway&sprefix=fortiflora+for+dogs%2Caps%2C306&sr=8-3 ) Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.

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My 11-year-old cat has blood in her stool after pooping. What's wrong?

It is possible that this particular stool was difficult to pass and you helping to remove it may have caused a small amount of bleeding from the rectal tissue. Cats can become constipated, and if she has been passing less stool than usual, straining to defecate and had a decreased appetite I would recommend seeing a veterinarian. There are some other things that can cause blood in the stool as well including intestinal parasites, colitis or even inflammatory bowel disease. If the blood is persistent you should make an appointment to see your veterinarian as well.

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My new cat is pooping blood. Could it be worms? What should I do?

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My cat has bloody, loose stools after deworming. What's wrong?

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! With blood present I think it is time for a vet exam (and bring a stool sample along). We can have intestinal parasites that are not treated by dewormer (such as Coccidia and Giardia). We can also have things like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or food allergy cause these issues. The vet can examine your kitty and based on the exam and history make recommendations and possible test and treatment options.

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Why is my adopted cat still having bloody diarrhea after a negative test?

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My cat has blood on the outside of his stool. What should I do?

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Is it normal for my cat to poop blood after a vet visit for diarrhea?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Simba. Unfortunately there is no picture attached to your post, so I can't see what his poop looks like. Cats can easily get stressed, and that can lead to colitis. Colitis is inflammation of the colon, and that can cause blood in the stool. I'd keep an eye on him and his poop for now. If it continues to be bloody, give his vet a call. As for what happened with the vet, I suspect they may have used a cotton swab to get a sample of poop from his anus. I hope this helps!

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