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My cat has soft stools, mucus, blood. Could it be giardia or coccidia?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 9 years and 1 month old | 9 lbs

Hi there! Can a kitty still have giardia or coccidia even if they don't have diarrhea ? Her stools are formed , somtimes on the soft side but not always . There is mucous and occasional blood. Sometimes towards the end it's more soft in Which case she'll scoot on the floor and then lick ( could that be bad for her ??) What else should I look out for ? ( she had two recent negative fecal tests but I read that they can sometimes be false negatives ?) thank you

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 12th, 2018

Yes, they can have Giardia or coccidia without any signs of disease and it can be missed by the lab depending on the test. There are a few different possibilities with what you are describing though. It could be a parasitic infection, but could also be a bacterial infection, or colitis due to an adverse food reaction.

Considering you are seeing blood, it's best to have your vet recheck her. They will help to narrow-down the cause of this and provide the necessary treatment.

I hope that helps and Kitty gets better soon.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on November 28th, 2017
If she is acting completely normal other then the diarrhea you can start a probiotic to see if that helps. I suggest this one. Do not give human probiotics or dairy products.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Purina-FortiFlora-Nutritional-Supplement-for-Cats/43285044

Give her the probiotic for a minimum of 10-14 days but if there is no improvement in the diarrhea in about 5 days I suggest you get Sassy to your vet for an exam and fecal testing.

Hope this helps.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA
Veterinarian
Published on June 18th, 2018
Poor girl! My biggest concern is that it could be her urine. They can have normal ironed mixed with blood if they have an infection or inflammation or stones. The other possibility would be constipation or anal gland infections. For the above issues, they usually are visiting the litter box frequently but not always. Anal gland issue will sometimes cause then to scoot their booty on the floor but again, not always. You could separate the cats into two rooms to help figure out which one it is. If you are confident on who it is, I would have your vet look at them soon because blood could indicate something serious. There are no good OTC remedies for urinary issues. You can give 1/4 teaspoon twice a day of canned pumpkin for constipation. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on March 25th, 2020
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Eclipse. I recommend that she sees a veterinarian. Bring a fresh fecal sample to your appointment if possible. Testing may need to be done. Based on these results, treatment can be started to stop the diarrhea. She will also likely need to have her hind end shaved to help clean her. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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