My senior cat has a swollen, red bottom. Why does she lick it so much?

I agree with you. The top of the anus does look swollen. I do not know what from. He needs an exam in person from your vet. In the meantime you can just apply a thin layer of Neosporin to the affected area to hopefully soothe him.

Thank you for the photo. Yes, it does look serious but I cannot give you a specific diagnosis just based on this photo and your description. She is licking back there either because something is hurting her (so she is in pain) or she has an infection of either the anal area and/or the vagina/uterus/bladder. I am glad she is otherwise acting normally but that does not mean there is no problem here. I suggest you have her to a vet for an exam.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Midnight. What a cutie! I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. A red anus can be a sign of an anal gland problem or even intestinal parasites. I hope this information helps!

Poor girl. So it seems that Lela has a moderate amount of colon inflammation and a little bit of the colon is actually prolapsed (pushing outward). She should be seen by your vet immediately to have this area evaluated in person and determine if she needs to have this surgically repaired. I hope that you get some resolve soon for Lela and I am hoping for a full and speedy recovery. It is amazing what cats can go through and not seem to be affected by. They are truly the masters at hiding discomfort and pain. But we have to not use that as a ticket to avoiding proper veterinary care. The vet may even want to prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication to see if they can get this to reduce in size. Best wishes at the vet. Take care.

Red’s anus does look irritated and I can see some redness on the underside of his tail as well. He might be licking due to irritation from full anal glands, parasites or allergies. I would recommend having your vet examine him and check his anal glands. They may want to check a stool sample as well. Oral or topical medications might help. I would recommend putting an e-collar on to prevent licking until you can get to the vet.

Misha should be physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose or rule out constipation, obstruction or a rectal prolapse. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites which can lead to diarrhea and potential prolapse from straining. If she is constipated, your vet may need to sedate her and manually empty her out. IV or subcutaneous fluids may be necessary to correct dehydration which can be a contributing factor. An obstruction, if diagnosed, may require surgery to correct.

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors (very unlikely given the age). Treatment would depend on the underlying cause. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.