Older cat with bathroom problems and swollen anus

by Sarah

My cat is 15 years old. We had a serious scare with him in the past where he had something common to male cats where he had to get stones removed from his bladder and also had his urethra stretched and holes found in his bladder.

He had been quite healthy after that and then a hyperthyroid problem was found. He got medicine and seemed to be good again. Now recently he has started to urinate in places he shouldn't. Some changes made and that seemed to get better.

Now for the last day or so he has been throwing up what seemed like undigested food which I hoped would go away. It happened twice today.

Then after I changed his litter box today I kept hearing him go in there and scratch around like every few minutes. Then he started squatting in all different places in the room where we were in.

I started getting worried that something was wrong and didn't want a mess around the house so I got out our dogs big kennel and put the cat in there with his box some towels and water.

I heard him throw up again so I took out the towels and washed them. He seem to settle down so I took him out. He had some fecal matter on him so I cleaned him up. I then lifted up his tail and his anus looks like it is protruding out and red and swollen.

He started doing the squatting thing again so I put him back in the kennel with clean towels.

I am so worried about him and tomorrow is a holiday so I don't know if my vet is going to be open.


Go straight to the vet now, even if you have to drive farther to a different vet. He could have a recurrence of a urinary obstruction and the protruding anus and fecal material could be a secondary issue from his trying to push urine out OR he could be severely constipated (obstructed even) with fecal matter or a foreign object even.

Either of these things can be life-threatening and can be so very quickly. Please go to the veterinarian!

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely