You may have seen your cat scooting or dragging butt across the floor or carpet. This behavior may look funny and entertaining at first, but it’s a sign of something bigger and is a cause of concern for cat owners.
When your cat is scooting, she is not trying to be funny or annoy you. She is trying to decrease the itching or the pressure she feels in her behind.
Why do cats drag their butt?
Cat dragging is somewhat rare in cats. But when it happens, it’s always a sign of some irritation or soreness around the anal region.
Behaving this way is their attempt to relieve the soreness or discomfort they feel in their anal region. When your cat drags its butt on the floor, she is trying to relieve some itchiness that could be on the surface of her body, or somewhere inside.
It could be a sign of a simple lack of fibers in their food, itching or a lump of cat hair curled in a knot causing the itchiness. In worst cases, it could be a sign of rectal cancer.
What causes it?
There are various things why your cat might be dragging her butt over the floor. Some might be serious, and some might be harmless. So, here are some things that might make your cat drag her behind on your favorite carpet.
Lack of fiber in their diet
If your cat eats too little fiber she might get constipated. Her stool will become too hard, and her butt will be irritated after pooping. Best thing to do is to contact your vet and to change their diet.
Irritated Anal Gland
If you notice that your cat is often licking her bottom or if she’s scooting, chances are her anal glands are irritated or excessively full, infected or she might have rectal cancer.
Diarrhea
Your cat might have diarrhea for many different reasons. Diarrhea can irritate her bottom, and she might seek relief in scooting.
Dingleberries
Dingleberries are little pieces of poop that get stuck in your cat’s hair. This especially happens with long-haired cats. If this is the case with your cat, you should trim the hairs around your cat’s bottom to prevent this from happening.
The most important thing is not to panic. Don’t assume the worst. Just because you once saw your kitty drag her bottom on the living room floor doesn’t mean that she has cancer.
Also, don’t panic and take her to vet the same minute you see this. Keep track of her pooping habits and check her stool when cleaning the litterbox.
If this behavior keeps repeating after several days, contact your vet. Cats can do this kind of thing for no reason at all, so it is important not to panic. Even once you realize that your cat is repeating this kind of behavior, stay calm. This condition is usually caused by really simple problems which can be solved with simple solutions such as antibiotics, change of diet, and hair trimming.
Conclusion
Butt dragging could be a one-time funny little gimmick that your cat does without any special meaning. However, if your cat does this gimmick a little too often, it might not be a gimmick. The best thing you can do is to contact your vet and schedule a meeting.
As an established writer in the Pet industry for the last 7 years and building a career at a couple of reputable Californian vets, Leigh has written countless pet articles to contribute to the industry's wealth of knowledge. She is dedicated to helping readers and enjoys nothing more than exploring the outdoors with her children and pets. Find out more.
