A couple of weeks ago, my cat was padding, or “kneading” my boyfriend’s stomach (as many cats tend to do). Facing my boyfriend, with his ass sitting on the boyfriend’s leg, he padded for around 10 minutes - in which time he buried his head into the boyfriend’s armpit and purred loudly. When the cat stood up to go do whatever it is that cats do when they’re done with this activity - we noticed a large wet spot (around 4 inches in diameter) with a clump of what appeared to be hair, in the middle of it.
We recoiled in horror.
After regaining our composure, I had the presence of mind to sniff the suspect spot on the boyfriend’s jeans…it was not cat urine - but it smelled suspiciously of “butt”. We are not really sure what it is, but that was the first time it’s happened (at least that we’ve noticed), and I’ve been seeing it every time since when the cat comes to pad one of us. I haven’t been able to find anything on the pet websites. And I can’t really do a search on “suspect ass liquids”. The cat is around 3 years old (we got him as a stray), and he’s been “neutralized”.
Cats have anal glands located near the butt. They are normally expressed when passing stool, or can be expressed when the animal is frightened or angry. Sometimes the anal glands become impacted and need to be manually expressed by a vet (or vet tech) Why there would be a clump of hair where the anal glands were expressed I have no idea. Perhaps there was some stuck to his butt at the time, or maybe he was passing some fur he had swallowed and his anal glands expressed then. No matter what the case, anal glands are gross.
You know you are a vet tech when: Your pets eat premium food, but you have to eat Ramen noodles.
Is it true that dogs have these glands too? I read somewhere that when dogs sniff each other’s butts and/or poop, they are not really sniffing the poop, but for the scent that is excreted by these glands.
Oh yeah, dog’s have 'em. The worst smell I’ve ever encountered was my mammaw’s German shepherd when we took it to the vet. She got really scared in the exam room and released her anal glands (the dog, not my mammaw).
Anyway, I hope to never have that happen around me again. How do you get used to that, Michelle?
So I’m sitting at this really nice, classy French restaurant, and one of my dinner companions decides NOW is the time to discuss expressing his dogs anal glands!
Needless to say, we don’t ask him to dinner much anymore.
One thing that I think might be relevant although not necessarily helpful, is that cats tend to regress somewhat when kneading. Purring itself is considered something of a kittenish behaviour, since usually only the youngest felines will do it, but all housecats tend to. Some cats I’ve known will suckle, usually your shirt, while kneading, leaving a big spit spot. These are usually the ones who were weaned to early, revealing a starting example of Freudian psychology in the animal world.
So I’m wondering if this critter, a stray, lost his mother too early and is releasing booty juice as some sort of regression. I mean, do kittens do this when nursing? Or is it just that their glands are not particularly developed, so they don’t need to control them as much? If the latter is true, your furry friend is just forgetting his grownup manners as he enters the Kitten Fugue.
The solution? 'ell if I know. Tell him to grow up and put his deprived kittenhood behind him. Or wear waders while petting him…?
Oops! I didn’t see this so weighed in with my opinion on the other, identical thread!
Pretty much what everyone, especially Michelle, said, except that it is also possible that your cat could have a hairball that he is trying to pass or some other problem that is soon to erupt into major diarrhea. Although if its been two weeks with no further signs, I’d bet on the anal sacs.
Definitely get your vet or some of his staff to express the anal sacs for you! Not only could manipulating your cat’s butthole be hazardous to your health (think blood and pain), if you accidentally get the fluid on your furniture, carpet, walls, etc. you may have to evacuate your home for a week in order to breath without gagging.
You’ve got a point there, brother - and one of these days I’m going to figure out what it is. - Cecil Adams
IKKK! YUK! I DID work with vets for utter years and was a show dog and cat groomer for years and never saw anything like this. this is a two year old outdoor cat but I give him revolution each month. supposed to be for fleas, eat mites and worms… this did not look like any sort of worm and it was black. like a large bug antenna… I pulled on it a bit and he screamed so I stopped. then I ran in and got his little jar of sterile eye wipes I use on his eyes because he had the eye weeping issue. vet says his eyes are ok. I have no money to take him to the vet. I am on a very low social security. as it is with him and my indoor cat it’s $200 bucks every two months for their flea control and all the food and cat litter and other stuff!!!
any ideas of that this is? about 15 minutes later this black what ever it was wasn’t in sight. he eats large bugs ect. could it be a large bug antenna? creeping me out and I don’t want anything wrong with him. :smack:
Wow, weird zombie thread but speaking of thread, that sounds like what’s in your cat’s butt if you tugged it and she yelled- get her to a vet asap because that’s some serious dangerous situation and it probably won’t pass on its own.
Why there would be a clump of hair where the anal glands were expressed I have no idea. Perhaps there was some stuck to his butt at the time, or maybe he was passing some fur he had swallowed and his anal glands expressed then. No matter what the case, anal glands are gross.