My Cat Is Dragging Their Butt on the Floor

Scooting in cats refers to a physical activity in which your cat appears to scoot or to drag their butts on the ground, carpet, or any other roughened area. The reasons for this strange behavior are varied but mostly indicate that your cat is feeling pain or discomfort due to an underlying health condition.

The most common causes of why your cat drags their butt on the floor are the following:

• Parasites
• Allergies
• Infections
• Anal glands obstruction
• Tumors

Below we look into each cause of cats dragging their anus in more detail. If you want to learn more about related issues, take a look at our article on my cat has a swollen and red anus.

Internal intestinal parasites, especially common in kittens, are one of the main reasons your cat might be scooting. These organisms can either belong to the group of roundworms (e.g. hookworms, roundworms), flatworms (e.g. tapeworms), or protozoa (e.g. toxoplasma, giardia, coccidia). However, due to its life cycle, flat parasites or tapeworms such as flea tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum) are the ones commonly associated with this behavior.

Cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis felis) carry the parasite Dipylidium caninum, and could be responsible for your cat's scooting. If these fleas are ingested by your cat while grooming, they will release the larvae of the parasite as soon as they come in contact with the stomach acids and will eventually reach your cat's intestine and settle. Once there, they will develop into an adult state and reproduce. Parasitic eggs will ultimately be eliminated in the feces, producing an intense itch right before its expulsion. The itch may provoke the need for scratching, which translates into your cat's scooting.

Allergies in cats can also cause dermatological problems that might lead to various symptoms such as excessive scratching, irritated mood, and scooting. The most common allergens are the following:

• Environmental allergens: herbs, fungal spores, dust, or pollen might generate an allergic reaction that produces irritation and itching.
  
  
• Food allergens: especially frequent in young cats arise as a result of a hypersensitivity to some types of protein, such as chicken or turkey. In addition to causing itchiness in the area, it can also cause other more common digestive symptoms such as diarrhea or vomiting.
  
  
• Parasitic allergens: Cats are sensitive to flea bites because their saliva can cause a hypersensitivity reaction that could also lead to perianal itching.

Apart from the scooting, you might also notice that your cat is trying to bite or lick the area around their butt. Vulvar or vaginal infection should not be disregarded as possible originators for your cat's scooting since they could cause intense itching in the surrounding areas.

It is important to observe if the area is reddened or has some type of discharge. Cats suffering from infections in near areas like the uterus (e.g. pyometra), may also develop other symptoms: fever, polyuria-polydipsia, depression, and loss of appetite are the most common.

If you wish to know more about infections in cats, don't miss our article on cryptococcosis in cats.

The feline anal glands are found on both sides of the anus and their job is to release a yellowish-brownish lubricating substance to help in the defecation process. Generally, this discharge is emptied during the defecation process, but sometimes it can be retained. This might cause a lot of pain and discomfort in affected cats which could also lead to them dragging their butts on the ground as a way of diminishing the symptoms.

You may also be interested in My Cat Has Liquid Coming From Their Anus

Although tumors in the vicinity of the anus are a much more common condition in dogs than in cats, it is still important to consider if you have noticed your cat is scooting.

These tumors can be perianal adenoma (benign) and adenocarcinoma of the anal sacs (malignant). In the latter, an increase in the calcium levels of the blood is detected in affected cats. Cats suffering from this type of tumor tend to develop a lump in the area which causes great discomfort and pain. Other clinical signs might arise, such as excessive licking of the area, ulceration, bleeding, anorexia, infections, fever, loss of appetite, constipation, and difficulty o pain in defecation.

The treatment for your cat's scooting depends on the underlying condition that is causing it in the first place. Here at AnimalWised, we advise you to take your cat to a specialist that can perform a thorough physical exam and determine a specific treatment based on the results. It also advised paying attention to any other symptoms, strange behaviors, or changes in their habits.

If the cause is related to parasites, it is important to administrate internal dewormers (anthelmintics) which will help in its expulsion and prevent these parasites from continuing to damage the feline's intestine. External dewormers prevent the apparition of fleas which dramatically reduces the chances of your cat ingesting them. Both can be found at your nearest veterinary center.

If the cause is related to allergies, you should consider changing your cat's diet and replacing the protein that commonly causes the allergic reaction.

In the case of an obstruction in the anal glands, these should be emptied as soon as the obstruction is detected. It is usually a standard procedure that will alleviate the symptoms almost immediately.

Finally, if you suspect your cat might be suffering from tumors or from an infection, you should seek professional help immediately and begin the treatment as soon as possible in order to avoid serious health issues in the future.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to My Cat Is Dragging Their Butt on the Floor, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category.