Free tool
Cat poop chart
What healthy cat poop looks like, what each color and texture can mean, and the litter box clues that matter. The same colors and verdicts the PoopScout app uses.
What normal cat poop looks like
Dark brown, firm, well formed, about the length and thickness of a finger, passed roughly once a day (some cats go twice, some every other day). It should hold its shape when scooped and leave little behind. A faint smell is normal; a smell that fills the room, or a sudden change in smell, is a clue. Score it on the 1 to 7 stool score: a 2 is ideal, a 3 is fine for many cats.
Consistency in the litter box
| What you scoop | Score | Usually means | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard, dry pellets, lots of effort | 1 | Constipation, not enough water, hair | Keep an eye; no poop for 2 to 3 days is a call |
| Firm, segmented, easy to scoop | 2 | Ideal | All clear |
| Soft log, holds its shape | 3 | A little soft, often nothing | All clear |
| Soggy, loses shape when scooped | 4 | Diet slip, stress, a food change | Keep an eye |
| Soft piles, some shape | 5 | Getting close to diarrhea | Keep an eye; a kitten is a call |
| No shape, piles or spots | 6 | Diarrhea | Keep an eye for a day; longer, or with vomiting or blood, is a call |
| Watery, puddles | 7 | Diarrhea that drains fluid fast | Call your vet today; a kitten or vomiting is now |
Heads up
A cat, especially a male, straining in the litter box with little or nothing coming out may not be constipated at all. A urinary blockage looks the same from across the room and can be fatal within a day or two. That is Call a vet now.
The litter box clues that matter
- In and out of the box, or crying in it. Pain or straining. A same-day call, or now if nothing is coming out.
- Pooping outside the box. Medical causes first: constipation, diarrhea, arthritis in an older cat, urinary disease. Then the box itself. See why cats poop outside the litter box.
- No poop for two days. Cats hide constipation well. Call your vet today.
- Rice-like or sesame-like specks on the poop, on the fur around the bottom, or on bedding: tapeworm segments, usually from fleas. Call your vet today and ask about flea control.
- Blood, mucus or a jelly-like coating. A small streak once, in a bright cat, is a same-day call. A lot of blood, black tarry stool, or blood with vomiting or weakness is Call a vet now.
Cats dehydrate quickly and are good at looking fine, so the thresholds are shorter than for dogs: diarrhea past 24 to 48 hours, any diarrhea in a kitten, a cat refusing food for more than a day, or vomiting with diarrhea are all calls. Never give a cat a human medicine; several common ones are dangerous for cats.
Sources
The colors, scores and verdicts follow Cornell Feline Health Center, the Merck Veterinary Manual (pet owner edition), VCA Animal Hospitals and the Companion Animal Parasite Council. Each linked guide names its sources in full.
Questions
How often should a cat poop?
Most adult cats poop about once a day; once to twice a day is common and every other day can be normal for some cats. What matters is your cat's own pattern. No poop for two days, or repeated straining that produces little, is a vet-today call.
Why does my cat's poop smell so bad?
Diet is the usual reason, especially a recent change or a lot of fish. A sudden, much stronger smell with soft stool can point to parasites, a gut infection or food not being digested well. If it lasts more than a few days, or comes with diarrhea or weight loss, call your vet.
What does black cat poop mean?
Black, tarry, sticky stool can mean digested blood from the stomach or small intestine. That is a Call a vet now. Very dark brown from diet is different: dark brown that still looks like normal poop is usually fine.
Is blood in cat poop an emergency?
A small streak of bright red blood in a cat who is eating and acting normally is a same-day call. A lot of blood, black tarry stool, blood with vomiting or weakness, or any blood in a kitten is a Call a vet now.
Does the PoopScout app work for cats?
Yes. Add your cat once and every check is read with their species and life stage in mind: the stool score, color, findings, and the verdict, with the litter box notes in the free guide.