As strange as it might sound, examining your cat’s faeces every now and then should be a part of your routine, as a responsible pet parent.
Cats can have various poop colours, but yellow is usually a sign that your pet might have sustained some type of liver or gallbladder damage.
Cats that have IBD or other digestive health issues that make them pass food through their system too fast can also experience yellow stools.
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Is Yellow Cat Poop Normal?
Cat faeces can vary a lot in colour depending on what you feed them or whether or not they were exposed to potentially toxic substances.
However, bright yellow should always be a reason to feel concerned.
Yellow cat poop is not normal and it could be a sign that your pet has developed a liver condition.
The gallbladder largely influences the way your pet’s waste looks, but so does the liver tissue itself.
Yellow faeces can also appear as a result of your cat having developed pancreatitis, but the aspect of the poop in that case would be slightly different than classic yellow.
In fact, you might feel that your cat’s faeces are yellow, but also somewhat greasy or look like a really fat piece of chalk.
What To Do If My Cats Poop Is Yellow
It actually depends on what your pet’s poop appears to look like continuously.
Occasionally, cats might have slightly more yellow faeces, but they are not going to be something that really grabs your attention.
However, if the poop is very yellow, especially light yellow, your cat probably needs to be seen by a veterinarian.
If your cat has light yellow poop then we recommend you speak with a vet ASAP.
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This is especially true if your pet passes not one, but two or even three yellow stools.
Seeing this colour in your cat’s poop repeatedly should definitely tell you that something is wrong.
And let’s face it — cats are not the best when it comes to showing general malaise symptoms, so your pet might behave normally otherwise, at least for the time being.
Yellow Cat Poop Treatment
The therapy that your vet chooses will depend on the condition that they diagnose your cat has developed.
If your cat has some kind of liver failure or if they have a gallbladder health issue, the vet will initiate treatment for those conditions.
Your pet might also have to be given some medications for diarrhoea, if they are passing explosive yellow stools.
This is necessary to prevent severe dehydration.
Your vet might also recommend a specific diet that will be able to protect your cat’s liver for the future.
Until the veterinarian finds out just what is wrong with your cat, your pet might have to be put on intravenous fluids and general medications that can support their body and help it function normally.
Some cats might experience loss of appetite for both food and water while passing yellow stools, especially if they have diarrhoea.
In any case, treatment options are now available and if your cat has problems with their liver, they mostly consist of specific plant extracts or artificial bile products that can help your pet’s gallbladder function better.
Some cats that have liver conditions might also be vitamin deficient, especially in B and E vitamins.
Supplementation is necessary in their case and might also involve the use of zinc.
What Causes Yellow Cat Poop?
1. Liver conditions
Liver disease can appear as a result of being exposed to poisons or it can be a consequence of a poor diet or a malfunction of the cat’s organs in general.
Senior pets are more likely to have some form of chronic liver disease just because their organs are breaking down in general, so their hepatic health might no longer be up to par.
Cats that are exposed to toxic substances can quickly not only pass yellow stools, but they can also develop jaundice, which is usually seen as a sign of a severe liver condition.
2. Gallbladder conditions
The gallbladder is what makes your cat’s faeces look brown, in general. So, whenever it might be malfunctioning, you might notice significant colour changes in your cat’s stools.
There are specific tests that your vet can recommend and use for diagnosing gallbladder health issues, and these days, they might even rely on contrast x-rays to see if your pet has gallbladder stones blocking the tract.
Gallbladder issues can do strange things to your cat’s faeces, some cat’s poop may also turn grey or green.
3. Pancreas conditions
Yellow poop could be a sign of pancreatic disease in cats. This is an organ that is essential for your pet’s system in two ways.
On the one hand, it is in charge of producing insulin, which regulates your cat’s blood sugar.
On the other hand, the pancreas releases specific enzymes that can influence the way your cat digests food.
As you can imagine, if your cat loses part of their pancreas functionality, things are likely to get bad fast.
In all animals, pancreatitis is considered an emergency, whether acute or chronic. Your cat needs to receive treatment as quickly as possible for it.
Cat Poop Yellow & Stinky Meaning
If your cat passes yellow stools and they also smell really bad, the most common cause could be a digestive infection.
In most cases, pets that are affected by this issue will not pass faeces with a normal consistency.
Instead, they will experience explosive diarrhoea that also stinks.
The vet can collect a faeces sample and examine it under a microscope or send it to a lab where a detailed diagnosis can be performed, determining whether your pet perhaps has a bacterial digestive infection.
Cats that have less capable immune systems can suffer from E. coli infections or even Salmonellosis.
There are antibiotics that can be used for treating these conditions, but immediate veterinary assistance is quite important.
Yellow Cat Poop With Blood
The presence of blood in your cat’s faeces is never a good sign, regardless of what might have caused it.
Blood can be a result of trauma or severe parasite infestations, where the worms effectively strip your pet’s intestinal walls of their normal mucous membranes.
It can also be a sign of intoxication, which leads to your pet’s digestive system, liver, and pancreas being affected all at the same time.
So, if you see any blood in your cat’s poop, whether it’s generally yellow or some other colour, get to the vet clinic as soon as possible.
Yellow Mucus Cat Poop
Some amount of mucus is normal because if your cat were not to have any in their digestive tract, they would be constipated all the time.
However, when the mucus becomes really visible on the surface of your cat’s yellow faeces, it could be a sign of a variety of health issues, such as the following:
- Bacterial infections (green cat poop can also be a sign of bacterial infection)
- Colon or rectum health problems
- A change in your cat’s intestinal anatomy
- Parasites (white cat poop can also be a sign of parasites)
- Recurring constipation
- Digestive cancer
Cat Pooping Yellow Liquid
Yellow liquid stools can be caused by most of the conditions that we have previously mentioned, meaning liver and gallbladder disease, pancreatic health issues, exposure to toxic substances, or intense bacterial infections or parasitic infestations.
The most important thing to keep in mind when your cat’s poop is basically liquid is that they are losing precious water and electrolytes at the same time.
Dehydration can be life-threatening in all animals, but even more in cats, especially since they do not tend to drink a lot of water on a daily basis.
As such, the best piece of advice we have for you if you see this in your own cat would be to immediately take them to the animal hospital.
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