Why does my cat keep having anal gland issues?
Repeated scooting or sudden leakage can mean your cat needs regular manual expressions, but it can also point to an underlying medical problem that requires a vet's attention. Worrying about whether this is normal leaves owners torn between scheduling stressful monthly gland expressions and searching for a deeper health cause.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1getting anal glands expressed regularly at the vet
- 2washing the cat's bottom with a cloth
- 3asking the vet to teach how to perform expressions at home
- 4Wiping the cat down with a wet wipe as a courtesy
- 5Having anal glands expressed or emptied
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“She started driving again after not doing it for months. I’m just worried there’s an underlying issue or is this normal?”source ↗
“I’m fine taking her to get glands expressed monthly if that’s what she needs even though she HATES it but wanted to know if it could be something more serious.”source ↗
“Well, tonight, after 10 years with her, she uhhh....left a fragrant liquid on my chest and shirt.”source ↗
“My nose, its all i can smell, it's diabolical.”source ↗
“Weird this happened for this first time now, the pet routine is the same, same strategy for the purrs, is this a sign of something health wise I should be looking out for?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 9Cat getting poop stuck in long fur around back end
- 2Why do cats get the zoomies after pooping?
- 13What causes persistent eye discharge and swelling in cats?
- 4Why does cat diarrhea come back after finishing medication?
- 3Why does my dog express their anal glands when stretching?
- 9Cat has crooked teeth and red gums. Is this normal?