Why does a cat ride booty on the floor and carpet

If the owner notices that the cat rubs its booty on the floor and other rough surfaces, or often licks the anus, it may have inflammation of the anal glands. This is a condition that can cause extreme discomfort.

Cats are known to have some nasty ways of marking their territory. Riding backwards on the floor is not one of them and may indicate a more serious problem. If timely measures are not taken, inflamed anal glands will lead to more severe health problems. How to recognize and cure the disease in time and avoid further discomfort for the cat?

Function of the anal glands

The cat’s anal sacs are “organs found under the skin at the 5 and 7 o’clock position around the animal’s rectum,” describes the Pet Health Network. And the anal glands are tiny organs inside these sacs that produce a caustic secretion. 

Being territorial animals, cats use such secretions to mark their possessions with scent. This involves splashing and rubbing to ward off predators and let other animals know who’s boss. Luckily, most indoor cats don’t have much of a need to leave their scent behind, so they instead rub their heads against their favorite objects – the couch, the bed, the owner. A cat may start marking territory when a new pet or family member enters the home, but these situations are usually short-lived.

Another function of the anal sacs is to facilitate the process of defecation in a cat through secretion. It promotes their emptying and acts as a lubricant. When a cat’s feces are not hard enough to compress and empty the anal sacs, the secretion accumulates inside, causing inflammation or blockage of the glands.

Identifying the problem

Problems with anal sacs are less common in cats than in dogs. As the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals explains, small breed dogs can have many problems due to “narrow glandular outflow.” 

Although it doesn’t happen often, a cat’s anal glands can become blocked, leading to inflammation. In the inflammation stage, the cat rides the booty on the carpet to relieve itching. Petful notes that other symptoms of inflammation include:

• excessive licking of the disturbing area;
• meowing when using the tray;
• strong and unpleasant smell;
• red and swollen anal area;
• bloody discharge.

If your cat shows signs of anal gland problems, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. If the problem is left untreated, it can lead to an abscess or rupture and entry of bacteria into the body.

Treatment

Swollen anal glands create severe discomfort for the cat, so you should first consult with your veterinarian. “Mildly inflamed pouches can be treated by squeezing [or] emptying the fluid,” says Critical Care DVM. 

If the cat’s anal sacs are very inflamed and painful, light sedation may be required for the procedure. Your veterinarian may prescribe a course of antibiotics or painkillers to help you get better. If the infection is severe, the anal sacs will need to be surgically removed.

There are many instructions on the Internet for squeezing the anal glands at home. But this task is best entrusted to a veterinarian. He knows how to empty a cat’s anal glands in a safe, gentle and efficient way. He will show you how to hold the cat safely and firmly so that he does not escape during the procedure, and where to direct any foul-smelling liquid that leaks out. In addition, after the procedure, which will be carried out by a specialist, the cat will be offended by him, and not by the owner – this is another plus of the procedure at the veterinary clinic.

If your cat’s anal sacs become inflamed, she will need a lot of love and patience. When a cat rides its bottom on the floor – this is not the picture that its owners dream of seeing, but this is how it tries to alleviate the discomfort. 

You can not punish her for such behavior, since its cause is medical in nature. In such cases, punishment can only exacerbate the problem. But you need to carefully monitor the symptoms of inflammation of the anal glands to make sure that the cat is not bothered by anything and she will not have to spoil the carpet.