Kitten’s Swollen, Irritated Anus: Causes & Solutions

By Lorra Garrick | Last updated 04/23

A vet explains why your kitten’s anus is swollen and irritated: MANY possible causes.

This could be due to quite a few possible causes that then indirectly lead to anal irritation and swelling.

The most likely cause is “scooting.” This is when a cat (or kitten) drags its behind along the floor or ground.

Of course, the anus will become irritated and swollen because of the repeated contact.

But the big question is: Why is your kitten scooting in the first place?

“Excessive scooting for any reason will cause swelling and redness,” says Jean Hofve, DVM, who has 20+ years’ experience in both conventional and alternative veterinary medicine, and author of the eBook, “What Cats Should Eat.”

Dr. Hofve says that scooting in a kitten may be caused by the following conditions (no particular order):

– Anal sac inflammation, infection or impaction

– Pyoderma (bacterial skin infection)

– Yeast infection

– Urinary tract infection

– Ringworm (a fungal skin infection)

– Tapeworms/coccidian/pinworms/other intestinal parasites

– Changes in gut flora (may occur after antibiotic treatment)

– Urethritis/vaginitis

– Proctitis (inflammation of the anus/rectum)

– Diarrhea or constipation

– Vaginal hairball/foreign body

– Low back pain

– Displacement behavior (cat continues scooting after the primary cause is resolved)

There are additional causes of scooting — which then could cause the anus to become swollen and irritated — but these additional causes are not as likely to occur in a kitten, but rather, a cat:

– Fleabite allergy

– Food allergy

– Atopy (inhalant allergy)

– Environmental allergy

– Inflammatory bowel disease

– Obesity

And One More Possible Reason for a Kitten’s Swollen, Irritated Anus

Dr. Hofve says that an additional cause could be “rectal prolapse and irritation from suckling by littermates (more common than you would think!). Depends to a large extent on age of kitten.”