Moderate severity

Anal Gland Impaction

Blocked scent glands either side of the anus cause scooting, over-grooming under the tail and obvious discomfort — and if left, can develop into a painful abscess.

⚠️ Common symptoms

Scooting or dragging the bottom along the floorExcessive licking or biting under the tailA strong, fishy odourStraining or discomfort when passing faecesSwelling, redness or a lump beside the anusIrritability when the tail base is touchedDischarge or blood near the anus if a gland ruptures

Anal gland trouble is discussed far more often in dogs, but cats get it too, and because cats are private about their toileting the signs are easy to miss. The two glands sit just inside the anus and hold a strongly scented fluid used in marking. Every firm stool that passes squeezes a little of it out. When that natural emptying fails, the fluid thickens, the gland swells, and the cat becomes uncomfortable.

The classic sign is scooting — dragging the bottom along carpet or grass — but many cats instead simply lick and chew obsessively under the tail, which owners may read as a grooming habit or a flea problem. A sudden fishy smell, reluctance to be touched near the tail base, or a visible swelling to one side of the anus are all worth investigating. Straining in the litter tray can look confusingly like constipation or a urinary blockage, and the latter is a genuine emergency in male cats, so it is always worth a call to the vet rather than a guess at home.

Expressing an impacted gland is a quick procedure and the relief is usually immediate. What matters more is asking why it happened. Persistently soft stools, chronic constipation, obesity and allergic skin disease are the usual culprits, and treating those is what stops the problem returning. Abscess formation is the complication to avoid: an infected gland can rupture through the skin, leaving a painful open wound that needs antibiotics, pain relief and careful nursing.

Home expression is not something most owners should attempt — it is easy to bruise the gland or cause the cat to associate handling with pain. A veterinary check, some attention to diet and weight, and prompt treatment of any underlying cause will resolve the great majority of cases.

🔍 Causes

Cats have two small scent sacs at roughly four and eight o'clock around the anus, which normally empty a few drops of pungent fluid each time a firm stool passes. Soft stools, diarrhoea, constipation, obesity, reduced activity, allergies and simple anatomical variation can all stop the glands emptying properly. The retained secretion thickens, the duct blocks, and the gland becomes distended, inflamed and eventually infected.

🛡 Prevention

Keep your cat at a healthy weight and active, and feed a diet that produces firm, well-formed stools — adequate fibre helps the glands empty naturally. Treat diarrhoea and constipation promptly rather than letting them run on, and manage any skin allergy, since allergic inflammation is a common underlying driver. Cats prone to impaction may need periodic checks so the glands can be expressed before they become painful.

💊 Treatment

A vet or veterinary nurse can express the glands manually to relieve the blockage, which usually brings quick relief. Infected or abscessed glands need flushing, antibiotics and pain relief, and a ruptured abscess is treated as an open wound. Cats with recurrent problems may benefit from a higher-fibre diet to bulk the stool, weight management, and treatment of any underlying skin allergy or diarrhoea. Surgical removal of the glands is a last resort for severe, repeatedly infected cases.

When to see a vet: Book an appointment if your cat is scooting, licking obsessively under the tail, or seems sore around the bottom. Go sooner if you see swelling, a lump, bleeding or discharge beside the anus, or if the cat is off its food and clearly painful — these suggest an abscess, which needs treatment rather than time.

⚕️ Medical disclaimer

  • This information is educational only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
  • Symptoms overlap between conditions — only a vet can diagnose accurately.
  • Never withhold treatment or self-medicate based on information found online.
  • When in doubt, call your vet. Early intervention almost always leads to better outcomes.

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