What Is Wrong With a Male Cat When He Can't Contol His Bowels?

If your male cat is unable to control his bowels, he could be suffering from a serious health condition. If you have an elderly cat, his inability to control his bowel movements may simply be a result of age, and there is no real treatment for this problem. However, if you have a younger cat unable to control his bowels and who defecates in the middle of a daily activity, there are several possible health conditions that could be the root of the problem.

  1. Spinal Problems

    • Spinal injuries or problems in cats can leave your cat unable to control his bowels. Some breeds of cats are born with spinal cord damage; others may have a degenerative disease that eventually attacks their spinal cord. Some cats cats injure their back or spine doing everyday tasks. Poisons can also affect the spinal cord. If your cat has completely lost control of his bowel and bladder and is showing signs of spinal cord problems such as loss of voluntary muscle movement, partial paralysis, loss of touch sensation or difficulty walking, your cat may have sustained a spinal cord injury.

    Toxoplasmosis

    • Toxoplasmosis is a disease, common in cats, that is caused by a single-celled parasite. When this occurs, your cat will experience some neurological malfunctions. For instance, he may be overly sensitive to light and touch, twitch, have changes in personality and behavior, may experience some seizures in addition to losing bowel control. If not treated properly by a veterinarian, this condition can cause severe damage to your cat.

    Fecal Incontinence

    • Fecal incontinence is often declared as the cat's problem if he is not clearly showing any other telling symptoms with his loss of bowel control. Feline fecal incontinence is usually directly due to problems with the anal sphincter and rectal muscles. In these cases, stool is usually watery or soft and passed when the cat is walking, changing positions or playing. In this case, call your vet and he will most likely give your cat medicine to harden his stools, making it easier for your cat to control his bowel movements. For more severe situations there are some surgical options.

    Strokes

    • Cats who suffer strokes often recover much quicker than humans do, and many times owners won't even realize their cat has had a stroke. Following a stroke a cat may be temporarily blind, partially paralyzed, have minor tremors or walk lopsided. They often experience a loss of control of their bladder and bowel movements. Many cats also lose control of their bowels for extended periods if they experience "saddle thrombus." This can cause permanent weakness in the hind legs or an inability to use these legs altogether. Depending on the severity, your cat may lose control of him bowel movements for a few days or lose the ability to control them permanently.