Caring for cats is a very common part of our daily life, so we need to pay attention to their health regularly. Usually, we can tell some of the cat’s physical conditions from their behavior, mental state, and stool condition. The soft stool and diarrhea in cats are very similar, so how do we distinguish them?

First, the most obvious distinction can be made from appearance. Generally, diarrhea resembles sweet bean paste in color and shape, especially its viscosity and thickness, which tends to be quite thick. Sometimes if diarrhea is severe, it can look very similar to water. However, soft stool is not diarrhea; it is a state between normal and diarrhea.

In daily life, we classify the hardness and softness of cat stool into five levels: Level 1 - the stool is dry, hard, and broken into pieces when passed; Level 2 - stool is formed with a shape, and when picked up, it does not leave any residue; Level 3 - contains a small amount of moisture, not completely formed when picked up; Level 4 - stool is unformed; Level 5 - diarrhea state.

The difference between soft stool and diarrhea can also be discerned from different causes: generally, when a cat has indigestion, it will have soft stool, but if it has diarrhea, there will also be vomiting symptoms. There is a high chance that the cat is suffering from gastroenteritis.

If owners find that their cat is showing symptoms of diarrhea, don’t worry. You can give the cat some probiotics to help with its stomach. If these measures do not improve the condition or if it worsens, you need to take the cat to a veterinary hospital promptly for further examination and treatment. In daily life, we also need to keep the food clean and hygienic, provide a good eating environment for the cat, and make sure the food is light.

In summary, these are some common differences between cat stool and diarrhea. New cat owners can check their cat’s intestinal health by these symptoms and distinctions. Early detection and treatment can prevent serious harm to the cat’s health.