Is it blood?
November 22, 2014 11:01 PM Subscribe
One of my cats has either sprayed or sneezed something on my wall... Is there a product or test that might determine whether the 'something' is blood?
In the past two weeks or so, one of my cats has twice sprayed a wall with a reddish brown substance. I know the stuff isn't urine or marking spray - it has no smell. Also, the wall is directly behind the cats' favorite perching shelf - high up above my TV.
When I rub the stuff off with a damp towel, the towel sometimes comes away with red smears, sometimes brown smears. The smears on the towel have a slight iron scent to them - though that might also be the smell of my tap water.
Two of my cats are brothers and tend to have anal gland issues, so the substance might be gland-related. If so, that's a quick fix (one that a vet tech will be taking care of!). But if it's blood... Then that's a larger issue. None of the kitties are acting sick or have any sort of signs of sneezing/spraying blood (or anal gland-poopy stuff).
I've tried Google, but I think my search terms are bad. Do you know of any product/test kit that might help me determine whether this substance is blood?
In the past two weeks or so, one of my cats has twice sprayed a wall with a reddish brown substance. I know the stuff isn't urine or marking spray - it has no smell. Also, the wall is directly behind the cats' favorite perching shelf - high up above my TV.
When I rub the stuff off with a damp towel, the towel sometimes comes away with red smears, sometimes brown smears. The smears on the towel have a slight iron scent to them - though that might also be the smell of my tap water.
Two of my cats are brothers and tend to have anal gland issues, so the substance might be gland-related. If so, that's a quick fix (one that a vet tech will be taking care of!). But if it's blood... Then that's a larger issue. None of the kitties are acting sick or have any sort of signs of sneezing/spraying blood (or anal gland-poopy stuff).
I've tried Google, but I think my search terms are bad. Do you know of any product/test kit that might help me determine whether this substance is blood?
We're going through this with our altered female. In our case it's definitely blood in the urine. The vet says she's either sick (bladder inflamation) or she's crazy (stress is making her pee blood). He prescribed cortisone for 10 days and if she's still having problems she'll have to go on kitty Prozac.
posted by fiercekitten at 11:19 PM on November 22, 2014
posted by fiercekitten at 11:19 PM on November 22, 2014
Also, if you can get a clean sample (fresh, recent) you can sick it up into a syringe and have your vet test it. I don't know of any easy way to tell other than that.
posted by fiercekitten at 11:21 PM on November 22, 2014
posted by fiercekitten at 11:21 PM on November 22, 2014
Could it be flea dirt? Do either of your cats have fleas? Flea dirt is little black specks, but when it's wet it turns red/brown. Not sure how it would get sprayed on the wall.
Anecdote: I'm a vet, and a client with a greyhound was having a similar thing happen. The only thing I could find wrong with the dog was that it was infested with fleas. We treated the fleas and the blood spatters never happened again.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 2:14 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Anecdote: I'm a vet, and a client with a greyhound was having a similar thing happen. The only thing I could find wrong with the dog was that it was infested with fleas. We treated the fleas and the blood spatters never happened again.
posted by peanut butter milkshake at 2:14 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Luminol would probably work. It fluoresces in the presence of blood.
posted by Justinian at 2:48 AM on November 23, 2014
posted by Justinian at 2:48 AM on November 23, 2014
Response by poster: Luminol reacts to fecal matter as well as blood, so it's no help.
Peanut Butter Milkshake, it is definitely not flea dirt. I know what flea dirt looks like and, thankfully, none of the cats have fleas. They are indoor cats and I groom them often enough to know that there are no fleas or ticks present.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 5:52 AM on November 23, 2014
Peanut Butter Milkshake, it is definitely not flea dirt. I know what flea dirt looks like and, thankfully, none of the cats have fleas. They are indoor cats and I groom them often enough to know that there are no fleas or ticks present.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 5:52 AM on November 23, 2014
If it were blood in the urine wouldn't the wall stink of cat piss?
posted by yoink at 8:15 AM on November 23, 2014
posted by yoink at 8:15 AM on November 23, 2014
Best answer: It's winter, the dry season. I would assume it's blood and not necessarily of great concern. My sneezes sometimes have a little blood.
posted by JimN2TAW at 8:36 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by JimN2TAW at 8:36 AM on November 23, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: My cat used to sneeze blood and snot in the winter. Vet said it was due to the dry air.
posted by MrHalfwit at 9:35 AM on November 23, 2014
posted by MrHalfwit at 9:35 AM on November 23, 2014
Response by poster: Jim, Halfwit and GregNog, thanks! The spatter does seem more like something from a sneeze than anything else - I hadn't been thinking about the cold, dry weather causing nosebleeds. The last time I had a cat who blew bloody snot, the cause was a tumor in her sinuses (and, yeah, it killed her).
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 9:23 PM on November 23, 2014
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 9:23 PM on November 23, 2014
My most favourite cat let me know he was in trouble by starting unusual urination, with blood present.
Turned out his urethra was blocked.
posted by Packed Lunch at 12:43 AM on November 24, 2014
Turned out his urethra was blocked.
posted by Packed Lunch at 12:43 AM on November 24, 2014
Sounds like a UTI. I had a cat with a horrible UTI that would spray on my bedroom wall, likely for attention. Sounds exactly like the same thing.
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 7:27 AM on November 24, 2014
posted by Sara_NOT_Sarah at 7:27 AM on November 24, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
I say take a sample of the substance to your vet.
posted by sportbucket at 11:12 PM on November 22, 2014