Cats don’t actually get hemorrhoids. While the swelling, redness, or discomfort around your cat’s rear end might look like what you’d expect from hemorrhoids, the anatomy is different. What you’re likely seeing is one of three conditions: impacted or infected anal sacs, rectal prolapse, or perianal swelling from chronic straining. Each has a different cause and treatment, and identifying the right one matters.
Why Cats Don’t Get Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins inside or around the rectum, and they’re largely a human problem tied to our upright posture. The way blood circulates in a cat’s pelvic region makes true hemorrhoids extremely rare to the point of being essentially nonexistent. When cat owners spot a lump, swelling, or redness near their cat’s anus, the culprit is almost always something else. The three most common lookalikes are anal sac disease, rectal prolapse, and perianal inflammation from parasites or chronic digestive issues.
Anal Sac Disease: The Most Likely Cause
Cats have two small glands, one on each side of the anus, that normally release a small amount of fluid when they defecate. When these sacs become blocked (impacted), infected, or abscessed, the area can swell visibly and look alarmingly like a hemorrhoid. This is the most common explanation for what cat owners describe as “cat hemorrhoids.”
The signs are fairly distinctive. Your cat may scoot their rear across the floor, lick or bite at the area obsessively, or strain and cry during bowel movements. With impaction, you might feel hard lumps on either side of the anus. If the sacs become infected or abscessed, the skin around them can turn red or purple, and the swelling becomes painful to the touch. In severe cases, an abscess can rupture through the skin and drain on its own, leaving a visible wound.
Certain cats are more prone to this problem. Risk factors include obesity, chronic diarrhea or constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies, and abnormal anatomy. Unlike dogs, cats don’t commonly have recurring anal sac problems, but when they do, one of these underlying issues is usually driving it.
How Anal Sac Disease Is Treated
The first-line treatment is manual expression of the blocked glands, which a veterinarian does by applying pressure to empty the thick, pasty material packed inside. This often provides immediate relief, though it’s not something to attempt at home without training since improper technique can rupture the sac internally.
If the sacs are infected, your vet will typically flush them and may prescribe antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication. For abscesses that have already ruptured, the wound needs to be cleaned and managed to prevent further infection.
When the problem keeps coming back despite treatment, surgical removal of the anal sacs is often recommended. A study of cats and dogs undergoing this procedure found that only 1 out of 28 animals experienced a complication afterward (mild, temporary fecal incontinence and scooting). Major surgical complications are rare, though minor postoperative issues like drainage or inflammation can occur in up to about a third of cases. Most animals recover without long-term problems.
Rectal Prolapse: When Tissue Pushes Outward
If what you’re seeing is a tube-shaped mass of pink or red tissue protruding from the anus, your cat likely has a rectal prolapse, not hemorrhoids. This happens when part of the rectal lining pushes outside the body, usually because of severe or prolonged straining. Cats of any age, breed, or sex can be affected, but it’s especially common in young cats with severe diarrhea or chronic constipation.
Rectal prolapse is a veterinary emergency. The exposed tissue dries out and swells quickly, making it harder to push back into place with each passing hour. A vet will attempt manual reduction, gently pushing the tissue back inside, and may place a temporary suture around the anus to hold everything in position while the area heals. In some cases, these initial attempts fail and more involved surgical techniques are needed. Laxatives and dietary adjustments are typically part of recovery to keep stools soft and reduce straining.
The key to preventing recurrence is treating whatever caused the straining in the first place, whether that’s parasites, chronic diarrhea, or constipation.
Signs That Need Immediate Veterinary Attention
Some rear-end symptoms can wait for a regular vet appointment, but others can’t. Take your cat to an emergency vet right away if you notice a large amount of blood in the stool, pale or bluish gums, repeated vomiting alongside the rectal symptoms, severe diarrhea, obvious pain, weakness, or lethargy. Kittens, elderly cats, pregnant cats, and cats with existing health conditions should also be seen urgently.
If you spot a tiny streak of blood in an otherwise normal stool and your cat seems fine, it’s reasonable to monitor the litter box closely for a day and schedule a regular appointment. But if blood continues or your cat starts acting sick, move the timeline up.
What You Can Do at Home
Home care won’t replace a vet visit for diagnosing what’s actually going on, but a few things can help manage the underlying issues that cause rectal swelling and straining.
Constipation is one of the biggest drivers of straining-related problems in cats. Adding fiber to your cat’s diet can make a real difference. Psyllium powder mixed into canned food (starting at about 1 teaspoon per day and adjusting up to 4 teaspoons based on your cat’s response) is one of the most commonly recommended options. Plain canned pumpkin, not the pie filling, is another popular choice. Keeping your cat well-hydrated matters too. Wet food, water fountains, and multiple fresh water sources around the house all help keep stools soft.
Weight management plays a role as well. Overweight cats are more likely to develop anal sac problems and tend to have more difficulty with regular bowel movements. If your cat is carrying extra weight, a gradual weight loss plan with your vet’s guidance can reduce the odds of recurring issues.
Keep the area around your cat’s anus clean and dry. If you notice your cat scooting or licking excessively, a warm, damp cloth can gently clean the area. Avoid using any human hemorrhoid creams or ointments on your cat. These products contain ingredients that can be toxic if your cat licks them off, which they absolutely will.
Getting the Right Diagnosis
Because several different conditions can mimic the appearance of hemorrhoids, a proper veterinary exam is the only reliable way to figure out what’s happening. Your vet will likely perform a rectal exam, check the anal sacs, and may recommend bloodwork or imaging depending on what they find. Causes of rectal bleeding and swelling in cats range from simple constipation and parasites to inflammatory bowel disease and, less commonly, tumors.
Bringing a fresh stool sample to the appointment saves time and can help rule out parasites or infections quickly. If your cat has been having digestive issues alongside the visible swelling, mention that too, since chronic diarrhea or constipation points the diagnosis in a specific direction and changes the treatment plan.