Why Does My Cat Poop Immediately After Eating?
If your cat eats and then poops right after you may be concerned and wondering if this is normal…
Why does my cat poop immediately after eating?
A cat may poop immediately after eating for several reasons, such as its bowels were already full, the new food triggered a bowel movement, or it’s a coincidence and hadn’t pooped for a while before eating. Either way, It is not regarded as an issue and many cats do this. Unless it appears to have diarrhea.
So, now you know. But, do cats always do this? What if the poop is runny? Why is the poop so stinky? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…
3 reasons why cats poop after eating:

A brown cat eating food from a bowl.
Early I briefly mentioned a few reasons why your cat may poop right after eating. In this section I will explain each one in further detail:
01. Bowels are full
Your cat may poop right after eating simply because its bowels are full. When this happens it could just have easily pooped before eating, but the poop may have taken it over the edge.
Personally, this tends to happen to me as well, the new food may push me over the edge forcing me to poop.
02. The new food trigger
Sometimes when a cat eats it triggers its body to release its bowels. This does not mean the new food is included in this movement, but it triggers it.
When cat owners are concerned about their cat pooping so close to a meal they are concerned that the new food is running straight through them. But, this is rarely the case.
If this did happen, the food running straight through them, it would mean there was an issue with the food consumed such as it was off or some allergy. When this happens your cat may reject that meal right after.
03. Been waiting a while
If your cat has been waiting a while to poop it could go directly after eating because the food may have helped it pass. This can happen if the cat was constipated. There could be a chance, that if it was wet food, it helped the cat poop after being backed up.
Why does my cat have runny poop after eating?
If your cat has runny poop after eating this could be regarded as an issue. This could mean the food may have been off (expired) or caused a reaction.
These reactions could be diarrhea from an allergic reaction or the body rejecting it because the cat should not be eating it. For example, it had hair or another object in it.
Do cats always poop after eating?
It is regarded as normal to poop following each meal. For younger cats, or young kittens, that have more regular meals, it could mean they poop multiple times per day.
Some new cat owners may be concerned about this but it is not necessarily an issue, and in fact, expected.
How often should a cat poop?
A healthy cat should poop at least once a day. But, it is possible to be more than this. If your cat is not pooping at least once per day you need to monitor them closely in case they have a blockage or constipation.
If a cat is blocked or constipated it may struggle to poop and cause irregular bowel movements, hence the reason they need to be monitored.
Why does my cat poop in his food bowl?
If your cat has pooped, or continually pooped in its food bowel this indicates a problem that needs your urgent attention. It could suggest that your cat is not happy with its current liter tray, or whatever you have provided for it to poop in.
There are a few things you can try if this is the case such as:
- Switch the litter box location
- Try another litter box
- Keep the litter box clean
- Try using a self-cleaning litter box
- Replace it with a hooded litter box
- If it’s a hooded litter box, replace it with a regular one
The idea is to try each one and see what impact it has on the cat. Once it stops pooping in the food bowl then you need to stick with that setup.
Do cats poop out of spite?
Cats do not poop out of spite. This is generally a human emotion. Cats will poop to mark territory or outside of their litter box if there is an issue.
When you see the cat poop in an unexpected location it is annoying and it can be easy to assume it was done to spite you, but cats are not that clever to know it will, or can, affect you in this way.
Why is my cat’s poop so stinky?
A cat’s poop is so stinky because it contains meat, as they are carnivores, that has been churned up and digested. This is a big contrast to other animals that have a plant-based diet.
However, the smell can be even worse if it is left for days without being cleaned up. Hence the reason why it’s important to keep the litter box clean or get a self-cleaning litter box.
Can I change my cat’s poop schedule?
Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad
You can change your cat’s poop schedule by changing their eating times. But, it is not advisable and, arguably, not an efficient way to deal with it. If you feel that the cat poop timing is a problem, then it is likely to be more of an issue of the cat litter location or the system you are using, which is easier to adjust.
For example, you could move the cat litter into another room, or location in your home, but that does not cause as much interference.
Alternatively, the actual cat litter box could be replaced with a hooded litter box, or even a self-cleaning litter box (Click here to see the reviews, on Amazon #Ad).
Why does my cat get a “poop tail”?
A cat may get “poop tail” (poop on its tail) for several reasons such as a fecal parasite issue, problems with digestion, or its tail being long and getting in its way.
If its parasites, or a digestive issue, a trip to the vet is required. However, if it’s the length of its tail fur, or the fur obstructing its anus, then it can be trimmed to clear it. this can be done by a professional or a vet.
Why do cats Poop Standing?
Some cats will poop (click here if it’s waiting for you to do one first) standing out of preference. This does not mean there is an issue. Some cats will poop as normal but there are various reports, from cat owners, of their cats doing this.
So, if you have seen your cat doing this and thought it looked odd, it may do, but it may not necessarily be an issue.
Should you be concerned if you see diarrhea?
Cats can have diarrhea for many reasons and it can come and go. However, if it is lasting longer than 24-48 hours it could be a concern and worth checking with your vet to be sure.
If there is any doubt, it’s worth checking with your vet to be safe.
How soon do cats poop after eating?
It all depends on your kitty’s digestive system, but typically the process will take anywhere from 10 to 24 hours before your adult cat will poop.
They should be pooping at least once a day and as they are creatures of habit about this, it will often (though not always) be around the same times. This is good information to know, as it makes it easier to notice if your cat’s potty habits have recently changed and that something might be amiss.
Do kittens poop after every meal?

A brown and white kitten lying indoors and staring.
No, kittens do not normally poop after every meal, but they will usually urinate each time after they feed. As far as a kitten’s poop schedule, you can expect your kitten to poop approximately 3 to 4 times daily, though it could be as little as 2 or 3 once they have started adjusting to solid foods.
Do cats poop less on wet food?
Actually, yes, most cats will seem to poop less on wet food. It is easier to digest for them, so it is processed more efficiently than the dry cat food varieties. Both types of foods are certainly healthy, it’s just that the wet cat food takes less ‘work’ to process efficiently through your cat’s body.
If you want wet food on a budget, an easy hack is to pour a little hot chicken or beef broth (unsalted) into your kitty’s dry food and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. The cat food readily absorbs the broth and softens up the food quite nicely for easier digestion.
Why does my cat keep eating and pooping so much?
If your cat is eating and pooping more, the first thing to consider is if its diet has changed. A switch from wet food to dry, for instance, will cause a slight change in their potty habits, due to the dryer food being harder for your cat to digest
If your cat has a sudden increase in appetite and potty breaks, but no changes to their food have occurred, then a quick checkup with the vet is a good idea. A dramatically increased appetite is a common sign for many diseases or could even indicate a parasitic infection, such as worms.
Is it normal for a cat to poop after eating?
With adults, no, this is not typical. An adult cat will usually digest their food for a period of 10 to 24 hours before they will pass along the waste into their litter box.
Kittens will urinate immediately or very soon after feeding, but their poops are generally 3 to 4 times a day and seldom occur right after a meal. Now, that said, with that digestion time in mind, think if your cat has had any treats from you for a 10 to 24-hour period.
In all likelihood, this is why they are taking a potty break after eating. It’s processed food, but just not the food that you just saw them gobble down for their lunch or dinner.
Is a cat’s digestion process similar to us humans?
While their digestive process is roughly similar, cats are obligate carnivores. This means that they draw their nutrition primarily from meat, and so certain veggies and fruits will have little to no nutritional value for them and will be harder to digest.
They also digest more quickly, with bowel movements typically once or twice a day, as the usual time to digest foods is between 10 and 24 hours. By comparison, food digested by humans takes about 5 hours to clear the small intestine and anywhere from 10 to 59 hours to fully process the waste.