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The anal glands which are actually sacs are two small pouches located on either side of the anus at approximately the four o'clock and eight o'clock positions. The walls of the sacs are lined with a large number of sebaceous (sweat) glands that produce a very stinky smelling fluid. The fluid may be liquid or sticky, and vary in color usually of yellow to dark brown. To humans this liquid smells disgusting… for cats this odor is very important and is a kind of identification for them. Anal glands serve a purpose by being one of many ways a cat can mark its territory and make their presence known to other animals. Cats have the ability to manually express their anal glands when startled or threatened. Some of you may have even experienced this when bathing your cat and they got highly excited or frightened and they squirted the liquid out.
When a cat poops it naturally applies pressure to these balloon-like anal sacs, allowing the fluid within the glands to be squeezed and excreted naturally. A problem can happen when these glands become clogged and the fluid cannot be pressed out naturally when pooping. The glands can become impacted, and this can lead to constipation and in some cases interfere with normal litter box usage. Some signs to look for are scooting or dragging their butt along the ground, licking or biting at the rectum/tail area, or redness to anal area. Impacted glands are very painful and need a vet visit to avoid having them rupture.
Happy Friday Lairians
