LitterLens can flag red and black-tarry colour in your cat's stool, so it can help you spot blood in cat poop, but it is not a blood test. Its stool analysis sorts colour into black-tarry, red, grey, green and orange-yellow. Blood that is mixed into stool or too small to see in the image can be missed. Colour alerts need a Care+ subscription. Any blood in your cat's stool is a reason to call your vet, whatever the camera shows.
What Is LitterLens?
LitterLens is SiiPet's litter box camera that monitors your cat's health through their toilet habits. It records each visit, times it, and analyzes the stool image for shape and colour.
The device mounts to the litter box, records 1080p video with a white fill light for night use, and recognizes individual cats in multi-cat homes. It is informational only: it flags what it sees so you can share it with your vet, and it does not diagnose.
How Does LitterLens Flag Blood?
LitterLens analyzes the stool in each visit and sorts colour. It can flag bright red, which usually suggests bleeding low in the digestive tract, and dark tarry black, which can come from digested blood higher up. Shape is sorted as hard, soft or watery.
It compares each cat with that cat's own baseline (about 7 days to form, stable after about 30 days). Alerts for abnormal stool need Care+, and every alert is a prompt to look at the clip and check with your vet. The photos and clips can be shown to the vet.
Why Is Blood in Cat Poop a Concern?
Blood in cat stool can point to conditions such as parasites, colitis, tumors, or clotting disorders. Bright red blood typically suggests lower gastrointestinal bleeding, while black stool may signal bleeding higher in the digestive tract.
Waiting can allow problems like anemia to develop. Catching it earlier gives your vet more options. A camera alert should always be followed by professional veterinary evaluation. See the guide to mucus and blood in cat poop for what other stool changes can mean.
What Causes Blood in Cat Stool?
Blood in feces can result from anal gland issues, dietary indiscretions, infections, inflammatory bowel disease, stress, or exposure to toxins. The appearance and frequency of blood can hint at the cause, and your vet decides. LitterLens cannot tell you the cause. For chronic loose stool with blood, ask about inflammatory bowel disease.
| Cause | Symptoms | Urgency |
|---|---|---|
| Parasites (worms) | Diarrhea, weight loss | See your vet |
| Colitis | Frequent small poops with blood | See your vet soon |
| Tumors or polyps | Persistent bleeding, lethargy | See your vet promptly |
| Anal glands | Scooting, blood spots | See your vet |
| Food allergies | Soft stool, itching | See your vet |
LitterLens tracks stool patterns, so you can see whether blood shows up once or keeps recurring. It does not detect worms; a vet fecal test does. The VCA guide to diarrhea in cats explains common causes of loose stool with blood.
How Reliable Is Blood Detection?
Reliability depends on the image. Red or black-tarry stool that is clearly visible on top of the litter is easiest to flag. Small streaks, blood mixed inside the stool, dark litter, poor lighting or a stool partly buried by the cat can hide it. There is no accuracy figure you can rely on, so treat the camera as a second pair of eyes and check the clip.
Trend tracking helps with long-term monitoring of recurring problems, since you can see how often a colour flag appears. For a colour reference, see the cat poop colour chart.
Can LitterLens Handle Multi-Cat Homes?
Yes, LitterLens recognizes individual cats, so a stool flag is assigned to the right cat. It monitors visit frequency, duration and stool for each cat. Recognition is about 80% or better and drops above five cats. If you have more than one cat, the guide to finding which cat has blood in the litter box covers other ways to narrow it down, and the multi-cat health monitoring collection lists options for several cats.
What Should You Do If Blood Is Detected?
If you see blood, note the amount, colour and frequency, and contact your veterinarian promptly. In a multi-cat home, work out which cat it is. Screenshots or videos from the LitterLens app can help your vet. Avoid home remedies; veterinary evaluation may include fecal tests, bloodwork, or imaging. Call the vet the same day if your cat also has diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy or a swollen belly. Tracking trends over time can help determine the cause and guide treatment.
When Should You Use LitterLens Daily?
Daily review is worth it for senior cats, multi-cat households, and cats with gastrointestinal histories. Continuous monitoring helps you notice subtle changes that you might overlook. It also suits post-adoption observation, diet transitions, or routine health tracking. See more in what sick cat poop looks like.
Could LitterLens Help You Avoid a Vet Emergency?
It can help you catch a change earlier, and earlier vet visits are often simpler than emergencies. It cannot prevent bleeding, blockages or infections. Sharing the record with your vet supports timely decisions, but it does not guarantee any outcome or reduce costs.
Key Takeaways and Actionable Advice
LitterLens flags red and black-tarry stool and tracks stool patterns for each cat. Track trends, consult your veterinarian promptly, and keep regular checkups. Browse the cat health monitoring collection to see the current options.
Frequently Asked Questions About LitterLens and Blood in Cat Stool
Does LitterLens work in covered litter boxes?
Yes, in most cases. It has a wide field of view (134 x 84 degrees) and a white fill light. Mount it on a flat surface and check the first few visits to make sure the whole box is in frame. It is not recommended for automatic or self-cleaning boxes.
How private is the data collected?
The camera wakes when a cat approaches, and a privacy mode lets you turn it off. Free-tier recordings are stored locally for 72 hours. Cloud video storage is part of Care+.
Can it detect blood in urine?
No. It logs urine clump events but does not see blood or colour in urine. Check clumps for pink or red tinge when you scoop, and call your vet if you see it.
Is LitterLens worth the investment?
That depends on whether you want a record of visits and stool changes to share with your vet. It does not diagnose, and abnormal alerts need Care+. The product page lists the current details.
How long does the battery last?
The 5000 mAh battery lasts about one month with typical use.
