For routine fecal flotation, collect a fresh piece of your cat’s stool about one inch long, keep litter and other debris out, and seal it in a clean, dry container. Deliver it promptly and ask your veterinary clinic whether to refrigerate it and when it needs to arrive. Some parasite tests require a different sample size or transport method, so follow the clinic’s directions if it ordered a specific test.
Before you collect the sample
Check with the veterinary clinic first if it supplied a container or gave instructions for a particular parasite test. Routine fecal flotation uses stool, but specialized tests can have different requirements for quantity, temperature, and delivery. Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center (AHDC) lists separate protocols for routine flotation, Baermann testing, larval culture, Giardia testing, and Tritrichomonas testing: Parasitology testing protocols and interpretations.
How to collect a routine stool sample
- Make sure it came from the right cat. In a multi-cat home, check the litter box regularly and watch for a fresh bowel movement. If you cannot tell which cat used the box, separate the cats temporarily or monitor them closely so the sample can be attributed to the cat being tested. VCA offers further guidance on finding a fresh sample in a shared litter box: Importance of fecal tests in dogs and cats.
- Choose a fresh portion. For routine fecal flotation, VCA recommends a piece about one inch long and says the sample should ideally be no more than 24 hours old. Pick up stool as soon as practical and avoid including litter, grass, gravel, or other material. See VCA’s fecal flotation guidance.
- Put it in a suitable container. Use the clinic’s container if one was provided. Otherwise, use a clean, dry container with a tight-fitting lid. Cornell AHDC specifies a plastic, leak-proof container for fecal parasite tests. Label it clearly if the clinic asks you to do so, and make sure the lid is secure before transporting it.
- Ask how to store and deliver it. Call the receiving clinic for its preferred drop-off window and refrigeration instructions. Keep the specimen separate from food and handle it hygienically; wash your hands after collection.
How soon should you bring it in?
For routine samples, VCA’s client guidance says the stool should ideally be no more than 24 hours old. Cornell AHDC, in contrast, gives a laboratory submission window of up to seven days for routine qualitative and quantitative fecal flotation samples when refrigerated. These are different kinds of guidance: one is an ideal freshness target for pet owners, and the other is a lab’s acceptance window under specified storage conditions. Collect fresh stool and deliver it promptly rather than treating the longer lab window as a reason to wait; follow your own clinic’s instructions.
When a specialized parasite test changes the instructions
Do not assume that routine flotation storage or container guidance applies to every test. Cornell AHDC gives these examples of test-specific handling:
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- Baermann fecal technique: Requires a freshly voided sample transported on cold packs.
- Nematode larval culture: Calls for 15–20 grams of stool, kept unrefrigerated and submitted within two days. This is a specialized test, not the routine flotation protocol.
- Feline Tritrichomonas foetus testing: Requires feces collected directly from the cat’s rectum in a designated InPouch system, kept unrefrigerated and sent overnight. A general home stool container is not a substitute when this test has been ordered.
Cornell’s feline diagnostic plans and panels also distinguish InPouch samples kept at room temperature from most other samples, which are shipped chilled. Ask the clinic to arrange the collection method if a test requires a rectal sample or special equipment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a container
A clinic-provided sample cup is the simplest option. If the clinic approves a household container, choose one that is clean, dry, closes tightly, and will not leak. A small leak-proof specimen container is another option, but no particular brand is required by the cited guidance. Confirm that the clinic accepts the container before using it.
Quick Recap
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