I have two cats, one of whom is nearly 2 years old and has always produced a really foul, strong smell after using the litter tray.
I've been thinking it might be down to his food and I'd love some advice.
Basically, I’d like to know if it’s worth changing his diet.
I feed him dry food (Virbac Neutered) and a small portion of wet food (Almo Nature) daily. He's been on the same food and brands since he was 3 months old.
Does anyone know what could be causing these smells? And is there anything I should change in his diet?
Thanks a lot!
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Hi everyone,
It’s a bit strange, but my cat Helios (who’ll be nearly a year old at the end of February) has had really foul-smelling poo ever since he was a tiny kitten. I feed him Virbac and a lot of Almo Nature. I’ve noticed that when I stopped the dry food, the smell went away... He hasn’t been neutered yet! I’m looking for a dry food with the best possible ingredients for my cat.
In vet-recommended dry food, such as Hill's, they add things like beet pulp to mask or reduce the smell. Usually, this byproduct of sugar production is used to make cat litter, but here they’re putting it in the food.
The digestion of plants or grains requires fermentation; it's more like food for a ruminant, which has a very long and adapted digestive tract. In a cat, the digestion of plant matter is only partial because they are carnivores and their digestive tract is short.
To limit the "damage", manufacturers add a lot of fibre, which has the effect of increasing transit time and prolonging digestion. However, sometimes things go wrong, or it even causes irritation, and the cat’s system reacts by liquefying the intestinal contents to flush them out quickly.
Mind you, making dry food with actual meat would be much better for a cat's nutrition, but it would be so much more expensive that very few people, if anyone at all, would buy it.
Best regards
The issue with Virbac and other grain-free dry foods is that they often contain peas, which aren't always easily digested by cats.
My cat always ends up with a messy bum, and his poo smells really strong on grain-free kibble. When the odour is that excessive, it’s usually a sign that their digestion isn't great.
Personally, I feed him Hill's Vet Essentials for neutered cats. I haven't found anything better so far (the protein levels are good, carbs are at an acceptable 28%, mineral levels are controlled, and he has firm stools that keep his back end clean without any unbearable smells).
I've tried Royal Canin Persian, True Instinct High Meat, Orijen Cat & Kitten, and Virbac HPM. Even though a brand like Orijen looks great on paper, I'm not convinced that cramming in so many ingredients—especially herbs and fruit—is actually a good thing for our cats' digestive systems.
Hi everyone, I have 2 cats, and one of them who is nearly 2 years old has always produced a really foul, strong smell after using the litter tray. I’ve been thinking it might be down to his diet and I’d love some advice. Basically, I want to know if it's best to change his food. I give him dry food (Virbac Sterilised) and a small portion of wet food (Almo Nature) every day. He’s been on the same diet and brands since he was 3 months old. Does anyone know where these smells might be coming from? And what could I change in his diet? Thanks a lot!
Hi!
I’m jumping on this thread very late, but it caught my eye because my third little kitty has the same problem with really smelly stools on exactly the same dry food!
She’s a little girl we found in our garden, who is now about 9 months old; we don’t know anything about her past, but when we found her she was very skinny, malnourished, and had constant diarrhoea. At first, I gave her Royal Canin "large kitten" like I did for my other two cats when they were small. After she was spayed last month, the vet recommended Virbac Sterilised cat food because the ingredients are quite good (protein, no maize, wheat or soya, low starch, etc.) and also to prevent post-neutering weight gain.
The poos look "healthy" but the smell is pretty terrible.
The vet tells me it's just a period of adjustment to the protein levels and the ingredients...
What really bothers me is that my other two cats eat Royal Canin, and there’s no smell at all. Looking at the ingredients, I’d have liked to switch everyone over to Virbac, but now I’m worried I’ll end up with three sets of "stinky poos"!! 😞
I don't really understand the thing about grains; there are plenty in RC and their stools are spot on...
I couldn't agree more – for our little carnivores, a grain-free diet is a great first step! Especially before moving on to raw feeding...
It honestly gets me down when I’m doing the weekly shop and see families at the till with bags of dry food that clearly say "with cereals" on them (especially the cat food). It’s tragic that these big brands don’t even try to hide these ingredients anymore... and even worse that some vets actually recommend food containing grains..
😔
Hi @Pooky3d, smelly stools—or even really foul-smelling ones—I’m sorry to say, but that’s a digestive issue. In the long run, it’ll take its toll on their health and their gut... :-(
I couldn’t agree more! I’ve definitely noticed that the higher the quality of the food, the less it smells and the less my cat’s poo smells too! So now I only look for wet food without any by-products, grains, or other rubbish.
I have to say, I’ve got an unfortunately keen and sensitive sense of smell.
Hi Pooky3d
I’m sorry to say it, but stools that smell bad, or even really foul, are a sign of a digestive issue...
And in the long run, it’ll take a toll on their health... on their gut... :-(
