Why Does My Cat Smell Like Poop? Is It Making You Feel Helpless And Distraught?
“ Why does my cat smell like poop?” is a question, which has been asked most often by cat parents among consulting groups and on the net. Cats are usually the cleanest of all animals and keeping clean is the biggest endeavor in all their behavioral habits. Even so, such a finicky animal can get dirty and soiled too. If your cat has been exhibiting an unusual, poop-like smell, then knowing about the reason behind such a strange occurrence can be helpful and enlighten you in knowing more about your furry friend.
This situation was faced in my own case a few years back with my cat Kitt. He was reeking one fine day and had to be taken to the vet for a thorough check-up. It finally came out that he was reacting to a dietary change in his regular food as I had started feeding him with more solid vegetables. To answer your own personal situation, we have prepared an elaborate article, related to a few distinct possibilities of such a smelly cat odor and easy solutions for you to deal with this almost funny, smelly cat syndrome.
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Why Does My Cat Smell Like Poop?
1. Unclean Litter Box
Some cats, especially the little ones, find frolicking in their litter as a pleasurable experience. But when the litter holds poop and the cats play or roll in it, a distinct poop odor can stick to their coats. Upholding an unsoiled litter box is as essential for a cat’s general health as any balanced diet.
Your kitty cannot remain healthy without an uncontaminated litter box. Your entire residence will smell like shit when the litter box is unattended. You will have to clean the litter box at least one to three times in a week and regularly refill the litter. Investing in a viable litter box is a feasible idea too.
Substandard litter products can’t absorb odors like the good-quality ones. With inferior litter, much-remaining debris can get stuck to a cat’s paw and dragged throughout your home. This can also cause a cat to stink.
2. Dietary Changes
Similar to human beings, in the case of gas and stomach issues from a change of diet, your cat might face such a condition as well. As cats are small creatures, even a diminutive change in their diet can connote huge changes to their stomachs. This could ultimately bring about diarrhea, gas, and numerous horrid reeks from the kitty.
If you have recently varied your kitty’s diet, it is vital to be considerate of any new-found stench coming from the furball. Hence, it is prudent not to drastically change a cat’s diet suddenly.
3. Infected anal glands
Cats are susceptible to a range of problems pertinent to their anal glands. These glands are situated near the bottom beneath their hide, which can get contaminated, begin leaking or develop abscesses as well. In such instances, you will immediately have to take the cat to a vet for a systematic check-up.
When a cat continuously scoots on the ground, has a problem in pooping, and is continually licking and even nibbling at the region of its rear end, it is an indicator for anal inflammation or gland infection. A vet can recommend antibiotics or even drain the glands if needed.
You can invest in a fine mechanical self-cleaning cat litter box, along with some good quality litter. This can do away with 90% of the poop smell in your house, including the ones from the cat’s paws.
4. Arthritis
A lot of older cats generally experience joint pains and aches associated with arthritis. This can pose a new set of difficulties for the cat to reach particular parts of the body for a thorough grooming. As a consequence, you may begin to perceive a feces or urine odor. Sometimes the older cats require some aid in grooming.
Escalating the brushing frequency so as to avoid any matting and using baby wipes around the rear end will help your kitty in remaining comfortable even as they age. You must never feed the cat any non-prescribed medications in case you guess it is arthritis pain. Felines can get killed from minute human medication doses. Simply contact the veterinarian instead.
5. Grubby cat
Although cats regularly clean themselves, on occasion poop especially runny poop can get jammed on the fur surrounding the rear region. This is especially if you own any long-haired breed, such as the Maine Coon or the Persian. There is a great possibility that this surplus fur will magnetize malicious particles. When your cat starts smelling like shit, verify its bottom area fur for any poop or urine stains. You will have to regularly trim it so as to avoid such concerns again.
Cats that tend to roam outdoors are less sanitized than indoor cats. This roaming can absorb a feral kitty’s odor or bring in horrible odors from outdoors. If you are tolerating your cat to stray in your yard, take care to treat him or her for parasites and fleas, utilize cat wipes, and regularly bathe it. In this case, you can also use the flea bomb to get rid of such pests and keep the house clean.
Whenever my cat smells bad, it is mainly owing to his or her litter dragging habit. Besides the litter box, which is a highly viable source of the smell, a cat can smell from other bodily problems too. This is a helpful video for your recommendation in such a case.
How To Handle The Problem Of A Smelly Cat?
1) Healthier diet
A balanced diet denotes good health. When a cat's breath or feces smell predominantly stinky, reflect on what you are feeding the cat. For the most excellent possible diet, consider supplying your kitty with a raw-like diet, or a grain-free, corn-free, and organic cat food.
Top 3 Best Cat Food for Smelly Poop
Below, you'll find the comparison table of top 3 best cat food for smelly poop which gives you the best choice for your cats easily and quickly:
Product | Image | Editor's Rating | Check Price |
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2) Stopping the spraying
Felines naturally spray for marking their terrain, which can affect some terrible smells in the house. If your kitty is spraying, consider a vet check-up for viable solutions. Dependent on the conditions for why the cat sprays, you can perform some uncomplicated steps in trying to minimize the spraying. Neutering or spaying of cats also generally solves the problem.
3) Screening out likely health troubles
Your kitty could be revealing bad stenches owing to a health issue that you may not be aware of. Possible health troubles that may be causing bad odors include infected or swollen anal glands, ear or skin infections, some cancers, kidney predicaments, or oral ailment. If you cannot fathom the grounds for the kitty’s bad smell, book a consultation with the vet to be sure.
4) Checking for bad breath
Ghastly breath refers a necessity for enhanced dental care. When your kitty has terrible breath, regard a customary dental regime. Use toothpaste on the cat’s teeth and stroke the exterior with a finger. When your kitty is accustomed to the finger, you can start employing a cat toothbrush. Preferably, begin this practice at a premature age and do this for around 30 minutes following each meal. Do not exercise human toothpaste as they can bring health setbacks for the cat.
5) Carefully looking at your kitty's grooming
Nearly all cats are very proficient at keeping their bodies well-groomed, but this cannot be said for everyone. If a cat is not grooming properly, it is time to intervene. Bathe the cat yourself, preferably with a waterless bath product. Also, you can tend to the cat’s other needs like daily brushing and fur trimming to remove dirt build-ups.
Conclusion
The reason behind the stinky smell of your cat can be diverse. Cats generally tend to hide their sicknesses, and you may just not know about the source of its disease until it is too late. Keep checking for other possibilities too.
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