Do Cats Fart?

Do cats pass air?

It is a rather funny question that most vets and Google are bombarded with. But weird as it might seem, it is a valid question. There is no dog owner that can deny their loyal friend’s prolific farting. But with cats, it is difference as they are slightly more discreet and private. The only way you realize your cat has let a rip is the foul smell that fills the room after.

So do cats fart? Yes they do.

Cats have all the parts necessary to blow incredibly noxious fumes into the room. If you ever have cuddled with your cat and suspected a stench coming from your feline, there are high chances that it did.

Needless to say, cats are stealth bombers. And given that they pass small amounts of gas, their toots are usually inaudible. But on the flip side, the gas passed is concentrated and dense. As such, what they lack in sound they more than make up for in stink.

Now, the question is, why do cats fart? Is it only as a result of indigestion, or is there something more to it? You will be shocked that just like in humans, there are a host of causes.

Causes of Feline Farts

Since we are being honest, farting is a natural and healthy byproduct of the digestion process in both humans and animals. It is just the way of the body clearing the digestive system. But while it is a healthy process, if your cat seems to be passing gas all too often and nonstop, there are chances something is terribly wrong.

Difficult To Digest Food

Cat foods vary in price and quality. You are free to choose whichever cat food you please. But even with this freedom, you should bear in mind that you always get what you pay for.

Unfortunately, cheap cat food is packed with filler foods including corn. These fillers can prove to be difficult for your cat to digest. As a result, your cat gets a ‘tummy ache’, bacteria builds up in the gut which eventually produces stinky gas.

Cats do not suffer indigestion from having cheap cat food only. When they feed on human food, the results are similar if not worse.

Changes In The Diet

This is one of those situations where you just cannot win. Switching up the diet for your cat can lead to strong farts. Sure you may be changing the diet to protect your cat from developing digestive problems, but in the process, you may end up causing the digestive problems. Introducing new foods and diets seem to throw a cat’s digestive system off balance. This is not because the food is necessarily bad for your cat, but just that its stomach is not yet used to the new food. And I do not have to point out the results of these changes now do I?

Gobbling Down Air

I noticed that my cat tends to scarf down its food. It eats like it is the last meal it will have. And this is even after trying to make its feeding times regular and serving it with sufficient portions every time.

With this eating habit, there are very high chances that the cat gobbles down some air together with the food. While this is not life threatening, it has a side effect – passing gas and bloating.

Dairy Products

Brace yourself. This will come as a shock to you. Growing up, we have been led to believe that cats can survive on milk alone. Well, this information could not be more wrong. Truth is, most adult cats are lactose intolerant.

This means that there is a threshold to how much milk you can let your cat lap. Milk can cause bloating and terrible gassing in your cat.

Underlying Medical Conditions

If your cat is farting a little bit too much and the stench is really bad, then you should visit your vet for a checkup. While feline flatulence can, for the most part, be explained by one of the reasons explained above, there is also a chance you may be having a case of malabsorption in your hands.

How Does one Know their Cat Has Gas?

This may come across as a very silly question. I mean, most people can detect flatulence by the smell. How then can there be a special way of detecting it in cats? Well, while most of the gas passed by cats will stink, it is not always a guarantee. There are times cats pass odorless gas. This does not mean that they do not have digestive problems. They do, only that now you are required to be more keen.

Below are some of the signs that can help you detect digestive issues in your cat.

• Excessive farting
• Abdominal pains
• Rumbling of the digestive system
• Bloating
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting

How is Feline Flatulence Diagnosed?

To diagnose feline flatulence, you will need a professional vet on your side. The vet will question you about your cat’s eating habits and diet. These questions will help him/her determine whether the cause of the flatulence is related to its diet.

An additional physical exam will be conducted to check for any health problems that may be causing the gas build up.

How to Keep Your Cat From Farting

Yes, there are steps you can take to keep your cat from excessive farting. Note that early detection, diagnosis and treatment can help prevent the situation from getting out of hand.

First and foremost, you should feed your cat on a diet with low fiber content. This change should be gradual to avoid the unintended backlash. Making this change will make the cat food easy to digest. When making this change, it is imperative that you talk to your vet. This will help to ensure that the transition is smooth.

In case you are wondering, the best cat foods with low fiber include Natural Balance Cat Formula and Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Cat Food.

Second, while we have been tuned to think milk is the ultimate solution for cats, you should not offer your cat excessive dairy products. Cat’s digestive systems are not designed to digest these efficiently. Instead, you should hydrate your cat with lots of water.

Third, you should try and feed you cat with smaller food portions frequently. This will help prevent your feline from gobbling down food along with the air.