There are a number of reasons why your cat’s poop smells awful, but often this is down to what a cat eats.
After studying the connection between cat food and waste, we feel confident we can help you find the best cat food for smelly poop.
As cat owners, we know that a cat poop’s smell can be one of the most horrid things out there. There was a time when I wanted to mask up every time I cleaned the litter box.
Fortunately, that’s over for me now. If you’re going through the same thing I did back then, you may be wanting to find a solution fast.
Read on for an in-depth discussion about how to deal with felines and their unpleasant fecal odor.
Made from raw meat and sustainably-sourced ingredients, this recipe starts with farm-raised goose and duck, organs, and bone plus organic fruits and veggies.
This is a standout choice for cat owners seeking a high-protein, minimally processed diet for their feline companions.
Offering the benefits of real raw nutrition with the ease of freeze-dried convenience, this food can be served straight from the bag or rehydrated with warm water for added moisture.
It’s crafted in Stella & Chewy’s own USA kitchen using responsibly sourced, farm-raised duck and goose, along with 100% organic-certified fruits and vegetables.
The simple, limited-ingredient recipe is free from grains, gluten, fillers, artificial preservatives and colorings, making it ideal for cats with sensitivities or picky appetites.
Rich in protein and made with only wholesome, high-quality ingredients, this freeze-dried formula provides both exceptional taste and nutrition in every bite.
Raw food is often touted as one of the best to give cats with smelly poop. The key reason is that most raw food includes very little filler, is composed of mainly meat, and does not contain preservatives.
While this is not fresh raw food, it is freeze-dried and is the next best thing, particularly if convenience is what you’re after.
Here, we have an excellent choice for pet parents who want to give their cats a wholesome, human-grade meal without sacrificing convenience.
Made in the USA with ingredients you’d recognize from your own kitchen, this food is packed with high-quality, cage-free chicken and wild-caught fish, providing a protein-rich diet without any grains or feed-grade fillers.
Simply add warm water, and it rehydrates to four times its weight—perfect as a complete meal or a flavorful topper.
What sets this food apart is its 100% human-grade quality, produced in a human food facility to ensure superior safety and ingredient standards.
With no preservatives, by-products, fillers, GMOs, corn, wheat or soy, it delivers clean, nutritious food you can feel confident serving to your cat.
Pros
Easy to store
No weird/funky odor
Exceeds AAFCO quality standards
Made from human-grade ingredients
Designed by a board certified veterinary nutritionist
This is a premium choice for cat owners looking to address smelly poop through better nutrition.
With wild boar as the #1 ingredient, this recipe offers a high-protein, low-carbohydrate and low-fiber formula that supports better digestion and firmer, less odorous stools.
The protein content comes almost entirely from quality animal sources (97%), resulting in a lower ash content that’s easier on your cat’s digestive system.
Free from grains, gluten, peas, lentils, chickpeas, and added plant oils, it avoids common irritants that can lead to gastrointestinal issues and foul-smelling waste.
The low glycemic index also makes it an excellent option for diabetic cats. With clean, high-quality ingredients like boar meat, deboned chicken, dried carrots and chicory root extract, it provides optimal nourishment that supports both overall health and a fresher-smelling litter box.
Instinct is a pet food brand that is also known as ‘The RAW brand.’ It provides a range of raw options to feed pets meals that are as minimally processed as possible, full of protein and essential fatty acids, and never cooked to keep as much of the food’s original nutrients intact.
This particular chicken recipe features raw ingredients that have been freeze-dried to maintain its freshness while locking in all of the powerful nutrients contained in each of the ingredients.
It is a mix of 85% protein from a single animal source (chicken) and 15% non-GMO fruits and veggies for a complete and balanced diet.
47 reviewers rated this formulation 4.6 stars out of 5. Many pet owners are happy that this cat food provided their fur buddies with a highly nutritious diet that does not rely on anything artificial to make it appealing.
They also mentioned that their cats' bowel movements are no longer smelly and are now much smaller since most of the food was utilized and digested by the body.
Crafted with the most nutritious and savory parts of the prey, this formula is also made with WholePrey animal ingredients, including organs and bone, yielding 90% quality animal ingredients.
Orijen is a company that specializes in crafting pet food with the first 5 ingredients either made of raw or fresh ingredients.
Its focus is to help cats unlock their biological potential by feeding them as nature intended. The diets the brand makes feature WholePrey animal ingredients for a biologically appropriate meal.
This kibble for adult cats features a healthy and meat-packed combination of fresh or raw free-run turkey and chicken, wild-caught fish, and cage-free eggs.
The entire dry food meal is made up of 90% animal ingredients while the rest is made up of fresh produce, and prebiotics (for a healthy digestion). It is also coated with freeze-dried liver for extra palatability.
4.5 stars out of 5 is a good rating, especially when it comes from more than 2000 reviewers.
Many pet owners say that this dry cat food is “picky cat approved” and what’s even better is that the fur of these kitties look softer and healthier since being placed on the diet.
A recent review by a cat parent also states that his kittens’ poop doesn’t smell too bad now compared to before.
Applaws is a pet food brand that focuses on providing all natural ingredients in its cat food recipes to keep your feline in peak condition.
It’s a small company that wants to deliver big nutrition through the use of simple but wholesome ingredients sourced with the highest ethical standards. It uses only the finest cuts of meat and never any cheap fillers.
This formulation is a healthy and additive-free meal that contains only what is strictly necessary to give your cat optimal health.
Recognizing that cats are obligate carnivores, the recipe relies heavily on tuna and crab to deliver the protein your feline needs.
The rice provides a good source of carbohydrates that are perfect for sensitive tummies while the fish broth supplies moisture and enhanced palatability.
Although there are still fairly little reviews that can be found on Chewy.com, we picked this as our choice for best wet cat food for smelly poop because of its all five star rating.
The customers all agree that this wet cat food is downright healthy and made of excellent stuff. Even kitties who are particular about their meals finished their food quickly when given Applaws.
Pros
Chicken free
High meat content
Ideal for sensitive pets
Pure and wholesome recipe
Contains only four ingredients
Cons
Obvious quality change
A little more expensive than other wet cat food formulations
Formulated with novel proteins such as roasted venison and smoked salmon, this grain-free meal includes peas and sweet potatoes that deliver the highly-digestible energy your active cat needs.
Modern science proves that cats still share the DNA of the ancient feline. Taste of the Wild is a pet food company that aims to provide consumers with tasty and affordable cat food inspired by the diet cats were meant to eat using unique protein sources from your pet’s ancestral diet.
Formulated with novel proteins and no grains, the Rocky Mountain dry cat food recipe delivers the highly digestible energy your cat needs for his daily adventures.
The food utilizes a mixture of meats such as chicken meal, roasted venison, smoked salmon, and ocean fish meal to give cats a high level of protein for muscle development.
From 2109 reviews, this dry food recipe has garnered an average of 4.5 stars out of 5. Many customers have expressed satisfaction that their cats, even finicky ones, quickly took to Rocky Mountain.
The dry cat food has also been reported as being good for kitties with IBS, and it has greatly reduced the instances of vomiting and diarrhea.
This delectable recipe is designed for sensitive bellies and features FOS prebiotics for healthy digestion. With real chicken first to fuel your cat’s muscles, plus wholesome grains, veggies and fruit.
Blue Buffalo is a pet food business that promises to feed your cat the healthiest food it possibly could by using only the highest-quality natural ingredients for every recipe it makes.
Every recipe starts with meat and each contains the brand’s trademark LifeSource Bits (cold-formed small, dark kibbles mixed in the food that contain a precise blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants).
This Blue dry cat food recipe is specifically crafted for felines who have sensitive bellies. It starts with deboned chicken and derives most of its animal protein content from just that one source, although it does have menhaden fish meal too.
The grains in it are easily digestible and carefully selected to be easy on a cat’s stomach. It also has FOS prebiotics to promote a healthy digestion in felines.
One of the highest-rated dry cat food on Chewy, this recipe has received 4.6 stars out of 5 from 1154 reviewers.
A lot of the pet owners were deeply satisfied that this recipe has helped reduce or stop completely the incidences of vomiting and diarrhea in their sensitive kitties.
And since the cats are able to keep their food down, their bodies looked better and healthy skin became the norm.
Ensuring your growing kittens' healthy bone and muscle development, this kibble is brimming with protein content. It is also rich in Omegas, minerals and other essential vitamins.
Acana is a pet food company whose motto is to go beyond the first ingredient. It makes sure that all its ingredients are premium, from start to finish.
Each recipe it makes contains at least 50% animal ingredients, no artificial stuff, and a balanced mixture of fruit, veggies, botanicals and nutrients. All ingredients are either raw or fresh.
This recipe for kittens mixes chicken with herring and quail for an interesting blend of animal proteins. Igt doesn’t just make use of muscle meat but also utilizes organs for a more nutrient-dense meal.
The fat is derived from pollock oil, which provides your cat with all the necessary omega fatty acids he needs for a healthy skin and coat.
There are currently few reviews on Chewy for this recipe (143) and 79% of them gave it a five star score. Elsewhere, the product has many high ratings too.
Many fur parents have noticed a definite improvement in their little felines’ coats and energy levels since starting on this dry cat food.
Pros
Designed specifically for kittens
Develops healthy bones and muscles
Promotes eye and brain development
Made up of 70% small prey animal ingredients
Contains no artificial flavors, ingredients or preservatives
Featuring duck and turkey as its main ingredients, this grain free pate is also packed with antioxidants, vitamins, EPA, DHA, taurine and Omegas for overall immune support.
Wellness is a dedicated company that works with animal experts and professionals to develop food that would revolutionize the pet food industry.
Its recipes are crafted with a balanced profile of high protein, superior nutrients, and probiotics to lay the foundation for whole-body health while taking care to satisfy every appetite.
This recipe from the brand’s CORE range is packed with the protein from three animal sources: turkey, duck, and pork.
It’s 100% grain free, loaded with nutrients from cranberries, and contains EPA and DHA omegas to support your pet’s wellbeing and immunity.
The formulation has garnered a rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars from over 477 customers as of this writing. Many felines like the taste and older cats reportedly have more energy now when fed the diet. It also works well with finicky cats and those with sensitive stomachs.
Merrick believes that the healthiest cat food for your beloved feline should also be the tastiest. The company uses only fresh and real whole foods from farmers it trusts.
And the brand refuses to use fillers, preservatives, or anything artificial to give your pets the healthiest and happiest lives possible.
This wet food recipe for adult cats leads with deboned rabbit and is made even meatier with the inclusion of beef liver and deboned lamb.
It takes its fat from an excellent source, salmon oil, which is a great source of omega fatty acids. There are just a few core ingredients, with the rest of the food being made up of antioxidants and nutrients.
Although there are just over a hundred reviews on Chewy, this wet food recipe has already gotten a 4.4 score out of 5 from customers.
A few owners with cats who suffer from IBS have reported that their cats’ bowel movements have normalized and there were no more incidents of vomiting after each meal. It also seems to work fine for finicky eaters.
Pros
All natural
Packed with meat
Zero grains and gluten
Real rabbit is the #1 ingredient
Adds healthy moisture content
Cons
The meat chunks are a little big and may need to be mashed up
It’s designed to mirror a whole-prey, nutrient dense diet using fresh meat, organs and bone, as well as New Zealand green lipped mussels for a natural source of chondroitin and glucosamine.
Ziwi Peak is a pet food company that specializes in whole-prey inspired recipes with meat, bone, and organ content making up to 97% of the food.
Its cat food formulations are 100% ethically sourced and the meat are free-range and raised without added hormones. All the recipes are free from artificial binders and do not contain high glycemic ingredients.
This wet food recipe makes use of rabbit as its main animal protein, but also utilizes lamb and lamb organs, hare meat, and New Zealand green mussels to raise up the protein content.
There are no added carbohydrates in the food. It instead relies on the meats and dried kelp to supply all of the nutrients your cat requires.
With an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars from 268 reviewers, this wet food has won over many cat owners. Many like it because it is free from fillers and unsavory ingredients like carrageenan.
A few also said that this recipe has helped put an end to loose stools, smelly poop, and vomiting after every meal.
Pros
Promotes mobility, vitality
Moisture-rich, chunky pate
Does not contain added carbohydrates
All meats are free-range while fish are wild-caught
Made up of 92% meat, organs, bone and New Zealand green mussels
Cons
Expensive
Why Does Cat Poop Smell?
Stools are, of course, not fragrant at the best of times, but sometimes they can be downright strong and putrid.
The cause for foul smelling cat poop can be down to a number of factors, and it’s important to know which one is giving your cat and you a problem so you can find the correct remedy. Let’s talk about each one.
1. Your cat’s diet is low-quality.
Those cheap and colorful cat food products that are so tasty for your cat? Those usually contain a lot of fillers and artificial flavors or ingredients that result in foul-smelling feces.
While your feline may love them a lot, the poor quality ingredients in those commercial cat foods may also be the reason why his stinky poop smells as it does.
Another thing, your cat may have food allergies and he may be reacting to an ingredient or ingredients in the food he is being fed. If cats eat something that disagrees with them, it can lead to the problem you are facing now.
2. There are bacteria in his colon.
Eating cat food that has been contaminated with bacteria like salmonella or E.coli can lead to smelly stools, often accompanied by inflammation, diarrhea, and indigestion.
It doesn’t just stop with cat food. Your cat can also get the bacteria from eating the birds or rodents he catches.
3. He’s got a parasite.
Intestinal parasites can cause excessive gas, smelly poop, and diarrhea in your cat. Coccidia, Trichomonas, and Giardia infestations, all of which can cause a cat’s poop to turn odorous, can infect a cat in a number of ways.
Coccidia can infect your kitty if he eats a contaminated rodent.
Trichomonas usually infect cats under the age of one year. It can be transmitted from cat to cat via shared litter boxes.
Giardia is usually transmitted by eating or sniffing the cysts from contaminated water or ground, or directly from a contaminated host.
4. Your cat has digestive disorders.
A cat’s digestion can be a delicate thing. Some felines suffer from digestive disorders which can cause poop to become putrid.
They may lack digestive enzymes, have an overgrowth of flora and fauna in their digestive systems, or suffer from an inflammation of the bowel wall. These are all signs of malabsorption, and the reason why your pet may have bowel odor issues.
5. He’s on medication.
If your cat is ill and on medication, those meds may be the culprit for the smelly poop. Those vitamin and mineral supplements can also result in smelly stools.
Most cat foods these days are balanced and complete, so there’s really no need to add supplements to your cat’s diet unless your vet advises you to.
6. You’re buying the wrong kind of litter.
The wrong kind of litter can not quite hide or disguise the scent of smelly poop. Try and experiment with different kinds of litter to see which works best with your cat.
Be careful in your selection. Some cats are particular about their litter and may poop outside the litter box if they’re unhappy. Older cats need a litter that’s soft on their paws, while other cats are turned off by strong scents.
Selecting The Best Cat Food For Smelly Poop
You know that old adage, “cleanliness is next to godliness”? You may have found out to your dismay that the saying doesn’t work all the time, especially not when dealing with smelly cat poop.
Now while regularly cleaning the litter box may help some, it doesn’t really get to the bottom of the problem — why your cat’s poop smells really bad.
If your veterinarian has ruled out any medical issues, then it most probably is your cat’s diet that’s causing the problem. So how do you go about switching to the best cat food for smelly poop for your feline?
1. Look at the label.
Does it have artificial flavors or does it rely on natural flavor to make it appealing to cats?
Most meaty dishes don’t need to add artificial ingredients to entice kitties to eat, while those that use lots of fillers or cheap ingredients will usually resort to artificial stuff. And those artificial ingredients are one of the main causes of that icky cat’s poop smell.
Plant protein is okay, but cats are obligate carnivores. They won’t thrive on a diet filled with mostly starches or produce. So try to stay away from formulations that use plant protein as their main protein source.
Lastly, try to steer away from byproduct meals or unnamed meat meals. These are not high quality cat food ingredients at all.
You can’t say precisely what part of the animal is being used with byproduct meals. With meat meals, you can’t tell exactly what animal was used.
2. Check for food allergies.
Is your cat sensitive to an ingredient? A cat’s digestion and body can go all crazy because of allergies or food sensitivities.
Some cats might show only mild symptoms, like smelly poop or slight itching on a cat’s body, while other cats may have more severe reactions.
Make sure that your cat is not allergic to any ingredient in the food. Usual culprits for food allergies are gluten, grains, or specific animal proteins.
Pea protein allergy is not unheard of too. And since it’s mostly a carb filler, your cat can do without pea protein in his diet.
Limited ingredient cat food is often given to cats with food sensitivities because of its use of a single high quality animal protein and few ingredients (less risk).
3. The type of cat food you feed matters.
Many cat owners insist that the best cat food for smelly poop is a raw cat food diet. If you go to forums where pet owners discuss smelly poop problems, raw cat food is almost always recommended. This doesn’t mean that dry food or canned cat foods won’t help. It only means that digestibility is the key.
Raw usually contains a lot of animal meat and little of anything else, so it completely answers a lot of a carnivore’s nutritional needs without creating plenty of waste.
If preparing and giving a raw food diet doesn’t work for you (because it can be inconvenient and messy), you can opt for freeze dried cat food instead.
Freeze drying is a process that happens when you rapidly freeze food. It does not involve cooking the food nor including preservatives. The process itself is the preservative.
Dry or canned cat food is also just as good. Just choose a recipe that is packed with animal protein. If it does include grains, legumes, or potatoes, these should only be supporting ingredients and should not make up a huge part of the food.
4. Lactose in cat food isn’t tolerated well by many cats.
It isn’t just humans that are lactose-intolerant. Most cats don’t tolerate dairy too. If your cat’s food or treats contain cow’s milk, it might give your cat flatulence, digestive distress, or the dreaded smelly poop.
5. Pick foods with premium animal-based fats.
Some recipes use plant-based oils to provide your feline with the energy he needs.
While that’s not bad nor harmful — in fact, some are quite healthy —it’s always best for your cat that he gets most of his fat requirements from animal sources as those are more biologically appropriate.
Salmon oil and chicken fat are good examples. Plant-based fats can provide supplementary fat support instead.
6. Go for one with enough fiber.
The right cat food for smelly poop should have a good amount of fiber. Fiber helps turn a cat’s feces more solid, so cat poop can be easily pushed out.
If your cat is frequently going to the toilet, which causes the smelly poop to happen in the first place, the fiber will firm up that waste in no time and reduce that nasty feces odor.
Grains are packed with fiber. You can also look for potatoes or legumes if your pet is sensitive to grains. Just make sure these don’t make up a huge chunk of the diet.
And steer away from cheap fillers like brewers rice or corn gluten meal. Whole grains are better.
7. Wet cat food, dry, raw, or freeze-dried?
While checking for healthy ingredients is a must, take note of what your cat likes too. If your cat prefers wet food over dry food, that should also make a significant impact on your selection. All that checking for healthy stuff won’t matter if your cat won’t eat his food.
8. Lastly, the brand shouldn’t matter.
There are some small cat food companies that provide just as excellent-quality food as known commercial cat food brands. What really matters is reputation and the ingredients in the label.
Some big-name brands are quite popular with consumers and have such great reviews, but if you check the content of their cat foods, you probably would not be happy feeding your cat with those.
Before you get swayed by popularity and ratings, take a peek at the ingredients. If everything looks fine to you, research the brand if it has had recalls and when was the last one.
Don’t go for one with a recent recall history. The best cat food for your pet is the one that’s the healthiest.
What Else Can You Do About Smelly Poop?
There are many ways to reduce odors aside from buying cat food for smelly poop. Here are some tried-and-tested steps you can take so you don’t have to put a hazard suit on every time your pet goes to the toilet:
1. Scoop daily.
Control litter box odor by cleaning your cat’s bathroom at least once a day. This is to prevent odors from a cat’s feces from lingering and to keep your and your cat’s noses happy. If you’re upset about using a dirty toilet, don’t you think your cat will be too?
2. Wash your cat’s litter box every month.
Scooping every day and replacing it with new litter won’t really keep your cat box clean. There will still be traces of your cat’s litter box habits remaining in the old litter resulting in that unpleasant litter box odor.
What you need to do to keep the smell down is to wash the cat litter box thoroughly each month. Throw out all the litter and scrub and soap the box rigorously.
Try not to use bleach even if that would completely disinfect your cat’s litter box. Bleach is quite strongly scented and may result in your cat avoiding his litter box when he needs to go.
After washing, dry then put in fresh litter.
3. Replace your pet’s litter box.
Sometimes, that unpleasant litter box odor you’re scenting is not from smelly poop that’s been dropped recently.
Litter boxes can allow bacteria buildup through those tiny scratches your cat has been making on the litter box when he tries to bury his waste.
If your pet has been using that litter box for a long time, it may be time to replace it with a new one.
A few tips in choosing the right cat litter box:
It should at least be as long as your cat. Measure from his nose to the tip of his extended tail.
It should be low enough that your cat, and this is particularly important for older cats, can easily climb over.
4. Your cat’s litter box should be well-ventilated.
It’s normal to want to hide unpleasant things from sight (and a cat’s feces is definitely one of those!), but keeping your pet’s litter box tucked away in a confined and small space can lead to litter box odors concentrating in that spot.
Your cat probably won’t thank you every time he needs to step into that place to do his business. And you won’t be happy smelling that cat’s poop stink that just won’t go away.
Place the litter box in a ventilated spot instead to keep that litter box odor down and stop it from staying in place.
5. Baking soda works wonders.
If you’re still having smelly poop or litter box odor problems, sprinkle a little baking soda on the litter or open a box of baking soda and keep it near the litter.
That should control feces odor. And since baking soda is made to absorb odors but has no scent itself, your cat’s sensitive nose won’t be irritated.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, it really is as simple as changing your cat’s food to get rid of the root of the problem. Quality cat food can do so much for your pet aside from getting rid of stinky poop.
You’ll find that with a proper diet and the right cat food for smelly poop, your cat will look more fit, be more active, and generally be healthier overall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does wet cat food cause smelly poop?
Wet cat foods provide more moisture, which can make bowel movements easier for your cat. They also tend to contain less fillers, which mean that there are more digestible ingredients. Often times, what's causing the odor in the litter box is the bacteria working to digest the parts of the food that your cat could not.
What causes foul smelling cat poop?
The cause for foul smelling stools in cats or humans can be very similar. It can be the food eaten, the bacteria in the colon, and on occasion serious health problems. Additionally diarrhea and the presence of excess gas can cause bad odors. Many feline disorders are accompanied by diarrhea and foul smelling stools.
What foods help poop smell better?
Sulphur-rich foods include: Coconut milk, juice, and oil. Certain vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, kale, radish, and turnips. Dairy products (except butter).
How do you deodorize a cat box?
Just sprinkle a thin layer of baking soda over the bottom of the box, then pour the litter on top of it. If you don't want to use straight baking soda, Arm & Hammer makes a baking soda cat litter deodorizer that works well.
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