# Cat food that reduces that god awful smell **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618 "2010-11-14T03:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Faelyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@Faelyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faelyn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/1 "2010-11-14T03:07:59Z")
After recently adopting a new kitten, we came to realize that he passes gas that smells similar to a rotting carcass. His litter box is in the second bedroom, and is scooped every other day, but even then wherever he does his business or just passes gas, you could be in the living room and still your eyes water and the oxygen is sucked out of the room! Is there any cat food that I can get that could reduce this? We’re using Arm & Hammer litter that claims to “Destoys odors instantly,” but no, no it doesn’t. Just looking for something that can be easier on his system and not drag such evilness into our apartment! [Of course there’s pictures!](http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n283/home_gurly25_2006/3.jpg) [And one more, by far my favorite!](http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n283/home_gurly25_2006/5.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/2 "2010-11-14T13:26:03Z")
Completely adorable kitten! As far as odor reduction, unfortunately, you may have to spring for some of the pricier kitty foods to try and reduce the odor. The more expensive ones often have more meat, fewer carbs, and are therefor more digestible for cats. When cats digest more of what they eat, less odor is frequently the result. Ask your vet for a recommendation on brand, but be wary of a vet that _only_ recommends brands he/she sells in their office, as they may be getting some kind of cut on this. (Of course, I’m being quite cynical here; it’s possible that they only sell the brands they really believe in). I hear that Halo pet food, by Ellen DeGeneres, is very digestible and is only made from human-grade ingredients (given what they put in hot dogs, that may not be saying much. . .). Seriously, though, try switching your kitty to Iams Digestive Health or something like that for a week or two and see if it helps. In our house, our senior cat has no noticeable difference in odor no matter what we feed him (though he is finicky, and won’t eat the ‘cheap stuff’), but our younger cat will stink up the entire apartment if we don’t go high-end on the cat food! ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/3 "2010-11-14T15:05:15Z")
I agree with **norinew**. Switch to a ‘digestive’ brand and see if that helps. I changed my cat to Science Diet and he hasn’t had problems since. A minor benefit of more expensive food is that they eat a bit less of it since it’s so much better. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/4 "2010-11-14T15:17:00Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > I hear that Halo pet food, by Ellen DeGeneres, is very digestible and is only made from human-grade ingredients (given what they put in hot dogs, that may not be saying much. . .). I think Halo is a pretty cool brand, eh is very digestible and doesn’t afraid of anything [/internetmeme] ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/5 "2010-11-14T15:51:24Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > I think Halo is a pretty cool brand, eh is very digestible and doesn’t afraid of anything [/internetmeme] Well, quite honestly, I don’t know anything about the brand on a first-hand basis. 😉 And I know even less of the buzz about it on the intrawebz. For all I know, the cats on LOLCATZ are all starting websites entreating hoomans to buy Halo! 😃 I do know this, though, and it would make me comfortable at least _trying_ it: She really does love animals, so I believe she would try to keep the animal’s best interests at heart. She also strikes me as very much a perfectionist, and I doubt she would allow her name to be put on anything that _isn’t_ top-notch. Having said that, it _is_ pricey, and my cats do fine on the high-end grocery store brands like Iams and Science Diet. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/6 "2010-11-14T17:21:31Z")
> [@Meagan](#): > > After recently adopting a new kitten, we came to realize that he passes gas that smells similar to a rotting carcass. His litter box is in the second bedroom, and is scooped every other day, but even then wherever he does his business or just passes gas, you could be in the living room and still your eyes water and the oxygen is sucked out of the room! Is there any cat food that I can get that could reduce this? We’re using Arm & Hammer litter that claims to “Destoys odors instantly,” but no, no it doesn’t. Just looking for something that can be easier on his system and not drag such evilness into our apartment! > > [Of course there’s pictures!](http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n283/home_gurly25_2006/3.jpg) > > [And one more, by far my favorite!](http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n283/home_gurly25_2006/5.jpg) Adorable little stench generator =) I find mushy food makes worse stench than dry kibble. We always free feed our little [snot rocket](http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy176/aruvqan/Miscellaneous/jezzi.jpg) kibble and plenty of water. ---
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/7 "2010-11-14T18:07:56Z")
The cause of your problem may be as simple as a too-sudden change in your kitten’s diet. [http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet/faqs/](http://www.newmansownorganics.com/pet/faqs/) > [@](#): > > Q: I would like to begin feeding Newman’s Own Organics pet food to my dog and cat. I have read that if this is done too fast that intestinal upsets and diarrhea may result. What are your recommendations? > A: We recommend mixing Newman’s Own Organics pet foods with your current pet food over a period of approximately (2-3) weeks to guarantee that your dog or cat’s digestive system adjusts to the new food. **Research and feeding trials have proven that a dog or cat’s gastro-intestinal system may take four to six weeks or longer to adjust to a new food.**.. > > We always recommend that you contact your veterinarian if your animal has persistent digestive upsets. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/8 "2010-11-14T19:01:20Z")
!. No corn in the cat food, please. 1. Try probiotics. ---
**Author:** ![Faelyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@Faelyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faelyn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/9 "2010-11-14T22:37:26Z")
Thanks for advice! I picked up some 9 lives food that had “pro digestive enzymes” in it, and supposedly helped with litter box clumping. Not sure how well it’ll turn out, but we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed and noses plugged til we find out! ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/10 "2010-11-14T22:49:16Z")
We feed our cats “[Evo](http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp)” brand kibble. It’s ridiculously expensive but as described above more of it is used _in_ the cat, so they need to eat less – plus, bonus! they poop less, too. A lot less. And what they do poop is less toxic-smelling. We tried the same brand with our dog, but with crappy (har! har!) results, and went back to cheaper stuff with him. YC’sPMV. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/11 "2010-11-15T00:50:10Z")
I can attest to the fact that my girl, on Halo, really does produce relatively non-stinky poo. Which is a Godsend seeing as I live in a studio and all. It’s not cheap, but I can get it wholesale through a family connection. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/12 "2010-11-15T05:06:22Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > We feed our cats “[Evo](http://www.naturapet.com/brands/evo.asp)” brand kibble. It’s ridiculously expensive but as described above more of it is used _in_ the cat, so they need to eat less – plus, bonus! they poop less, too. A lot less. And what they do poop is less toxic-smelling. Our 14 y.o. kitty is on EVO kibble and canned and she is doing great. She’s lost a lot of weight over the past year or so from being sick and the food is not only putting weight back on her but her poo and pee doesn’t smell awful like it did when she was eating the cheap stuff. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/13 "2010-11-15T23:42:33Z")
Thanks for the references to EVO. I’m going to order some to try it out. Right now I give the cats some pureed turkey or chicken from Costco (human food), but this sounds better. Might check out Halo too if this doesn’t go over well. They seem to love Purina One and really love pureed birdie. Actually, the bigger cat who must be at least part Maine coon and part calico loves it. The other guy is more of a normal domestic cat and he seems to like it ok but isn’t wild about it. One time I had run out of the dry food and was trying to get away with just using the pureed stuff and he led me to their feeder looked at the feeder, looked at me and meowed. They can communicate very effectively when they want to. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/14 "2010-11-16T18:11:32Z")
I feed my cats (and dogs) fresh, raw animal parts as their digestive system is equipped for, and their poop is small, firm, and has hardly any odor (when fresh it smells a bit like mushrooms, but only if I get close to sniff it - I would never know when they took a dump just by being in the room). They also never fart or vomit\* and their teeth/gums are perfection, no stank breath. \*yes, seriously. I have two cats, 5 and 3 years old, raw-fed since kittenhood, and I have never seen either of them throw up. It’s possible they have before and the dogs ate it though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/15 "2010-11-16T18:27:11Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I feed my cats (and dogs) fresh, raw animal parts as their digestive system is equipped for, and their poop is small, firm, and has hardly any odor (when fresh it smells a bit like mushrooms, but only if I get close to sniff it - I would never know when they took a dump just by being in the room). They also never fart or vomit\* and their teeth/gums are perfection, no stank breath. > > \*yes, seriously. I have two cats, 5 and 3 years old, raw-fed since kittenhood, and I have never seen either of them throw up. It’s possible they have before and the dogs ate it though. 😉 One of the cats likes her food “pre-digested” too. It doesn’t bother me but I’d rather not know about it. The male cat throws up very regularly. Vet had no idea why. Stupid vet. I’m really looking forward to this EVO stuff. There’s no way I’m feeding them raw birdie, so hopefully this will work as well. I order 2 cases of canned bird (one duck, one chicken/turkey) and 3 small bags of dry food (one weight management and 2 chicken/turkey). Maybe it will also help the female with her hair balls. Purina one hairball formula seems to work most of the time, but not perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![Faelyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c77e96/32.png) [@Faelyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faelyn)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/16 "2010-11-17T12:35:20Z")
Time for an update! The 9 lives stuff I picked up at Kroger really helped with his poo problems! I’m not sure what was in the bag of food they gave us when we adopted him, but it must have been some really foul stuff. Now when he goes, there’s barely a whiff of it in the air, nowhere near the knock-you-down-stank there was before! Plus, he seems to have more energy now, which I’m not convinced yet is a good thing considering he likes to play this game where he hides until I walk by, he jumps out and tries to kill me for 3 seconds, then runs away and the game begins again. :rolleyes: The price I pay for some feline companionship! Thanks guys, the Dope has come through me once again! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/17 "2010-11-18T15:34:59Z")
i’m a little late to the party, but i’ve learned over the years that the cheaper the catfood, generally the stinkier the by-product. the superkitties are fed only Iams either regular or hairball preventative and they do quite fine on it. i was gonna ask if your little guy had been screened for worms (hopefully he has been) but it appears all is well. one of the original superkittehs was chock full of them when i got her. she had to be dewormed twice and wasn’t THAT fun… :eek: until she was uh, cleaned out, the tiniest little deposit had us running for the gas masks. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/18 "2010-11-28T05:24:13Z")
I just want to thank emma and bane for mentioning EVO. One of the cats used to throw up pretty much every day - mostly water but sometimes food. You really start to dread the constant clean ups. They’ve only been on EVO wet and dry for a little over a week I think (ordered same day as my post IIRC) and I don’t think he has thrown up even once. We had asked the vet about it and he wasn’t helpful at all except to say that the cat was fine otherwise. Anyway, I’m sure they will both be better off in the long run. The other cat had occasional hairballs even with special cat food, but in the past week I don’t think she’s had any problems either. Too soon to say anything conclusive, but it’s a good sign. So . . . thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2010, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/19 "2010-11-28T15:34:08Z")
You’re welcome! Yay! ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618/20 "2010-11-29T04:44:50Z")
That’s great news! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-food-that-reduces-that-god-awful-smell/560618.md?page=2)