Did your feline companion just fart?
What makes cats fart?
Should you be concerned about it?
Why Do Cats Fart?
In most cases, flatulence among cats is normal, just as it is for dogs and people.
But too much gas may result from poor eating habits or signs of digestive problems.
Digestion
Cats are carnivorous animals, so their diet consists mostly of protein, a nutrient commonly found in meat.
When bacteria in cats digestive systems break protein down, an odorous gas called sulfur is produced.
It passes out as a fart.
A little amount of this gas is vital in getting rid of waste.
Swallowing Air
Cats swallow air along with the food they eat.
Their bodies then get rid of excess air through farting.
Faulty Eating Habits
Eating too much or suddenly having to feed on new food also makes cats fart, sometimes excessively.
Overeating:
The more food cats eat, the more protein they gain. More protein to digest means more gas to produce.
The result? More frequent farting.
Sudden diet changes:
Cats’ digestive systems take time to get used to new eats.
Abrupt diet changes may cause flatulence and food allergies.
Introduce fresh food by adding 20 percent of it to 80 percent of the usual foodstuff at first.
Increasing the new food to 30 percent and reducing the old one to 70 percent after a couple of days, and so on until the new food fully replaces the old one.
Food
Felines also fart in reaction to their food and/or its ingredients.
Here are some foodstuffs that cause cats flatulence:
Cat food fillers:
Some cat food brands contain large amounts of fillers, mostly made up of carbohydrates.
These are hard to digest and cause stomach upset and flatulence.
If your cat farts too much because of a particular brand, switch to another with less or no additives.
Human food:
Some cat’s tummies aren’t used to human food. As a result, they may fart or vomit.
Rotten food:
Never feed cats with food way past its expiration date!
Aside from flatulence, they may also experience food poisoning.
Dairy:
Cats are commonly lactose-intolerant.
Their digestive systems have difficulty processing cows’ milk. Their stomachs get upset, and they fart as a result.
Give them milk made, especially for them, instead of dairy products.
Intestinal Parasites
Farts with stomach upset may be a sign of intestinal parasite infection among cats.
For instance, they’re prone to giardia, single-celled protozoa that live in cats and dogs small intestines.
Felines get these organisms from eating infected animals poop.
Keep their kennels and your lawns clean, so they don’t ingest feces and parasites in it.
Digestive System Illnesses
Inflammatory bowel disease and the exocrine pancreatic deficiency (lack of pancreatic enzymes) are severe causes of poor digestion and chronic or excessive flatulence.
If these happen to your cat, bring it to your trusted vet immediately for proper diagnosis and treatment.
What Do I Do When My Cat Farts?
Cats fart for various reasons.
Though feline flatulence is a normal occurrence, watch out for too much farting.
That may be a signal of a diet or digestive system issue.
Take your pet to the vet for regular checkups and follow their advice to keep your cat’s tummy healthy!
