What to feed cat...

[ponyparty]

.... to make her poop smell less revolting?

I cannot cope with my boyfriend's cat any more; or rather, the smell of her cr@p. It is the most revolting thing I have ever smelt, it's so grim - you can almost taste it, it smells so strong! She is a house cat, doesn't go outside even when given the opportunity to. She's also 20, nearly 21, so it's not fair to expect her to start going outside now.

I switched her to raw food in the summer, as that's what my dog eats and his poops are tiny and hard and barely smell. She did well on it, and then she got a water infection, and when my bf took her to the vet, the vet said it was caused by the raw food. Umm HOW? Absolute rubbish, but he believes what she said and doesn't want to feed her raw.

So she is currently on Felix Senior pouches, Go Cat biscuits, and Whiskas hairball control treats. The Felix pouches smell awful - I guess if it smells that bad going in, it's not going to smell any better coming out!

It's got to the point now where if we don't make her poo smell less bad, she's going to have to go and live elsewhere (with OH's ex wife, where she goes when we go on holiday). I know that sounds really selfish of me, but I am literally retching on a daily basis every time the cat takes a dump, I can't bear it any longer!

So - can you recommend me any very high quality, 100% meat, no vegetable, no grain, no filler (as these are the things cats can't digest and make their poo smell worse), cat food, that isn't raw? I've had a google but there's a lot of choice out there so just looking for any recommendations.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I have just switched my 4 mainly house cat vet to Hills Youthful Vitality and their poos have been transformed. 2 of them suffer from colitis and the bouts have also decreased.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Yes you are selfish. Get over it no-one died of a smell it’s mostly psychological if you ever have kids their crap smells worse!

If I were your OH I’d get rid of you before the cat. Poor old cat. She’s at the end of her life and should have whatever she wants and should not be moved.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

My old boy is on Felix senior pouches, you must have a very sensitive sense of smell! Even my moany DH doesn't complain about them! Cat also has Purina hairball biscuits ad lib, occasionally mixed with their sensitive ones.

Sorry, but for a cat to get to 20, you need to get a grip! You either leave, or put up with the way things are!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

have you tried a different cat litter and litter tray? you can get lidded ones with filters in. seems a bit OTT to sling out an old cat like that tbh and she's a bt old to have her diet switched to RAW if she's always been a housecat and not built up the type of immunity to bacteria a hunting cat might have done.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Another vote for keep the cat, bin the human.

 

[Calluna]

I found Felix did not suit my cats stomach..smelly poo here too and quite loose motions. Working in the basis that "better poo" implies more healthy digestion I found a better quality food was more suitable for my cat. He is super fussy and goes off foods fairly regularly. At the moment he is doing well on IAMS naturally. Applaws is also good, but he tends to get fed up of that fairly quickly. It really is just trial and error until you find something that makes your cat more settled in her stomach/ digestion.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

What was the cat eating before you changed her diet to RAW? If she got to 20 on it, it must have been suitable for her.

 

[ponyparty]

Ha. Some predictable responses from the HHO gang. Get a life - last time I checked it wasn't a crime to dislike the stench of cat ****!

Thanks for the helpful responses - I will perhaps try her on IAMs, that Hills stuff is outrageously expensive, OH won't want to pay that for cat food. I've found a company called Simpsons that does what looks like nice quality wet food too.

She has always been on Felix and Go Cat, prior to me moving her to raw. I wouldn't feed my dog that sort of rubbish, what is wrong with trying to find a better quality food which will hopefully also sort out the revolting smell?

I've been trawling the internet and it's actually really hard to find cat food that hasn't got vegetables and things added to it, even the really posh expensive stuff. Why do they do it?! Cats don't need those things, it's blatantly just the pet food companies trying to save money.

 

[ponyparty]

Ooh didn't see that you'd mentioned Applaws too, Calluna - was wondering about them, it's a bit of a gamble isn't it as to whether cats will eat new foods! Obviously any changes will be made gradually so she hopefully won't reject it.

I can't believe some of the spiteful responses above - I don't want the cat to go and live with the ex, that's why I'm investigating different foods! Jeez. OH isn't that bothered about her, and in fact since I moved in she now has a nice bed, a water fountain, hairball preventing treats, she now gets brushed and i clip her claws. So wind yer necks in!

 

[splashgirl45]

Ha. Some predictable responses from the HHO gang. Get a life - last time I checked it wasn't a crime to dislike the stench of cat ****!

Thanks for the helpful responses - I will perhaps try her on IAMs, that Hills stuff is outrageously expensive, OH won't want to pay that for cat food. I've found a company called Simpsons that does what looks like nice quality wet food too.

She has always been on Felix and Go Cat, prior to me moving her to raw. I wouldn't feed my dog that sort of rubbish, what is wrong with trying to find a better quality food which will hopefully also sort out the revolting smell?

I've been trawling the internet and it's actually really hard to find cat food that hasn't got vegetables and things added to it, even the really posh expensive stuff. Why do they do it?! Cats don't need those things, it's blatantly just the pet food companies trying to save money.

what is wrong is that said cat is 20 FFS, and deserves to be looked after in her short time she has left.....you sound like a really caring person NOT!!!!

 

[Sandstone1]

.... to make her poop smell less revolting?

I cannot cope with my boyfriend's cat any more; or rather, the smell of her cr@p. It is the most revolting thing I have ever smelt, it's so grim - you can almost taste it, it smells so strong! She is a house cat, doesn't go outside even when given the opportunity to. She's also 20, nearly 21, so it's not fair to expect her to start going outside now.

I switched her to raw food in the summer, as that's what my dog eats and his poops are tiny and hard and barely smell. She did well on it, and then she got a water infection, and when my bf took her to the vet, the vet said it was caused by the raw food. Umm HOW? Absolute rubbish, but he believes what she said and doesn't want to feed her raw.

So she is currently on Felix Senior pouches, Go Cat biscuits, and Whiskas hairball control treats. The Felix pouches smell awful - I guess if it smells that bad going in, it's not going to smell any better coming out!

It's got to the point now where if we don't make her poo smell less bad, she's going to have to go and live elsewhere (with OH's ex wife, where she goes when we go on holiday). I know that sounds really selfish of me, but I am literally retching on a daily basis every time the cat takes a dump, I can't bear it any longer!

So - can you recommend me any very high quality, 100% meat, no vegetable, no grain, no filler (as these are the things cats can't digest and make their poo smell worse), cat food, that isn't raw? I've had a google but there's a lot of choice out there so just looking for any recommendations.

Poor cat. Selfish person.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

.... to make her poop smell less revolting?

I cannot cope with my boyfriend's cat any more; or rather, the smell of her cr@p. It is the most revolting thing I have ever smelt, it's so grim - you can almost taste it, it smells so strong! She is a house cat, doesn't go outside even when given the opportunity to. She's also 20, nearly 21, so it's not fair to expect her to start going outside now.

I switched her to raw food in the summer, as that's what my dog eats and his poops are tiny and hard and barely smell. She did well on it, and then she got a water infection, and when my bf took her to the vet, the vet said it was caused by the raw food. Umm HOW? Absolute rubbish, but he believes what she said and doesn't want to feed her raw.

So she is currently on Felix Senior pouches, Go Cat biscuits, and Whiskas hairball control treats. The Felix pouches smell awful - I guess if it smells that bad going in, it's not going to smell any better coming out!

It's got to the point now where if we don't make her poo smell less bad, she's going to have to go and live elsewhere (with OH's ex wife, where she goes when we go on holiday). I know that sounds really selfish of me, but I am literally retching on a daily basis every time the cat takes a dump, I can't bear it any longer!

So - can you recommend me any very high quality, 100% meat, no vegetable, no grain, no filler (as these are the things cats can't digest and make their poo smell worse), cat food, that isn't raw? I've had a google but there's a lot of choice out there so just looking for any recommendations.

Go Cat Biscuits are rubbish - there is very little goodness in them - Mainly cereal's and just Colours* and antioxidants very low protein, you would better at her age to give her Applaws which is 80% meat http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/...5xkf29856cXhVq7VjQIS5wbC2eAJIRAcaAnN5EALw_wcB.

Sorry for being harsh but would you really get rid of a cat at that age for that reason!!!!!! Poor thing it is not her fault, I have one handed in at 13 to my pen because of owners allergy but giving a cat up at her age because of smelly poo. *shudders*sorry but unkind.

Just as well that does not apply to humans or I would have got rid of my husband long ago for the smell which emanate from the toilet .

Personally I would rather clean a cats toilet then a babies nappy any day. ( Thank god I have never had to do the later personally, only watched friends do it )

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

To add I use this in my boarding pens and it has a nice sent to it and easy to skip out any poos to avoid any lingering aroma. http://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/p...3--1/lightweight-non-clumping-pink-cat-litter

Each granule acts like a sponge, absorbing liquids and helping to inhibit bacterial growth.

With a:

Time released odour control - your cat's litter tray will stay fresher for longer;
99% Dust free mixture - will not harm your cat's respiratory system;
Highly absorbent granule - less litter required.

 

[cally6008]

We used to feed Go Cat Indoor biscuits.

Now we feed Purina One Light (18% less fat) and also Purina One Adult Chicken. It is expensive BUT leo has had runny poo since he had some teeth out in september, always a bit bad but worse since then, both purinas have helped firm him up so it's almost normal-ish now.

If you think Felix pouches smell bad, don't ever feed whiskas or sheba as they are even worse. LOL.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Go cat biscuits are vile. My hubby got them as a substitute one day. I will never feed them again, one of ours smelt terrible. We feed pro plan.

Is she in good health apart from her age? Perhaps a vet check maybe in order.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

If you think Felix pouches smell bad, don't ever feed whiskas or sheba as they are even worse. LOL.

mine get whiskers pouches (jelly, not gravy) and they don't smell much at all? and before you are all horrified lol they get plenty of hunting and supplemented with RAW and a bit of dry Eden.

 

[pepperpots]

Raw is best for smell.
Have a look on Zooplus. I feed only wet. Brands like Feringa, GranataPet and Catz Finefoods are sugar free, low carb and have a high meat content.
I don’t find my cats poos smell much on these.

 

[ponyparty]

Peregrine Falcon - not heard of Pro Plan, will check it out. I made OH take her to the vets for senior cats health check last summer (August I think?) - she is in good health, one of her kidney readings was slightly elevated but the other isn't. That's around the time I got him to get her the water fountain - she wouldn't drink from her bowl, even when the water had been freshly changed, and was desperately trying to get into the bath and the kitchen sink to drink from the tap. She loves her water fountain and doesn't jump on the surfaces to use the sink now, bonus.

Really puzzled by the people saying I shouldn't be changing her diet, there is no rule saying that older cats can't eat different food! Obviously if she doesn't like it and won't eat, I'm not going to starve her. A very smelly stool is in indicator of poor diet - my dog's poos were awful when i had him on kibble. I wouldn't feed my dog on that sort of supermarket crap, so why on earth shouldn't I change the cat onto something better? MoC - if you can feed that and balance it with raw and high quality dry food, why on earth not - but OH is adamant she is not having raw. Fair enough, i'm not going to go against his wishes just because it makes her poo smell less!

As for her going to my OH's ex's - he is the one who suggested it, as a temporary measure! she goes there all the time anyway when we go on holiday, it's not like she doesn't know the place. She's very settled there whenever she goes. But yeah I don't want her to go there, just because I don't like the smell of her poo. Seems a bit extreme when it could quite easily be fixed by changing her food, which is what I was actually asking about in my OP!

Also, this week the dog discovered that cat poo is actually quite delicious. It's hard to keep them separate, he needs access to the kitchen where the tray is. If there wasn't so much undigestible rubbish in the cat's food, perhaps the poop wouldn't smell so appetising to him? Who knows; dogs are pretty gross sometimes!

ILuvCowParsley - I know it sounds harsh, perhaps my OP was a bit strongly worded. There had just been a poo incident that my nose was still reeling from, ha. We use ultra-clumping litter as it's easy to get the wees out, I don't think it's the litter that's the issue to be honest - it's the smell at source! I did think about getting a hooded tray with odour neutralisers, or even a self cleaning one. But she's never had to use a flap before, not sure she'd pick it up, don't want to put her off using a tray at all! In any case, I'm sure it'd be better for her health if I just changed the food, dealing with the cause rather than just the symptom.

Thanks for your helpful repsonses - I'm going to try Applaws I think, as a couple of you have mentioned it. Hope she likes it, I think if I just move her over gradually, mixing the two together at first, she'll get used to it.

 

[ponyparty]

Raw is best for smell.
Have a look on Zooplus. I feed only wet. Brands like Feringa, GranataPet and Catz Finefoods are sugar free, low carb and have a high meat content.
I don’t find my cats poos smell much on these.

I know raw is best but OH won't have it! Thanks - will check those out too.

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Peregrine Falcon - not heard of Pro Plan, will check it out. I made OH take her to the vets for senior cats health check last summer (August I think?) - she is in good health, one of her kidney readings was slightly elevated but the other isn't. That's around the time I got him to get her the water fountain - she wouldn't drink from her bowl, even when the water had been freshly changed, and was desperately trying to get into the bath and the kitchen sink to drink from the tap. She loves her water fountain and doesn't jump on the surfaces to use the sink now, bonus.

Really puzzled by the people saying I shouldn't be changing her diet, there is no rule saying that older cats can't eat different food! Obviously if she doesn't like it and won't eat, I'm not going to starve her. A very smelly stool is in indicator of poor diet - my dog's poos were awful when i had him on kibble. I wouldn't feed my dog on that sort of supermarket crap, so why on earth shouldn't I change the cat onto something better? MoC - if you can feed that and balance it with raw and high quality dry food, why on earth not - but OH is adamant she is not having raw. Fair enough, i'm not going to go against his wishes just because it makes her poo smell less!

As for her going to my OH's ex's - he is the one who suggested it, as a temporary measure! she goes there all the time anyway when we go on holiday, it's not like she doesn't know the place. She's very settled there whenever she goes. But yeah I don't want her to go there, just because I don't like the smell of her poo. Seems a bit extreme when it could quite easily be fixed by changing her food, which is what I was actually asking about in my OP!

Also, this week the dog discovered that cat poo is actually quite delicious. It's hard to keep them separate, he needs access to the kitchen where the tray is. If there wasn't so much undigestible rubbish in the cat's food, perhaps the poop wouldn't smell so appetising to him? Who knows; dogs are pretty gross sometimes!

ILuvCowParsley - I know it sounds harsh, perhaps my OP was a bit strongly worded. There had just been a poo incident that my nose was still reeling from, ha. We use ultra-clumping litter as it's easy to get the wees out, I don't think it's the litter that's the issue to be honest - it's the smell at source! I did think about getting a hooded tray with odour neutralisers, or even a self cleaning one. But she's never had to use a flap before, not sure she'd pick it up, don't want to put her off using a tray at all! In any case, I'm sure it'd be better for her health if I just changed the food, dealing with the cause rather than just the symptom.

Thanks for your helpful repsonses - I'm going to try Applaws I think, as a couple of you have mentioned it. Hope she likes it, I think if I just move her over gradually, mixing the two together at first, she'll get used to it.

Regarding the litter tray, I have a hooded one and I took the flap off. It's a pets at home one and the flap just popped out. I also use clumping litter but I put lots in. So its almost to the top of the tray. They like to completely cover their poos and if they do that, no smell. Maybe try putting oodles of litter in? I also find the tray is cleaner as the wee doesn't tend to make it all the way down to the plastic.

I used to feed my little fusspot on Applaws nuggets (til she got bored of them!) and found her poos didn't smell particularly offensive. She's on Lily's Kitchen nuggets now, and again poos don't smell awful. Bearing in mind poo will always smell like poo, but I guess some poos are more smelly that others!

You're right to ask for advice about what you can do to help the situation. The opening post did come across as uncaring and like the cat is a massive burden though, but I think your more recent posts have clarified that this probably isn't the case. FYI, the bit about the dog eating the poo actually made me heave!

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Ooh didn't see that you'd mentioned Applaws too, Calluna - was wondering about them, it's a bit of a gamble isn't it as to whether cats will eat new foods! Obviously any changes will be made gradually so she hopefully won't reject it.

I can't believe some of the spiteful responses above - I don't want the cat to go and live with the ex, that's why I'm investigating different foods! Jeez. OH isn't that bothered about her, and in fact since I moved in she now has a nice bed, a water fountain, hairball preventing treats, she now gets brushed and i clip her claws. So wind yer necks in!

That's not how you described the situation at all in your original post in fact you're the one that sounded spiteful towards an elderly cat and perhaps should have thought how that would come across and worded it differently.

Food should be what suits the cat not you if she likes and thrives on something that produces less smell then all well and good but often with elderly cats you just have to feed what they will eat and enjoy regardless of your own feelings.

From looking into it awhile back myself I think that you have to make sure that the raw diet is balanced as just giving certain raw meat doesn't provide all the essential nutrients that eating a whole animal would.

 

[ponyparty]

That's not how you described the situation at all in your original post in fact you're the one that sounded spiteful towards an elderly cat and perhaps should have thought how that would come across and worded it differently.

Food should be what suits the cat not you if she likes and thrives on something that produces less smell then all well and good but often with elderly cats you just have to feed what they will eat and enjoy regardless of your own feelings.

From looking into it awhile back myself I think that you have to make sure that the raw diet is balanced as just giving certain raw meat doesn't provide all the essential nutrients that eating a whole animal would.

Yeah well, as I just said, I wrote it in the heat of the moment when the stench was still cloying my (clearly delicate) nostrils!

I can't feed her raw, but I do feed my dog raw - a mix of meat, offal and bone, along with occasional eggs, vegetables, berries. Cats only need meat/bone/offal, they don't need veg or anything else, so it really irritates me when it's added to cat food as a filler. They do need taurine - so when I was feeding the cat raw, I was adding a supplement powder with taurine, and it was also a specially formulated one for cats with reduced kidney function, to stave off any potential kidney disease.

BeckyFlowers- we do fill her tray almost to the top, she doesn't cover her mess though unfortunately. It's nice cat litter, the Sainsburys ultra clumping stuff.

 

[Clodagh]

Dogs love cat poo. Could the tray not be resited out of the kitchen? Or could you block off a corner that dog cannot get to?

 

[ponyparty]

Dogs love cat poo. Could the tray not be resited out of the kitchen? Or could you block off a corner that dog cannot get to?

I wish it could be - I've thought about it but there isn't really anywhere that we won't be tripping over it. Dog can be shut out when we're not around; his dog flap to outside is in the utility, a sort of side alley that's been covered with a lean-to. It's cold out there though, I don't like shutting him out there in the winter really. We've caught him in the act of eating it when we've just been sitting watching TV with him though, he smelt the poo before us and was off to chow down on it straight away. So grim.

The cat is confined to the kitchen too unless we're around, because she keeps throwing up on the cream carpet... though she does vomit less now that we've put her on the anti hairball treats. She also had a phase of pooing and peeing in odd places, we thought she was getting dementia or something but she is back to normal now. I think she was upset because we were (still are) having work done to the house. So at least if she's in the kitchen when we're not around, she knows where her litter tray is. It's just a matter of getting to her poo before the dog does....

I sometimes wonder why we have animals!

Blocking off the bit where the tray is might work, with the current layout... We're having the kitchen done in the summer, god knows what we'll do then!

 

[skinnydipper]

Dogs do seem to find cat poo irresistible even when covered in litter, or dug up from the garden - it doesn't seem to do them any harm. My cat uses a Booda Dome Cleanstep which kept the dogs out and smells in. There is also a replaceable charcoal filter in the lid but I've never had reason to change it and I've had it about 8 years. I only know she has been in it if I lift the lid. Admittedly Milly has access to the outside so use of the tray is limited. Covered cat trays with a flap do not stop a dog from sticking it's head inside. I am not sure if a determined dog would be able to dislodge the lid of the Booda but mine never did. The only problem I find is having to drag it about when cleaning the floor, the handle on the top only lifts the lid off.

At her age I would allow her to eat what she enjoys. Unlike dogs, cats will starve themselves rather than eat something they don't want. My cat supplements the food I provide with hunting but it took me a long time to find what she would eat and I just stick with that - she will only eat one flavour of the Sheba Fine Recipes and Royal Canin Maine Coone dry food. (She was supposed to be Maine Coon cross but very definitely isn't). I wasted a lot of food that Milly would not even try.

 

[skinnydipper]

Just read your last post. Have you had her renal function checked? When an elderly cat starts to vomit it could be a sign of kidney disease.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I wish it could be - I've thought about it but there isn't really anywhere that we won't be tripping over it. Dog can be shut out when we're not around; his dog flap to outside is in the utility, a sort of side alley that's been covered with a lean-to. It's cold out there though, I don't like shutting him out there in the winter really. We've caught him in the act of eating it when we've just been sitting watching TV with him though, he smelt the poo before us and was off to chow down on it straight away. So grim.

The cat is confined to the kitchen too unless we're around, because she keeps throwing up on the cream carpet... though she does vomit less now that we've put her on the anti hairball treats. She also had a phase of pooing and peeing in odd places, we thought she was getting dementia or something but she is back to normal now. I think she was upset because we were (still are) having work done to the house. So at least if she's in the kitchen when we're not around, she knows where her litter tray is. It's just a matter of getting to her poo before the dog does....

I sometimes wonder why we have animals!

Blocking off the bit where the tray is might work, with the current layout... We're having the kitchen done in the summer, god knows what we'll do then!

You say she keeps vomiting, then i would take her to the vet, as a month ago ours was vomiting after eating and the vets said she probably got inflammation and to put her on ID diet till it subsides and goes away which it has. The other thing remember most dry food is a complete diet and the dry if given too much swells in the stomach and cause vomiting too, and impaction.

The other thing I do is put a puppy pad in the bottom of the litter tray to soak up some of the urine and absorb the urine smell.

Some cats don't like certain litter too I really like Jackson Galaxy my cats from hell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzliLSt7myE

vomiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwm22nqfwCw

 

[ponyparty]

Ooh that Booda Dome one looks good! And like she would easily figure it out.
She was vomiting a lot last year, that's why I made OH take her to the vets - she had a full Senior Citizen check up including bloods. One of the renal readings was slightly elevated (I did mention this in an earlier comment) but the other was OK - the vet said it could indicate early stage renal failure, but that it's nothing to worry about at the moment and to monitor her. I wouldn't be at all surprised, at her age! Anyway, she was also losing weight so I upped her meals to three times per day rather than just twice, and she's put on weight and is looking pretty healthy - and since we introduced the hairball control treats, the vomiting has also reduced dramatically. She does still do hunger pukes sometimes if we're late feeding her but it's so much less than before.
The urine smell really isn't that bad, we get it out at least once a day and she has a full litter change once per week. It's just that ghastly poop.
Anyway, I've got some good ideas now of what to try - I know cats will starve themselves rather than eat something they don't fancy - when I switched her to raw, i did it very gradually. She actually tries to nick the dog's raw food now but luckily he eats it so fast she doesn't get a look in! So yeah I will just start making the change very gradually, mixing a bit of the new food in with the Felix and doing it over the course of a week, or longer if necessary. Off to order some Applaws now, and see if OH wants to try a different type of litter tray too

 

[ester]

would a covered tray not help the smell and stop the dog getting it?