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My cat smells like poop, but there's no visible mess. What's going on?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 10 lbs

When my kitty comes close, he smells like poop. There is no visual residue near his butt, but the smell is not friendly.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA

Veterinarian

Published on January 15th, 2018

Is it possible that Shade is having excess gas? If so, I would consider switching his diet to a high-quality easily digestible food such as Hills I/D. It is also possible that the smell could be due to full anal glands. In which can I would recommend taking him to your veterinarian to have the glands expressed.

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    Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Oh no. He may be eating his poop. I would recommend monitoring him when he goes to the litter box to ensure he isn’t eating his feces. If he is eating his poop then you can try putting 1-2 tsp of meat tenderizer in his food daily or a medicine called Forbid to make the poop taste bad and deter him from eating it. Best of luck to you and figuring out why Shade smells so bad. If you can’t find the source, then I would consider taking him to your vet for an exam to see if the source can be found. Best wishes and take care.

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