Does my cat know when it farts or is it surprised by the smell?

It's certainly true that some cats pass gas more than others - just like some humans :) If it bothers you, you can try giving him a daily probiotic supplement like Forti-Flora, or switching to a different food to see if this helps.

The most common cause of flatulence in a pet is dietary intolerance. It looks like the food you chose just doesn't fit well with her intestinal flora! If flatulence is the only change, and it is something you can tolerate, you do not necessarily need to change her food. But most people would decide to try out another food instead of having a stinky cat!

Poop smell is dependent on the type of intestinal bacteria your kitty harbors. these are good bacteria, but some just smell awful. The same is true for bacteria in his anal glands. He may not be covering his poop enough, because he himself ma be disgusted with it, so only does a half-hearted job. If he is otherwise healthy then there is nothing to worry about. A bottle of Febreze may be your only weapon against the smell. Sometimes changing food, especially changing to wet (canned) food, pate-style, may change the intestinal flora and the smell changes too.

The gas is probably due to the fact that gastrointestinal movement is not normal due to the presence of the kittens. Your veterinarian can easily estimate how much is left by performing an ultrasound /x ray. Otherwise unfortunately is going to be very difficult to understand it.

It's possible there could be something underlying such as a food allergy (protein sources can cause allergies in some pets!), or even something such as parasites or an infection causing excess gas. It would be a good idea to bring in a fecal sample to your vet to check for the most common causes of GI upset, and if nothing is found consider a food trial with your vet to rule out any possible food allergies that could be contributing.

Cats and dogs have scent glands on either side of the anus called anal glands. The material in the glands is very stinky and often described as smelling fishy. Most wild animals can empty these glands voluntarily for scent marking or in self-defense (like a skunk might do), but dogs and cats have largely lost their ability to empty these sacs voluntarily. They normally release these glands during defecation, but can also release with excitement or stress. So, if Ariel struggled or got excited when you moved her, she likely expressed her anal glands. It is not anything to be concerned about, but can certainly be stinky, so you may need to clean the area of the couch that she was licking to get rid fo the smell. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Extra gas can be caused by a sensitivity or allergy to the diet (most commonly to the protein source), not necessarily to the wet or dry formulation. Consider trying to feed Callie strictly one diet for the next month or two to see if it changes her flatulence. If that does not help, try a different diet for another month or two. It can take at least 6-8 weeks to determine if a diet change has made any impact on Callie. Any time you make a change in diet, be sure to do so gradually by mixing the old and new foods together over 5-7 days.