Expert: Jessica - 12/15/2009

Question
I recently started feeding my Siamese (actually Balinese)cat Royal Canin cat food for Siamese cats.  My cat seems to enjoy the taste and I like the fact that the individual kibble is small enough for his mouth yet large enough not to disintegrate in the bag into small bits which my cat will not eat. However, I have noticed that his stool absolutely reeks and are larger and softer than they used to be with the other cat food. Can you recommend any additives that will firm them up or another food that does not have that "Y" shape that seems to be so popular nowadays and is good for a very active, slim Balinese cat? Thank you for any advice you can offer!  

Answer
Hi Stephanie.  Royal Canin foods are relatively high-quality, but they contain a lot of grains.  Cats have short digestive tracts, and because the food moves through them so quickly, complex grains do not have time to be digested.   Much of it passes out as waste product, producing larger stools and a strong odor.  Feeding a grain-free or low grain food can help with this.  I feed my own cats Taste of the Wild (www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com), but there are many on the market today, including Felidae Grain Free, BG (Before Grain) and Evo to name just a few.  Taste of the Wild is and Evo are small, round kibble, while Felidae is I-shaped (this breaks up easier than the round, I have found).  I have not personally fed BG, so I’m not sure of the shape.  Foods containing Yucca are said to reduce stool odor.  Taste of the Wild, BG and Felidae contain this.

You may also try giving your cat a prebiotic/probiotic supplement to help him digest his food more easily and keep bad bacteria, the cause of some stool odor, under control.  Purina’s Forti-Flora and Proviable by Nutramax are some good choices.  They’re available online.

However, large, foul-smelling stools can also indicate a malabsorption problem, pancreatic insufficiency, or infection.  If a diet change doesn’t help, you should have your kitty checked out by a vet.  

Remember that, because cat stool is actually very rich in fat and protein because of their short digestive systems and required diets, cat stool is one of the smellier pet wastes, even with the most digestible foods.  Sometimes a good litter can help with this, and I’ve found Feline Pine Scoop to be best, followed by Swheat Scoop.

Best wishes!

Jessica