Conference misery::feline_v1

    My Taja occassionally lets them rip too!  I spoke to the vet about it
    and she mentioned that it was possibly the food I've been feeding him. 
    Taja dosen't eat much dry food, if any, and I would feed him a variety
    of whiskas, friskies, amore, fancy feast, etc.  These are all very rich
    foods with dies and gels (the stuff that looks kind of like jello). 
    I also noticed that these types of food were causing loose stools with
    my Himalayan and he would get feces stuck to his back end.  The vet
    suggested I switch them to Science Diet Feline Maintenance canned food
    only.  It seems to be working!  The other 3 cats can eat supermarket
    brands with no ill affects but Herbie and Taja are only fed the SD
    99.9% of the time.
    
    Try changing Alice's diet to a more consistent, quality food and see if
    that helps.  Are her stools firm and hard or soft and loose?  If she
    also has diarreah with the gas, then you should have your vet give her
    a complete physical to ensure there isn't something wrong with her
    intestinal tract.  Some cats are prone to Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome. 
    Check the keywords, as this topic has come up before.
    
    
    --Roberta
    

    RE: giving your cat Rolaids 
    
    I would STRONGLY suggest that you check with your vet first before
    medicating your kitty with any kind of people medication.  I know
    that even tiny amounts of aspirin can kill a cat.  I'm not sure about
    Rolaids or any other kind of antacid, but again, don't do it unless
    the vet says it's OK!
    
    Pam

RE: .0

Excuse me, but is your cat's gas problem contributing in helping destroying
the ozone layer or is the gas that comes from cats different then cows?

Should we form a federal committee to investigate? 

Just curious...

:-)

    

    I'm so glad that someone opend up this can of worms.  On more than one
    occasion I have accused Richard of being the most foul,disgusting, rude
    and rotten human being for  poluting the air with obnoxious gasses - he
    would swear up and down that he wasn't the guilty party because his
    make "noise" (no kidding) and this was the "silent-deadly"type.  Sure
    enough any time this happened Pippin was always in the room - usually
    between Richard and I and it finally dawned on us that this perfect
    little lady was responsible for such a stink.  The two boys can even
    come close to it.
    
    They should have a committee to "can" it and that would take care of
    fuel shortage!
    
    Giudi +3

    You didn't mention how long Alice has been with you.  Is she a new
    addition who is frightened when you pick her up?  (Holly defecates
     in her carrier every time she goes to the vet.)
    

    Alice has been with us since she was a kitten (about a year and
    a half now), and she's pretty bold.  I think that maybe picking
    her up pushes against her stomach or something.  
    
    In general she is healthy, and we take her to the vet when she
    does get sick, so I don't think there is any health concern.  The
    problem is just unpleasant.
    
    Bob

    Pippin isn'f frightened when this happens - she's just laying there
    half a sleep.  She doesn't do it on the way to the vet (though she has
    left a present on the examining table on occasion) so I think it might
    be something she ate - like veggies or some people treats.  She's
    perfectly healthy so I'm not concerned either - it can be funny when
    you've got a room full of people and this happens - I know it's the cat
    but try to convince other people of that!  They look at you like "Sure
    it was" while the little "stinker" is stretched out in lala land.
    
    Giudi

    I have the same problem with Zuzu.....she is 16 weeks old and still
    likes to "nurse" my neck and hair whenever I lie down to go to sleep.
    No sooner does she come traipsing up to my neck than she lets loose a
    big one....my lungs almost collapse from the stink.....  she just looks
    up at me all sleepy-eyed and goes back to the business of nursing.  
    
    Now I keep incense by the bed and whenever this happens I reach over
    and light a stick...only briefly...to dispell the odor...
    
    I must say that the (forgive me) density and travel range of these
    little "stinkers" is amazing....!!!!
    
    Nancy

technically speaking, the problem is usually more odiferous if the animal's
diet encludes more fat than is normally processed by the animal (including
human animals) and/or unusual amounts of insoluable matter.  In short, the
better quality the food, the less likely you are to find the problem as
pronounced.  In the case of felines, some of the less-expensive, more generic
brands of cat food (called "supermarket" brands by my vet) have acceptable
LEVELS of proteins, but the protein sources are difficult for the animal to
process..."meat by-products" CAN mean chemically processed, ground up poultry
FEATHERS!  Yes, they do contain protein, and they do fall within the acceptable
standards established by the FDA, but they are a very poor source of protein...
and the animal ends up suffering from flatulance and/or food allergies.  
The real difficulty for the pet owner is that even premium foods contain 
"meat and poultry by-products"..however, in the case of Science Diet, Iams, 
and MaxCat, for instance, meat and poultry by-products are referring to the 
organs and "less choice" cuts of FLESH of the source animal....livers, 
kidneys, gizzards, necks, tails, etc.  - no feathers allowed.  This is why so
many of us buy premium foods.

In the case of feeding canned foods, a food with too high a fat content (most
of the canned food sold "over the counter" in stores, pet stores, etc. fall
perilously close to this description), can cause flatulance.  The "special"
foods made by Science Diet and Iams are more carefully produced and generally
have a better balance of protein/fat/fibre sources...and are LESS LIKELY to
cause a problem...however, in many cases, a cat simply cannot eat canned food
without problems. They may like it, but YOU, the cat owner, won't like the
results of feeding it....loose stools, flatulance, and frequent vomiting can
be symptoms of problems.

In all cases of flatulance, once the vet has ruled out the medical concerns,
you should adjust diet by trying different foods.  This will rule out the
problems that can occur from LONG-TERM ingestion of foods which produce
food allergies (another, less common, source of the problem), and/or improper
digestion of nutritional sources.  Long term, a "minor" problem can become
a major health issue.  A healthy cat, fed healthy amounts of properly 
digestable foods, should not suffer from flatulance.

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one with a "stinky kitty"!  Misery loves
company!!! ;-)

My Sadie has had gas since day one when we got her from the Humane Society at
about 8 weeks old.  Our vet told us it was due to a change in diet.  But we
only feed her Science Diet - canned and dry, and it has not improved in over a
month that we have had her.  In any case, the vet doesn't seem concerned about
it.  But I mention it every time I bring her in just in case.

She is such a dainty little girl, but then all of sudden - WHEW, it 
knocks us out!  And she doesn't understand why we are running away from her!

Dawn

    Some of the problems that some of you are experiencing with your cats
    might be due to anal glands.  Might ask the vet about it.
    
    Jo

    Roundworms also will cause a problem with gas.  If you just got your
    kitty, or if s/he is an indoor/outdoor kitty a stool check may be
    in order.
    
    I believe my current cat count is around 17 and I have NO trouble
    with this currently.  (Altho occasionally Bonnie lets go with a
    "happy fart" or two)  I feed my guys Old Mother Hubbard canned and
    Iams or Maxcat dry.  
    
    I noticed when I tried 'Lil Red and Fromms dry foods that things got
    so stinky around the place that I gave the balance of the 20 lb bags
    away rather than put up with that smell!
    
    
    Good luck.
      Nancy DC
    

    	I was recently concerned about my kitten, Iris had this same
    problem. I called the vet on it and she asked if I had changed her
    food or given her any dairy products. The dairy products are the
    problem. Since that call I've stopped sharing my ice cream and any
    other dairy products. Well at least willingly. The other night we had
    Lasagna and we left our plates on the table and went into the living
    room. Well when I returned to the kitchen, there was Iris on the table
    licking the cheese out of the plates. Boy did I pay for that mistake.
    She had diahrea and gas really bad for that night and the next day. 
    Every time I would pick her up I was checking to see if she had messed
    all over her. Her gas was horrible.
    	I've also been trying to sneak regular cat food into her diet so I
    can get her off kitten food slowly.(and for a treat of something different)
    I noticed the times that I gave her the cat food (canned or dry) she was 
    awfully gasy.
    	Good luck with solving your problem. You're not alone. I think I'll
    take stock out in potporri or glade air freshners.
    				
    Joyce & Iris
    
    p.s. see not 2999 for kitty & milk notes

    

That's not our problem - we never feed them dairy products.  In fact, Sadie
and Alex eat the same foods (Science Diet, canned and dry) and only Sadie
has the "problem".

Hopefully, she will grow out of it.

Dawn

re: .8

Nancy,

Maybe 16 week old Zuzu and 16 week old Beth should get together.  They do
EXACTLY the same thing!!!  Beth thinks that because I'm her new Mommy that
I should clean her bottom....forget it, Beth!!

Boy, is she ripe.....  (yes, she's been wormed, yes, she eats high quality
food, yes, she doesn't get dairy products, yes, she smells to high heaven...)

My vet says that it's just typical of baby tummies.  Just like people babies,
their little digestive systems take some time to develop.

Oh, BTW, did anyone read about the newest apres dinner cocktail in Japan??
It's some herb concoction that acts as a digestive deodorant...supposed to
make what ever comes out "smell sweeter".  Amazing....  The Japanese also
have a toilet with an exhaust fan built in to take away odors before they
escape into the room....

Boy, is this topic going...oh, ahem, down the toilet...

Mary, who as moderator is slapping her own hand!

    A few months ago I was watching a program called "living color" (sort
    of like a Sat. Night Live) and one of the skits was about some drink or
    pill that one could take to make, ahemmm, gas come out smelling like a
    variety fragrences - spring rain, heather mist, etc.  It was really
    quite funny - maybe the Japanese saw this and decided to capitalize on
    it.  Now if they could only find something for cats - you know what
    just occured to me - it seems as if most of the cats mentioned in this
    note who have this problem are females?
    
    Giudi

    re: .16 I saw that skit!!
    
    BTW - there is a product called "Fresh Pet" that is mixed with the
    food.  Its supposed to remove urine and stool odor.  
      Nancy

    RE: .16,.17
    
    Hmmm... How about a food additive that makes the litter boxes smell
    like a house without a cat? ( or for that matter like a house without
    7 indoor cats )  8^)
    
    Kirk

    re: .18 - That's what Fresh Pet is Kirk.  You add it to the food.
    
      N