Smelly Cat, smellll-ly cat... what. are. they. feeding you?

From the scrapbooking message board where I spend my days:

Thread Title: What's wrong with my cat? She STINKS!

Me: If you have a sensitive stomach, go ahead and just CLOSE THIS THREAD. No, really. Ok. If you insist, then there better be no whining. Got it?

Ashlie's poop smells worse than any man's I've ever known. It's worse than mine after a night of broccoli and beans. It's worse than fresh dog poop on my shoe. It's worse than up-the-back and out-the-leg toddler diarrhea. I swear. When I walked into the house tonight, it hit me in the face. I thought one of the kids had just gone #2 and not flushed. But nope. It was the cat. In her litter box. BURIED, even. And it STILL stunk up the whole house. It's this way every time she goes, for about the last month or so. We haven't changed her food. What could it be? I'm sending her back to Ginger if the board can't fix her.

Julie: change the litter, use one with charcoal and/or baking soda

Me: It's not the litter. It's her poop. Litter is scooped at least once daily. There's a charcoal filter on top of the box (it has a lid), and we always sprinkle special cat baking soda in the litter when we scoop it. Try again.

Julie: I know it's the poop...poop is supposed to stink (sorry, I dont have a ton of cat experience, that's all I got in my bag of tricks)

Me: Cat poop isn't supposed to stink up the entire house, after it's been buried in the sand. If this is the new normal, then I'll be poking a bunch of holes in the Priority Mail box I have sitting here, and putting her out for the mailman tomorrow. Marked "Julie, Colorado Springs".

VeronicaAus: OK - gross question coming...Is her poop solid or runny?

Me: solid.

VeronicaAus: Oh.Thought it might be runny. That's when my cat's poop was stinkiest. OK - you say you haven't changed her food...maybe you need to. Maybe she needs to eat something different?

Me: Like rat poison?

VeronicaAus: No, no, no. Does Ashlie ever go outside?

Me: Only when she tries to escape out the front door, at which point I either kick her in the gut or....no, no, no. Just kidding. I scoop her up gingerly and then chunk her back in the house and watch her land on her feet.

NancyD: If she's not going outside, grow her a bowl of grass. Just regular ol' grass that you get the seeds for at the hardware store to overseed your lawn. Ryegrass. Wheatgrass. Whatever. Leave it where she can eat it. She will.

Me: Hmmm. Don't cats eat grass when they need to barf? 'Cause she barfs plenty already. Cat yack, we call it. Furballs, says the vet. We have her on special furball-reducing chow, which maybe sorta a little bit seems to have helped.

VeronicaAus: For the fur balls - a little oil for her to lick up will help. My cats like the oil from a can of tuna.

Lissa: Ok, so am I the only one who started humming "Smelly Cat" when she saw the title to this thread? I am wondering if some well-meaning little boys haven't been sneaking the kitty some treats.

VeronicaAus: I sing that song to my cat ALL.THE.TIME. His breath is RANK.

Me: It's the tuna.

Ginger InGer: I am sooooo NOT a cat person.. but I felt bad for ya, so I googled. (by the way, did you know there's a website called smellypoop.com???) ick! ok, i found this... and i'm not looking anymore LOL i cant believe Ive been googling cat poop..:* http://www.kittencare.com/askKC_Tummy_Troubles.html

Marcia: You may not have changed her food but the company may have changed their recipe. Try another one (preferably dry), can't get any worse right?

Cat-Scrapper: Changing her cat food may help.

Goodie: "Smelly cat... smelly cat.... It's not your fauuuuuuuuuulllllllt!"

Elaine: What kind of food is she eating? (Brand) Some make the poo stink worse than others. Significantly so.

Me: Meow Mix Hairball Control

wannaBrich: I would try changing her food. I agree with the others who mentioned feeding her a higher quality of food.

Carrie: Blaming the poor kids for not flushing. Shame on you! :) I'm with those who are suggesting changing the food.

Melissa: Am I the only one who thinks Cowtown Stacy does not like this cat?

Tonya: Get a better food.

Jacy: My mom works part time at a vets office........I'm awaitng a call back from her, and I'll let you know what she has to say.

Amy: She might have an impacted anal gland that is trying to fire off. That is the worst stench ever out off a cat's rear. Best bet for something like that is for the vet to give her a quick rotorouter job with his finger. Gross, I know, but it works wonders. My Meiko has had this happen a couple times. I also agree that she needs a better cat food.

Lori: This was my first thought, too. Does her rear end smell too? Not just after she's gone but other times? I don't mean you need to stick your nose right near her butt, but when you are petting her, scratch her back near her tail. She should raise her butt up and you'd smell it right away. We thought she had just gone poop, but it ALWAYS smelled, even if we bathed her. Turns out, she had a plugged anal gland. Vet said it was one of the worst he'd seen. GROSS!

Lindsay: My kitty's impacted anal gland ruptured through his lower abdomen. Talk about gross and stinky! Had to have surgery to repair that one....rotorouter wasn't going to do the trick.

Fran: Ok...I have no advice on your stinky cat, but this thread is CRACKING.ME.UP. Seriously, I have tears running down my face...is it just me?!

Heidiinak: NO, its not only you! I am dieing here. LOL!

Jacy: Okay Stacy....recommendation from mom....If there's been no change in food, and if she's not having loose stools, it could be that she's under some stress and that alone could be the cause.

Me: 'Tis true that lately, I haven't liked her very much. Maybe she's stressed out 'cause she can tell! LOL!

Kim: I would do a diet change to a higher quality food. let us know how poor stinky kitty is doing!

NancyD: So many posts over stinky cat poop......I'm LAUGHING!!!!!!!!!!!

AmyJoy: WHY am I reading this??I don't have a cat. I don't even LIKE cats...What's wrong with ME!?!?

Teresa: Ditto. This thread is very entertaining!

Emmylou: Another vote for switching from Meow Mix.

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So. I'm switching her food.

If *that* doesn't work, the last person to comment will receive a nice, rank, 14-pound box in the mail. Maybe with airholes, maybe not.

Methinks this blog has just sunk to a new low.

LOL!!