Wait ... Did My Cat Just Fart?

While dogs are notorious for letting some foul farts fly, you might have never even noticed a cat fart before.

Do cats fart? Can cats fart?

The Dodo spoke with Dr. Vanessa Spano, a veterinarian at Behavior Vets in New York City, so these gross questions won’t keep you up at night.

“Yes!” Dr. Spano told The Dodo. “Flatulence is a natural occurrence in cats.”

The way your cat passes gas is typically a lot different from those nasty farts that dogs (or even people) rip, mainly because cats just don’t break wind as frequently.

So if you’re finding it a little hard to believe that cat farts are even a thing, that’s probably because you’ve just never noticed them before.

“Cats do not fart as frequently as dogs or humans, so I would not be worried at all if you have never perceived your cat passing gas — of course provided your cat's stools are also being passed daily, nice and formed,” Dr. Spano explained.

If you do notice your cat’s farts, it might actually be a sign that something’s not quite right. Here’s how you can tell if your cat’s farts aren’t exactly normal, and when you should call a vet.

“If you perceive your kitty is passing gas daily … a trip to the veterinarian is warranted,” Dr. Spano said.

That’s because your cat really shouldn’t be farting a ton.

“Ingesting air upon eating can lead to gas build-up in the gastrointestinal tract, and perhaps relatively your average cat may not eat as quickly as your average dog,” Dr. Spano explained. “Flatulence is the interaction between your cat's diet and gastrointestinal tract, so if it is excessive [or] ... smelly, an underlying gastrointestinal issue should be considered.”

Since farting is a part of your cat’s digestive system at work, it makes sense that his occasional toots might stink just a little.

But if they smell really bad — like, you’re choking on it and have to pull your shirt over your nose bad — you should probably hit up your vet.

“This warrants a trip to the vet,” Dr. Spano said. “There may be a gastrointestinal infection, such as overgrowth of ‘bad’ bacteria or intestinal worms.”

Super stinky — aka “malodorous” — farts could also be a sign that your cat has allergies or a food intolerance.

It might also mean he’s having a tough time digesting something he ate, or maybe even ate something that’s spoiled.

Digestive issues could also be a sign that your cat has a sensitive stomach, so you might want to talk to your vet about getting him some food that’ll be easier on his tummy.

Like Hill’s dry food from Amazon for $16.99+

Or Hill’s canned food from Amazon for $37.99

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