Cat Poop Smell: Unveiling the Stinky Truth!
Ever since I was a little kid, I've harbored a dream of owning a cat. I believe that these adorable feline creatures are more charming than the softest, most delicate girls in the world. One time, a friend had to go on a business trip and entrusted his cat to me for a few days. Although the cat had a dignified air rather than the softness of a girl, I was over the moon with joy! However, after a few days of dealing with the cat's waste, my enthusiasm for cat ownership waned. Why? The cat's feces were so foul that it almost made me faint.
My cat dashes out of the litter box with the speed of a thunderbolt after each bowel movement. I suspect she can't bear the smell of her own feces or simply can't accept the fact that even a little fairy like her has to defecate. It's often said that cats are clean creatures, but for some reason, my cat always comes out of the litter box reeking of feces, as if she had been rolling in it rather than using the bathroom.
Have you ever been woken up by a cat's nocturnal acrobatics or by the mating calls of a hormonal feline? But have you ever been woken up by the臭 (stink) of cat feces? Believe it or not, I've had that experience. One night, I was woken up by the smell so intensely that my legs went weak. The odor was so overpowering that it made me feel like I was on the brink of losing my sanity. If it weren't for the mask, I might have become the first cat owner to die from the smell of cat feces.
I think we should stop calling someone "a pile of dog feces" and instead say "a pile of cat feces," because cat feces are incredibly臭 (smelly), with a pungency that's ten thousand times stronger than dog feces! Despite this, we still have to cherish our pets, even if it means crying over them. But cat owners must have pondered the question: Why is cat feces so臭 (smelly)?
In the end, all feces are臭 (smelly). The smell comes from indole compounds, sulfur compounds, and other substances, the amount of which is largely influenced by gut bacteria and the fermentation process. In essence, the smell of feces is largely determined by the type of food and the gut bacteria.
But there's a legend that cat feces used to be odorless or nearly so. This is understandable, as wild animals need to minimize the scent they leave behind to aid in hunting and avoid being hunted.
Research shows that pure carnivores, like cats, are quite different from humans. If humans consume a highprotein meat diet, the meat ferments in the digestive tract, producing hydrogen sulfide, making the feces even more臭 (smelly). However, the feces of feline predators in the wild have a very low odor, and pet cats that eat a diet closest to their natural prey (raw meat) also produce dry, crumbly feces with a low odor.
Therefore, the臭 (smelly) feces of pet cats are likely due to the fact that the food we feed them (cat food, canned food) is not suitable for their digestive systems and does not promote a healthy gut microbiome, leading to unnatural fermentation reactions and producing foul gas and feces.
Although cats have been domesticated for thousands of years, there have been no significant genetic changes from their wild ancestors. For them, the gold standard of diet is still high protein, moderate fat, and low to no sugar. For cats, raw meat may be more digestible than cooked meat.
However, we all know that it's unrealistic to revert domestic cats to a natural hunting and raw meat diet. As long as we meet their needs for high protein and high fat, we've done our part. There's no need to overcorrect.
As long as the cat's diet is healthy and it's free from diseases, its feces usually won't be as臭 (smelly) as described above.
