How to Stop Your Cat from Farting: Causes and Fixes

In this guide

Cats fart far less often than dogs, which is exactly why a cat that has suddenly become noticeably gassy, and often accompanied by a smell that clears the room, is usually telling you something has shifted in its digestive system. It is rarely serious on its own, but it is worth working out why before writing it off as funny and moving on.

Common causes

• A sudden diet change, especially switching food brands too quickly rather than transitioning gradually over a week or more
• Table scraps or an unusual treat, particularly anything dairy-based, since many adult cats are lactose intolerant
• Eating too fast, which swallows extra air along with the food, especially common in multi-cat homes where cats compete over a shared bowl
• A low-quality diet with fillers that ferment excessively in the gut
• Food intolerances or sensitivities to a specific protein or ingredient
• Intestinal parasites, which are a genuinely common cause of excess gas in cats with outdoor access
• Underlying gut conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, more likely if gas comes with vomiting, diarrhoea, or weight loss

What to do about it

• If you are changing food, transition over seven to ten days, mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old
• Skip dairy and table scraps entirely, however tempting the begging
• Use a slow-feeder bowl or puzzle feeder if your cat tends to gulp its food, and separate feeding stations in multi-cat homes to reduce competitive eating
• Choose a good-quality diet appropriate for your cat's life stage, and check with your vet before switching repeatedly, since frequent changes can themselves cause gas
• Keep deworming current, particularly for cats with any outdoor access

When it is more than just gas

A vet visit is worthwhile if the gas is persistent rather than occasional, comes with a bloated or painful-looking belly, or is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhoea, or weight loss. In these situations, your vet may recommend a faecal test for parasites, a food trial, or bloodwork to rule out an underlying digestive condition rather than simply treating the smell as a one-off nuisance.

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