Cats are such elegant creatures for the most part and saunter around without a care in the world. They are considered to be one of the most hygienic animals on the planet and there isn’t a day that goes by where you won’t find your cat cleaning and grooming themselves.
Cats like to stay cleansed and polished at all times and can often be viewed as very prim and proper.
In complete contrast, one of the questions we got asked recently from one of our readers was whether cats ever fart and if they do so when they are scared? This is a great question and one we will try and explain to you in some more detail.
So, do cats fart when they are scared? Cats experience flatulence and excess gas just like any other living beings. It is unlikely you will notice that your cat has farted since it doesn’t happen very often and rarely makes a sound or smells. Farting is not strictly reserved for when cats are scared and can happen at any time regardless of the situation.
That isn’t to say that cats don’t fart at all when they are scared, but in this scenario, it is likely to be a sheer coincidence rather than them farting because they are feeling nervous.
A cat’s body can react to excess gas in the same way our own human bodies do. When we think about our own flatulence regime we are liable to let out gas at any given time. Your cat’s body works in a similar way.
How often do cats fart?
Cats do not fart frequently and for the most part, you won’t even know it has happened. Some cats do experience more flatulence than others and this is an unfortunate situation that can’t be helped. You will find that day to day you will not notice your cat farting since it rarely makes a noise when released.
Smelly farts are also not much of an issue with cats either. You don’t usually need to worry about your house smelling like rotten eggs since a cat’s diet consists of very little fiber which is usually the cause of a smelly flatulence episode.
Cats fart so little that when they actually do they often surprise themselves. A fart will often catch them off guard since it is not something they are used to experiencing very often.
You will be surprised to hear how many vets say that they have never heard a cat fart in their surgery. This is pretty surprising when you think about how many cats must go in and out of the veterinary practice day in day out.
All in all, you will not need to worry too much about cats and flatulence issues since it is not something that happens very often. If you manage to hear the odd fart here and there you should consider yourself very privileged!
Do cats fart as a defense mechanism?
No, cats do not fart as a defense mechanism. Farts are not something that a cat can control. Cats release gas as a way to help relieve gastrointestinal distress and to ensure their body continues to function in a healthy way.
Cats do not have much control over when they do and don’t fart and it is not as straightforward as pulling one out of the bag when they need to. It is a bodily function that happens when it needs to and not when your cat chooses to.
There are 4 main defense mechanisms that cats will use when a threat is present:
- Fight (defense aggression)
- Flight (withdrawing from the threat)
- Freeze (avoiding attention by crouching or laying)
- Appeasement (Submitting to the aggressor)
As you can see cats have defense mechanisms down to an art and do not need to use farting as a means to warn off predators or unwanted attention.
Cat farts in general are very meek. They do not smell and are not particularly loud. Farting as a defense mechanism would not likely get them the desired effect they were hoping for.
Do cats fart when they are happy?
Cats do fart when they are happy, however, this is not something that can be controlled by your kitty and would be considered much more of a coincidence.
Cats are not able to control their farting behavior very easily, so when a fart is due there is little they can do to stop the process.
I’m sure there must have been many instances that have occurred where a cat releases gas when they are in a happy mood. This would just boil down to the fact that they were ready to release a fart at that moment and is not likely to be intentional.
Do cats fart loud?
No cats do not generally fart loudly. They are subtle creatures that like to mostly lie low. This isn’t to say that you will never physically hear your cat let out a fart as your feline friend is not able to control whether they make noise in this way. The likelihood of you regularly hearing your cat releasing gas is an unlikely one.
Cats usually release gas carefully and steadily which means the process all in all is a quiet one. Cats are not very good at dealing with unfamiliar and loud noises and if your kitty were to release a loud fart it will more than likely scare them.
Do cat farts smell?
In general, you should not notice that your cat’s farts smell. If this is something that you do notice then it is likely your cat has digestive problems. Due to the type of foods that cats eat, it is not common for cats to release a noticeable smell when they pass gas.
Here is a list of some of the most common types of foods that can cause flatulence:
- Vegetables
- Oats and whole wheat
- Dairy products (such as cheese and milk)
- Fruit
- Beans
- Anything with artificial sweeteners in
Based on the fact that cats have a mostly protein-based diet of meat and fish most of the foods above do not factor into a cat’s daily food intake. Some types of commercial cat food contain vegetables these days which you may want to eliminate from your cat’s diet if you are noticing them displaying smelly farts.
You should also check the ingredients of cat food carefully since many commercially found cat food contains high levels of fillers. Not only are these filler unhealthy and completely unnecessary for your kitty they also tend to be quite fibrous which can result in excess flatulence.
Foods that are particularly fibrous can also cause farts to smell thanks to the presence of sulfur.
What should I do if my cat farts a lot?
Most cats do not experience excess farting however although rare you cannot rule this out completely. A cat that farts a lot is generally a kitty that has some issues with their digestive system. It is often the case that food has fermented in the digestive tract.
This is usually caused by swallowing extra air when eating too fast or ingested too much food in one go. There are also many disorders of the stomach, small intestine, and colon that can be responsible for your kitty expelling excess gas.
Since we know that farting is not a common occurrence for cats and based on the fact that excess gas is often a sign of a disorder it is always a wise idea to visit your vet if you are worried about your cat’s flatulence levels.
A qualified veterinarian professional will make sure your cat has an all-over health check and will usually be able to determine the cause via a visual check.
If a visual test is not sufficient enough your vet will have the ability to conduct more in-depth tests such as blood work, diagnostics, radiographs, urinalysis, and fecal examinations to understand the problems occurring in more detail.
To recap, it is not normal for a cat to fart a lot and if this is an issue, visiting your vet is usually the best first port of call.
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