Q. My kitty’s poop stinks up the whole house. Is there something wrong?

A. A super-smelly litter box has a pretty high yuck factor and may seem better handled by hazardous waste professionals than a vet. But holistic veterinarian Rachael Feigenbaum, VMD, at Lotus Veterinary Housecalls in San Francisco, urges that Stinky go in for a checkup. “There are several illnesses that could cause foul-smelling stools; if your kitty is losing weight or not eating well, your vet may want to do blood tests in addition to getting a stool and urine sample.” Then try these tips from Feigenbaum to get Stinky’s digestion back on track. Remember to work with your vet when adding supplements to Stinky’s diet.

Switch foods. Just like humans, cats will react differently to the ingredients in food. As always, pick a high-quality, natural food.

Add fiber. A meaty diet will cause stools to smell worse, so adding a natural fiber source could help. Try canned pumpkin (1 tablespoon mixed with each meal) or psyllium husk tablets, which are available in most pet stores (follow dosing information on the package). Bonus: Psyllium also helps control hairballs.

Pick up probiotics. If Stinky has trouble digesting her food, it may mean that her intestinal flora needs a boost. Follow dosing suggestions.

Try omega-3s. Anti-inflammatory omega-3s will reduce any intestinal inflammation, but Feigenbaum cautions that adding fat—even good fats—to Stinky’s diet may make her, well, more stinky.

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