11 Best Cat Foods for Smelly Poop – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

The smell of cat poop is no one’s favorite, but if your cat uses the litter box and you start gagging, there may be a solution. Your cat’s food could be to blame for their malodorous stool, especially if it has a lot of fillers and preservatives. Some cats have sensitive digestive systems that need higher-quality cat food or food that’s specially formulated to combat smelly poop. Fortunately, plenty of cat food on the market can address this issue. Check out the best dry and wet cat foods for smelly poop below.

Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

A Quick Comparison of Our 2024 Winners

The 11 Best Cat Foods for Smelly Poop

1. Smalls Smooth Bird – Best Overall

Smalls is one of many subscription companies that got a leg-up during the pandemic. They are also a reflection of the humanization of the pet industry. People consider their cats part of the family and want to treat them as such. Smalls Smooth Bird fulfills this role. The recipe starts well with chicken and chicken liver, the first two ingredients. Unfortunately, peas are the fourth and a problematic choice. The Smooth Bird recipe comes in a paté form, which cats seem to love.

The food contains an excellent amount of taurine, which felines need. It is highly palatable and sure to entice finicky eaters. The company is transparent with its labeling. It claims its food is human-grade. However, that’s only a marketing term and not officially defined.

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2. Purina Cat Chow High Protein Dry Cat Food – Budget Buy

Purina Cat Chow High Protein Dry Cat Food taps into three sources of animal-based protein. It exceeds the 26% minimum recommended by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Taurine is also relatively high on the ingredient list. It doesn’t contain any problematic ingredients, either. Of course, the price is right, although it doesn’t offer a middle-size bag.

The food is highly palatable, making it a good choice for picky eaters. The dry kibble is convenient to use. The feeding instructions may seem sparse, but each serving is jam-packed with protein, fat, and fiber to keep your kitty sated.

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3. Royal Canin Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food

Royal Canin has always impressed us with its line of breed-specific formulas for dogs. The Royal Canin Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food is another excellent example of this manufacturer’s quality line of products. This diet is geared toward indoor pets that have lower caloric needs than outdoor animals. It is also fine-tuned for adults aged 1–7 years old.

The extra feeding guidance based on weight and activity level is a godsend for pet owners trying to manage their cats’ weight. It’s also highly palatable for feline tastes. We appreciate the extra fiber content to help with hairball control.

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4. Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Canned Kitten Food – Best for Kittens

Kittens will get an excellent start in life with the high-quality Royal Canin Feline Health Nutrition Canned Kitten Food. It is high in protein and contains grains. The latter provides nutritional support for hairball prevention. It’s worth noting that grain allergies are rare in cats and dogs, with no record of gluten issues in felines.

The food comes in either slices or loaves, with no nutritional differences between the two. It’s simply a matter of what your pet prefers. The product is expensive compared to comparable offerings. However, it’s high in protein and other vital nutrients that can justify the cost.

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5. Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Canned Cat Food

Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers Canned Cat Food comes in seven flavors, with one sure to please your kitty. All provide complete and balanced nutrition. Animal-based proteins lead the list of the ingredients with each flavor, including taurine and grains, for a healthy diet. While some ingredients are sourced abroad, the product is manufactured in the United States for optimal quality control.

This food is highly palatable and a fitting reflection of its name. It’s an excellent choice for picky eaters if just because of the many varieties from which to choose. It also works well as a meal topper if you feed your kitty a dry formula, too.

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6. Rachael Ray Nutrish Chicken & Rice Dry Cat Food

Rachael Ray Nutrish Natural Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food is a newer brand on the market, but it’s quickly gaining popularity with pet parents. The food is formulated with farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient, which is surprising for the lower price, but the ingredients are lower quality after that. Still, this food has plenty of nutrients, such as biotin, B vitamins, and zinc from yeast and omega fatty acids for skin and coat health. Though brown rice, brewer’s rice, and corn gluten meal are included, the food doesn’t contain soy, wheat, corn, poultry by-product meal, and artificial flavors. This should help cats with sensitive digestive systems. Keep in mind, however, that this food isn’t grain-free and may upset cats with food sensitivities.

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7. Taste of the Wild Canyon River Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

Taste of the Wild Canyon River Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is a great choice for sensitive cats. Unlike many foods with duck or chicken, this cat food features trout and ocean fish as the first few ingredients. The food is high in protein, but some of that comes from peas instead of animal sources. You’ll also find vitamins and antioxidants for immune health and skin and coat health. Like other foods on the list, this cat food has no grain, corn, wheat, fillers, colors, preservatives, or artificial flavors. It’s gentle on cats’ stomachs and easy to digest, which may help with the smelly poop issues. Despite fish being the first ingredient, however, some picky cats refuse to eat it.

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8. Merrick Backcountry Raw Grain-Free Dry Cat Food

Merrick Backcountry Raw Grain-Free Dry Cat Food is a solid choice for a grain-free cat food that supports healthy digestion. Though a bit expensive, the food uses chicken as the first ingredient and contains a high amount of protein. Chicken meal is the second ingredient, but you’ll also find chicken liver, duck, and quail in the ingredient list for variety. In addition to diverse protein sources, this food offers plenty of omega fatty acids and probiotics for healthy digestion, skin, and coat. The food is manufactured in the USA in small batches, free from grains, wheat, gluten, by-products, corn, or artificial flavors. If your cat has known chicken sensitivities, this may not be the best choice, as it contains a lot of chicken and chicken meal.

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9. Instinct LID Grain-Free Natural Turkey Wet Cat Food

Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Pate Real Turkey Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food is a solid choice for a wet food. The savory pate has animal protein from cage-free turkey and one vegetable, providing well-rounded nutrition. The food contains no chicken, beef, fish, dairy, eggs, grain, potato, corn, wheat, or soy, which cover most of the common food sensitivities for cats. Plenty of pet parents remarked on how this food helped with their cats’ digestive issues, though some cats are too picky to eat it. Instinct also has a dry version of the limited-ingredient food if you want to combine wet and dry for your cat’s diet.

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10. Blue Buffalo Basics LID Duck & Potato Dry Cat Food

Limited ingredient cat food is a good choice for cats with sensitive digestion. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Grain-Free Formula Duck & Potato Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food helps cats with food sensitivities that may contribute to digestive upset. The formula uses real duck as the first ingredient, followed by easy-to-digest carbohydrates like pumpkin. Despite a simpler combination of ingredients, this food contains 100% balanced nutrition with a variety of vitamins and minerals to support healthy muscles, bones, skin, and eyes. Like other Blue Buffalo foods, this formula has LifeSource Bits that contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to help support the immune system. The food is made in the USA with no grains, poultry by-products, wheat, corn, or soy, making it ideal for cats with allergies, food sensitivities, or sensitive digestive systems. It’s also free from other common sources of food sensitivities, such as beef, chicken, dairy, and eggs.

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11. Royal Canin Feline Digestive Care Dry Cat Food

If your cat has severe digestive issues, Royal Canin Digestive Care Dry Cat Food is a specialty food that’s designed specifically for sensitive stomachs, smelly stool, and frequent vomiting. The food contains prebiotics and fiber to support the digestive tract and promote better nutrient absorption. The kibble is also ring-shaped to encourage slower eating and aid digestion. Royal Canin Digestive Care Dry Cat Food is also free from peas, which are a common source of digestive upset for some cats. Many pet parents noted a difference in frequent diarrhea and vomiting after switching cats to this food, though some cats are picky and won’t eat it.

Buyer’s Guide: Selecting the Best Cat Food for Smelly Poop

Cats with digestive problems require more research and selection when choosing the appropriate food. While many cats are hardy, these cats can’t be at their best on just any available food – they need the right ingredients to maintain optimal nutrition and care for their specific digestive needs. In many cases, cats with digestive concerns struggle with specific ingredients, such as grains, chicken, or peas. The best way to determine the cause of your cat’s digestive issues is by speaking to your vet. Once the cause is determined, you can try different foods to see what works best. It’s recommended to keep your cat on one food for a period of 3 months unless it experiences severe symptoms like worsening diarrhea or vomiting. If the food isn’t improving symptoms or making them worse, you can switch to another food. Avoid switching foods too often, however, since that can worsen digestive issues.

Here are some things to look for in dry and wet cat foods for smelly poop:

Ingredients

Ingredients are the most important part of choosing the right food for your sensitive cat. Ideally, your cat food should have high-quality animal products as the first ingredients. That said, some cats are sensitive to chicken and may need a different animal protein. Other common sources of food sensitivities include grains, wheat, corn, and soy. Your cat may have a sensitivity to one or all of these ingredients. Fortunately, many grain-free foods are made without low-quality grains like these. Vegetables are an excellent choice of nutrition, but some vegetables have a high protein content that is substituted for animal protein. If a food contains potatoes or peas, they may contribute to a large portion of the protein content. Be sure to check labels to make sure you’re feeding high-quality animal protein as much as possible.

Nutrients

Nutrients refer to the protein, fat, and carbohydrate content in food. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they require a diet high in animal protein and fat. When choosing a food, look for formulas that contain mostly animal protein and fat sources. Carbohydrates are fine but shouldn’t make up most of the food’s nutritional content.

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Final Thoughts

Smalls Smooth Bird came out on top of our reviews as our best overall pick because of its convenience and palatable recipe. Your cat is sure to enjoy this food’s texture, as well as the clean ingredients. Purina Cat Chow High Protein Dry Cat Food satisfies the unique nutritional needs of felines with an excellent and affordable formula, making it the best option for the money. However, no matter which of these foods you go with, we’re confident your cat’s poop will stop stinking so much with a little trial and error.

• See Also: Do Cats Fart? (Everything There Is to Know About Feline Flatulence)

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Featured Photo Credit: Laura Chouette, Unsplash