Can cats get “gas” or “fart”?

Our question this week was:

Can cats fart or pass gas? I swear my cat does it but I’ve never heard of that!

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Toots Dad

Answer

Hi Toots Dad – thanks for your email. You wrote asking if cats can pass gas or fart. The answer is yes; cats can pass gas or fart. Another name for passing gas is called “Flatulence”.

Gas or air in the gastrointestinal tract when passed high (though the mouth) is commonly called a “burp” or a “belch” and when passed through the rectum is called “Flatus”. Some cats never pass gas and others do all the time (probably like people – some people do a lot and others don’t very often).

There are several causes for gas production in the gastrointestinal tract causing flatulence. Some pets swallow air, some foods can cause more gas production, as well as some diseases can cause more gas production.

If it is occasional and your cat is otherwise healthy – then I probably wouldn’t worry about it. If you notice the flatulence is associated with vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, lack of appetite, weight loss or any other problems, then I’d recommend that you see your veterinarian.

Sometimes small frequent feedings can minimize flatulence as well as ensuring that the food is always fresh. If you feed canned food – if you don’t use the entire can at one feeding – store it in the frig and discard after 48 hours.

An article that might be helpful to you is Flatulence in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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