Cat has very smelly stools

Question
Hi, I have a one year old cat that has very noxious smelling stools even when he is on a "sensitive stomach" formula. I have tried IAM's sensitive stomach, which helps some, and Purina ProPlan sensitive stomach which barely helps at all. The stools are well formed, just very smelly. Is there an additive or supplement that I can give my cat to decrease the odor?

I have a second cat, 5 years old, that does fine on any food. Both of the cats are strictly indoor cats and tend to be a little overweight, so something low calorie is a must as well. I have looked for a good all-around food that is low calorie and good for a very sensitive stomach, without luck. Any help would be appreciated!

Answer
Hi Tiffany.  This is the down side of cat ownership!  Because cats' diets are generally meat-based (or should be), their feces are going to be more potent than those of animals whose diets are grain-based.  A cat's body demands a lot of protein and fat compared to humans and animals with slower metabolisms.  But these also pass in the stool and cause an offensive smell.  Some cats will be worse than others.  Unfortunately, there is little to be done about it.  Some cat foods have added chicory root extract to try to combat this, and you will find it on the label.  I can't say I have noted any real benefit.

What I do recommend to anyone with an overweight kitty or a kitty with a sensitive stomach is a grain-free food.  Grains such as wheat, barley, corn and rice are responsible for many gastrological disturbances like gas, diarrhea and vomiting.  They also cause a lot of skin problems and even itchy, waxy ears.  And since they are carbohydrates, which are stored easily as body fat, they lead to overweight kitties.  This is the reason I ended up changing to a grain-free food last year, after 15 years of feeding traditional cat foods.  I could not believe how quickly my litter boxes become tidier, smelled cleaner, and my chubby cats slimmed down.  Skin problems cleared up and vomiting stopped almost entirely.  I feed my cats Taste of the Wild (www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com).  

Although this food isn't marketed as a light food for overweight cats, it's a high protein food (42%, as opposed to other foods which usually come in around 30%).  Some more recent prescription weight loss diets for cats concentrate on reducing carbohydrates and raising protein as opposed to creating a calorie-reduced food.  This would more closely resemble their diet in the wild (essentially 100% protein/fat, 0% carbs).  Protein helps build lean muscle, which will burn fat for energy.  It would certainly be a good idea to discuss a weight loss plan with your vet before making any changes.  My vets have all moved in favor of more protein, fewer carbs as of late.  And my cats have definitely voted for the taste of this food over lite foods.