eating poop

Question
hi! we have a 5mt old blue pt. apple head male siamese and a 17 yr old female seal pt. just lately the kitten smells like poop by his face..their litter boxes are next to one another in the basement. both had recent physicals and are healthy. appt made for nuetering of kitten in 2 wks.  cannot find much info on net re: cats eating poop? is it common? hope to hear from you soon.

Answer
Hi Lynda,
I can honestly say that i have never heard of cats eating faeces before. Especially when you consider how much cats like to groom and stay clean. Are you sure that he is actually eating it or could the smell come from when he grooms himself in that area. he may have had some diarrhea that he has been cleaning off.
Their is a cat eating disorder called Pica which is when cats eat non food stuffs but it is normally things like wool, fabric and cables. It is also more common in oriental breeds of cat and it is normally treated by making the thing they are eating smell bad, well that wouldn't help in this situation.
It might be worth watching your kitten when he uses the toilet if possible to see if he is eating it. If so you must take them straight to the vets as this will not only make your cat very sick but may be caused by an underlining illness.
Sorry i couldn't be more specific about this problem but as i say it is not usual at all.

Kate and her partner co-write  a site full of further cat care and cat health topics. As well as being a feline friendly community site for happy cat and a happy owner.