# My cat keeps farting when picked up! I can never handle my cat without a deadly gas being released!



## Olivia S (May 22, 2016)

So my female Ragdoll Cat is about 1.1 years old. She is a very affectionate cat, very loving. But.. she has one problem. She is VERY VERY gassy. I suspect this is why she also does not like being handled a lot.. Everytime I pick her up, she will try to escape, and purrr at the same time? These are some mixed signals...

So everytime I pick her up she WILL fart. Thats a given. And it not healthy :C

Anyway. I have changed her diet to grain free, and nothing happened... Any suggestions?


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## Cully (May 16, 2018)

It sounds as if she has something not right with her tummy especially if she is uncomfortable when you pick her up. I would certainly want her to see a vet as there are a number of potentially serious conditions which could make her gassy.
I'm no expert but this would ring alarm bells for me.


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## Olivia S (May 22, 2016)

Cully said:


> It sounds as if she has something not right with her tummy especially if she is uncomfortable when you pick her up. I would certainly want her to see a vet as there are a number of potentially serious conditions which could make her gassy.
> I'm no expert but this would ring alarm bells for me.


I have taken her to the vet.. but perhaps this one was recently qualified or something as, instead of investigating why my cat is gassy she gave me advice on how to handle the cat... i think she did not fully understand what I was saying to her (she was a foreigner). I will ask to see another veterinarian in the clinic to see what they say.


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## tinydestroyer (Dec 8, 2018)

Since it's such a regular occurrence, and your cat seems uncomfortable, I'd definitely have another vet check her with a fecal sample. She might have some sort of food allergy or intestinal parasite. Grain free diet might help, as well as stopping any and all treats you're currently giving for the time being. You can always add her favorite treats back, one at a time to watch for symptoms of gas, once you have things under control. Another idea is making sure she eats slowly - either by feeding her alone (if you have other pets,) or feeding her a couple of smaller meals. I'd also watch for other GI issues: vomiting, diarrhea, pain and sensitivity when you touch her stomach. If something else crops up, take her in as soon as possible to have a better chance at diagnosis. Hope your kitty feels better soon!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

@Olivia S, I advise feeding your cat a grain free wet diet with high meat protein content and no vegetable protein.

Some cheaper cat foods e.g. Felix and Whiskas, contain a high percentage of veg protein (soya or other legumes) and a low percentage of real meat. Cats cannot digest veg protein as they lack the right enzyme to process them. So it goes almost unchanged through their gut until it reaches their colon where it gets attacked by good bacteria in an attempt to break it down. This can cause a lot of gases and considerable discomfort to the cat,

Also, do not give her milk of any kind, not even lactose free milk, as it sometimes the casein (as well as the lactose) that causes a digestive upset such as flatulence.

If you want to give her treats stick to the freeze dry pure protein treats made by Thrive or Cosma.

I would also avoid wet food that are high in offal, especially heart as it can cause a loose bowel or flatulence in some cats.

Which wet foods do you feed her at present?

I would do as tinydestroyer advised and collect fresh faecal samples from your cat on 3 different days to be tested by the lab for parasites, or bacterial infection.

It may be that all that's needed is a dietary change and a regular probiotic added to her food to improve her bowel flora. But see first what the vet says.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

I would recommend you have her spayed as well.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

lorilu said:


> I would recommend you have her spayed as well.


I missed that the cat is not spayed!

@Olivia S - I agree with lorilu, if your cat is not yet spayed I would have her done soon.


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## lorilu (Sep 6, 2009)

chillminx said:


> I missed that the cat is not spayed!
> 
> @Olivia S - I agree with lorilu, if your cat is not yet spayed I would have her done soon.


There is another thread about the cat not getting pregnant. I don't think this cat should be part of a breeding program since she has obvious health issues. Only healthy, superior examples of the breed should be bred from.


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Farting isn't related to breeding. If the vet is telling you how to handle your cat, you're probably handling her wrong. 

Just don't pick her up, she clearly doesn't like it. Get a fecal sample done and put her on raw.


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## Olivia S (May 22, 2016)

Rufus15 said:


> Farting isn't related to breeding. If the vet is telling you how to handle your cat, you're probably handling her wrong.
> 
> Just don't pick her up, she clearly doesn't like it. Get a fecal sample done and put her on raw.


 No, the vet told me how to handle her so that she doesn't fart in my hands. She literally ignored the fact that i wanted to DEAL with the problem, not reduce my exposure to it. She did not bother to investigate why she might be gassy, she did not suggest changing her diet and overall did not give any valuable information to me. I have been handling cats all my life and I would never handle her in a way that was uncomfortable.


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## Olivia S (May 22, 2016)

lorilu said:


> There is another thread about the cat not getting pregnant. I don't think this cat should be part of a breeding program since she has obvious health issues. Only healthy, superior examples of the breed should be bred from.[/Q]
> 
> I guess I just did not think that it is anything serious that could be a potential threat to the kittens.


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## Olivia S (May 22, 2016)

tinydestroyer said:


> Since it's such a regular occurrence, and your cat seems uncomfortable, I'd definitely have another vet check her with a fecal sample. She might have some sort of food allergy or intestinal parasite. Grain free diet might help, as well as stopping any and all treats you're currently giving for the time being. You can always add her favorite treats back, one at a time to watch for symptoms of gas, once you have things under control. Another idea is making sure she eats slowly - either by feeding her alone (if you have other pets,) or feeding her a couple of smaller meals. I'd also watch for other GI issues: vomiting, diarrhea, pain and sensitivity when you touch her stomach. If something else crops up, take her in as soon as possible to have a better chance at diagnosis. Hope your kitty feels better soon!


 Hi , I now am feeding her grain free wet food only to see maybe it is some sort of food intolerance. I did not think of the fact that it could be cuz she eats fast... she usually does it quite fast. She is a ffoodie and loves to devour her food in seconds. How can i address that? she always eats alone, I separate her from everyone and let her eat in peace but she still eats very fast. She does not have any other symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. I dont think she is in pain when you touch her belly or pick her up, but she is definitely uncomfortable when you press on her belly as you pick her up. So we never handle her this way. I am going to take her to a more experienced vet next week in hope to get some diagnosis. Thank you for your message btw


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## tinydestroyer (Dec 8, 2018)

You could try giving her smaller meals through the day, and see if that helps. Or, if you think speed-eating is the culprit, you could give her a treat ball or slow-feeder cat bowl. I wouldn't necessarily bother buying those until you were having success with splitting her food up, though. I think the fecal exam is the most important at the next vet visit. Best of luck to you both!


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## Rufus15 (Dec 4, 2015)

Olivia S said:


> No, the vet told me how to handle her so that she doesn't fart in my hands. She literally ignored the fact that i wanted to DEAL with the problem, not reduce my exposure to it. She did not bother to investigate why she might be gassy, she did not suggest changing her diet and overall did not give any valuable information to me. I have been handling cats all my life and I would never handle her in a way that was uncomfortable.


Put her on raw. Go to a different vet and get a fecal sample done.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Olivia S said:


> Hi , I now am feeding her grain free wet food only to see maybe it is some sort of food intolerance. I did not think of the fact that it could be cuz she eats fast... she usually does it quite fast. She is a ffoodie and loves to devour her food in seconds. How can i address that? she always eats alone, I separate her from everyone and let her eat in peace but she still eats very fast. She does not have any other symptoms, such as vomiting and diarrhea. I dont think she is in pain when you touch her belly or pick her up, but she is definitely uncomfortable when you press on her belly as you pick her up. So we never handle her this way. I am going to take her to a more experienced vet next week in hope to get some diagnosis. Thank you for your message btw


I agree with tinydestroyer, try feeding your cat smaller meals more often, e.g. feed her every 4 or 5 hours. (include some food overnight for her in a timed autofeeder) She may be gulping down her food because she is getting very hungry and is producing excess gastric acid in her tummy.

Also instead of a bowl put her food on a flat plate, the size of a dessert plate sold for humans (e.g. about 7 inches diameter). Spread the food all over the plate so that she can't gulp down big mouthfuls.

Which wet foods are you feeding her?


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