Why Does My Kitten’s Breath Smell Like Poop – 6 Reasons!

P.U.! What did the cat drag in this time? It doesn’t smell very good! you can’t help but think as you open the living room to a wave of stink. When you check your cats, though, they seem fine. In horror, you realize that your kitten is the one that smells like a freshly fertilized cornfield. Not only that, but the stench is radiating from her mouth. What could it mean? Is she sick? Is it because of you? You ask the internet, why does my kitten’s breath smell like poop?

Kitten’s breaths smell like poop due to poop in their environment or gastrointestinal problems. Kittens will play with or even eat poop, which will their breath to stink of feces. Gastrointestinal problems can result in a poop smell if your kitten is vomiting excessively.

This article will discuss different reasons why your kitten’s breath smells like poop, whether you should be concerned, and what you can do about it.

Reasons Your Kitten’s Breath Smells Like Poop

A kitten with smelly breath is an indication something isn’t quite right; especially if it’s a poop smell. Below are 6 reasons your kitten’s breath smells like poop:

Your Kitten’s Litter Isn’t Clean

This is the most obvious and easily remedied issue: you aren’t cleaning the kitty litter frequently enough.

Many pet-parents clean their kitty’s litter every day, although some owner’s cats get away with cleaning it every other day. If you fail to clean your kitten’s environment, the chances are that she’ll interact with the unclean elements of the world.

Your Kitten Isn’t Good At Grooming Yet

Kittens are still learning how to be cats, and part of that learning includes grooming. Kittens might forget to groom themselves if they step in poop, or they might clean themselves and get feces lodged in their mouth.

Don’t worry! Your cat will eventually figure out how to take care of herself. If you notice feces on your cat, you can clean her off with baby wipes or wet cloths. If you have the mother of the cat, she may also take point in grooming her baby.

Your Kitten’s Diet Is Poor

If you switched your kitten from one brand of food to another, and since then, she’s started cultivating a stinky aroma, then it’s probably the food. Like babies, kittens have remarkably sensitive stomachs.

Switch your kitten back to the old brand immediately, and if the poopy smell is due to her diet, it should fade away soon.

In addition, cats on diets consisting of purely wet food have been proven to have stinkier breaths than cats on solid diets or semi-solid diets. Solid diets are linked with stronger teeth in adult cats, so consider making the switch!

Your Kitten Has Eaten Something She Wasn’t Supposed To

It’s a classic mistake–you unknowingly dropped an extra spicy chip in reach of your kitten’s impressionable paws. Being the curious creature she is, she’d eat it right up! Of course, certain things can barely be stomached by humans, much less a fragile kitten.

This would likely lead to vomiting, as your kitten tries to hack up the unnatural food, which can make your cat’s breath smell like feces.

Your Kitten Is Vomiting Excessively

When a cat vomits a lot, her breath can start to smell bad. If you find piles of kitty vomit around your house and her breath smells like poop, it’s time for a trip to the vet. Your vet is an expert and will be able to diagnose and treat your kitten.

Your Kitten Is Playing With Her Poop

Yikes. It’s gross, but it’s true. Kittens are highly curious, and especially in environments that lack stimulation (such as a toy-less living room), they might be driven to severe measures. Some cats will even eat their poop.

If you catch your cat playing with your poop, consider taking a trip out to your local pet store to pick up some toys that won’t leave her smelling like she rolled around in the most unsavory corners of your backyard.

Is It Normal For Kittens To Have Bad Breath

Many kittens experience bad breath at some point, so it is normal for a kitten to have bad breath. That being said, make a thorough check of your kitten’s environment: is it clean? Safe? Engaging? A lack of any of these might lead your cat straight to her poop.

What Disease Is Associated With Feces Smelling Breath

Any diseases that cause vomiting will potentially give your kitten breath that smells like feces.

Do Kittens’ Breaths Smell While Teething

Yes! As kittens teeth, they may experience gingivitis, which is known to cause bad breath. The best thing to do in this scenario is ride it out–the bad breath will resolve itself once your kitten stops teething.

How Do I Get Rid of My Kitten’s Bad Breath

You can prevent your kitten’s bad breath by figuring out what is causing it–if you keep a clean and tidy room, bring your kitten to the vet regularly, and feed her a healthy diet, any spouts of bad breath should eventually pass! In the meantime, you may want to consider brushing your kitten’s teeth.

Many pet owners recommend brushing your cat’s teeth, just like you brush your own teeth. If you start young, you can get your cat used to having its mouth handled by rubbing tasty things on its gums, like the gravy at the bottom of a can of wet cat food.

Once your cat is used to you touching her gums, you can begin to brush her teeth. Most pet-toothbrushes will be far too large for a kitten, so experts recommend you use clean gauze wrapped around your finger. Make sure to use pet toothpaste, as there are compounds in human toothpaste that are toxic to pets!

Things To Consider

Most kitten’s bad breaths are relatively harmless. They’re usually a result of a developmental blink in their histories, like bad breath caused by teething, but some factors in their environment may also cause them.

The former is solved by time and patience, and the latter by an eye for keeping the environment clean and clear of potentially stomach-upsetting items. In any case, it’s rarely life-threatening and easily solved.

Plenty of things in your cat’s environment can cause bad breath, but it mostly boils down to this: keep your cat’s environment clean! Scoop the litter at least every other day, if not more often than that.

Make sure to clean up any spilled food so your kitten doesn’t get into anything she doesn’t. If your kitten is curious and playing with her feces, make sure to get some toys to distract her from her poop.

When you find your cat with poop on her butt, make sure to clean it off with baby wipes or sanitary pet wipes. 

However, if you believe your cat is suffering from some gastrointestinal illness, you should take your kitten to the vet. Your veterinarian will know what’s wrong with your cat and how to fix the issue.