It can be very disappointing to detect a foul smell from your pet. The best friend you can hardly stay away from is sticking; you are just trying to cope with that. But then you can’t take it anymore, and you are wondering why your cat smell bad. If you ever want a pet that will maintain high hygiene levels and that you won’t spend a lot in grooming and maintenance, then a cat is the best choice. A cat will bathe himself or herself now and then, and they will always avoid dirty places. So why is it that your cat is still smelly?
Cat, one of the pets that maintains the highest level of cleanliness, shouldn’t smell like other pets. So, if you realize your cat has a bad odor, be careful because there is something wrong with your kitty. I know you are already worried at this point, but you can’t solve a problem until you know it.
And where is the smell coming from? Bad smells can emanate from different parts of the cat’s body. If you realize a bad stench from your cat, find out which body parts are affected and the nature of the odor. The affected areas can be the mouth, skin, ears, and rear end. Stick around to learn why your cat smell bad and how to solve the problem.
Reasons Your Cat Smell Bad
1. Mouth Odor
If you can’t stand the smell of your cat’s breath, check its mouth for abnormal signs. There are various reasons that can make a cat to have bad breath, and dental diseases are one of the reasons for this. Check out for loose teeth, accumulation of plaque and tartar on the teeth, inflammation of the gums, bacterial infections, food and other foreign materials stuck in gum sockets and wounds in the mouth.
You may also realize a urine-like smell from your cat’s mouth, which could result from kidney problems. Your cat’s mouth may also have an abnormal sweet or fruity smell if it’s affected by diabetes mellitus. If its mouth smells like feces, your cat shows severe intestinal blockage or acute liver disease symptoms.
2. Bad Smell From The Rear End
Under normal circumstances, cats are not expected to smell bad. So, if your cat is smelly, it might be for the following reasons:
- The cat is Not Grooming Well
Even though cats bathe themselves well, there are some instances when they cannot do it, like if the cat is sick, overweight and has arthritis. If the cat is overweight, it could be hard for it to reach its rear part. Also, it could have accumulated a lot of fat, resulting in a skin fold that is hard to clean.
- Long Fur
Another reason could be because of long fur. Long hair can collect urine and feces, especially if the cat has diarrhea. It’s hard for a cat with long hair to clean its behind well, leaving it with a bad smell.
- Urinary Gland Infections
When the cat is infected with a bacterium, its urine will have an unpleasant smell. In this case, the cat will release bloody or cloudy urine. If this urine trickles around the urethra region, the cat will smell bad.
- Anal glands
Anal glands produce bad-smelling content when the cat is scared or excited. So, you may feel this smell once in a while, so it’s not alarming. However, if the smell comes frequently, your cat could have a problem.
3. Skin Odor
You always love pampering your cat and massaging its skin, but the bad smell from its skin won’t allow you to do this. The problem could be wounds, cancer, parasites, allergies, immune problems, etc.
- Bacterial Infections
Different types of bacteria-causing organisms cause different skin smells from the cat. For instance, yeast infections lead to a musty smell, and some bacteria give cats a sweet smell.
- Wounds
If your cat likes being outdoors, it can get bites or injuries from other cats or people. You cannot realize this until the cat starts producing a bad stench. If you keenly look at its skin, you might realize pus in the skin or a wound. By touching the cat’s skin, you may also observe it to see how it reacts so that you know where the wound could be.
4. Ear Stench
Bacterial infections can naturally occur or can be caused by allergies, tumors, polyps, foreign bodies, etc. Bacterial infections release a fetid or sweet smell.
Ear mite infestations. If you have spotted a dark material on your cat’s ears, ear mite infestations could be the problem.
Signs Your Cat Has A Problem
If you are fond of your cat, you will notice some abnormal behaviors. These are the signs all is not well with your cat considering it already has a bad smell. Here are signs your cat is not well.
- Unlike other times, your cat could be sleeping all day or most of the time. If your cat behaves like this, check for physical problems to identify the real issue
- Suppose your cat doesn’t eat well or eat at all. Your cat might be having oral problems if it can’t eat. Stomatitis is a serious oral problem causes severe cat pain, which could be why it’s not eating. Stomatitis might be the reason your cat smell bad.
- Poor grooming. It’s the nature of cats to keep themselves clean all the time. If your cat starts becoming lazy and doesn’t bathe itself, your cat could be having the problems already discussed.
- Sudden change in mood. If your cat has a change of mood and it smells bad, don’t take it lightly. Your cat has a problem that needs to be solved.
- Increase in appetite. It’s not normal for a cat to suddenly start overeating. Your cat could be suffering from various diseases like cancer, which also makes it stink.
- Your cat is not using its litter box appropriately. If you had trained your cat on the appropriate use of the litter box, but it’s no longer using it appropriately, it could be a sign that your cat has a urinary tract infection hence the reason it smells bad.
- Less active. Cats are playful and will be all over you when you get into the house. Your cat could also be enjoying outdoor activities so much, but lately, it gets dull. Find out whether your cat has injuries or any other problems.
Solutions For Your Cat’s Bad Smell
Even though your cat has a problem, there is a solution for every problem. So, it’s crucial to take the necessary precautions to save your best friend. You can solve some of these problems yourself while others need a veterinarian.
1. Help Your Cat To Groom
You can help your cat to groom well and solve the problems that make it unable to do so. Brush your long-haired cat every day to remove any fecal matter that could be stuck in its hair. Clean your cat’s genitals with baby wipes and ensure they are clean always. If your cat can’t groom well because of being overweight, help it reduce weight by reducing junk food and the amount of food. You should also ensure it gets enough exercise. To know the best ways to help it reduce weight, you should seek guidance from the veterinarian.
2. Call A Veterinarian
In the case of infections and other diseases, call your veterinarian to address the problems. The veterinarian will observe your cat and do some tests, if necessary, to diagnose the problem with your kitty. He or she will help your cat to relieve himself or herself well if the problem is clogged or infected anal glands. The veterinarian will also treat infections and other problems affecting your cat.
3. Identify The Source Of Allergy
Allergens from food can also cause your cat problems. If this is the case, you will need to identify the types of food that cause allergy attacks in your cat and stop feeding it. You can know this through observations and the help of your veterinarian.
4. Brush Its Teeth
If your cat smell bad because of mouth odor, brushing your cat’s teeth to remove stuck food and other materials could bring a solution to the mouth odor. Have a closer look at your cat’s mouth to determine the cause of the stench and see if it’s something you can solve.
5. Ensure The Veterinarian Is A Professional
Choose the right veterinarian for your cat. You must understand that not all veterinarians are good for your cat. Choose a professional veterinarian to solve your cat’s problems to ensure it will get the care and treatment it deserves. You must ensure the veterinarian is certified and experienced before you choose him or her. Do thorough research to identify the best veterinarian within your locality for your cat.
Final Thoughts
Everyone loves to have a charming, playful and good-smelling cat around them. However, this is not what always happens. Several problems can make your kitty start smelling awful, and they have to be solved for you to continue enjoying the company of your lovely cat. The first step to solving this issue is identifying the source of the odor and finding out if it’s something you can deal with without the help of a veterinarian.
However, if the problem is beyond your capability, you must get a professional veterinarian who will treat your cat and advise you on the right way to handle your cat. Your cat is like your baby so you must spend time with him or her to know his or her likes and dislikes. Once you notice abnormal changes with your cat, you should know something is wrong.
