Expert: Tomay - 9/26/2004

Question
Hi, I had a question. I have two grey tabby cats, (or kittens - almost cats) that are six to six-and-a-half months old, a girl and a boy. Recently they have developed an odor. They are indoor cats, and I clean their kitty litter often, usually every day, although sometimes I forget. I feed them science diet dry food. I have tried numerous brands of wet food, but they don't seem to like any of the wet food I've gotten them, which is new for me because any of the cats I've ever had have always enjoyed wet food. They use Fresh-Step kitty litter, just recently I got them the sand kind, or the kind that is similar to sand, which seems to work better. They recently got fixed, several weeks ago I think.

Well, the two of them have developed this odor. They both have different odors about them though. It is extremely hard to describe, but the boy sort of smells like cat breath, and something else I can't pinpoint. The girl smells worse. She has this odd, sour sort of smell about her, almost putrid in a way, sort of like cat private parts. That is kind of a gross description, but I can't really think of anything else remotely close to describe her odor. And the definition I gave you hardly explains what she smells like.

Is this normal? How would I get this smell to go away? I have heard about cat shampoos and sprays and such, but wouldn't the smell just come right back? And if so, it seems there would be something wrong then. I have never had a cat with odors like these before.

Sometimes the boy will roll in his kitty litter, I imagine this would contribute a lot to his odor...but, cat breath? I once had a cat years ago who we eventually had to put down for kidney and heart failure. He had a certain odor to him. The boy cat we have now has a similar smell.

But the girl, I can hardly describe her smell. It's gross though, especially when she wants to sit on my lap and purr, and rub up against me. What should I do about this? Is there something wrong with them?

Answer
Dear Aurora,
What a dilemma!  A couple of things come to mind.  First I would start with a good thorough bath.  You can do this yourself, with many products for cats available.  A wet bath is certainly preferable, but there are a few 'mousse' type dry baths that are fairly effective.  Perhaps the smell is just surface odor, easily remedied by bathing.  You can also take them into the groomer for a good bath and nail trim.  It is possible that the female could be licking the coat of the male and depositing the smell on him.  And you are right; rolling in the litterbox, even occassionally, can add to the problem.  Examine their skin and coat, ears, inside of mouth for any injuries or sores.  It could also be the purtid smell of 'anal glands', sometimes involuntarily expressed when cats get excited or startled, and such.  Anal glands are actually sacs on either side of the anus, used to help in defication and scent identification.  (Dogs have them too). At the risk of sounding a bid crude, take a kleenex tissue and firmly wipe the rear end of kitty and see if this is the smell you are trying to describe.  My guess is, it is. If the odor continues, (or even if it doesn't) switch their food to a product like Precise for cats.  Very palatable, quality food designed with coat and skin in mind.  Competitively priced, Precise is preferred over S.D., as the ingredients are not so much filler.  My kats LOVE this food.  Dry only, no wet (bad for the teeth). Many times body odors can be remedied by changing the diet.  If, after 10-14 days, the odors persist, then it's time to visit the vet.  I do think, tho, that what you are smelling is anal glands being expressed and then getting onto the fur.  Good luck with these guys.  Thanx for your inquiry.
Tomay