Why Does My Cat Smell Like Pee: A Thorough Study

Virtually every cat owner around the globe knows about the unpleasant smell of their pet pee and could detect it without much difficulty at all.  For most of the time, you only get a whiff of that repelling odor while cleaning the litter box of your cat which is fortunate. But on occasions, you might notice that your pet has the stench of its own urine and that is unusual. As the average cats care greatly about their hygiene, the smell of pee coming from your pet often signals troubles. "Why does my cat smell like pee?" is a commonly asked question and there are various answers along with solutions.

In the case you are a first-time cat owner and don't know how to analyze the situation, you come to the right place. This article would provide you with relevant information about the issue of "why does my cat smell like pee" including probable causes and proper treatments. Although certain cases require assistance from qualified vets, it's possible to take care of the urine odor at home. Take a good look at the details down below in order to figure out the best course of action available. 

Cat Urine: The Mechanism That Leads To Its Foul Smell

Before we actually talk about "Why does my cat smell like pee", it's a good idea to learn why cat pee smells so bad. Overall, the urine of your fluffy friend doesn't smell until it starts to decay. The longer you allow your cat urine to soak into a particular material, the worse the smell gets so early detection is of utmost importance. Once the decay reaches its advanced stage, it would release Mercaptan, a harmless gas but the accompanying odor is offensive. Therefore, if you don't want your cat as well as your house to smell like used socks, you must deal with the urine immediately. 

Check us out for further detailed healthy cats guide!

Top 5 Culprits Of The Smell 

Now you know why cat urine has such an offensive smell and the urgency of removing it, let's see a couple of potential causes.  

• Fur

Most cats that have long furs tend to experience a certain level of difficulty grooming themselves, especially in their backside. Because of the lack of grooming, there is a chance hairs in the back area of these cats would become entangled (also known as mats). After the mats come around, they are excellent places for the urine to stick to while your pet is busy answering the call of nature. That also means if you manage to somehow keep the mats under control, the urine smell should disappear before long. To achieve such a goal, you could resort to regular grooming sessions and trim the mats every now and then.

• Age

As your pet gets older, it often finds itself lacking the strength and the flexibility to properly groom its furs. That is why it not uncommon to see senior cats with a messy, ungroomed coat. So the smell of cat pee might be nothing more than the result of age.  In order to help your pet stay sufficiently fresh and cleaned, you need to groom it with a damp washcloth. If possible and your cat indeed tolerate it, prepare a bath with suitable shampoo to get rid of the pee smell once and for all. In many cases, frequent grooming is more than enough to solve the urine issue permanently.

• Overweight

Different cats have different calorie requirement so if you give your cat too much food, it would gain weight uncontrollably. Despite the fact that cats are fairly flexible, obese ones have a rather hard time reaching the places that they want to clean the most. The added fats impair the cat ability to groom itself as it sees fit and the urine odor just happen to be among the consequences. So if you give your cat all the food it wants then ask "Why does my cat smell like pee?", the first thing to do is to reconsider the diet. Feel free to drop by a veterinary clinic and ask for suggestions about the daily calorie intake of your pet.

See further weight & meal analysis for 6-month-old & 10-week-old furballs.

• Medical

Cats are stoic in nature and that means it's hard to determine whether something is wrong with their body unless you are a vet. The smell of pee on the coat of your coat could be the symptom/ effect of various health ailments from urinary tract infection to arthritis. Urinary tract infection because great discomforts to the cat whenever it visits the litter box while arthritis prevents the cat from freely moving its limbs. Since it's nearly impossible to diagnose and treat medical problems by yourself, schedule an examination with the vets so they could check your pet.

• Fight

The majority of household cats nowadays are kept mostly as indoor pets in order to protect them from predators and other dangers in the outdoors. Yet if you decide to let your pet to roam the outdoors as it please and it occasionally comeback with awful urine odor, it probably lost a fight or two. Once cats fight for territory, the victor tends to spray the loser with its urine. It goes without saying that it only happens to owners of male cats that are constantly searching for spaces as well as female mates. All you have to do to put a definite end to the entire urine ordeal is to neuter your cat and always keep it indoors.

Tips And Tricks To Detect/Tackle Odors Of Cat Urines

At this point, you already know all the answers to the question of "why does my cat smell like pee?". Let's see how we could improve the overall situation.

• Pay Attention To Your Cat: If your cat acts in a strange manner all of the sudden, observe it carefully. Base on the behaviors and responses of your pet, you could have a general idea of what is going on.

• Groom Your Fluffy Friend Thoroughly: Periodic grooming is able to tackle matted furs which cat urine often stick to which effectively solves the pee smell. Grooming sessions also permit you to assess the coat and the body of your pet to detect any problems early.

• Visit The Vets If Necessary: Don't be shy to ask for help from professionals as they could offer you much-needed assistance and advice.