Our little felines wash very frequently, so their body does not usually give off bad odours. However, sometimes we can notice how our cat's body odor changes, becoming strong and even very unpleasant.
This can be due to diseases or infections that require veterinary attention, so if your cat's body odor changes, you should go to a veterinary center to find the cause and be able to treat it.
Continue reading this article on our site if you want to know why my cat smells bad, why it is and how to fix it.
What is a cat's normal body odor like?
Like us and other animals, cats give off a particular and characteristic odor depending on the specimen. However, this smell is practically imperceptible to people. The normal body odor of a cat is slightly reminiscent of fresh hay, which is pleasant and conveys cleanliness, freshness and serenity.
They get this smell thanks to the fact that they spend a lot of time each day grooming themselves, at which point the saliva coming from their salivary glands releases a deodorant componentIn addition to cleaning, cats groom themselves out of survival instinct, to remove any trace of odor that might attract predators to them.
For this reason, our cats do not usually smell anything, much less bad. So, if we notice that our cat smells strange or bad, we should go to a veterinary center to find out where this change in body odor is coming from and fix it.
Why does my cat smell bad?
Why does my cat smell like fish, my cat smell like pee or my cat smell rotten? There are many causes for these changes in your body odor. Among the main ones we find the following.
Otitis
The ear infections and inflammations, in addition to being very painful for your little feline, produce a very unpleasant odor due to the accumulation of cerumen, secretions and microorganisms. You can suspect that your cat has this problem if you see him scratching his ears a lot and if, when you get closer, the unpleasant smell becomes much more intense.
Generally, otitis in cats is often due to ear mites, especially Otodectes cynotis, although they can also be caused by microorganisms such as bacteria and some fungi or foreign objects that have been introduced into the pavilion handset. The best way to prevent it is through thorough weekly cleaning of your cat's ears.
Halitosis
Halitosis or bad breath is a possible cause of a bad smell in your cat. Bad mouth odor can be due to problems at the level of the teeth or gums, such as tartar, gingivitis, periodontal disease, cavities or feline chronic gingivostomatitis.
Furthermore, foreign bodies in the mouth, accumulated remains of food or thorns can cause wounds or lesions in the soft tissues of our cats' mouths and predispose them to bacterial contamination, with the consequent infection, formation of an oral abscess and secondary bad odour.
Digestive problems
A Poor intestinal he alth can cause your cat to have flatulence and pass unpleasant gas. Some foods that can cause intolerance and digestive problems in cats are milk and grains. Intestinal and stomach diseases or digestive infections and parasites can also produce this effect.
Incontinence
Urinary or fecal incontinence is the cat's inability to control its urethral and anal sphincters. Therefore, uncontrolled urination and defecation are a clear cause of body odour. This incontinence can be due to neurological problems or trauma, such as accidents, among other reasons.
Anal glands
These glands are located under the tail of our cats, on the sides of the anus, and secrete a foul-smelling liquid. The problem appears when the anal glands become clogged, they fill up and eliminate this liquid, causing the cat to give off a very unpleasant odour.
Sexual maturation
The unneutered male cats, when they reach puberty, begin to emit an intense characteristic odor due to the action of the hormone testosterone. For this reason, if you have a young cat that has been giving off a stronger and somewhat unpleasant odor lately, it may be due to hormonal reasons.
Skin problems
Ulcerations contaminated by deep skin damage can cause bad odor in cats, as well as fungi or certain dermatitis such as moist dermatitis. External parasites also predispose felines to skin infections and the production of bad body odor.
What to do if my cat smells bad?
In addition to take him to the vet if you suspect that the cause of the bad smell is one of those mentioned in the previous section, if wondering how to make my cat smell good, consider the following tips:
- The first thing is to prevent bad odors with routine hygiene habits whose objective is to avoid mouth and ear infections.
- Digestive problems can be prevented by feeding your cat food specifically for him and in the right amount according to his individual needs.
- deworming is also key to avoiding parasites that can cause direct damage to the skin and predispose to infections that cause bad odor bodily.
- hair hygiene is also important, even when grooming, to help remove dead hair and prevent debris from accumulating and dirt that can predispose to a bad smell.
- It is also important to drink enough water, since drinking too little can cause bad breath by reducing the formation of saliva, which is key to drag the bacteria that cause bad odor.
- On the other hand, your veterinary center will give you the specific treatment guidelines depending on the he alth problem your cat is suffering from. The use of drugs or changes in diet and lifestyle may be necessary.
