My 10 yr old cat has a funny smell? ?

Question

I have had my kitty for nearly 10 years now and she has never smelled this way before. She appears to be healthy, eating just fine, drinking lots of water... wanting attention.. But I noticed this morning that she has this funny odor coming from her. My other 3 yr old cat smells normal. Are there any cat owners or a vet or someone who may be able to enlighten me on what might be going on with her?

Answer 1

Renal failure has a funny smell as some of the others have mentioned.   Do try to get her in to vet asap.  Do it before the holiday

( labs in the states are closed). Today  if possible- this disease will creep up  fast.  Watch her appetite- also- dehydration is a real concern so if you are feeding her dry switch to wet food to help her stay hydrated- (you can check this by pulling up the fur on her back, between the shoulder blades is good- if the fur bounces back into place right away- then she's okay- if , on the other hand, it is sluggish to return or goes slowly back into place, then she needs fluids)- cats aren't big water drinkers and giving her wet food will help.  Also- get a grain free food- Fancy Feast makes a couple, Turkey and Giblet Feast, Gourmet Chicken Feast,  Liver and Chicken Feast, Tender Beef Feast are a few that I know of.  Try not to stray from this list- the other varieties contain wheat gluten- very bad for kitty.

Answer 2

A significant change in scent, with the body odor, is something you need to start checking with a vet about. Kidney problems will shift the body scent of a dog or cat into something we can smell very strongly.

Getting her in for a checkup with blood test will show anything that's wrong right away, and the earlier you catch it the easier it is to fix.

If the scent is only from the butt end, it could be an impacted scent gland under the tail (they have two) but if it's all over the body and it's not from something perfumy that she laid on, then you need to have her checked.

Diabetes and kidney issues cause a cat to start drinking lots of water. I haven't noticed that our diabetic cat had a scent shift, but my kidney guy did.  Both can be kept under control, but you need to catch it early. Schedule your cat for a checkup and talk to the vet about it. If they don't suggest doing a full blood panel, go to another vet or insist on them doing one.  Body scent change in a cat requires a close check on what the organs are doing.

Answer 3

Older cats sometimes have kidney disease, which leads to kidney failure.  That smell you mentioned could be a sign of this.

Take her to a veterinarian and have some bloodwork done.

Answer 4

check her butt, make sure she doesnt have any dried poo on her, if she is 10 she may not be grooming herself like she should, you might have to help her with that, or check her ears, are they nice and pink inside or black and goopy, ear infections can cause a cat to smell as well, I would try brushing her and using a kitty bath wipe and see if that helps if she still smells then a vet visit may be needed

Answer 5

drinking lots of water and a funny smell could be signs of diabetes or kidney failure-smell her breath and see if it's coming from there. it could also be bad teeth or maybe she has come into contact with something?

Answer 6

It could be one of several things. Her anal gland may need to be expressed. Diabetes or kidney disease can also cause this in some cats. Cancer can also have an order. I can only describe it as a sweet sort of odor. Take your cat to the vet for a diagnosis.