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Smelly cat

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  The Monster has been with me for about six months now. He's middle aged, and before he came to me, he was a stray and the cat sanctuary had him castrated.
  
  Since he first came to me, he's been a bit smelly. To begin with, I wondered if he wasn't washing himself properly, then I wondered if he had gingivitis (which has been checked out since and he doesn't), then I concluded it was tomcat smell.
  
  He smells more when I stroke him and when he's playing games. It's noticeable at quite a distance. He doesn't spray the house, though, and the smell seems to come from his mouth/facial glands or wherever cat scent is that they rub along things with their cheeks.
  
  The vet's where they castrated him said that the smell would quickly disappear, but it hasn't.
  
  Does anyone know how long it takes for a castrated tom to stop being tom-smelly or am I just stuck with it despite what they told me at the vet's.
  
  PS he's an absolute darling no matter how smelly he is.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by catwomyn (U1485618) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  I think he's just smelly, Sunny. Tomcat smell would have dissipated by now - it only takes a couple of weeks post-castration.
  
  Sorry.
  
  Cat x

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by velveeta_dreamrabbit (U14203840) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  I have a theory about this, which may/may not be correct.
  
  If he was castrated when fully grown, then it is possible for some stray testosterone to be still roaming around his system, thus explaining the tomcat smell. I came to this conclusion because one of our cats was a stray and fully grown when we had him castrated.
  
  It took several months for the smell and the sometimes randy behaviour to disappear completely.
  
  Hope this helps.
  
  Velveeta

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  Fingers crossed he's like your cat, Velveeta, and eventually the smell goes, otherwise I shall start spraying him with deodorant and feeding him mints. (Turns round and tells The Monster of plans.) He's so soppy, even the threat of that hasn't stirred him.
  
  

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by velveeta_dreamrabbit (U14203840) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  *He smells more when I stroke him and when he's playing games. It's noticeable at quite a distance. He doesn't spray the house, though, and the smell seems to come from his mouth/facial glands or wherever cat scent is that they rub along things with their cheeks.*
  
  
  
  Sunny, having just read your OP again, I wonder if he may have a blocked facial gland. My older cat started to smell a bit strange, and it turned out that she had a blocked and infected anal gland.
  
  Sorry if anyone is eating at the moment........
  
  Velveeta.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  I never thought of a blocked gland. I'll mention that to the vet when he next gets a check-up.
  
  I had a cat once with a blocked anal gland. The vet squeezed it and the contents shot across the room and hit the far wall. It can't be much fun cleaning up vets' surgeries.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Rusters (U11225963) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  Sunny, the first thing I thought of was Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) or Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) as the vets are apparently now calling it! Just about all cats get this as they get older. It cannot be cured, but it can be managed to give good quality of life, hopefully for some years.
  
  Anyway, CRF cats often have bad breath, which can smell a bit like urine/ammonia. Then when a cat tries to wash itself, the smell from the saliva is spread over the rest of the body. This is what one CRF site says:
  
  Bad Breath
  
  The toxins produced by the body have an effect on the bacteria in the mouth, which can cause a very strong and distinctive odour. It is hard to describe the aroma, though once smelled, never forgotten. It is sometimes described as being an ammonia smell (like bleach) but it may smell more like urine (ammonia is a constituent of urine), though neither description really captures the smell. This smell will be particularly noticeable if the cat crashes. If your cat's breath smells more like nail polish remover, this may indicate diabetes.
  
  
  Six months after castration he shouldn't be smelling of tom cat unless he had a retained testicle in his abdomen, which wasn't removed when he was done. I think that unlikely, but it is possible. If it is still inside him, it needs to be removed as there is otherwise a high probability of it becoming cancerous.
  
  I guess he could have impacted/infected anal glands. Most of the stink would be from his rear end, but if he washes any, um, leakage from them, then his breath would smell (for a while, anyway), and then if he washes the rest of his body, then the stink would spread.
  
  Sometimes urine and fishy smells can be similar. If your boy eats a lot of fish, and especially if he is one of those cats who cannot process fish very well, then he could be smelling sort of fishy all over: breath, rear end, even his skin.
  
  Methinks a vet visit beckons. I hope all will be well.
  
  Rusty
  
  
  .
  

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  He was seen by the vet before Christmas, who seemed to think that he was ok. He's not drinking abnormal amounts and he's got what seems to be a normal appetite. He's washing himself. He's neither too fat nor too thin. His bowel movements appear normal.
  
  I'm not sure how I'd describe his breath. I'd never thought of it possibly being to do with his food, nor the other things suggested.
  
  The poor thing is a bit of an old crock, really with several past health problems that have left their mark.
  
  Oh, well, he's happy and a lovely companion. I suppose that all I can do is to watch him and get insistent with the vet if I see any signs of distress or change in his eating/drinking/litter tray/grooming habits.

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 8.

  Posted by Rusters (U11225963) on Sunday, 9th January 2011

  Chronic renal failure can be picked up by urinalysis at an earlier stage than a blood test will pick it up (urinalysis is quicker and cheaper too) so it might be worthwhile suggesting doing this when and if you see the vet. The earlier one knows about it, the better to slow down the progression of the disease.
  
  Your old chap sounds lovely, however he smells!
  
  Rusty

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