Just Why Does Cat Pee Smell So Bad
If youve ever had the misfortune of being near cat urine, youve probably been forced to ask yourself: Why does cat pee smell SO bad? Its a question asked all over the world, but the answer can be a bit tricky to nail down.
In this blog well cover a few of the top answers cat urine experts give for the foul smell. And most importantly, well tell you about an easy solution to completely eliminate that smell fast.
How To Tell If Your Cats Urine Is Normal
Unless your cat is urinating outside of the litter box which suggests a problem in and of itself itll be challenging for you to check the color and clarity of your cats urine and possibly the odor. Thats because todays litter and litter boxes do an excellent job of concealing sight and smell. Normal cat urine should be clear and pale yellow to amber in color. Any change in color which you would notice if your cat urinates on the floor or in a sink should be reported to your veterinarian.
Probably the easiest at-home way for you to know if your cats urine is normal is by monitoring the frequency of urination. Most healthy adult indoor cats will urinate twice a day on average. But frequency is also affected by water intake, heat and humidity, cat food moisture level and the presence of health conditions such as kidney disease and bladder infections. Youll want to know your cats normal daily urination habits so that any change from normal can be spotted. And if your cat begins urinating more or less than usual, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Many abnormal urine odors are associated with a health concern, such as bladder infection, cystitis , dehydration, diabetes or even tumors. If you smell something unusual in your cats litter box, you should have your cat checked over by your veterinarian. An analysis of your cats urine can tell your veterinarian a lot more about your pets health. Well cover that topic in a future post.
> > > Best Cat Pee Solution Available
Although you may have read that soap and water or baking soda will remove cat urine odor, they will not. Some of the compounds in cat urine are not water soluble and require an enzyme cleaner to remove the smell completely. You may need to repeat the process several times until all the odor is gone. Your nose will tell you when the job is done.
You May Like: Why Is My Old Cat Sleeping In The Bathtub
If Your Cat Peed On Unsealed Floors:
Well, thatâs a little more complicated. If your floors are not sealed, after you clean up the cat pee with cold water, scrub the stain with straight vinegar and rinse with more cold water. Blot stain with a towel until you can no longer detect moisture. Enzymatic cleaners could potentially damage your unsealed floors, so test some in a subtle location before liberally using on the stain.
If the cat pee stain and odor donât go away, you may have to bust out the sander because the urine couldâve soaked into the wood. We recommend sealing your floors, but thatâs a project for a whole ânother day.
Is Cat Urine Toxic To Your Health
Normal cat urine is composed of a number of different substances. One of these substances is urea, a nitrogenous waste that is highly concentrated in cat urine. When urea is broken down, it will produce amines, compounds derived from ammonia. This is the reason why cat urine always has at least some ammonia smell the more concentrated your cats urine, the stronger the smell. Urine concentration will depend on your cats diet and health status. Cats who dont drink enough water will have stronger smelling urine. Certain health conditions, such as urinary tract infections, can also cause a stronger than normal ammonia smell.
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Cat Pee Smell Home Remedies
Composition Of Cat Urine
Why does cat pee smell so bad? Cat urine is made up of different chemicals like uric acid, creatinine, electrolytes, and urea. When urea is broken down, it produces amines that will break down further into mercaptans . Now this is why your cat’s urine smells like ammonia. To make it even simpler to understand, ammonia is created by the bacterial decomposition of urea, the primary component of urine.
According to Pet Health Network, a normal cat urine odor for an adult cat who has been spayed or neutered, chances are your furbaby’s urine smell isnt too strong. Normal urine will have a slightly pungent, acidic scent that is fairly inoffensive and generally weak.
However, if you noticed your cats urine has a very strong odor that already stings the nose, there is a probability that your furbaby might be on to something that requires veterinary attention.
What Causes Ammonia Smell In Urine Of Cats
As we have seen above, urine gets decomposed into its basic components, and begins to smell of ammonia. But the question is, what causes very strong ammonia smell in the cats urine. When your cat expels urine from her body, it contains urea in a concentrated form. As it is urea based, it tends to smell of ammonia. The smell becomes stronger, when your cat does not drink enough water. Cats tend to avoid drinking water. Strong ammonia smell in urine also indicates dehydration in cats. You need to make sure that your cat drinks fresh and clean water. One way to make a cat drink water is by allowing it to drink from running tap water. They tend to love the feel of running water on their tongue and thus, enjoy drinking more water. If the cat drinks less water, their urine gets more and more concentrated with urea. This causes the smell of ammonia to get stronger.
Cat diet may also be responsible for very strong ammonia smell in the urine. Most of us tend to feed our cats with foods, that contain chicken based proteins. These proteins lead to production of urea, and this gets concentrated in the urine. Thus, when your cat urinates, the urine tends to smell strongly of ammonia. The solution for this problem is to feed your cat with salmon based cat foods once in a while. Different proteins from time to time will help reduce the stench of ammonia in the urine. And, a change in taste will keep your kitty happy and healthy.
Read Also: How Much Food Should An Adult Cat Eat
What Does Normal Cat Urine Smell Like
As mentioned before, a cats concentrated urine is composed of various chemicals, including ammonia. These compounds are decomposed by the bacteria present in the environment, resulting in a slightly pungent and acidic odor. Hence, your home will smell like ammonia if you do not scoop the waste from the litter box every day.
You should worry if your cats urine begins to smell different. If you notice stronger waste odors, it could be caused by any of the following:
- Diet
- Dehydration
- Underlying medical issues
Unfortunately, most litter boxes today are excellent at concealing smells from cat urine. This makes it challenging to monitor changes in waste odor, unless your cat sprays outside his litter box.
The frequency of your cats urination, as well as any behavioral changes, must also be monitored, as these can provide clues to your cats current state of health. If you notice any changes, you should give your vet a call.
Why Does Cat Urine Smell So Bad
Cats are well adapted to survive in a variety of situations. One of their feline talents is the ability to use water extraordinarily efficiently. Their bodies squeeze every last ounce of moisture out of their food, which means they don’t have to drink as much water as other animals, such as dogs. It also means their urine is super concentrated, darker than that of most animals. The concentration of waste gives the urine of all cats a super pungent smell.
There are other contributing factors. For instance, older cats with diminished or compromised kidney function will have much worse smelling urine. Urine from male cats also tends to smell worse than female urine due to the presence of hormones and pheromones. These aren’t found in neutered males or female cats, but they serve to make non-neutered male cat urine reek for days.
Recommended Reading: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food
Blot Rinse And Vacuum
As soon as you notice the urine spot, get rid of it immediately by blotting the fluid with clean cloth. After removing most of the liquid, clean the area with water and detergent. Use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner to clean the spot. Using a steam cleaner is discouraged, as this can set the stain and the odor.
Arthritis Can Make Litter Boxes Hard To Use
Another possible reason that an older cat may forego the litter box is arthritis. As cats age, they can get arthritis, which makes it harder for them to get into the box, Dr. Kornreich said. Perhaps the sides are too tall, or the box is located in a place that requires the cat to do some kind of arduous physical activity to get to, such as up or down a flight of stairs.
Read Also: What Was H.p. Lovecraft’s Cat Named
Baking Soda And Vinegar
Vinegar, while a bit smelly itself, works to remove the lasting odor of sprayed cat urine because vinegar is an acid that neutralizes the alkaline salts that form in dried urine stains.
A solution of one part water and one part vinegar can be used to clean walls and floors. Proponents say that the vinegar smell subsides after a few days, taking the urine smell with it.
How To Control Spraying
The best way to control spraying in the household, either territorial or heat-induced, is to have a cat spayed or neutered. Pet parents will want their cat spayed or neutered around six months old. This is just before the spraying behavior tends to occur in most cats. Most likely, a cat fixed at a young age will never start spraying in the first place. In the meantime, keeping a low-stress environment for most cats will help reduce anxiety spraying, and keeping only one cat in the house can reduce territorial spraying. Cleaning up a sprayed area with white vinegar will help stop a cat from returning to spray again.
The cause and solution to the smell of urine in a cat greatly depends on a few defining factors in her life. When it comes to changes in a cat’s smell, behavior, and bathroom use, parents should always remain alert. Whether she is coming into her senior years or she has an inflamed bladder causing her difficulties, it’s important to know what to do in any situation. Each parent knows their cat best and whether or not she needs to see a vet or just needs to get her fur trimmed.
Read Also: Why Do Cats Knead Before Laying Down
How To Prevent Your Cat From Peeing In The Same Spot
The easiest way to get rid of cat urine smells in your house is to avoid them in the first place. Helping your cat with litter box training, and having a constantly clean litter box, is a great place to start.
The Litter-Robot 3 Connect provides your cat with a litter box that is always cleanwhich will ideally lead to them acting out less! The Litter-Robots carbon-filtered waste drawer and cleaning wipes keep odors at bay, assisting with any multi-cat territorial issues in your home.
With a healthy diet, a clean litter box, and plenty of attention from their loving parents, you should see your cat make drastic improvements. However, if your cat seems to be urinating more frequently, or continues to pee outside the box, ensure that there are no medical conditions with your veterinarian.
The Ultimate Guide To Eliminating Cat Pee Smell
When your cat starts urinating outside the litter box, the smell can be difficult to get rid of and nearly impossible to mask.
Whether your cat pees on the carpet, a piece of furniture, bed linens, or your clothes, its important to neutralize the odor to prevent your cat from becoming a repeat offender. Cats often return to a spot where they have previously urinated if the odor is not eliminated.
Its also important to determine the cause of this behavior, which could be a sign of a health issue or stress.
Here is your ultimate guide to eliminating cat urine smells and determining why your cat is urinating outside the litter box to begin with.
Don’t Miss: Why Is My Cats Breathing So Loud
Why Cat Urine Smells So Bad And What To Do About It
23 Jun, 2021
Your sweet little feline companion welcomes you home from work with a loving purr and an affectionate rub against your leg. However, if your cat has had an accident the offensive stench of the urine odor is enough to drive you away from your home and your cat. Do a quick Google search, and youll find that cat owners everywhere are looking for answers to the chronic challenge of cat pee. According to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, house soiling is the most common behavior problem reported by cat owners. So why is your cat having accidents? Why does cat urine smell so bad? And how can you get rid of the stench once and for all? We have the answers for you here.
Still Cant Get Rid Of Cat Smell
Sometimes, you may not know exactly where an old cat smell is coming from. Sprinkling baking soda on several suspected areas, giving your home a good vacuum and cleaning your hardwood floors with vinegar and water may help you find the source.
If these DIY options dont remove cat smells, or if you cant find the affected area, you may need to hire a cleaning company.
In extreme cases where the odor has dispersed through the furnishings and even walls of a room, it may be necessary to bring in a professional to treat the area, Vance says.
Now Trending
Don’t Miss: What Does It Mean When A Cat Hisses At You
Why Does My Cats Urine Smell Bad
You may wonder why does my cats urine smell bad?
A living body produces waste. Waste usually does not smell so good because its full of bad things. Carbon dioxide does not smell . Feces smells pretty darned bad. But urine can be somewhere in between odorless and really smelly. Why? It depends on a number of factors.
If you want to safely neutralize cat urine smell, we recommend:
Is your cat fixed?
- Cat urine contains hormones, in order to let them send messages to other cats. These hormones add a strong smelling scent to urine. Fixed cats smell less than intact ones. Think about what tomcat spray smells like. Its incredibly strong smelling! Getting your cat fixed is not only healthier for them, and reduces the number of homeless kitties out there, but it helps you out because urine smells less strong.
Dehydration
Too much protein or a poor quality of food
- A poor quality cat food is made out of a lot of crummy quality ingredients. Have you heard the saying garbage in, garbage out? Some high-end cat foods can have too much protein for the life stage of your cat, and she or he can be diagnosed with proteinuria which can also cause a foul odor in pee. Sometimes a particular ingredient can cause a problem. Many cat foods are chicken-basedtry alternating with a rabbit or fish based food now and then.
Bladder infection
Its really not the pee at all, its the box!
Explanation : Its Extra
Cats kidneys are very good at filtering out as much water as possible before their urine passes through them. Without much water diluting it, the chemicals and compounds that make up cat urine smell a lot more strongly. Some of those compounds, especially urea and uric acid, are famously foul smelling wherever they occur.
Don’t Miss: 22 Year Old Cat In Human Years
Cat Pee : Is My Cats Urine Normal
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian — they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets. References
Why Does Cat Urine Smell So Bad And What Can I Do About It
Cat urine is not really different from other animals urine, yet many people think of cat urine as one of the hardiest smells in nature. Urine is a concentrate of metabolic waste and is comprised of urea, creatine, uric acid, various detoxified substances, sodium chloride and other electrolytes. It owes its characteristic yellow colour to urobilogen.
What gives cat urine such a bad name is the fact that the urine is usually left unnoticed until it becomes a problem. Cats have a propensity to mark their territory outside the litter box, be it on the carpet or in hidden corners.
After a while, bacteria decompose the urea and give off an ammoniacal odour characteristic of stale old urine. The second stage of the decomposition process emits mercaptans, compounds which also give skunk spray its nasty smell. Of course, other factors give each animal its distinctive smell. Older animals have kidneys that have lost some of their efficiency and as a consequence, older animals tend to have the worst smelling urine. Urine from male cats also tends to smell worse than female urine, due to the presence of certain steroids.
How can we get rid of the problem? The first challenge is to locate the urine. This is easily achieved if youve stepped barefoot into a puddle or if the urine has already stained your floor or discoloured your carpet. If you cannot spot the urine, ultraviolet light will make it glow.
Recommended Reading: Do Cat Whiskers Fall Out