Why Does Cat Pee Smell So Bad?
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Odors in our homes or places of work can be very disturbing, stressing and uncomfortable. The foul smell, especially urine from our beloved pets, especially cats, can make someone feel like abandoning the residence for good. Read on to find out the answer to the question, why does cat pee smell so bad, and also learn how to handle the situation.
Why does cat pee smell so bad?
If you are reading this, chances are you have really battled with the foul smell of your cat’s urine, and you could be wondering if it is normal. Other questions that most pet owners ask include how they can get rid of such smells and if the smell will be permanent as long as they have the pet with them or not. Well, here are some reasons and answers to these questions. In living organisms, most particularly mammals, urine is a composition of metabolic wastes that consist of Uric acid, creatine, sodium chloride, urea, some detoxified substances, and a couple of other electrolytes. The yellowish color in the urine of mammals is a result of urobilinogen present in the urine.
The stink in the urine from cats is not always an immediate effect, but a smell triggered over time. Despite cats having their litter boxes that homeowners repeatedly change in most homes, one can still detect the stink in the urine. This is because cats tend to mark their territory outside their litter boxes in different parts of your home using their urine. Note that you will not detect the pee smell immediately. However, you will detect this smell later as bacteria tend to decompose, and the area gives off an ammoniacal odor in the stale urine. The urine then begins another process of decomposition, this time emitting mercaptans which are the same type of compound that give skunks their characteristic nasty smell according to Mcgill, much older cats will have the worst smelling urine as compared to the younger ones since their kidneys don’t function properly due to aging.
Do male cats’ urine smell different from female cats’ urine?
The answer to this question is yes. The smell of male cat urine is different from that of a female cat. Male cats have a stronger urine odor than female cats due to their steroids. The smell in males cats is emitted from his skin, spray, or urine to attract female cats. The smell acts like a signal that indicates the cat’s readiness and availability. According to manitou animal hospital, male cats spray urine in the house to mark their territories. They can do this in hidden places or open places such as on the furniture, doors, carpets, and other places you can’t imagine. Therefore, you have gotten the answer as to why you still detect your cat’s urine odor even after changing the litter box repeatedly.
Is the smell of my cat’s urine ok?
If the smell of ammonia in cats urine persists despite doing every cleaning, or the urine is still concentrated even after your cats have drunk water, it is time to go for a check-up to the vet and let your cat be examined for urinary tract infection, diabetes, urinary crystal or kidney disease. The vet will run various tests on your pet to ensure that it’s ok and the smell is not just an indicator of sickness. The vet will also advise you on reducing the odor if the cat does not have any health issues.
Can cats smell the bad odor in their pee?
Did you know that a cat’s sticky smell affects not only you but also the cat? Wondering how can it be affected by its mess? Cats hate to stay on dirty surfaces, and their sense of smell is 4x that of humans. Suppose you’re smelling how bad the litter box smell, then understand that your cat can smell it also, and the smell is stronger to the cat more than it is to you. If you fail to change the litter box regularly for days, your cat will go to defecate and pee somewhere else in the house or maybe outside.
Getting rid of the sticky cat pee
There are different ways of killing a rat, and likewise, cleaning and removing the cat’s urine foul smell can be done using various ways. First, you need to regularly clean the cats’ litter box or install two boxes for one cat to use, and even better, with the technology, you can purchase a robot litter box that is self-cleaning after every cat’s visit. This will reduce the chances of your cat deciding to help itself outside the litter box. Spot a place where your cat can have its urine sprayed on and clean it. You can buy cleaning detergents specifically meant for cleaning cats’ urine in a pet store. This will easily assist you in removing the stick. You can easily know where to clean by observing the stains mark, smell the odor, and clean the places. Clean even the hidden place and do not assume the furniture and door frames. It is advisable to take your male cats to the vet to be neutered. This will reduce your cat from the spraying behavior according to robot litter; you should take your cat for neuter at an early age of eight to nine months. This will also help the cats not to wander off from its home.
- Give your cat plenty of drinking water to reduce the ammonia in the urine concentration. However, many cats don’t like to drink water regularly but ensuring the cat is hydrated will reduce the sticky smell.
- Check the amount of ammonia in food intake and reduce or change your cat’s diet. This will help your cat reduce the amount of ammonia in the pee.
- Check if the environment you’re in can cause stress to your cat. Stressed cats tend to pee and poop anywhere. Finding the root cause of the stress in your cat and addressing it will help ensure that your cat gets back to the litter box.
- We love our cats and appreciate their company. Giving them a clean house will give you peace of mind, and your cat will grow healthy. Getting rid of the bad urine smell will also give you an easy time with your pet.
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