Cat Urine Smells Horrible

by Katie G.
(Burleson, texas)

I have a female that is approximately a year old that has been fixed. We then got another female about 3 months ago that is approximately 11 weeks old that hasn't been fixed yet.

As soon as we got this new cat. the litter box has had a really strong urine smell. I have changed foods, litters and got a self cleaning cat box. It hasn't changed the smell at all!!!!

I have been looking on the internet to try and find the answer and thought the new cat had a UTI. I am struggling with money and don't have the money to take the cats to the vet at this time.

So I started her on bactrum and no change in the smell. Next, I dewormed her just to try weeding out the possibilities. Nothing has changed in the smell.

One day I was changing out the litter and the little cat came and urinated in the empty box. I ran and got a syringe and got a sample. I finished up putting the litter back in the box and my older cat came in and urinated right where the other cat did and the smell was horrible!!!!

I hope I have figured out the problem....the cats urine mixed was causing the odor. Today. I am going to buy another cat box and separate the cats for a couple of weeks and let them get used to their own boxes and see what happens. If you have had a problem some what like I have and have figured it out 100% please please contact me at ktgood008@hotmail.com

Editor Comment - Smelly Cat Urine

The composition of cat urine is similar to that of other animals. It contains creatinine, sodium, uric acid and many other electrolytes; uric acid is the compound which makes the urine smell.

Cat urine has a relatively strong odor as compared to other animals. The reason is, is that cats are not good water drinkers, so their urine contains higher levels of concentrated uric acid. Uric acid is converted into urea and the bacterial action breaks down the urea into ammonia. Urine may smell like ammonia, but once it dissipates, it creates an odor caused by what is called hexanol mercaptan, which is the actual odorant.

Here, in this case, logically, the bigger the volume of urine found in a space or in litter, the more of the odorant that is released. This will make the odor stronger or as you mention, "horrible".

Importantly, it is bacteria that takes the urea in the uric acid and converts it into ammonia and then the hexanol mercaptan. Along with the concentration of uric acid, the presence of bacteria is required to rapidly decompose the uric acid into this substance.

Therefore, it is possible that either or both of your cats are having an excessive population of bacteria in their urinary bladder and in the litter as well, which indicates the development of a possible urinary tract infection in the near future.

It is therefore recommended that you should take some preventive measures to control the ever growing bacterial population in the urinary tract. You have mentioned that you administered Bactrum/Bactrim to your cats, which is a broad spectrum sulfa drug, an antibacterial therapeutic. Antibiotics/Antibacterial drugs should never be administered by an owner on their own. It should only be administered after a prescription is written by a veterinarian which takes into account the cats age, weight, breed, sensitivity of the patient and status of the condition. Doing so without a prescription can lead to the development of a bacterial population that is resistant to antibiotics. It can also cause severe affects on the overall health of your pet.

If you are going to treat or manage any cat disease or condition at home, it is always better to use alternative drugs/preparations, which do not require any prescription at all. That said, always follow the directions of the manufacturer.

We recommend that to start, be sure to maintain a hygienic environment for your cats, because most bacteria causing urinary tract infection ascends from the lower urinary tract, which is exposed to the external environment. Also, use a natural remedy to control any growing urinary tract infection such as Kidney Support. These remedies do not require a prescription and do not have any side effects. Additional herbal supplements that boost immune system health such as Immunity and Liver Support may also be used for additional support for the physiology (health/condition) of your cats.

Isolation is also good idea, such as using separate litter boxes and separate living spaces. Though this is difficult to manage, it will help the health of both cats.

Please keep us up to date and best of luck on solving the cat urine odor problem.