My cat is 22 yrs. old and lately he smell very bad what could it be?

He smells like he has urine on him, not cat urine but people stale urine, like children smell who wet the bed chronically and are not cleaned properly. He does not groom himself very good anymore and I make sure to keep his liter box clean. I haven't found a dry bath solution for him and don't know if it a health issue or not

Asked by Member 1154484 on Feb 9th 2013 Tagged fouloder in Senior Pet


  • Cast your vote for which answer you think is best!


Izadore (Izzie)

In people years, if you use the 7 cat years to one human year, your cat would be 154 years old. The chances of him having health issues are very likely. If he has not been to a vet recently, he absolutely needs to go. Like senior people, senior cats need to be monitored by their doctors frequently. If he has lived 22 years, you must be taking very good care of him. But, he does need to see a vet. Purrs to your old guy...and to you!

Izadore (Izzie) answered on 2/10/13. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 1 Report this answer

Angel Hallie (5-15-96/11-7-12)

Your kitty needs to see a vet ASAP. Kidney failure and other urinary problems are very common in senior citizen cats. He may have a urinary problem and the sooner he is seen by the vet and treated, the more likely it is for him to be able to enjoy a few more years of quality life..

Angel Hallie (5-15-96/11-7-12) answered on 2/13/13. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer


Poor old guy - how about a sponge bath? Just a little wash down with a warm washcloth and no soap. He may enjoy it - my cat actually doesn't mind this when he makes a mess and needs to be cleaned up (and he hates to be handled). I agree he should see the vet just to make sure he isn't in any distress. Good luck!

Joey answered on 2/21/13. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer

Orion Hemingway

That is a very old cat! Yes, as they get older they groom less, but they shouldn't reek either. Go ahead and use dry shampoo or cat wipes to bathe him and then brush him. If that doesn't work, a full bath is in order. If it keeps happening, it may be because he is losing bladder function in his old age and has incontinence, so you might need to use doggie diapers on him. When you notice the resoling, do take him in to see the vet. If his quality of life is very low or he has an infection, the kindest thing that you can do might be to say goodbye... ^_^

Orion Hemingway answered on 10/22/13. Helpful? Yes/Helpful: No 0 Report this answer