Cat Still Smells Like Urine No Matter What I Do

[Soroxas]

I have a long-haired Ragdoll. He's overweight and isn't able to clean his own rear himself (no diet I try has been working for him given he has to eat a very special type of food for his joints and kidneys). Lately his backside smells like urine constantly, and no amount of cleaning I do makes it go away. I've used warm water, Dawn dish washing liquid, two types of waterless shampoo... nothing works. This afternoon I came home, and he had poop all over his backside. It took me a solid hour to scrub and clip what hair I could (with him being wild and me being an only parent). He smelled decent afterwards (when I released him from the bathroom), but after ten minutes I checked on him and he smelled like urine again!

I honestly don't know what to do. The groomer won't shave his backside because he's mean, and they'll have to sedate him, and the vet won't sedate him due to his kidneys. So I just... I don't know what to do to help. Surely that's not healthy, and he's leaving a urine smell all throughout the house, wherever he sits (especially on my bed).

Anyone have any advice? I could really use some help.

 

[iPappy]

When was his last vet check up? I'm wondering if the urine smell has something to do with his kidneys or maybe something is off with his urinary tract?

 

[Soroxas]

When was his last vet check up? I'm wondering if the urine smell has something to do with his kidneys or maybe something is off with his urinary tract?

I kind of wonder the same thing. I've been told not to bring him in unless something is wrong due to them not being able to handle him. So it's hard to tell if they'll just send us both away or not.

 

[Furballsmom]

I think the smell plus the poop issue should be enough to warrant this being something wrong. Is gabapentin too strong for his kidneys?

 

[iPappy]

I'd definitely call the vet and tell them that there's something weird going on. Describe to them that he smells like pee, all the time. Do you think you could get a urine sample? If so, ask them if they would be willing to run a urinalysis to see if they can find anything. (With a cat that hates going to the vet that is also an established client, I would really hope they'd work with you on this one.)

 

[Alldara]

I kind of wonder the same thing. I've been told not to bring him in unless something is wrong due to them not being able to handle him. So it's hard to tell if they'll just send us both away or not.

Ask if they can provide something relaxing beforehand (if they don't think it will effect kidneys).

Was he always mean? I wonder if being mean is due to a medical issue. Is there another vet in your area to take him to?

Nobel hates being handled by everyone but especially people who aren't me. I've been able to shave his bum and tummy myself after making an order off Amazon. Is this an option for you?

Is he on a kidney diet? Wet or dry? Perhaps he needs to be moved to the next "stage" of food?

How many litters do you have? Pee can be strong if he's holding it too long because he's having trouble getting there or holding the position. This certainly sounds like a pain response.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I don't know what kidney food he is on, but most are not all that beneficial in terms of doing much for the kidneys and many of them are lower in protein - because that was the old school of thought regarding how to help protect kidney function. What it does instead is to help exacerbate weight issues and facilitates muscle mass loss which is already an issue in elderly cats. There are many different commercial canned foods that are lower in phosphorus, but not as harsh about the lower protein. You can find a list of them on Tanya's web site - Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease- Canned Food Data USA (felinecrf.org). Giving him a better diet might help with weight loss for him. Also, there are supplements called phosphorus binders that can be added to standard cat food to help reduce the level of phosphorus in your cat's system - which is pretty much the intent with the kidney food diet.

Your cat might also benefit from an actual joint supplement rather than relying on whatever might be in this special food he is eating. Dasuquin and Cosequin seem to be a couple of the most common ones used for cats.

Not addressing your problem in a short-term manner but giving him healthier food and a joint supplement could help with his mobility longer term.

The other things to consider are getting a urine sample for testing to see if he might have inflammation or an infection that is behind the smell. If you can catch it yourself, then you could avoid a vet visit. But the best thing to do would be to find a sedative that could relax him enough for a physical exam and maybe an x-ray or two to see if there is something 'structural' in nature that could explain why he repeatedly smells like urine.

 

[iPappy]

Another option to look at is a mobile vet that sees cats, if there's one in your area.

 

[Caspers Human]

Is his litter box big enough?

Is there enough litter in the bottom of the box?

If the box isn't big enough for the cat to move around in, he'll have to scrunch up in order to do his business. Consequently, he might end up sitting in his own excrement. Since he is a "Plus-Sized" cat, he might need more space than usual.

Also, if there isn't enough litter in the box, urine will puddle up on the surface, making it more likely he'll mess himself.
Litter should be at least three inches deep. If your cat likes to dig in the box before pooping or peeing, the litter might need to be even deeper.

Our cat, Casper, likes to dig a hole to go in. Sometimes, we'll hear him digging in the middle of the night so much that it wakes us up.

You'd think he's trying to dig a hole to China!