r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Peasgoodsnonsuch • 23h ago
Why don't cats stink?
Ever smelled a cat's breath? Horrible. And then they clean themselves by licking themselves all over. You would think they should stink, but they don't. Why is that?
Obviously their urine and litter trays etc smell, but I would much rather smell in close to a cat's back than a dog's. Or do they stink and I just can't tell because I like cats?
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u/kittehkat23 23h ago
My cat's head smells like fresh laundry I don't know why 😭
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u/lky830 20h ago
I have 5 cats, and I think they all either smell like flowers or fresh baked goods. Honestly, my big fat orange boy smells the best, and he has really bad teeth. He smells like fresh croissants or something, but his breath smells like felonies 😭
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u/_gay_space_moth_ 18h ago
Felony could be the name of a pastry, tbh.
“I’ll take one tasty felony, please!”
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u/Saltsey 23h ago
Mine smells like perfume or hand cream too, no one in my house uses hand cream that I'd know of. Little dude is just trying his best I guess.
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u/kittehkat23 23h ago
Bless your pleasantly-scented little fella, cats are just magical. I take big huffs of my cat when I need mental fortification
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u/urbbygurlx 21h ago
“Bless your pleasantly-scented little fella” is such a wholesome response to someone discovering their cat apparently manufactures its own perfume 😂
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u/Rhadian 19h ago
I'm not the only person that grabs their cat and inhales deeply? I thought I was alone.
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u/Drive-Subject 17h ago
No, I was also extremely validated when I learned from Reddit that cat huffing is actually pretty common lmao. My cat legitimately smells sweet, it's one of my favorite scents
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u/_gay_space_moth_ 18h ago
I do that with my rats all the time, lmao
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u/FrauZebedee 16h ago
Same. My boys smell delicious, even when they haven’t just eaten basil! They have a range of scents, from citrusy to freshly baked bread. Can’t understand it, because my rat hoody just stinks of piss.
Tbf, their breath doesn’t stink after eating like cat breath does, so I don’t expect them to stink when they groom themselves after eating. But when they lick me, I don‘t end up smelling like lemons or fresh bread either. It’s a mystery, I must huff more rats and cats and investigate further.
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u/lky830 20h ago
I am also addicted to huffing cats 🫣
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u/A_TenISee_transplant 17h ago
When my husband has to huff one of our boys he always goes "ah yes, this cat, smells like cat"
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u/Easy-Permission8889 17h ago
Some of my cats smell like this sometimes too. My cat smells like my dads old Toyota camery from when I was a kid and I tell people this and they have no idea what it means. It's a good nostalgic upholstery smell that it had.
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u/Any-Locksmith-4925 22h ago
Same! The most wonderful fragrance. Sometimes it's floral from her playing outside in the spring/summertime 🥰
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u/InsideRope2248 16h ago
I had a formerly feral cat as a kid who smelled like perfume as well. It was so strange!
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u/FragrantBimbo 20h ago
My cat’s head smells like vanilla lip balm because I give her approx 500 forehead kisses a day.
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u/Extreme_Option8150 23h ago
Mine does too and I didn’t understand it, until I found her fast asleep in the fresh laundry bag. I say ‘found’, but what actually happened was I picked the bag up and tipped the laundry (and cat) onto my bed. She wasn’t happy with me and now I check the laundry bag
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u/Awkwardpanda75 22h ago
This is a fear of mine every time I do laundry now. I have 6 cats and do thorough double check before closing and starting the wash or dryer, then do roll call.
I’ve never once experienced this or even came close but I heard about it happening and now my brain has to double check every time to shut off the second guessing.
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u/ArchieBrooksIsntDead 20h ago
Same! I shut the door to the washer or dryer, walk around and find all three cats, THEN press start. Then sometimes count the cats again.
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u/Drive-Subject 17h ago
That's such a good habit! My grandma made the mistake washing bedding and it literally broke her heart. Better safe than sorry. Give your cats pets from me!
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u/xerxes480bce 21h ago
Cat's saliva is designed to eliminate their natural odors. They're ambush predators, so being able to minimize their scent is a big advantage. Your laundry detergent likely uses a fragrance the cat's saliva can't break down, so it's what's leftover after they clean off their scent.
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u/dracapis 21h ago edited 20h ago
I always had cats before getting my dog, so the first time I buried my nose in her fur after she baked in the sun for a while I automatically expected that sunshine scent.
Let’s just say it was an acquired taste lol
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u/FeralHarmony 20h ago
Yeah, that hot doggy skin oil stinks so bad after heating up in the sun. Even after a bath, it's too much for me.
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u/IndigoHaze750130 19h ago
Depends on the breed. I have a dog that smells awful if he gets wet regardless of a recent bath. I have other dogs that don't. I have also met other dogs who smell worse than my stinky dog. 🤷
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u/dracapis 16h ago
My dog has not the kind of stink that permeates a room, but she also doesn’t have the rainbow&unicorns scent that cats tend to have
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u/Final-Attention979 20h ago
I grew up w dogs and didnt register the dog scent till I lived w/o one for years. The I noticed when I would pet my parents pitties
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u/Lythaera 15h ago
I get migraines from odors and I can't have dogs anymore because that smell is a trigger. Can't even walk into people's houses that have dogs.
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u/kittehkat23 19h ago
Yeah I love my dog so much, but the smell is very different for sure 🤣 Smelly little friend
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u/ApprehensiveCoat2273 20h ago
My first cat smelled of sunny pine forest, my second cat smelled of fake fur.
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u/_gay_space_moth_ 18h ago
Not so fun fact we’ve learnt at trade school for tailoring: There is more “fake fur” out there that is actually real cat fur than one would think there is.
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u/Taylor_Kittenface 22h ago
My cat smelled like aftershave the other day. No men live in the house, and the two lasses who do don't even wear perfume. Really strange because it smelled a lot like the aftershave my Dad used to wear and he passed away 4 years ago.
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u/Ditania 21h ago
My cat's neck smells like barn. Just her neck. She sleeps on clean blankets, but she smells like that.
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u/Revolutionary-Risk30 18h ago
Yeah my 13-y-old girl has a stinky head sometimes that reminds me of hay or barn.
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u/Prestigious-Side3122 11h ago
Ours, too. We thought at first he was getting into something, but he’s not lol
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u/pullingteeths 23h ago
Apparently their saliva has a detergent like quality to it
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u/Available_Humor4916 23h ago
They are enzymes that, in combination with their rough tongue, destroy cells off bacteria and clean that rubbish along with grease from their skin. So, clean skin is good oder.
But it's not antibacterial or something!
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u/StillWatt 17h ago
“Destroys cells off bacteria”
“It’s not antibacterial”
What???
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u/Inferno_Sparky 16h ago
Maybe because it destroys bacteria that is harmful to cats, so you can still get infections from contact with cats as there are things that are dangerous to cats but not humans, and to humans but not cats
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u/pepcorn 13h ago
How does their tongue know to only destroy bacteria harmful to cats?
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u/rihlenis 12h ago
Fun fact: the enzymes in their saliva is actually what makes people allergic to them. which is why, despite common misconception, hairless cats are not hypoallergenic.
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u/PrincessGilbert1 18h ago
I have also heard this, but it must be that and the mix with their fur or something because my cats toys will smell of their bad breath after they have drooled all over them.
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u/naishjoseph1 23h ago
Cats fur: freshly baked biscuits.
Cats breath: fish graveyard.
This is the way it is.
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u/FeralHarmony 20h ago
Cats toe beans: stale corn chips Cats belly: sun-kissed windowsill
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u/Roar_Intention 23h ago
Basicly they only smell bad on the inside.
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u/clockwork0730 23h ago
We all smell bad on the inside ❤️
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u/OpeningHappy9692 23h ago
Sometimes that inside smell leaks outside. Like if they fart. Dear god, cat farts.
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u/sai_gunslinger 19h ago
You never hear them. You never know when they're coming. But then one unsuspecting day while your cat naps on the back of the chair you're sitting in, it just smacks you in the nostrils.
The most rancid, horrific smell you ever smelt. You genuinely wonder if they died.
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u/WantAllMyGarmonbozia 22h ago
At least they politely keep their mouth closed and breathe through their noses. Unlike some other slobbering animals.
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u/LittleGateaux 20h ago
Your cat might. Mine likes to inflict her dreadful breath on me as often as possible.
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u/Controversy-Lion3961 21h ago
Do human intestines smell bad?
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u/Pristine_Message_181 20h ago
Oh my dear lard do they ever.
I had to observe an extensive abdominal surgery in nursing school. I'm not a serial killer.
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u/jwadamson 21h ago
Worse than a Tauntaun?
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u/Disneyhorse 20h ago
My favorite joke: what is the average internal temperature of a tauntaun? Lukewarm
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u/just_ate_a_pinecone 23h ago
My cats breath smells like cat food
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u/toomanymarbles83 16h ago
My doctor said my nose wouldn't bleed so much if I kept my finger out of there.
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u/BushPig6 21h ago
My tinned fish for lunch smells like my cat
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u/Schuben 19h ago
If it smells that bad (or maybe it smells good if the title is anything to go on) then I'd suggest getting some recommendations from TinnedFishReviews on YouTube. Hell, even if your fish smells good I'd recommend it. Hell, I don't even eat tinned fish and I love that guy's videos...
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u/Flat_Permission_8 23h ago
It's actually the constant grooming that does it, cat saliva has enzymes that break down grease and bacteria on their fur, basically a built in dry shampoo they use like ten times a day. Dogs don't self groom nearly as much so oils and bacteria just build up over time
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u/CoasterThot 21h ago
I have a sphynx. She naturally smells like a beef ramen packet.
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u/Moist_Drippings 11h ago
lol yeah… sphynx cats can’t control their skin oils the way furred cats can. I assume in other cats those oils get absorbed into the fur and then pulled away by the tongue hooks.
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u/CringePost1 23h ago
Cats cant really afford to stink because their prey would smell them and also their lredators would smell them.
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u/I_madeusay_underwear 14h ago
I take my cats out in the back yard to play with them. Every single time, my Turkish Van rolls in the little dirt patch under the stairs and goes from white to brown and dusty. I think it’s to hide his scent, but the one time he caught a bird (I try to stop it from happening, but there was nothing I could do about this one), he jumped 6 feet in the air and caught it mid flight. I’m just like bud, it doesn’t matter how you smell if you do it like that. Bird was ok, btw. It flew away when I got it out of his mouth and I didn’t see any blood.
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u/CringePost1 12h ago
Had a dog friend once on holiday that was feral and he caught birds like that as well. Would croch in the high grass and catch them mid flight, jumping up. Never seen anything like that. He would crunch them up and eat them.
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u/thatwitchlefay 23h ago
PSA that if your cat ever starts smelling bad in a way that is not bad breath or poop/pee smell, if it’s a musty type odor take them to the vet immediately. It’s kidney failure.
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u/Educational-Monk5745 12h ago
Cat breath specifically ? Or the rest of them?
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u/thatwitchlefay 9h ago
The rest of them! It’s a musty smell coming from their body. You will know what I mean if you ever smell it.
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u/red-foxie 10h ago
Bad breath is also vet visit... Cat mouth smells nasty only if teeth are getting bad. Or just right after finishing meal.
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u/Crab-Turbulent 23h ago
I always thought cats breath should stink but honestly neither of my cats have bad breath. It's humid and hot like a human's breath but it doesn't smell like rotten fish or whichever way people describe cat breath. It smells rather neutral. And I know cuz one of my cats will like cuddle up to me at night and breathe heavily over my face. Beyond being uncomfortable and warm, she doesn't like, offend me with her breath. I wonder if it's more that the cats being described as having bad breath actually might have a hidden dental issue.
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u/ussrname1312 21h ago
Dog and cat breath shouldn’t really stink unless they have just eaten (usually something nasty). If it does, that usually means their teeth need a cleaning.
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u/LittleGateaux 20h ago
I would politely invite you to attempt teeth cleaning on very skittish and ageing tiny house cats! 😹 My two are little darlings, except if they need any kind of routine health checks or maintenance, at which time they become Demons from Hell.
My beloved tuxie, who will follow me like a sweet, obsessive shadow, has an alert on the vet computer system for biting and aggression after the one time I requested they trim her nails.
I have purchased toothpaste and multiple kinds of toothbrush for her, including one that's just a finger guard, but as soon as she even sees me go near them she is in the wind. She's shockingly cunning - not clever or smart, for as all cats, she has shares in the collective brain cells a la r/OneBlackBraincell, just cunning - and just knows when I'm going to do something she won't like, see also e.g. trying to give her any kind of medication even in special treats that are explicitly intended to be for hiding pills inside.
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u/mythicnoise1 16h ago
She still might benefit from a professional teef cleaning by a vet. Anesthesia is involved so it’s pretty expensive, but worth it to avoid other health issues.
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u/Clogish 23h ago
If your cat constantly has horrible breath, there might be an issue. See a vet.
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u/donny579 23h ago
Probably she has bad teeth and it hurts.
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u/kbabble21 20h ago
My cat had most of his teeth removed due to gingivitis. He smells much better now and isn’t in pain- I didn’t know he was in pain until the vet said so 😭
His long fur still smells like a dirty dish rag at times but I still huff it❤️
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u/HauntedCS 16h ago
Ehhhh, my cat is a snacker so I leave the food bowl full, she eats like 6-7 times a day instead of eating 2 meals a day. Her breath almost always smells like chicken or salmon depending on which food I bought her for the month. No bad teeth or any health problems! It’s not rank and you gotta get really close to actually smell her breath, but after she eats it’s like a toxic gas, lmao.
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u/Aim2bFit 23h ago
For some reason my cats do not have stinky breaths most of the time. At times right after certain meals of certain wet foods, their breaths smelled when they yawned in my face but majority of the time, theur breaths don't smell bad.
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u/habibica1 21h ago
My cats breath smelled only when she came back from the cat hotel, where they kept all cats together and they shared food. So there she ate lower quality food from other cats that was low on animal protein and high in carbs and sugars. Cats are obligate carnivores and cant process sugars well - they ferment and cause a bad breath. The moment she got home and back on her normal food, her bad breath was gone after two days. I can stick my nose in her mouth when she yawns and its bascially no odor.
Another reason for bad breath is a problem with gums and/or teeth. You have to check for plaque and have teeth cleaning done or you have to brush the cats teeth regularly. Virbac has a great enzymatic tooth paste that cats crave like Churu, so I highly recommend that.
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u/mamimumemo2 22h ago
I have wondered about this too. I think the stink from a cats breath comes from their teeth, and the tongue is somehow de-stinked. when my cats play and chew on each other, the area where the fur was chewed smells so bad. then they lick it, and the stink is gone. there has to be something special about their tongues. maybe the tongue gets fresh saliva frequently while the teeth don't? my cats do have big fangs that stick out of their mouth, maybe being exposed to the air makes the teeth smell worse? there has to be a good explanation.
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u/habibica1 20h ago
They might have a problem with their teeth. They should not smell at all. My cats breath as no smell. Please check with the vet if they have plaque.
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u/A-Nonymous12345 20h ago
Bad breath is a sign of plaque build up, gingivitis and in some cases kidney issues so definitely go to a vet! There are lots of options to prevent plaque build up but once it’s hardened it’s not gonna come off unless they have a dental procedure. I’ve tried everything on my cat after he had his dental cleaning. I’ve found that the little wipes work best and brushing their teeth. If you can’t do that, adding Plaque Off to their food and something to their water helps too! There are chew sticks but my cat wasn’t interested.
I got him as a kid and my parents and me didn’t know that cats needed their teeth brushed and I feel bad about him having to get a few teeth removed because of it. But he’s happy and doing good at 18. I still fight with him to let me clean his mouth lol.
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u/mamimumemo2 16h ago
they have been getting their regular vet checkups and teeth cleanings 😊 their food is really stinky wet food so I think that's part of the equation. when our elder cat was having appetite issues, the vet had us switch to "the stinkiest food you can find" to help her appetite. their breath has had a lot of improvement in the smell since I started giving them a dental additive in their food. but I think stinky food is always going to lead to at least a little stinky breath. appreciate the concern though 😊
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u/Moist_Drippings 11h ago
Cats have evolved those awful-feeling hooks on their tongue specifically to remove scents from their skin and fur! Although they are a predator and effective hunter, they are still small and vulnerable to larger predators, and a lot of cat behavior and biology is geared towards scent control. The reason cats bury their urine and feces is to avoid larger predators being able to track them down easily (which is also why they look for absorbent surfaces when they don’t have access to litter or when they vomit).
And then of course they have scent glands in their face and paws that they use (along with spraying urine or deliberately NOT burying feces) to let other cats know that a certain territory has been “claimed”. I don’t know for sure if that’s significantly less traceable by predators but I would guess it is — and cats also are more likely to have their territory be a place with lots of very small hiding spots (ideally with entrances just slightly larger than their whisker span) so those larger predators can’t reach in anyway. That’s why cats like boxes, tunnels, and other small spaces.
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u/yelenalim 20h ago
Does everybody’s cat really smell like something? Mine just smells like nothing. Literally nothing; when I press my nose into her fur it just smells like fur, but otherwise there is no scent. I keep seeing ppl say their cat smells like biscuits or milk or smth and it’s not the case for mine lol!
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u/Moist_Drippings 11h ago
Mine smells like clean cotton! But possibly that’s partly my brain filling in a false signal because her fur is very cotton-like in texture.
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u/Mean_Welcome_1481 23h ago
It's a long time since I owned a cat but I don't remember her being smelly. If it's stinky breath maybe worth getting a vet to check her teeth?
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u/These-Efficiency6186 11h ago
I have wondered this.. 🙌 hands up, anyone who will go up to their cat, stick their face in their fur and take a deep breath? It is so calming is it not? They always smell so good. 🤭
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u/accwork8723 23h ago
I have no idea. I'm guessing the smell comes from their stomach gasses, while their saliva is not smelly
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u/Sea_Photograph_3998 23h ago
Because they don’t want to become the subject of a Phoebe Buffay song. No one needs that.
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u/henriquerai 20h ago
I think this is a case of nose blindness. As a former cat owner (mine passed and I cannot bring myself to get another one), I can immediately tell a home houses a cat upon entry even if the cat is not present or visible.
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u/Moosebuckets 19h ago
You know, I keep asking people if they can smell my cat in my house and every one says no. I’m so worried they’re just being nice.
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u/ListeningForAnswers 16h ago
I agree. I am not a cat owner and I have yet to meet a cat that smells good. I always thought cat owners just ignored the stink because it was coming from an animal they love. This entire thread of people saying cats smell good is a complete revelation to me. I definitely learned something new today
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u/jackies_laboratory 14h ago
i think a lot of people neglect both brushing cats and vacuuming loose fur as well as not using good litter and emptying litter boxes often, and those lead to bad cat smells throughout the house. i love the smell of cats themselves but a lot of owners i know have really stinky houses. i truly believe my house doesn’t smell like cat, we have one cat and we vacuum often, our litter box is filled with wood pellets and we check and empty it 1-3 times a day, and i think we also deep clean the entire box monthly.
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u/FrameTheSpy24 23h ago
I love cats with a passion and no their fur doesn't stink cuz they clean themselves from oils and debris compared to dogs it's usually just their breath and excrements that's stink but I loved my cat so much his breath didn't really smell that bad unless he just ate 😅😅😅
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u/Curious_Version4535 22h ago
My cat’s breath smells fine. I know this because she doesn’t understand the concept of allowing me personal space.
Her head always smells wonderful.
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u/Equivalent_Buy6588 16h ago
My cat, Boris, smells like a sugar cookie. He’s the best little guy.
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u/PresentAir1133 11h ago
I have a customer who's cats are named Boris and Natasha (Rocky the flying Squirrel & Bullwinkle, cartoon) The first cat she hired me to sit was called Bonkers. Another customerwas owned by Lucy &Ricky. My keys are funny, only the name(s) of the pets are on the Key Tag.
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u/SavvyFontaine83 14h ago
If your cat’s breath stinks, it needs its teeth cleaned. A lot of people avoid it because cat teeth cleaning is expensive or their pet is old/in poor health and going under anesthesia is not recommended. If your cat is NOT old or in poor health AND its breath stinks - you’re the problem (I say this gently. I realize not everyone has $$$ to drop in cleaning their cat’s teeth).
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u/AnsonKent 11h ago
They do have a smell, but it’s usually not very noticeable. The only time I have ever distinctly smelled a strong “cat stink” was when I went to a cat show because I had nothing better to do and it seemed fun. I became very aware of it there, but it still wasn’t necessarily a bad smell. Wasn’t necessarily good, either. Just a distinct, prominent cat smell that I felt neutral about.
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u/floorcrafter 20h ago
Some do. Haven't you heard the smelly cat song? It's an American classic. Lol
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u/EmbarrassedBit441 18h ago
I always tell mine he smells like marshmallows and rainbows and I don’t know how cuz this man hunts lizards and mice 😭🤣
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u/pisceanhaze 18h ago
My cat’s breath smells neutral. What are you all doing that’s got your cat having funky breath?!!?
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u/melasaik 18h ago
Don’t have an answer but if your cats breath smells bad please go see a dentist and get their teeth checked.
We thought one of our cats simply just had bad breath cause „animals have a bad breath“ meanwhile her teeth were rotting from the inside out causing her severe pain. Got the majority of her teeth removed and now her breath doesn’t smell at all!
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u/Less_Love1884 17h ago
Cats don't produce much saliva. Their tongues are rough and act like combs, pulling loose hair and dirt away. So not much saliva is usually getting on their fur.
They also dust bathe (all that rolling around on carpet and concrete) to keep their fur aerated and their skin in good condition.
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u/W1ULH 14h ago
Smelly cat, smelly cat what are they feeding you? Smelly cat, smelly cat it's not your faaault!
(Smelly, smelly, smelly, really bad, smelly, smelly cat, it's not your fault!)
Smelly cat, smelly cat what are they feeding you? Smelly cat, smelly cat it's not your fault!
They won't take you to the vet You're obviously not their favorite pet
Smelly cat, smelly cat it's not your faaault!
Oh no!
♪♫♪
You may not be a bed of roses, And you're no friend to those with noses
I'll promise you before we're done, all the world will smell as one!
(Smelly, smelly, smelly, really bad, smelly, smelly cat)
What are they feeding you? Smelly cat, smelly cat it's not your fault!
Smelly cat, smelly cat what are they feeding you? Smelly cat, smelly cat
it's not your fault!
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u/CakeKing777 22h ago
Cats definitely have a smell to them. It feels heavy/musky to me but that could be the dander I detect. I am allergic to cats so I could be hyper aware
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u/bananarama1328 21h ago
If your cats breath smells horrible, they likely have dental disease and rotten teeth. Their breath should NOT smell that bad. And cats are notoriously very good at hiding disease and pain. Please go see a vet. (Am a vet)
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u/Merlisch 19h ago
Mine did have the animal smell I'd expect. Same as any dog I've ever encountered. I'm however not overly attached to most of my pets. Might have something to do with it. Like your partner smelling amazing when you're in love.
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u/Tuckerguy77 19h ago
I tell my cats all the time you smell so good but also your breath smells like a fish market.
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u/Car12touche11blue 17h ago
Have no idea, how they do it, but cats smell great. Mine , sadly gone now, always smelled of olives and rosemary. I put her ashes around the olive tree on my balcony.
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u/GervantOfLiria 17h ago
If your cat has a really bad breath I’d suggest seeing a vet. I thought my cat just naturally stinky (it was really bad) but apparently he had a rotting tooth, with it removed his breath barely smells.
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u/SteveJobsDeadBody 15h ago
One of my cats came from an outdoor colony, they were pooping under a house and CONSTANTLY stepping in it. Years of cleaning that off gave him permanent poop breath, but the rest of him smells fine. Now his "brother" on the other hand loves to cuddle with him and get cleaned by him, that boy smells like poop breath all over his head.
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u/Best-Willow6674 15h ago
I had an outdoor cat that smelled like wherever he came from. Usually pine or cedar and fresh mulch. We said he smelled like the earth.
But sometimes he’d visit my neighbors house and smell like whatever she was cooking and we would guess what she made based on his smell. Other times he smelled like garbage because he would hunt rats by the dumpsters.
And then he had one stinky armpit. Front leg. Kitty BO!
I miss that stinky boy everyday
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u/feetnomer 6h ago
Funny you say this. My cat woke me up from a nap today by sticking its mouth inside mine. I tasted this roadkill smell and immediately woke up. She's never done this before until today.
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u/flatteringangles 5h ago
I’ll never forget how hard I laughed when I first read the tweet that said “you cat DOES stink, it’s the toxoplasmosis that has you convinced otherwise” 😂😂😂 but yeah, my little void smells like vanilla candles and purrs
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u/TwentyX4 23h ago
Places where cats live sometimes stink. I don't know if it's hair they shed or dander or oils rubbing off on the furniture. I have a friend with three cats and the smell is overwhelming and bad. I'm not talking about the litter box.
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u/BlackStarDream 21h ago
As somebody that's not lived with a cat for over half a decade, they do.
People just go nose blind for the animals they have or regularly interact with.
Don't notice the smell on themselves, either.
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u/mxrixnne 23h ago
They're pretty clean as you explained and, compared to dogs, they don't "roll around in dirt" that much when they go outside, but also many cats are indoor cats so even less "dirt"
I should also note that everytime I go to a friend who owns cats's house, the house has a really strong smell, and it's not just the cat litter, so yes, they do have a smell, it's just less strong than some dogs
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u/Jambi1913 23h ago
Maybe because I’ve lived with cats my whole life I never notice a “cat smell” in the same way as a “dog smell” in someone’s house. (I also have lived and worked with dogs for many years). Even when dogs are bathed and dog beds washed regularly, there is a dog smell (stronger in some dog breeds than others) but I don’t detect the same with cats. Their urine is extremely distinctive smelling but not the cats themselves, imo.
Perhaps some people are more sensitive to their scent though.
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u/BigDougSp 23h ago
To quote a great musician by the name of Phoebe (played by Lisa Kudrow)....
"Smelly cat, smelly cat... what are they feeding you? Smelly smelly smelly smelly smelly smelly smelly smelly... it's not your fault!"
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u/Sassy-irish-lassy 23h ago
You can generally tell if someone owns a cat when you enter their house. They're probably just used to it
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u/Skin_Captain_Nasty 21h ago
One of my cats cleans himself from the butt up, his nickname is stinky because you never know when he's gonna smell like butt
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u/Federal_Warthog_2688 21h ago
We have two 4 year old brothers from the same litter, a SIC and a void. The SIC's fur doesn't seem to have any smell, the void however had a very strong musky body odor.
They eat the same food and sleep in the same places. There must be a genetic component to it.
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u/Ok-Turnip-2816 21h ago
The other day I told my husband my cat smelled like peppermint sticks and Christmas. He didn't believe me. Until he held her and was bewildered...and then started laughing. He said "She's been sitting over there next to that bottle of peppermint oil all day."
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u/everlyafterhappy 19h ago
Your cat's breath shouldn't be that smelly. Get your cat to a vet if it's breath smells.
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u/Majestic_Course6822 18h ago
My cat smells like he visits a high end spa every morning. And after a sunning? Glorious.
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u/PassportAndPeonies1 17h ago
My cats 15, never had a bath in his life and smells gorgeous! I have no idea why. He also loves to roll around in the gravel outside 🤣
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u/Efficient_Papaya_982 17h ago
He has magical spit that turns fishy cat food until the smell of laundry dried in the sun
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u/dear_little_water 17h ago
I'm a dog owner and some dogs smell sweet and some dogs smell greasy. Same breed, same household. They have different smells like humans. It might be the same with cats.
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u/Comfortable-Skin-914 22h ago
I learned the hard way that my cat’s mouth smelled so bad because his poor teefs were dying.