kitten with a stinky butt

by Sarah
(Philadelphia)

I just rescued a 5 week old kitten and when I brought her home I bathed her. Unfortunately her butt stinks really bad almost like vomit. To make things worse my Maltese dog follows her around licking her butt because it smells so bad, I hate picking her up because I'm afraid I might touch it and I'm afraid she will start to stink up the furniture. Please help me. I don't know what to do.

-Sarah

Answer by Kate
Hi
very young kittens like this are very susceptible to tummy upsets and infections. It may be that she has one of these which is causing the terrible smell.

the best thing to do is to have her checked by a vet to rule out any infections etc to be on the safe side.

It is pointless to try and guess the problem as you could waste time and money without a proper diagnosis. It could also be harmful to the kitten if they do not receive the correct care for their problem.

hopefully it is a simple tummy upset which will clear up with a little medication and dietary care.


I have some web pages here about general kitten care which you may also find of further interest.

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/kitten-care.html
best wishes Kate

Comments for kitten with a stinky butt

Click here to add your own comments

My kitten used to smell
by: Anonymous

I found it improves with age. My kitten used to have a horrible sickly smell around the bottom area, she's now 6 months old and it seems to have gone away by itself. It may be a coincidence but it's definitely improved since she's been going out and pooping outdoors
Owner of kitties
by: Anonymous

We have one cat that has enlarged anal glands and they give off a fishy smell right before he goes to the toilet. Then it clears up again. If your cat tends to wipe his butt on the floor or rug, this could be the reason for that also.
Kitty Wipes
by: Anonymous

They also make kitty wipes (like baby wipes) for this problem. We had a kitten who had trouble reaching his backside to clean himself when he was little, due to a neurological problem. You can find the wipes at a Petco. Eventually, his problem resolved itself and he has a "friend" (another kitty) to help him figure it out.
stinky butt due to food
by: Anonymous

My kitten had this problem when she was very young. Turns out, as soon as I stopped feeding her Purina kitten food and switched her to Iams, the problem went away very quickly.

Click here to add your own comments

Return to Cat Questions Archive two.