Smelly Cats

jozi

We got a kitten in the house a few weeks ago and just the other day one of my house mates noticed how he smelt a lot like piss. It obviously coming from under neat him as when you pick him up your hands smell of piss after.

Is this a common thing for kittens to do, does it go away over time? One of the girls just washed him with a wet towel to clean him up a little.
Is there anything we should be doing, what could we be doing wrong?

Jozi

EDIT: We have 2 cats at home and ive never noticed either of them to be smelling of piss

houndsoflove

How old is the kitten? If he/she is very young it will start to clean itself when it gets older. At the moment the kitten may have been used to its mother licking it and cleaning it. Maybe your other cats will start to clean it, it happens with my cats they all clean each other You can also buy a dry shampoo you apply to the coat and brush out.

Nicola.

jozi

Not sure how old he is, we got him from a kenel who took him in after he was found in a bag (presumably to be drowned). He's pretty young anyway.

The other cats are at home, we got this one in the house im renting.

I'll mention the shampoo to the girls and keep an eye on him cleaning himself

Rancid

jozi wrote:

Not sure how old he is, we got him from a kenel who took him in after he was found in a bag (presumably to be drowned). He's pretty young anyway.

The other cats are at home, we got this one in the house im renting.

I'll mention the shampoo to the girls and keep an eye on him cleaning himself

I'd really avoid the shampoo, if I were you. Luke-warm water on a piece of cotton wool and just sponge him clean would be more than adequate.
Check the litter box that the litter is deep enough to soak up all the urine fast enough so that he's not actually *sitting* in it when he goes.

Is he grooming himself at all? After eating, does he clean his paws and face?

Tabitharose

Rancid wrote:

I'd really avoid the shampoo, if I were you. Luke-warm water on a piece of cotton wool and just sponge him clean would be more than adequate.
Check the litter box that the litter is deep enough to soak up all the urine fast enough so that he's not actually *sitting* in it when he goes.

Is he grooming himself at all? After eating, does he clean his paws and face?

I'd avoid the shampoo too & use luke warm water & cotton wool

Themadhouse

Your kitten is obviously very young and as has been stated he's still learning how to do things. If he was taken away from his mother too soon he has no one to teach him. He will learn to wash himself after using the litter tray it will just take a bit of time. I'd avoid cuddling him straight after for a while tho!:D

jozi

I noticed he was licking his paws the other nite, i guesss he's learning.

He might well have been taken from his mother to soon, they found him in a bag destined to be drowned.

How much cat litter should there be in the tray?

Jesus Wept

What are they feeding you?

jozi

The-Rigger wrote:

What are they feeding you?

They don't feed me, i make my own dinners.

As for the cat, he has water (i think he had kitten milk 1x or 2x) and get wiskas kitten (i think you call them nuts?) thats whats on the pack anyway.

Rancid

jozi wrote:

As for the cat, he has water (i think he had kitten milk 1x or 2x) and get wiskas kitten (i think you call them nuts?) thats whats on the pack anyway.

Have a look at the Kitten Adoption site, it gives you all the info you need to take care of young kittens:
http://www.kittenadoption.org/kittenCare.htm

I suspect that your little guy is very young, much too young to have been separated from it's mother.
As for food, offer him some cooked skinless chicken (chopped into very small pieces) mixed with a little bit of boiled rice sometimes.
If he's on dry food, make sure he drinks enough water, just don't give him cow's milk, at all.

The cat litter should be at least 2 inches deep, it gives them good incentive to dig and cover, and clean it out regularly.
And if you keep up the cotton wool and warm water washing, he'll soon get the hang of it.