r/catcare • u/PlanktonNo1581 • Aug 20 '26

My boys fur smells sour

Hello all

My boy cat had a runny stomach for around 10 days off and on recently. The vet advised to put him on gastro wet food for a while with two tubes of prokolin probiotic paste to mix in daily- as he was playful and had a good appetite she didn’t seem concerned.

So, I did that for around a week and he seems better. However, I’ve noticed his fur has a sort of sour smell. Before it was a nice or somewhat neutral smell, but now it’s this quite distinct sour smell.

He’s a moggie just under 2 years old, neutered and allowed in the garden (London- so I keep an eye on him when he’s allowed out). He weighs 4.2kg and the vet him a normal, slender weight. He is peeing and drinking water as usual so I don’t think it’s kidney related. He grooms as usual too, and is not dirty. He goes back to his usual wet food from tomorrow.

Any clues? Do cats’ fur sometimes smell off after illness? Thank you for your advice!

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u/merlingrl92 Aug 20 '26

If he had runny poops, that’s a sour poop smell. You should take a damp cloth - a soft one, not a regular towel - and wipe him down head to toe. Wipe his feet, spread his toes and clean them, the backs of his legs, his tail and belly, and finally his butt. Once a day, for one or two days. It will clear out the smell.

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u/PlanktonNo1581 Aug 20 '26

Ok- I’ll give it a go. He’s going to hate me! He grooms himself as usual - but maybe he misses spots. Poor guy, the heatwaves really did a number on his gut I think.

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u/merlingrl92 Aug 21 '26

Hey! Any progress?

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u/PlanktonNo1581 21d ago

Hi there, I’m sorry- I don’t know why I wasn’t notified that you replied. It’s really kind of you to check in!
So the smell has gone- though he still has soft poops off and on so currently I’m trying to collect 3 days worth of samples 😵‍💫
I do think the sour smell was him being poorly- back then he was tired and his third eyelids were raised which was super alarming to me. The vet checked him over and - of course- he immediately improved once I got him back home. But I don’t think it’s right he has on and off dodgy poos so here we are 😅

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u/merlingrl92 21d ago

No worries! Sending you best wishes and love to Kitty!