Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are we feeding you???

[BettyBotter]

Help please!
Bettycat is 12 years old and getting seriously stinky. I think the smell is probably bad breath so am thinking it's maybe a tooth decay type issue but she also seems to have an occasionally squirty bum - yeuggghhh. Luckily she tidies herself up. Apart from that she seems fit as a fiddle and eats, plays, pounces on the dog and scampers round like a young'un. (No diet change except for plenty of supplementary small rodents and birds and the odd goldfish )

The vet is obviously going to get a handsome cheque visit but I am trying to cover all bases first as Bettycat is extremely vet phobic. She's always been a feisty little thing and will sink teeth and claws into any moving human flesh. There is no way on earth she'll let the vet look in her mouth without GA.

So, wise MN feline-ophiles, what would the vet be telling me to feed her? What else can I do to cure the stink? Any advice?

It's almost certainly a tooth/gum problem. And it's amazing but vets seem to be able to look in the mouths of even the most difficult of cats, barring totally feral of course.

There is no other option. She has to go to the vet. (You don't want to be like the owners in the song do you? As I'm sure she is in fact your favourite pet and of course it's not her fault )

Yes, CN. I knew you'd say that really. I'll book her a vet trip tomorrow. (Not letting her read this over my shoulder).

Would her slightly drippy bum be related? Why on earth do we have cats?

Best of luck with that then. And no, I think the drippy bum will be something else again and probably related to the occasional rodent or some such. If it's only occasional I wouldn't worry about that too much. Do of course mention it to the vet while you're there though.

Hi CN
Just wanted to let you know after your help that Bettycat has been to the vet and is booked in for a GA on Monday for further investigation. It doesn't look too good and the vet is muttering the C word but I still think it's an infection that will be knocked on the head by some antibiotics and a tooth extraction. It's come on very suddenly after all.

We warned the vet about Bettycat's prediliction for vet flesh and the vet clamped the back of her neck with a bulldog clip to calm her - seemed to work!

Thanks for your input.

Oh dear. I hope you're right (and I'm inclined to think you might be). Well done for getting her to the vet and fingers crossed for Bettycat.

at a bulldog clip! I hope it isn't cancer, poor puss.

It was cancer. I'm shocked - I was so sure it was a bit of tooth decay. The vet advised us it would be kindest not to wake her up.

Oh gosh I'm so sorry. It was the kindest thing you could do for her and she hasn't suffered and I'm sure she had a lovely life with you.

Thanks CN The good thing was she was active, happy and hungry to the very end.

I'm sorry to hear about your cat

I'm so sorry, Betty.

Aww - I'm so sorry. Must have been a shock for you

Oh dear, poor cat. I am so sorry. Such a horrible disease.