My cat's rear smells like garlic after being scared. Is it anal glands?

It sounds like the odor you are describing is discharge from Ed's anal glands. Anal glands are a scent marking gland (as you could guess) since they produce a very strong odor. It is normal to animals to express anal gland material when very stimulated or startled. I have attached an article below that describes anal glands. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=625 I had this occur with one of my cats when he was young, but it no longer is a problem. However, I would recommend having your vet examine Ed's anal glands to make sure they are not overly full. Sometimes cats will need their anal glands expressed intermittently to prevent them from expressing them. Good luck! Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Cats have two small scent glands on either side of their rectum called anal glands - if these glands have been leaking a little or if she has expressed them recently, you may notice a very strong odor from her rear end. You can try cleaning the area around her rectum with some warm water and soap to help get rid of the smell. If this is a recurring problem, I recommend having her seen by a vet to check for infection or impaction of the glands.

Cats and dogs have scent glands on either side of the anus called anal glands. The material in the glands is very stinky and often described as smelling fishy. Most wild animals can empty these glands voluntarily for scent marking or in self-defense (like a skunk might do), but dogs and cats have largely lost their ability to empty these sacs voluntarily. They normally release these glands during defecation, but can also release with excitement or stress. So, if Ariel struggled or got excited when you moved her, she likely expressed her anal glands. It is not anything to be concerned about, but can certainly be stinky, so you may need to clean the area of the couch that she was licking to get rid fo the smell. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like it may be fluid from the anal glands. Most cats do not have anal gland issues but some do. I recommend to have the anal glands expressed by his veterinarian. He may need this done periodically. There is also a supplement called Glandex that will help his body to naturally express the glands during a bowel movement. You will feed this to him every day. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is nothing necessarily that should make your cat's urine smell like garlic, but it may be possible that Butter's urine is just much more concentrated than your other cats. I would ensure that she is drinking enough water and not dehydrated, as dehydration leads to concentrated, very smelly urine. If she seems to be drinking a comparable amount to your other cats, I would not be worried. If she is acting abnormal in any other ways, I recommend having her seen by your veterinarian for an exam and a urinalysis. Your vet can test the urine for any abnormal chemicals such as sugar or ketones, or test for infection, that may cause it to smell different from your other cats. I hope this is helpful!

I bet you are smelling anal sac/gland fluid. They are scent glands dogs have just inside there rectum. They are supposed to express a small amount every time they defecate, but sometimes they will leak if they get startled, or bark forcefully. If this is an occasional problem it is normal. If she is scooting or licking her rear end or otherwise acting uncomfortable then she should be evaluated by your veterinarian to make sure she doesn’t have an infection. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

No, that would not be part of normal mating behavior. It's more likely that Snoops was stressed by the other cat's presence and released his anal glands because of that. Many cats are very territorial so having an intruder can be very upsetting.