My older cat has a sweet, almost chocolatey smell. Is it serious?

This makes me suspicious that one of the cats may have diabetes. If any of the cats are drinking more water or urinating more frequently then that would increase my concerns of diabetes. Also, are any of the cats losing weight? I would encourage you to consider having your cats evaluated by your veterinarian soon. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hello, I wouldn't worry about the smell of maple syrup alone. Bart probably rubbed his head on or rolled in something fragrant. Signs of diabetes in cats include increased thirst and urination and increased appetite combined with weight loss. If Bart is experiencing these signs, a veterinary exam and bloodwork would help confirm a diagnosis. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That is odd. Check her ears and see if that is where the odor is coming from. Infections in the ears can often smell somewhat sweet. Otherwise check her skin for any signs of irritation or hair loss. Is it possible that she may have rubbed against some sort of oil diffuser fr other scented object? I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Diabetics can have a peculiar odor to their breath, especially when they are producing a compound called ketones. The breath kind of smells like nail polish remover, and this can indicate that that Missy is in diabetic ketoacidosis, which is a potentially serious complication of diabetes. It's also possible that Missy has dental disease (which, by the way, can make it difficult to regulate diabetes in cats, so I would recommend specifically asking your vet about that) and that could be causing the odor you are smelling. At this point, it's worth calling your vet and inquiring whether you might need to bring Missy in to check her urine for ketones, which is the most reliable indicator of ketoacidosis.

Hello there. It is very possible that Persephone Jane has diabetes. However there are many other reasons for increased thirst in a cat, including kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or urinary tract infection. I recommend taking her to the veterinarian where she can have bloodwork to determine if she is diabetic or not. Once the cause of her excess thirst is discovered, your veterinarian can develop a treatment plan to help your kitty. Hope this helps!

Older cats have a tendency to have problems with their kidneys as they get older. This can result in their kidneys not concentrating their urine as well, so it is more dilute and has less (or no) odor to it. Kidney disease can cause a number of problems, so I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate Lilly and check a urine sample and blood work. Having more dilute urine can also predispose older cats to urinary tract infections, that will will be important to check for as well. If you have one available in your area, you might consider having a house call vet come to the house if Lilly does not do well going to the vet. You may be able to find someone near you here. http://www.homevets.org/Find_A_Mobile_Vet.html Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Diabetes is the most common cause of "sweet" urine smell due to the excess glucose that is filtered out. Occasionally UTI can alter the smell of the urine. I would recommend taking Hope to the vet to check out what is going on so she can get treatment, if needed.