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My kitten's pee smells really strong. Is it a UTI? What should I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 4 months and 11 days old | 4 lbs

My kitten's pee smells very very strong. What could it be, UTI maybe ? What should I do?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Amber W

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on August 12th, 2017

Hello and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes it may be normal for a kittens urine to have a stronger odor especially if the urine is very concentrated. You may want to try feeding an all canned diet with water mixed in to help reduce the urine concentration. However, sometimes a UTI can cause a change in urine odor.

As long as Beasty is using the litter box normally and not having urinary accidents or going urinating small amounts frequently, I would be less concerned about a UTI. However, if changes in her urination habits occur (like straining to urinate, frequent urination, crying while urinating) or if she stops eating or drinking or becomes lethargic it would be a good idea to schedule a vet visit. Also, if the urine odor persists you may want to bring a sample to your veterinarian to have it evaluated. I hope this is helpful!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD
Veterinarian
Published on April 30th, 2018
Hi Christine! It is certainly possible that Meow's stronger smelling urine could be related to a medical issue, such as a urinary tract infection or crystals in her urine, but it could also be due to something as simple as reformulation of the litter's deodorizer. It would be ideal to take Meow to her vet for an exam and urinalysis to determine if any medical issues are present. I hope this helps and that all goes well!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Debi Matlack
Veterinary Technician
Published on May 9th, 2019
I suggest getting your cat in to see your vet for an exam and urinalysis. She may be starting a urinary tract infection and you're seeing early signs. Your vet will give her a thorough physical, obtain some urine for analysis and based on these results, be better able to tell you what is going on and how best to treat it. Thank you for being a good cat parent and keeping her environment clean and catching symptoms of potential trouble early.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 19th, 2020
Most cat urine is pretty strong, but if it has a fishy odor or really abnormal pungent odor, then it is likely he has a UTI. Get his seen by your vet soon who can do a urine test on him and find out for sure. If he does, then typically a short course of antibiotics should clear things up. The vet will also check to make sure he doesn't have any urinary crystals as well.

I hope that Curious George's urine issues resolve soon! Best of luck and take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on September 29th, 2017
He is probably suffering from a urinary infection, you will need to take him to the vet in order to get the urine analysed, if he has an infection he will need a course of antibiotics, this will resolve the problem within a few weeks.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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