My cats litter box smells like ammonia

Our cats’ urine smells of ammonia in many cases. Ammonia in cat urine smells somewhat disgusting, unpleasant and lasts for quite some time. As a pet parent of a cat, you probably worry about how strong their urine smell is. Why does cat pee smell so bad? Is it normal? Or should you be worried? Let's find out!

"When urea is broken down, it produces amines that will break down further into mercaptans (also found in feces of other animals and skunk spray). Now this is why your cat's urine smells like ammonia."

Composition of Cat Urine

Why does cat pee smell so bad? Cat urine is made up of different chemicals like uric acid, creatinine, electrolytes, and urea. When urea is broken down, it produces amines that will break down further into mercaptans (also found in the poop of other animals and skunk spray). Now this is why your cat's urine smells like ammonia. To make it even simpler to understand, ammonia is created by the bacterial decomposition of urea, the primary component of urine.

According to Pet Health Network, a normal cat urine odor for an adult cat who has been spayed or neutered, chances are your furbaby's urine smell isn’t too strong. Normal urine will have a slightly pungent, acidic scent that is fairly inoffensive and generally weak.

However, if you noticed your cat’s urine has a very strong odor that already stings the nose, there is a probability that your furbaby might be onto something that requires veterinary attention.

What Could Cause This Strong Urine Smell in Cats

What does cat pee smell like? Well, in most cases it’s true that cat pee smells like ammonia. Make sure you identify what causes your cat's urine to smell strong and address it. Nobody wants an unpleasant ammonia smell in the house! Address it and keep your cat and other family members happy and healthy!

When you have cats, it’s not uncommon for the litter box to occasionally start stinking up the house. It’s your cat’s bathroom, after all. Sometimes, though, you might notice your house beginning to smell distinctly like ammonia. That would be due to your cat’s urine.

But why does it smell like that, and is it normal? It is normal to an extent for your cat’s urine to smell a bit like ammonia, so if you only smell a little, don’t worry. However, if the odor is really strong, it’s less normal—and there are several reasons why the ammonia smell could be more pungent than usual.

Why Does Cat Urine Smell Like Ammonia?

Cat urine typically doesn’t smell like much since it mainly consists of water, much like our own. Other than water, urine is made up of uric acid, urea, sodium chloride, creatine, detoxified substances, and electrolytes. Urine left to sit will eventually have bacterium start breaking down the urea, which releases the ammonia odor.

It’s rare to get that strong ammonia scent if your cat is using the litter box like usual because the litter will cover the odor. Typically, you wouldn’t notice this smell unless your cat was marking territory around the house. However, there are a few reasons your cat’s urine could smell more like ammonia than usual, even when it’s in the litter box.

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The 5 Reasons Your Cat’s Urine Smells Like Ammonia

Below are some of the reasons, other than not using the litter box, that your cat’s urine could be giving off a more pungent ammonia odor than it typically does.

1. Dehydration

Cats aren’t always fans of drinking water. It’s suspected this is because of their history as predators who got most of their moisture from their prey, but today’s cat usually isn’t out hunting. So, if your pet isn’t drinking enough or getting enough water from wet food, they could easily become dehydrated. They could also be suffering from an underlying illness that’s making them dehydrated. And because dehydration means less water in the urine and more concentrated waste, it can make the ammonia smell of their pee stronger.

2. Inadequate Diet

As a cat owner, you’re aware that cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need meat to thrive. Cats also require a lot of protein in their diets, which they get from this meat. One of the reasons protein is so vital to cats is because of the amino acids it contains—deficiencies in the amino acids can lead to health problems for your pet. In fact, one amino acid in particular—arginine—is essential in getting rid of ammonia from your cat’s body. So, if they aren’t eating enough protein and have an arginine deficiency, their urine could smell more like ammonia than it typically does (and they might end up with a toxic amount of ammonia in their blood).

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3. Hormones

If you have a male kitty who’s not been neutered, it will emit some powerful and pungent hormones when it goes to the bathroom that makes urine reek. This is done to mark their territory—it’s a message to other males to stay away and an invitation to any females in the area.

4. Urinary Tract Infection

If your kitty is dealing with a urinary tract infection, chances are good they’ll be using the bathroom outside the litter box, leading to some stinky urine odors. The stronger ammonia smell could also be because of the bacteria that are present and causing the infection. Other signs your cat could have a urinary tract infection include going to the bathroom frequently, having trouble urinating, and blood in the urine.

5. Illness

It’s not just urinary tract infections that can cause urine to smell worse; other illnesses can do the same. One example is proteinuria, where excess protein builds up in your cat’s urine. And if you have an older cat, they could be having issues with their kidneys, as kidneys stop functioning as well with age, which can also lead to more potent urine odors.

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Conclusion

It’s normal for your cat’s urine to smell a bit like ammonia, but it shouldn’t usually smell too much like it. Most of the time, you shouldn’t notice a smell (unless your pet has decided not to use the litter box). If you are smelling a strong ammonia odor, there are several reasons that could be, including issues with your kitty’s food and drink, illness, infections, and hormones. You can easily change your cat’s diet and encourage them to drink more water. You can also fix hormone issues by neutering your cat. As for the rest, it’s advised you take your pet to the vet, so they can figure out the exact cause of the increased smell of ammonia and remedy the situation.

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