Strong odor and slimy consistency in an elderly cat's urine?

by Morgana
(Fountain, Michigan USA)

What can cause strong odor and slimy consistency in an elderly cat's urine?

Jazzpurr is and elderly 14 + year old male cat. He is otherwise healthy and happy, with a shiny coat and bright eyes. Over the winter he has lost all interest in going outside.

He often urinates outside the box. We have noticed a very strong odor in his urine. If I miss a puddle, it dries into crystals.

It seems to become slimy and sticky and hard to clean up. He drinks and eats well and has no discomfort or difficulty passing urine.

My thoughts:

I'm sorry to hear that Jazzpurr (such a cool name!) is having problems, Morgana. Even though he might not show it in other ways, Jazzpurr may be ill.

He's showing two major behavior changes (loss of interest in going outside and not using the litter box). He also has an additional sign, a change in his urine.

All the research I have says that bad smelling urine may be caused by a number of problems, including:

1) Dehydration

2) Urinary tract or bladder infection

3) Diabetes

Sticky urine can indicate diabetes or a urinary tract infection. Foul smelling urine may indicate infection or a high concentration due to dehydration.

A sickly sweet smell to the urine may indicate diabetes, and the concentration of sugar in the urine makes it harder to clean up.

As a cat parent, all of the above would point me to a medical problem. If he were my cat, I would call the vet and describe the signs you're seeing. I suspect they'll want to see him and possibly do a urinalysis.

Have you noticed an increase in thirst and increase in urination? Those may also be signs of diabetes, along with an increase in appetite but weight loss.

Has he had blood work done?

At 14 plus years old, it's time for blood work to be done. Older cats are subject to a number of common diseases and conditions, and it's important to know what's going on in his internal systems so you can manage lifestyle and diet for him.

Please contact your vet as soon as possible, and let us know how things turn out.
-Kurt