smelly kitten

I adopted an eight month old kitten about a week ago. She is doing super! The only problem... she smells!!! I guess it is a urine odor? At first I figured it was because she was kept in a cage at the Animal Shelter. I thought it was probably from laying on urine soaked paper/blankets. Shouldn't the odor begin to lessen if this was the cause? Her whole body smells, not just her hind end. She does bathe her self, She uses her cat box just fine, and is a healthy kitten. Any ideas on why she stinks so bad??? I would really rather not try and give her a bath. I have only had her for a week and I don't want to freak her out. I did purchase a package of "cat wipes". I tried to wipe her down with one but she was not too impressed. I was able to get her back end but it didn't help the smell. If anyone has experienced this problem or knows why she would smell so bad, I would love to hear your advice. Thanks!!!

Unfortunately for you, the only thing I can suggest is a bath. I don't know why she smells so bad, but I'm sure a thorough bath will do the trick.

Yuck, I would have called the Animal Shelter over that to ask if someone wasn't keeping up on cleaning very well -some kittens will pee on their bedding, it should be checked a couple extra times.

Get a cat safe shampoo and go read through the Care & Grooming for tips on bathing.