backside stench

Ok, it's pretty gross. I never imagined I'd have so many issues with getting cats!!
It's my Pippen. His butt stinks, point blank. Sometimes he just doesn't clean himself well, sometimes he does and still has a smell. It's disturbing when he is laying on my lap and I can smell him. Even his brother tries to clean him!!
I thought (for some reason) that once he was neutered it would go away. But it hasn't. He smelled from the time I got him, at 13 weeks. I was cleaning him myself, but have realized this isn't really working. I mentioned it to the vet and she kind of looked at me like I was crazy (well it's quite noticeable!) and said some cats are better groomers than others. I don't think that's necessarily the issue.
Any thoughts, recommendations? Shall I dab vanilla extract on him EVERYDAY?

You don't actually say he is messy back there, is he? Does he have nice firm poo? I have a very long haired cat who is never messy at all back there and I think it has something to do with what I feed him because he does not spend a lot of time cleaning back there.

Hi!
Well, most times he is not messy. Sometimes, he is and that is when I will clean him with a cloth. But he stinks regardless. He is actually my short-haired one so it's easy to tell!
Maybe it is the diet, although he stunk when I got him from his last owner, but perhaps she was giving the same dry food...
Oh, yes his poo is firm, so I really don't think it's a hygiene issue. I have heard of dogs having overactive anal glands, can cats have this too?
It's pretty yucky!

What are you feeding him? Does he always stink or is he farting?
Lovely topics

You may want to ask the vet whether it could be an anal gland issue.

Bixby stunk when we got him, and it took him over a month for it to "wear off." We believe it was the difference in food quality, as his fur is much softer now as well. It wasn't a poop smell, though, more like cat BO.

So perhaps it is a food issue. I'd like to try the raw, do it myself diet. Or some other natural food. I have a natural dry food now. And yes, maybe I'll ring the vet about the gland issue.
Thanks everybody!

check to ensure it is not a gland issue ... what food are you feeding>>>?? any wet??

No, no wet food.

since you wont say what your feeding ... these ingrediants are often odur causing...

soy , corn , wheat, chicken and lamb

I have been feeding them 'The Goodlife Recipe'. It's a dry food. This is the salmon version, but I switch between the salmon and the chicken. I'll have to definitely figure out another food and see if that helps him.

Yes, check the anal gland issue, etc. with the vet.

My Dante had very smelly #2's when I got him - gradually switching him over to Nutro (wet and dry) really improved the situation.

My friend's cat had a problem similar to that. It turned out that he had an intestinal infection. Once on medication, Pariah's mysterious yet stomach-wrenching odors faded into memory, leaving only his name as a reminder of his sordid beginnings.

And yeah, like the others suggested, check the anal glands. Is it also possible that he has a muscle problem, which makes it harder to hold in the right position for pooping/grooming, so things just don't go as well? It's a shot in the dark, but I've heard weirder.

the goodlife is IMHO not a good food ....

do you shop at the grocery or can you get to a pet store??