Stinky Breath

I have a calico, or a mixed, we aren't too sure, its a cute story, but that cat was found by someone and we now have her. but anyways, she's about three now, and she has REALLY stinky breath. everytime she meows its a burst of ickyness. She already has a funny little meow (sometimes there isn't even a noise which is funnier), but its stinky, its almost like an acid type of smell (but its not, its just stingy). She's had a funny meow and stinky breath for a while now..but what does it mean? I could really use some advice, thank you so much

Some cats just have foul breath. My Buffy is the same way, though it's not so bad when she meows. When she yawns, there's a sort of popping sound and all of a sudden the area around her smells like hell. When she yawns, you have to be on your guard, and if you hear that popping sound, you have to run like hell.

There are some kitty breath mints available, though. I bought some once and Buffy liked them, and they actually worked. Until they ran out, that is... lol

The odor in your kittys mouth might be from bacteria & that can lead to serious health problems. She needs to have her teeth checked by your vet. She may be in pain & need some extractions or at the very least, have them cleaned. Bad breath must not be taken lightly. Their breath normally might have a slight odor but it should not be a fowl smell.
Please get her to a vet ASAP.
Lei

I second the vet. get anything with the teeth ruled out.

Thank you so much for the quick advice. i like the breath mint thought, what type of mints are these? I really wish we could take her to the vet, her sister and she really need to just have a check up (their brother got one,...he's obese :-(, but gettin better). but we can't, supposively (or what my parents tell me) we have no money, whatsoever, so that idea is out of the question at the moment (especially when we really need a car). I love my kitties so much, i don't want them to have any health problems, but if i can't take them to the vet, what can i do?

If you speak to your vet, they may be able to sort out some sort of payment plan. Other than that, have you thought of doing odd jobs? Mowing lawns, washing cars etc?

It would be best to take your kitties to the vet, just to be sure it's not a health issue!

When yas was younger she had KILLER breathe, found out that she was sick...with worms....after we cleared that up, her breath did as well. Now dont get wrong, its not like roses or anything but its not KILLER...you might want to get ur baby checked out...

P.S. Tried the breath mints-- didnt go over very well.

I definitely agree that there may be a tooth or gastrointestinal problem there... especially if it's that bad - I would do whatever you can to get them to the vet as soon as you can... if it turns out to be just bad breath (which Ollie has occasionally, but it's not unbearable) the mints work pretty well... I found two different kinds at petsmart... one kind is in a pouch and they're crunchy with a filling inside and the other kind is in a little tin (like human breath mints) and are hard and shaped like little fish... Oliver likes both

Some causes of bad breath: dirty teeth/gingivitis, intestinal parasites, cheap food. If it's a dental problem, the breath freshener is just going to temporarily cover up the problem, not solve it. Periodontal disease can lead to severe health problems. Gettin your cat's teeth checked/cleaned is the best solution.

I would get the kitty checked by a vet, the mints may temporary mask a problem also, and then the problem could get worse. I wouldn't keep a kitty if i couldn't afford it, and maybe do the odd jobs as suggested. I have a two year old that i got a year ago, and when i got him he already had severe bad breath. he is getting a tooth extracted soon, to keep him out of pain, he has bad gum problem, poor guy.