Stinky Mimi

Another indelicate post; do not read while eating.

When we first got Mimi, I noticed that she had an odor, especially near her hind end. It smelled like it could be urine, so I thought that her long hair was collecting a little pee each time she went. She is such a sweet, snuggly cat, that I could stand a little urine smell.

Then, I noticed that the room she usually occupies really stinks. I thought it was the litter box, but it wasn’t. I thought it was the cat food, but it wasn’t. I think it’s Mimi. The stench in the room is different from the pee smell. It smells like musty poop. Sometimes, this smell emanates from Mimi as well. I just thought she had some nasty farts.

I mentioned Mimi’s stinky state to the lady I adopted her from. This is what the cat lady had to say: “Mimi may have problems with her anal glands if she is smelly. She had that problem when I first took her into my house, but I attributed it to the change in diet (don't know what she ate out on the street) versus the change in environment. I expressed them and she was fine. If you've never expressed a cat's glands before, you may want to take her to your vet to do it.”

Naturally, I was absolutely disgusted and repulsed. Then, I resolutely set to gathering information on what an anal gland is and why and how it is expressed. While there is a wealth of information on the internet, I found it a little difficult to sift the useful websites from the many porn sites that come up when you type “anal” into a search engine. Finally, I learned that these glands (located near the anus) are normally expressed (squeezed) when the cat goes #2. However, on a domesticated diet, the cat’s stool is usually too soft to press on the gland on the way out. Some cats then accumulate a stinky build-up and the gland can become infected. Besides the stench, scooting (when the animal drags its butt on the floor) is another sign of a plugged anal gland. Mimi stinks, but isn’t scooting, so her condition must not be too bad yet.

Although I haven’t been able to find instructions on how a person expresses an anal gland, I have a feeling that it has something to do with stinking one’s finger in a very unpleasant place. I am not doing that. I will find a vet or groomer and pay them exorbitant amounts of money if only they can make the stink stop.

For long term maintenance, I bought 10 pounds of wheatgrass seed. I’m hoping more fiber in Mimi’s diet will help her “express herself.”