Do you love the smell of maple syrup? The sweet scent is sure to make your mouth water, but what about your feline friend? Turns out, their fur smells just like maple syrup too!
Some cats even have a strong maple syrup smell. Why does this happen, and is it harmful to cats? Let’s take a look.
Why Does My Cat’s Fur Smell Like Maple Syrup?
Many possible causes of a cat’s fur smelling like maple syrup exist. One reason for this is most likely because certain oils and chemicals in maple syrup are similar to those found in the feline’s skin and hair.
Cat’s fur smells like maple syrup when they lick their fur extensively. When they do, they ingest the oils and sweat on the skin. These chemicals combine with bacteria on the cat’s fur to produce that maple syrup scent.
Feline odor is also associated with warmth and friendliness, so people often like cats because of their unique scent. The smell can be unpleasant to some people, but it’s generally considered non-offensive.
Another possibility is that the cat has eaten a lot of maple syrup or when they have rubbed their face against something that has been covered in the sweet substance.
If you’re curious as to what might be causing your feline friend’s sweet smell, speak with your veterinarian about your cat’s symptoms and possible treatments.
What Are the Health Implications of This Smell?
When you pet a cat, you essentially stick your nose directly into its fur. Unfortunately, this means that the fur on your cat’s body can contain a variety of smells, one of which is maple syrup. While this smell may be pleasant to some people, it can also pose health risks to others.
The main concern with a cat’s fur smelling like maple syrup is the risk of asthmatic reactions. When cats lick their fur, they essentially inhale particles that can cause an asthma attack in susceptible individuals.
In addition, the scent of maple syrup can also aggravate respiratory problems such as bronchitis and pneumonia in humans.
If you have a cat and experience symptoms such as wheezing or shortness of breath after being near it, it is best to avoid contact with the animal entirely.
How to Prevent Your Cat From Smelling Like Maple Syrup
If you love your cat, you know how important it is to keep them clean and smell good. Unfortunately, one of the ways that cats can become smelly is by emitting a smell called maple syrup. If your cat starts to emit this smell, you can do a few things to prevent it from happening.
- Make sure that they are getting enough exercise. Running around and playing will help them to release smells, which will then dissipate over time.
- Bath them with a good shampoo regularly. Bathing your cat will help remove any smells that may be giving them away and clean them up.
- Make sure that they don’t eat many sweetened things, such as candy or fruit. By limiting their diet to something like meat and vegetables, they’ll be less likely to produce strong-smelling odors.
- Make sure you keep their environment clean and free of any food or toy smells that might attract your cat to the maple syrup scent.
- Be sure to change their litter often – this will help reduce the number of bacteria that can cause your cat to develop a strong maple syrup smell.
- Keep her clean and groomed regularly – this will help prevent any bad smells from developing in the first place.
Cat Shampoo to Prevent Your Cat From Smelling Like Maple Syrup
Bath time is one of the favorite times of day for cats. They love to bathe and get all cuddly afterward. Unfortunately, some people don’t realize that bath time also doubles as a great opportunity to give their cat a good shampooing.
Not only will this remove any oils or sweat that may have built up over the day, but it will also cleanse any unwanted smells, like maple syrup.
Here are some good cat shampoos you can choose to cleanse unwanted maple syrup smell from your cat.
Feature:
- KILLS ADULT FLEAS & FLEA EGGS - Provides flea treatment, killing adult fleas and flea eggs on your dog or cat to prevent reinfestation.
- KILLS TICKS - Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo With Precor kills ticks on contact.
- KILLS LICE - Lice travel on pets, too, and Adams Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo With Precor kills lice on contact.
- SENSITIVE SKIN FORMULA - Formulated with soothing aloe vera, lanolin, coconut extract, and oatmeal makes it paw-fect for pets with sensitive skin.
- CONDITIONS AND RESTORES SHINE - Leaves your pet’s coat soft, shiny, and manageable. And very snuggly.
Feature:
- DID YOU KNOW CATS NEED BATHS TOO Even though cats groom themselves, cats should be bathed every 4-6 weeks, or more often for cats that have dermatitis, skin allergies, or who are overweight and cannot reach all parts of their body
- Join the millions of pet parents who can't get enough of Burt's Bees for Pets by using America's pet grooming brand. Try Burt's Bees Hypoallergenic Cat Shampoo
- MADE WITH THE HIGHEST QUALITY 99.7% NATURAL INGREDIENTS - This Burt's Bees cat shampoo includes 99.7% natural ingredients like shea butter and honey
- HYPOALLERGENIC SHAMPOO FOR CATS - This kitty shampoo is free of fragrances, sulfates, colorants, and harsh chemicals that irritate sensitive cat skin, making this a great cat shampoo for sensitive skin
- A MUST-HAVE FOR CAT BATHING - Add this shampoo for hypoallergenic cats to your cat supplies kit so that you always have your premium cat shampoo on hand when you need it
Feature:
- DID YOU KNOW CATS NEED BATHS TOO? Even though cats groom themselves, cats should be bathed every 4-6 weeks, or more often for cats that have dermatitis, skin allergies, or who are overweight and cannot reach all parts of their body
- ODOR CONTROL WITH BAKING SODA - This oatmeal cat shampoo includes the signature Arm and Hammer baking soda to naturally control and remove cat odors
- TEARLESS KITTEN SHAMPOO FORMULA - This kitten safe shampoo is made without harsh chemicals that burn eyes
- SWEET ALMOND SCENTED KITTEN SHAMPOO - This kitten wash is naturally derived and adds a hint of sweet almond scent after every wash
- NATURAL KITTEN SHAMPOO - The natural ingredients in this cat shampoo - oatmeal & baking soda - effectively work together to tackle odors and keep your pet's coat clean while moisturizing dog dry skin
Conclusion
Many possible reasons a cat’s fur might smell like maple syrup. Your cat’s fur smells like maple syrup mainly because they lick their fur to get the scent.
Or perhaps their diet includes a lot of maple syrup, or they’ve been licking the container where the maple syrup was stored.
Regardless of the reason, it’s important to take your cat to the veterinarian if their fur odor becomes unbearable, as there may be a medical issue that needs to be addressed.
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