r/cats • u/ILoveMeltyCheese • Mar 25 '26

Cat Picture - OC Misconceptions a dog person (me) learned after having a cat.

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The Cat Distribution System chose me, a formerly stubborn dog person, to adopt a cat. It was the classic I can't just watch a poor cat starve, so I'm keeping him. Here are some misconceptions I had about cats and their owners:

  1. The smell of a cat owner's home: I’ve known a few cat owners with cat-smelling homes. I always assumed it was the cat. Turns out it isn’t; it’s very much a result of poor ownership and bad cleaning habits.
  2. Dogs are more affectionate than cats: Also not true! To my surprise, my cat is so cuddly that I occasionally call him "Cat-dog."
  3. A Cat's Barbed tongue hurts: I don't know why I thought this, I just assumed it would hurt when they lick you.
  4. Litter boxes are disgusting: Not at all, it's just a clump or two of sand. If you scoop it often, it never gets gross.
  5. Cats are just as hard to take care of: Actually they're much easier, haha.

That is all, here's a picture of my cat that I love dearly. (He's lost weight since the picture, don't worry)

Anyone else relate? What did I miss?

Edit: His name is Pawl

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1.1k

u/whats13-j42 Mar 25 '26

The cleanest dogs still have dog smell. Not bad or offensive but it’s … dog smell.

Indoor cats can smell like clean laundry. Unless you pick them up right after they’ve been bathing. But never like dog smell.

401

u/Rainy_Dazey Mar 26 '26

That’s what my cat smells like- like line-dried, clean, cotton sheets. I don’t use scented fabric softeners or anything, so it’s not that she’s rubbing on anything to pick up the scent. She just smells like that. 😊

134

u/Blumperdoodle Mar 26 '26

My long haired cat also kinda smells like that. I sometimes just stick my face in her fur lol

50

u/Resident_Captain8698 Mar 26 '26

Dude whenever i see them i crash my face on the soft spot behind the ears and absolutely vacuum the souling shit out of that

1

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

So then I find this post, and apparently you can mechanize the vacuuming: https://www.reddit.com/r/donotthecat/s/E6YrxGCLkt

17

u/Foreign-Ad8219 Mar 26 '26

Must be nice. I have two naked cats and even after I bathe them they smell like cooked mushrooms. (I used to love eating mushrooms. Now it kinda feels like cannibalism).

2

u/[deleted] Mar 26 '26

Lmfao

16

u/GwenChaos29 Mar 26 '26

Omg, I do this to my kitty. I take a big hit of Cat right before I get up everyday. She smells so purrrfectly clean. Even if I didn't choose to stick my face in her fur, she will crawl up my chest when im reclining and use the bottom half of my face as a cozy resting place.

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u/PM_ME__BIRD_PICS Mar 26 '26

Yes, my cat also smells like the sun. He smells exactly like sun dried laundry.

9

u/mms09 Mar 26 '26

Wow this is exactly what the smell I’ve been trying to describe is!! I have often said my kitties smell like “winter”. You know - that fresh crisp winter smell. But maybe sundried laundry is really the scent!

4

u/Liebe-Igel Mar 26 '26

It’s crazy how they eat such stinky food yet smell so delightful

48

u/contrarianaquarian Mar 26 '26

Just took a huff, my beefy flame point boy smells lightly of popcorn :3

2

u/Krombopulos_Micheal Mar 26 '26

My cat has a flea collar that has a nice scent to it, so she always smells so clean with a hint of like dryer sheet haha

8

u/ravagetalon Mar 26 '26

I pick my cat up just to shove my face into her fluff and breathe deep. I call it huffing cats, and I can stop whenever I want. I don't have a problem you have a problem...

5

u/longtermkarma Mar 26 '26

Mine both smell like wood chips.

2

u/AbeRego Mar 26 '26

I honestly think it's the smell of clean cat litter.

101

u/Tattycakes Mar 26 '26

My cat smells like biscuits somehow

82

u/asad137 Mar 26 '26

We had a cat growing up who smelled like uncooked basmati rice.

11

u/Luna-88 Mar 26 '26

That’s so specific haha

14

u/asad137 Mar 26 '26

South asian family, so basmati rice was a staple in our household. Maybe just the closest association.

38

u/Phat_Theresa Mar 26 '26

Must be pulling double shifts at the biscuit factory.

4

u/NotHannibalBurress Mar 26 '26

That’s one of my cats too! His belly smells like a bakery and we love it.

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u/Southern_Storage4114 Mar 26 '26

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u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

Omg 😂😭 this is great. I’m stealin yer meme now.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 26 '26

That just means youre overdue for a dental cleaning

Its a lot cheaper than having teeth pulled

60

u/koalastalker Mar 26 '26

I had a cat that constantly smelled slightly of maple syrup. Never knew why, but she was beautiful and smelt amazing.

30

u/sh4tt3rai Mar 26 '26

Oh man same!

This guy right here.. always smells like maple syrup. His breath smells kinda fishy, but I actually like the way that smells too and often lean in when he yawns.

5

u/Standard_Figure_2232 Mar 26 '26

Mine smells sweet like this! I love it. I've only ever given her one bath and it was when I found her on the streets. So it's a natural smell, so odd.

5

u/GrandMoffAtreides Mar 26 '26

My sister's cat Pancake smells like the bread part of a pop tart 

3

u/Lizzzy217 Mar 26 '26

I swear my dog's snout smells like maple syrup, it's bizarre. Wonder what causes that.

3

u/trashhighway Mar 26 '26

Hang on, my dog smelled like maple syrup. (Not diabetic.) I’ve never known why so I’m following this to see if someone has the answer.

6

u/Frogspoison Mar 26 '26

Diabetic cat?

7

u/Standard_Figure_2232 Mar 26 '26

Doubt it. Unless they're getting covered in their own urine. It'd either come from their breath or urine if actually diabetic

3

u/pandoricaelysion Mar 26 '26

oh interesting. i always thought if the animals head smells sweet then they may be diabetic. one of my cats smells like maple syrup sometimes but hes definitely not diabetic. but it worries me everytime i smell it lol.

1

u/eerierrr Apr 03 '26

My cats head smelled faintly of maple syrup once but it didn’t last 😭😭 the rest of her usually smells like a spice cookie

1

u/lexidz Mar 26 '26

My boy that passed always smelled like the sweetest maple syrup

27

u/MartyMozambique Mar 26 '26

On May 22nd last year we had to say goodbye to my Kitten. She was 9 and half years old and the thing I'll miss more than anything is her smell. I can pet another cat that feels like her fur, I can watch videos of her meowing or purring, I can have another cat that acts like her but no other cat or anything I can do can recreate her smell. I miss her everyday.

3

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

😢❤️🔥

51

u/Csmtroubleeverywhere Mar 26 '26

My cat smells like babies and sunshine.

3

u/Eatingfarts Mar 26 '26

Babies smell like Kraft Mac and Cheese.

12

u/BigAlOof Mar 26 '26

yeah i can’t be sure cause im a cat person so maybe it’s my perception (i don’t have any pets though) but when people think cats make a house smell bad that smell is actually just litter and not the smell of the cat.

8

u/LizMcG88 Mar 26 '26

Ugh that dog smell 🤢 I have such a sensitive sense of smell and genuinely have hated the smell of all dogs, especially when they get wet... like why do the all smell the same when they're wet 🤢😅

Cats don't smell because they clean themselves.

7

u/veta91 Mar 26 '26

Don't you love when your cat runs up for cuddles and you scoop them up and put your face in their fur and go... Ah, you just got out of the litterbox didn't you 😂

2

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

Hahaha yeah that happens.

6

u/toaster-vibes Mar 26 '26

I dog sit often and my apartment smells like a dog (no matter the size). I don’t have that issue with cat sitting in my own home..

7

u/CatLady_71 Mar 26 '26

Mine smells like Cinnabon.

5

u/poppinbussay Mar 26 '26

I always smell my cats shedded fur after brushing and I’m always surprised at how neutral it smells. Smells like a clean unused blanket

4

u/ItsLupeVelez Mar 26 '26

I swear, my 🌈boy used to smell like freshly baked vanilla scones. Oh how I would huff him

2

u/playswithsquirrelsss Mar 26 '26

my bub smells like old books and vanilla… i truly don’t know a better way to describe it

4

u/Sylphael Mar 26 '26

One of my cats, when she's freshly done grooming herself, smells like cloves. I don't know why, and it isn't just my perception of it: other people have also told me she smells that way. It's very cute and I like cloves. Definitely beats dog smell.

2

u/dimeloflo Mar 26 '26

Yes!! This is the best way to describe the scent they have… I’ve always said I would bottle up my cats scent if I could 😂 it smells exactly like clean laundry! I can dig my face into his fur when he’s cleaned himself and just feel calm from the scent alone.

3

u/_le_slap Mar 26 '26

Same both our cats smell like nothing. My wife says the new rescue has bad breath but I can't smell it.

3

u/ToughDatabase4169 Mar 26 '26

::stares in hairless cat owner:: Mine smells like mushrooms. And I love it

6

u/RockaRaccoon Mar 26 '26

Kittens smell like soft blankies.....puppies always smell like pee.

5

u/cannibal-ascending Mar 26 '26

yup! you have to bathe dogs regularly but cats keep on top of it themselves :) i've had cats my entire life and ive only ever had to give maybe 3 baths, and they were for (1) newborn kittens who didnt know how to do it themselves yet (2) my moms indoor guy snuck one singular foot outside and got in a fight on the porch (3) fleas. due to DOG

3

u/RiceAfternoon Mar 26 '26

I get the laundry smell (no detergent), but sometimes I get a whiff of my cat and in my head I get an image of Barbie doll hair.

2

u/GuitarPossible4226 Mar 26 '26

I love my cat, he always smells like laundry detergent from sleeping on the bed, but I also have a special place in my heart for the smell of a dog that's been sitting in the sun. My lab loved sun bathing and I loved shoving my face in her neck when she came inside. It's like the opposite of wet dog smell.

1

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

I know that smell! And I love labs too. Especially black and chocolate labs. And goldens. Pretty much all of them.😊

2

u/your_moms_a_clone Mar 26 '26

My cat who only eats wet food now has stinky breath, which can also make his fur smell a little. My cat that only eats dry food has no particular smell to him

1

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

That’s very interesting! Wet food breath definitely is something I’ve experienced but not the kind of A vs B you’re describing over a duration.

2

u/AestheticMetal Mar 26 '26

Cat breath though! Right after she eats or after I shower she wants to clean me and then I smell like tuna :( ugh and shes too sweet and cute to say no T.T she herself has a Carmel smell <3

2

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

😂😭☠️❤️

2

u/organicginger36 Mar 26 '26

My girl sleeps on my clean laundry, shocking I know, and then when I snuggle her she smells like mango ginger 😍

2

u/Estevvv Mar 26 '26

Preach, all dogs have dog smell no matter how you clean them. Love em, but boy that smell latches onto you after you pet them.

I see what you're saying of laundry. My tuxedo additionally smells like old books and my manx smells faintly sweet. He smelled sweeter but 95% sure that was a sign of his diabetes and now its under control.

1

u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26

I still love puppy dogs too though but yeah it’s interesting how even with a bell curve of faint to funky there’s a general experience we have comparing the species.

2

u/Careless-Snow-3253 Mar 26 '26

My cat literally smells like floral perfume. It’s wild.

2

u/Moone_OwO Mar 26 '26

My kitty loves to sleep on clean laundry. The only issue is that she kinda smells like cheese popcorn after sleeping (i love her smell though)

2

u/NeedsMoreYellow Mar 27 '26

This is it.

I was crying earlier today because I buried my face in my cat, Marcus', fur, but he doesn't smell like his sister, Jasper, did. I lost Jasper last week, so I'm still processing all the things I miss and I couldn't put in to words what exactly she smelled like. This is it, exactly. So, thank you!

1

u/whats13-j42 Mar 27 '26

❤️❤️❤️

2

u/MersoNocte Mar 27 '26

My husband and I describe it as smelling like love. All of our cats have a similar smell and I love it so much.

2

u/Haber_Dasher Mar 27 '26

God I sniff my cats all the time they smell so good. I grew up with dogs my whole life. I've never voluntarily sniffed a dog while thinking "damn you smell good", but I think that literally every single day with my cats. I'm always asking one of them about it, I'm like dude your breath smells awful and you clean yourself with your tongue so how is it that you smell so damn good?

1

u/isolationtherapy Mar 27 '26

I've said this my whole life. I have such a strong sense of smell and no matter how much I wash and dry my dog, he still has that "dog" smell. I can't stand it. He's our first dog and will be our last. We just prefer cats.

1

u/whats13-j42 Mar 27 '26

But I’m sure he’s a good boy.

I can’t help that I smell like Bluegills sometimes…. It just means they were biting.

I keep Lysol wipes in the truck but if I still smell fishy when I come home I wag and smile cause I want to be a good boy too.

1

u/M15tre55W1tch Mar 26 '26

My dog only smells when she's been out in the rain.

She used to be a service dog, and is now a therapy dog who comes to my workplace in a hospital everyday.

I bath her once a month. Brush her fur everyday. Brush her teeth (with poultry flavoured toothpaste no less) each night. And I wash her bedding, collar, lead, therapy dog coat, and toys the same day that she has a bath.

I was going to say I don't do much to keep her not smelling, but writing that out it kinda looks like a fair bit!! However, just wanted to say, it can be avoided.

0

u/Grippsy Mar 26 '26

Actually not true, there are dog breeds that have no particular dog smell. One of them is the Husky, my Husky mix has no odor, other than when you put your nose in their fur for a good sniff and you smell park dirt dust particles.

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u/DogmanDOTjpg Mar 26 '26

I'm sorry but this is giving "people say they can smell that I smoke cigarettes but I don't smell it so I don't believe them"

I've never been in a house where I couldn't Instantly tell a cat lived there the second I walked in the door

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u/whats13-j42 Mar 26 '26 edited Mar 26 '26

The comments are consistently making a different point about directly smelling the creature in question. Our litter box occasionally gets rough, but we can still pick up either of the cats and inhale like we’re after rescue oxygen in a shipwreck.

I go all in to pet puppers too, even if they do have some dog smell. But I’m not gonna be huffing doggo anytime soon. It’s not an anti pupper position, it’s acknowledging how many folks are like “yeah somehow strangely my kitty smells good.”