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Juul Smells Like Cat Pee (Why? & What Now?)

If your Juul smells like cat pee, you may be wondering why, and what you can do about it.

Why does my Juul smell like cat pee?

Your Juul may smell like cat pee for one of two reasons. Either you got unlucky, and your disposable cartridge is faulty or just not pleasant, in your opinion. Or, you have a cat and they have literally peed on it.

So, now you know why your Juul may be smelling like cat pee. Keep reading to learn how you can stop this smell, the chances of the smell actually being cat pee, why some cats pee on random objects, and so much more.

 

What is Juul?

Juul smells like cat pee.

Juul smells like cat pee.

A Juul is an e-cigarette that Juul Labs Inc. designs to look like a flash drive, and it’s rechargeable using a magnetic USB charger. Juul packages nicotine salts from leaf tobacco (instead of freebase nicotine like its competitors) into disposable cartridges (Juul pods).

Juul history

In 2015, Juul got a patent for nicotine salt preparation. Juul’s nicotine salts feel much more like smoking traditional cigarettes than any other e-cigarette on the market. Juul aims to provide a nicotine peak at five minutes, like a conventional cigarette.

Each Juul pod contains just about the same amount of nicotine as a traditional pack of cigarettes. Each Juul pod contains nicotine salts, propylene glycol, glycerin, and flavorings.

How can you stop your Juul smelling like cat pee?

There are a few things that you can try to stop your Juul smelling like cat pee, here are some for you:

01. Try a different Cartridge

The chances are you just don’t like the type of e-juice you purchased. If this is the case, you can simply buy a different cartridge and chalk it up as a bad experience, and learn from it.

02. Clean the tank and atomizer

Another option is to clean the tank and atomizer of your Juul to see if this makes a difference. This may, or may not work. But, it’s worth trying, and it’s a cheap quick fix if it does work, right?

03. Change the location of your Juul

If your cat has genuinely peed on your Juul, it’s worth thinking of how this happened. Do you keep it in a vulnerable place at night? Could it be too close to your cat’s territory? If that’s the case, simply move it to a different place going forward.

Is it normal for a Juul to smell bad?

It is not normal for a Juul to smell bad. Juul is almost absolutely odorless. You may only smell Juul in confined spaces. If your Juul smells bad, you should discontinue use immediately and contact the company for assistance because the Juul was likely expired or contaminated.

Is there a chance your cat peed on your Juul?

There is a small chance that your cat peed on your Juul. But, it is quite a small chance. But, it is worth evaluating where you put your Juul when you are not using it. And, if your cat has displayed any other behavioral issues recently.

A common feline behavioral problem reported to veterinarians is inappropriate urination; it accounts for fifty percent of behavioral referrals. At least ten percent of cats develop urination problems in their life. In fact, it’s the leading reason people give up their cats.

Why do some cats pee on random objects?

We can break up the causes of inappropriate feline urination into four categories:

  • Medical problems
  • Litter box aversion
  • Territorial
  • Attraction to another location.

When your cat is exhibiting inappropriate urination, the first step is to rule out medical issues. The best way to begin ruling out medical problems is to contact your vet, they may run some tests like urinalysis or bladder x-rays.

Medical problems

The medical problems that could cause a cat to urinate inappropriately are:

  • Idiopathic stress-induced cystitis
    • Urgency and sense of inflammation with no identifiable cause
  • Bladder stones
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Urinary crystals (Less common)
  • Bladder tumors (Less common)

Litter Box aversion

Cats can be very picky creatures, but preference is not the only factor at play with litter box aversion. If a cat has had negative experiences in the litter box, such as urinary obstruction or constipation, they could develop litter box aversion.

When eliminations happen near but not in the litter box, that is a common sign of litter box aversion, but not all cats with litter box aversion display this behavior.

Another reason a cat may experience litter box aversion is that the litter box you provide for your cat is a covered litter box; cats tend to prefer uncovered litter boxes for some of the following reasons, such as:

  • Cats’ noses are 60-100 times stronger than ours, so they don’t like to be closed up in their own private kitty Porta-Potty
  • Cats are prey animals and feel vulnerable while using the litter box, so they like to have an open line of sight to spot any potential threats.
  • Cats may feel threatened by any new change, such as new children, new pets, houseguests, conflicts with other pets (Click here if you have a Gerbil), etc. Any of these things could make a cat feel territorial and begin marking inappropriately to make themselves feel more secure.

Solutions for litter box aversion

There’s a synthetic pheromone called Feliway (Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad) that you can purchase in diffusers and spray, and fill your home with, that will trick your cat into thinking that their pheromones are all over the house, and can deter them from having the desire to mark by urinating.

Attraction to another location.

Finally, cats prefer their litter box to be in a low-traffic, quiet and easily accessible location. If the place you’ve put the litter box is not working for your cat, they may simply prefer somewhere else and would like you to move their box.

Why does cat pee smell so bad?

Cat pee smells (Click here to see if Jeyes Fluid will help) so bad because it is comprised of urea, uric acid, other electrolytes, sodium, urobilin/urobilinogen, pheromones, creatine, and bacteria, cat urine smells worse the older it gets.

The urea gives off an ammoniacal odor as the bacteria go through the first stage of decomposition. The second stage of decomposition develops the same compounds that give skunks their smell: pheromones.

What is Ammonia in cat pee?

Ammonia in cat pee (Click here if your urine smells similar, and you are on a Keto diet) is the bacterial decomposition of urea (the primary component of urine) creates ammonia in feline urine.

What are the dangers of Ammonia in cat pee?

People who suffer from pre-existing respiratory issues, such as asthma or bronchitis, are at risk of acute exacerbation from breathing in the high levels of ammonia in cat urine. Runny nose, itchy skin, and red eyes can be signs that complications are arising.

Cat urine can cause headaches if the odor is severe. There is a rare bacteria (Leptospira interrogans) in cat urine that can cause life-threatening health issues if it enters the bloodstream, such as:

  • Fever
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Kidney damage
  • Liver damage

Leptospira interrogans makes contact with the skin and can “corkscrew” down through your skin and into your bloodstream. Avoid contact with the urine of cats; also, dogs and rodents, as they also carry leptospira interrogans).

Living in a poorly-ventilated home with more than one cat, or a house where no one cleans up the cat urine right away, ammonia becomes ever-present, and the air quality is compromised. Long-term exposure to heavy ammonia can lead to:

  • Lung irritation
  • Coughing
  • Respiratory infection
  • Bronchitis
  • Pneumonia

Does male cat urine smell worse than females?

Due to the testosterone levels present in male cats, and not in females, male cat urine smells worse than females’. This part of cat urine smells worse and worse as time passes and the urine breaks down, and also, it doesn’t wash away with regular household cleaners.

You can find enzyme cleaners (Click here to see the price, on Amazon #Ad) that can break down this sulfur-based compound and get rid of it for good. If carpet (Click here if its new carpet), padding, and subfloor have been too heavily saturated, cleaning may not be enough, and replacement may be necessary down to sections of the subfloor.

Lindsey Browlingdon