Cats that smell good

I write a website called ***** where I answer questions from readers about nature.  A reader recently wrote to me that her cat smells great.  This is her first cat and she is surprised that her cat has such a fresh smell.  I am not a cat owner myself, but most people I talk to say their cat DOES NOT smell great.  

Any ideas why some cats might smell good.  I suggested it might be from scented litter, but the reader says her cat does not have an indoor litter box and goes outside.  

Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

The way a cat smell has a lot to do with the health of his or her teeth.  Since cat's groom themselves they leave a bit of residue of their saliva on their coat.  A cat with healthy teeth will have pleasant breath and will therefore impart a pleasant smell to his or her coat.

Dental disease will cause halitosis, or bad breath.  The coat will not smell as nice after grooming in the cat with bad breath.

Other causes of a foul odor:  Anal gland secretions, ear infections, skin infections and kidney disease among others.  These can also cause foul odors.