So I've got two female cats, a 1 year old and a 6 year old, and the younger one has such an ammonia stench to her pee that it's utterly noxious.
Common suggestions online are that the cat is dehydrated - which with two water fountains, wet food twice a day, and the sheer monsterous size of the pee clumps, is not the case. They've got three litter boxes which are scooped daily, so it's also not like we're leaving things to fester and grow more pungent. It's not a new development, her pee has always been really potent, so I'm also not thinking UTI.
I've tried sprinkling baking soda in the litter after scooping, which helps a bit with residual smells, but I'm looking for any suggestions to counter this constant ammonia assault.
The culprit:
Mirroring what others have said, see your vet! Kidney dysfunction is extremely common in cats, and as with most medical issues it's much, much better to address it early before it snowballs.
One possibility is that your cat is getting too much protein and her kidneys are struggling as a result. This is unusual (cats naturally need lots of protein), but not unheard of. When you visit your vet, make sure you discuss diet in detail.
This! Yes, cats are obligate carnivores, but every one is an individual with unique physiological needs. Excess protein is passed out of the body in different ways. Diet modification could be helpful.
To best help your vet, try to get the Typical Analysis of your cat's foods. This is different from the Guaranteed Analysis found on pet food packaging. Guaranteed Analyses offer nutrient values in minimums and maximums rather than the actual percentage of the nutrient found in the food. This is very important. A food may say 35% protein minimum in the GA, but that could be a way higher number in actuality. Since you feed wet food, I would recommend requesting these nutritional values on a dry matter basis rather than an as-is or as-fed (these mean the same thing) basis.
Not all pet food manufacturers provide the Typical Analysis for their products on their website, as it's not legally required. If this is the case for your cat's food, please reach out to their customer service team to ask for this information. They should have no problem providing it for you. If they do, I'd seriously recommend switching foods.
I've worked in veterinary medicine and as a nutritional product specialist for a pet food manufacturer. If I can help, please feel free to message me. I hope you're able to figure this out for your kitty!
Thank you for the detailed reply! I feed them wholehearted wet food for breakfast and dinner and dry kibble for lunch. I'll see about getting my hands on the Typical Analysis for their food.
You're very welcome, and I hope it's helpful!