On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 19:28:49 -0800, Dennis Carr
wrote:

A general rule, as I have read, is that bad breath is a harbinger of
illness in your cat in one form or another.

But here's the thing - what should I be smelling for?

It's granted that my cats are probably never going to have minty fresh
breath as they seem to have an aversion to my tin o' Altoids, so smelling
for anything can be a not-so-pleasant experience as a general rule. As
such, is there a characteristic odor that one could keep an eye.... well,
a *nose* rather, out for, and if it's anything specific (oppose the 101
things wrong by one sign), what it could mean?

A decayed tooth will give the cat bad breath and you certainly will
know it. Also, any sore inside the mouth will give a bad odor.