ByAt times, no matter how much you clean and ventilate the old noxious cat urine smell would keep on lingering.
While at other times, we simply can’t even realize the old cat smell until and unless a non-cat owner sniffs it out for us.
So, for us, cat owners, it is better to stay on the extra cautious side of keeping our houses cat-smell free.
But cars are very mischievous. And, it becomes hard to cope with their obnoxious feline behavior such as cat spraying.
This is by far the most common cause of our house smelling like a cat. But owning a cat doesn’t have to mean staying stuck with the cat smell, indeed!
So What can I do to keep our house smelling like a cat?
Luckily, there are ways to tackle nearly all types of unwanted cat-related smell inside our house.
Read on for your complete guide on keeping your house cat smell-free great all year round no matter how many cats you invite in!
When our house smells like a cat it is closely related to either the litter box smell or our cat spraying here and then or perhaps, the old cat smell that is left untreated for a time.
So, let’s first get to know about ways to keep our litter box from smelling and ways to combat the cat spraying smell.
How To Keep Litter Box From Smelling Up The House?
The litter box serves as a gathering point of cat poop and pee smell, which in turn smells up the entire household.
Sometimes, even after keeping the litter boxes clean, you will find the overpowering cat poop smell whenever you go nearby.
But how do you keep the litter box from smelling up the house?
Simply deal with the stinky litter box smell by following the list of four litter-box rules explained right here.
- Consider placing one litter box per cat if you own more than one cat. Also, consider putting a few extra boxes around your house if you have the extra space.
- Covered littered boxes are known to keep the smell trapped inside. Although this works in trapping the odour inside, most cats don’t like using them. It is because; closed littered boxes don’t have enough ventilation and trap the odour inside. This, in turn, generates a more overpowering smell. Since cats intensely smell conscious, they avoid using the stinky litter box altogether. As such, offer your cat a clean litter box that has enough ventilation.
- Make it a habit of changing the litter at least once a week and replacing the box at least once a year.
- Sometimes using a litter scent refresher might seem like a good option. However, you must know that cats are very smell-conscious. Hence it is better to avoid using any strong-smelling chemicals. Baking soda works wonder as a natural homemade cat litter deodorizer. To fight the litter box odour or to mask the litter box smell altogether sprinkle baking soda each time you change the litter or the litter box.
How To Get Rid Of Cat Spraying Odor From The House?
Our feline friends tend to pee just about anywhere, leaving a cat urine odour in the house.
If cat urine is left untreated over a while, it becomes difficult to eliminate this obnoxious smell from the house.
So, it is vital to address the problem and neutralize the odour as soon as possible.
However, accidents happen, and sometimes not all cat urinary issues can be fixed instantly.
So, we have listed down the top 3 useful tips to get rid of cat urine odour in the house permanently.
3 Useful Tips to get rid of cat spraying odour from the house permanently
- Neutralize the cat urine smell immediately
Cat pee stench worsens the longer it is kept untreated. So, it is crucial to neutralize the cat urine smell as soon as possible.
The good news is that to neutralize this cat pee stench immediately; you have all the essential ingredients right inside your house.
Vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solution works wonders in neutralizing the cat urine smell. You may apply an equal part of vinegar and water mix to the spot, and this will help in neutralizing the scent for the time being.
- Get Rid of dried cat urine smell from carpet
Sometimes, even after cleaning the cat urine spots like a pro, you would still notice the lingering ammonia-like odour in your house.
This pungent smell is because of the dried up cat urine spots that have formed up over the years. The stench worsens in humid weather, and from time to time reappears.
So how do you get rid of the dried cat urine smell from your home altogether?
For this, you will have to understand the compounds that make up the cat urine at first. You may blame bacteria or cat pheromones whenever the stench appears.
But, truth be told cat urine is made up of more than that!
In addition to bacteria and pheromones, uric acid is the main culprit smelling compound of the cat urine smells.
To tackle this severe cat urine smell, your best bet is to use enzyme cleaners on dried cat urine spots.
The enzyme cleaner breaks the chemical bond of the strong cat urine smell permanently and helps in neutralizing the cat odour in your house.
- Feed your cat with urinary health cat food
Sometimes you may notice your cat is frequently urinating outside the litter box. This frequent cat peeing is not a common cat behavioural issue at all. And in fact, the frequent urinary cat problem is closely linked to a serious medical condition known as FIC or feline idiopathic cystitis.
There might be no one-size-fits-all solutions to every single cat health problem that you encounter.
But the good news is you can indeed manage your cat’s urinary issues by feeding your cat urinary care food.
Things to keep in mind when our house smells like a cat poop
House smelling like cat poop is one of the most concerning issues among cat owners. But do you know why our house smells poop?
If you find that your house smells like cat poop, chances are your cat is pooping outside her litter box.
Sometimes they would poop just about anywhere. This is one of the main reasons why our house smells like cat poop.
Now that you know the probable reasons why houses smell like cat poop, it’s time to deal with it.
Think twice before jumping into conclusions that your house smells like cat poop. Instead, investigate whether the cat poop smell is coming from your pet or not.
It is because; sometimes the cat poop smell comes from the dirty cat’s paws or the smell bottom.
At other times, cat poops get caught in the fur of the long-tailed ones.
These are two main reasons why cats smell like poop, and these indeed call for proper grooming attention.
To stop the cat poop odour or deal with the smelly bum issues of your cat, make it a habit of wiping your cat’s bottom with a warm napkin now and then.
This not only helps in eliminating the smelly bum issue but also helps in making your house cat-poop smell free.
How To Get Old Cat Smells Out Of The House?
Perhaps, you have recently shifted to a new place and don’t want your staff and belongings smelling like cats.
Or, you have bought a new house whose seller used to keep indoor cats in the basement, and now you can’t get rid of the old cat smell no matter how hard you try.
Or, say you have gone on a vacation, and returning home, you find your house smelling like cat pee.
No matter how much you have scrubbed the surface and how well you vacuumed your carpet, the old cat smell keeps on growing stronger than ever!
What else can you do to get the old cat smell out of your house?
To get rid of the old cat smell out of your house for good, follow the five simple steps explained here.
5 Steps Getting Rid of Old Cat Smell From The House
Step 1: Identifying the primary source of the cat odor reek
If you want to get an old cat smell out of your house, start by first identifying the primary source causing the smell.
Carpet or upholsteries are the main culprits in absorbing the old cat smell.
In severe cases, the cat odour might even penetrate the sub-floor underneath.
Step 2: Cleaning the area properly
Bleach is the most potent household ingredient in eliminating nearly any type of pet stains and germs.
As an initial wash up consider giving the smelly area a good wash with 1 part of bleach and 8 parts of water.
However, when using bleach, make sure to do that only in a well-ventilated room.
Step 3: Discard Or Replace old Upholstery and Carpeting
If the cat smell is limited to the carpet of the house, consider steam cleaning and vacuuming it properly.
A better way to get rid of the old cat smell altogether is by going for full carpet padding replacement.
Step 4: Using an enzymatic cleaner
Enzymatic cleaners are excellent inexpensive products that help deal with any type of offensive pet odours in the house.
These are available in both liquid and powdered forms, which you can mix with water and spray on smelly places. Leave it on for some time.
The enzymatic smell remover helps break the chemical in the urine smell and eats the odour leaving you with a clean cat-smell free home.
Step 5: Priming, Painting and Sealing it up
The next step is to seal in any residual smell, and for that, paint the floor with a good sealer. The sealer works as an odour barrier.
Sealing the walls and floors properly helps keep your house smelling cat free for a long, long time.
Getting Rid of the Cat Smell from House by Hiring a Pet Odor Removal Service
In severe cases, getting old cat smells out of the house requires more than carpet cleaning.
Left untreated for a while, cat urine smell becomes absorbed throughout the flooring material and clings to the walls.
Dealing with such a severe multi-layered pet-odour problem is not only challenging but also time-consuming.
In dire situations like this, it is worth investing in getting a full house ozone treatment by a professional.
Bottom Line
From temporary fixes to permanent solutions, we have got you covered with all the possible steps of keeping your house cat-smell free.
Rest assured, if you follow the steps; your house will smell clean, welcoming, and you no more have to worry guests encountering unwanted cat-related smells of any type inside your home.
