I have cats that constantly stink up my house! How can i keep my house smelling fresh?

Answer 1

As a fellow cat owner for the past eleven years, I can give you 10 ways that have worked for me:

1) NEUTERING (for males)/ SPAYING (for females). Male cats who are unneutered spray a strong-odored substance, so I had my male cat neutered at 8 months of age.

2) DAILY LITTERBOX MAINTENANCE. I invert a plastic grocery store bag over my hand, take out the solid waste from the litterboxes every morning, close up the bag, and take the bag outside to the dumpster (I live in an apartment building) on my way to my car. Every morning.

3) RULE OF THUMB: ONE BOX FOR EACH CAT. I have two cats, hence two litterboxes that I scoop everyday. Fewer accidents.

4) VINEGAR. For stains and messes on non-porous substances (like the floor around the litterbox), I use a spray bottle with pure white vinegar and a paper towel. Works well.

5) BI-WEEKLY LITTER REPLACEMENT. I completely replace the litter in the litterbox with fresh litter once every two weeks. Using a plastic litterbox liner makes it easier.

6) BI-MONTHLY LITTERBOX WASHING. "Bi-monthly" meaning every other month. Using vinegar instead of strong cleaners like bleach or other disinfectants will keep them from being put off by the strong scent of cleansers. Lord knows I don't need them avoiding the litterbox.

7) NATURE'S MIRACLE. This stuff WORKS. If your felines ever have urinary accidents, Nature's Miracle is what you want. You can find it in pet stores or online. Nature's Miracle is an enzymatic cleanser which means it's a clear, pleasant-smelling liquid that contains enzymes that eat the organisms in feline urine that cause the odor. Here's how it works: you saturate the stain with the Nature's Miracle and let the liquid air dry over the next few days. Works like a charm. Occasionally, the stain might need a second dousing, but usually the first time is all that's needed.

8) BLACKLIGHT. I found mine for $10 from the pet store. Pets can leave urine stains that dry before you ever see them but still emit an odor. Darken the room, sweep your blacklight over the entire floor, and the urine stains will turn up as a bright flourescent color. Once you see them, douse with Nature's Miracle.

9) A HEPA AIR CLEANER with charcoal filters, preferably near the litterboxes and in each room where the cats spend most of their time. The air cleaner makes all the difference and cuts down on most odors, including freshly-produced litterbox odors.

10) HAVING GUESTS. When I invited a good friend over who happens to hate animals in the house and has a better sense of smell than I do, he told me, "It's comfortable here," and proceeded to relax right on my couch to watch a movie. Having guests over keeps me on my toes and motivates me to keep my living quarters at optimum freshness.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

Well i use Tidy cat and use Purina Cat Chow Indoor. My cat doesn't stink or does my house...but something i want to ask first is how many cats do you have? Maybe you need more litter boxes? Also a good smelling air freshener is Glad Clean Linen..i love that smell...hope that helps.

Answer 3

I can think of 2 possible problems. One, easily solvable, is that the litter box may need changing more often. Assuming, of course, that your cats are litter box trained.

The other, a little more dicey, is that male cats that have not been neutered mark their territory by leaving a strong smelling musk. This may be what you are smelling if you are noticing a bad smell in areas where there is no litter box. Unfortunately, only neutering your males will stop this, and this can be expensive if you have several.

Answer 4

our cat may still be territorial scent marking or he may simply need a refresher course in litterbox training. It is not uncommon for a neutered male cat to spray. The primary cause of the spraying is insecurity in his territory. Moving into a new home or changes in the environment can cause a cat to spray. If the previous occupants had a cat, your cat may be reacting to the smells that cat left behind.

Help your cat increase his confidence and feeling of security in his still relatively new home. Give him tons of praise, affection and attention for simply breathing. Constantly reassure him that he is the most wonderful cat in the world. He is so special that you bring him gifts (toys and treats) daily. Play with him, massage him, talk to him, do everything to rebuild his self esteem.

Long haired cats such as Persians are very particular about their litter boxes. I suggest that you change the litter box every day. Use less litter so you can throw it all out daily. Clean the litter box and rinse it with a lemon juice solution to neutralize any ammonia smells. Stale cat urine has an ammonia like odor, so if you are using ammonia products to clean the litter box, it could be repelling your cat.

By regulating his feeding schedule you should be able to catch your cat using his litter box. Refresh his litter box training by giving him lots of praise and reward for using his litter box.

Helping your cat feel secure, a squeaky clean litter box and reward for good behavior should clear the air in your apartment.

Answer 5

Is it just because of the litter...it's always good to do what's been suggested previously as well as adding baking soda to the cat litter. What brand do you use? I've found that Arm & Hammer works great! Oh and if you have more than two...you need more than one litter box...

The diet of your cat makes a difference too. What type of food do you feed them?

Answer 6

My suggestion would be that scoop your litter box 2 or 3 times a day. They also make an electric litter box that scoops itself everytime your cat uses it. You can get it at Wal-Mart or any pet store. Also you can purchase febreeze air spray which is a really good odor eliminator and it comes in several scents. They also make a spray that automatically sprays a scent and is set on a timer. We used that in my laundry room where my cats box is and I believe it is made by Renuzit. You can also get that at Wal-Mart.

Answer 7

That really depends on the smell you are talking about... is it the litter box? If so, clean it every day and try out different litters. There are a lot of litters on the market that have odor blockers.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

Try some type of glade airfreshner. Also make sure to vaccume everyday and scoop out the litterbox every day and clean the litterbox about every 4-5 days. Merry Christmas

Answer 9

Use the Arm and Hammer cat litter and feed them Science Diet food.

Answer 10

get the good cat litter, buy lots of air freshener, and believe it or not if you switch their food to an all natural brand theire poop will stink less....main thing keep on top of the litter bos :)