Removing Cat Smell - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

mac_gurl · 07-03-2007, 10:03 AM

Hey Guys

I just moved into a house on the weekend. The house is only 2 years old.
It's great, however it seems to smell like cats. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the odor. The air freshners just seem to mask the smell.

Thanks!!

Frank the Tank · 07-03-2007, 10:04 AM

Gas can and matches?

Cowboy89 · 07-03-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

Gas can and matches?

May I add to that a good home insurance policy.

CaramonLS · 07-03-2007, 10:11 AM

Steam clean the carpets.

Cowperson · 07-03-2007, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mac_gurl

Hey Guys

I just moved into a house on the weekend. The house is only 2 years old.
It's great, however it seems to smell like cats. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of the odor. The air freshners just seem to mask the smell.

Thanks!!

They probably had a cat that was marking territory . . . . therefore, it likely had a few spots around the house that it returned to time and again. That could include walls.

A veterinarian office could make some recommendations for spray products that will take care of the problem fairly quickly.

A link:

http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/pets/BB634.html

Cowperson

redforever · 07-03-2007, 10:50 AM

I dont think you just want to remove the smell

(( you have to remove the source, not just mask the smell. If the smell is that strong that air fresheners wont mask it, it is likely in some fabrics in the house, ie: carpets. If you have carpets, start there, get in a good steam cleaner, I always use Ram but there are many good ones out there.

Then as others said, wash down walls etc. Cat urine is very persistent however, much more so than dog urine, and if the problem persists, you will have to remove carpets later on as it has probably soaked through to the underlay. But start with a good steam cleaning.

Oh, and do be sure to mention to the carpet cleaners what you suspect is the cause of the odour. They will then put something extra in their cleaning product to address that issue.

bigtmac19 · 07-03-2007, 11:06 AM

I agree, try the vet's office and the carpet cleaner.
I think my old cat is getting senile, she has had a few "accidents" lately.
The stuff from the vet works okay, but I still feel like I can smell it. The kids think I am crazy, but I have a phobia about that smell.
I would get the carpet professionally cleaned as well.
The carpet cleaner I use, uses Citric Acid on the carpet, it seems to work really well.
However, everyone is right, if it has been going on for awhile, it's probably in the carpet pad too, and you won't get it completely out unless you replace carpet and pad as well.

Bobblehead · 07-03-2007, 11:07 AM

If it is just a few spots you can find them using a black light. I got one at Spencers, just a battery powered hand-held unit. Wait until it gets dark and then wander around the floor looking for spots. It glows, it will be pretty obvious.

Then there are a bunch of products that will neutralize the smell and clean it.

CrusaderPi · 07-03-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

If it is just a few spots you can find them using a black light. I got one at Spencers, just a battery powered hand-held unit. Wait until it gets dark and then wander around the floor looking for spots. It glows, it will be pretty obvious.

Then there are a bunch of products that will neutralize the smell and clean it.

I thought about doing this once, then decided I just didn't want to know. My household has enough 'ick' visible under normal light conditions to go looking for more.

Cowperson · 07-03-2007, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigtmac19

I think my old cat is getting senile, she has had a few "accidents" lately.
.

Sidebar, but that might be a medical issue . . . . . something to bring up at her next check-up.

Cowperson

bigtmac19 · 07-03-2007, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Sidebar, but that might be a medical issue . . . . . something to bring up at her next check-up.

Cowperson

Thanks, I am keeping an eye on her, but at this point really don't think it's medical. She just hates us that's all. We are her roommates and nothing more, only time she wants anything to do with us is when she wants to be fed and even then we are only tolerated. Can't pick her up, pet her, she has never in her life sat on a lap or cuddled. She will tolerate being in the same room with us, and that's about it. Only cat I have ever owned that acts like this.
That's why I think she sometimes goes in the living room, just to be spiteful.

Cowperson · 07-03-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigtmac19

Thanks, I am keeping an eye on her, but at this point really don't think it's medical. She just hates us that's all. We are her roommates and nothing more, only time she wants anything to do with us is when she wants to be fed and even then we are only tolerated. Can't pick her up, pet her, she has never in her life sat on a lap or cuddled. She will tolerate being in the same room with us, and that's about it. Only cat I have ever owned that acts like this.
That's why I think she sometimes goes in the living room, just to be spiteful.

Does she come from a feral background? That would explain the behaviour.

Even then, they usually pick one human, the one that gives them food, to be nice to.

We have two cats with feral backgrounds. One of them I've touched or picked up only a handful of times in about seven years but she's a cuddle bunny with my wife. The other is cozier but still pretty jumpy.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

Cowperson

habernac · 07-03-2007, 01:41 PM

good luck. We have one who pisses down the air ducts when he's angry. The only way we got rid of the smell was actually replace the duct. Anyone want a cat?

Frank the Tank · 07-03-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habernac

good luck. We have one who pisses down the air ducts when he's angry. The only way we got rid of the smell was actually replace the duct. Anyone want a cat?

And how has that cat not been roasted on a spit yet?

bigtmac19 · 07-03-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Does she come from a feral background? That would explain the behaviour.

Even then, they usually pick one human, the one that gives them food, to be nice to.

We have two cats with feral backgrounds. One of them I've touched or picked up only a handful of times in about seven years but she's a cuddle bunny with my wife. The other is cozier but still pretty jumpy.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

Cowperson

LOL no problem. No she doesn't actually, we have had her since she was 10 weeks, it's just her personality I think.

bigtmac19 · 07-03-2007, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by habernac

good luck. We have one who pisses down the air ducts when he's angry. The only way we got rid of the smell was actually replace the duct. Anyone want a cat?

LMAO

Sometimes I feel the same.

JBR · 07-03-2007, 01:53 PM

Tell the cat that you're willing to overspend and that you are waiting with a blank cheque for $8m in your hands. Suggest to it that you are looking at doing some major re-tooling.

Cowperson · 07-03-2007, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigtmac19

LOL no problem. No she doesn't actually, we have had her since she was 10 weeks, it's just her personality I think.

A friend of ours out in Toronto moved in with this lady who had a cat like that . . . . only worse.

On a visit to their place, I personally witnessed this cat leaping out from its place of ambush - which could be anywhere in the house - and attacking the woman at the ankles for no reason at all, and pretty serious about it . . . . . apparently this was a normal, everyday thing.

Just a violent, chonically mean pusser.

Finally, they disappeared him and replaced him with two fluffy, friendly black cats.

Cowperson

habernac · 07-03-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

And how has that cat not been roasted on a spit yet?

ask my wife that

bigtmac19 · 07-03-2007, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cowperson

A friend of ours out in Toronto moved in with this lady who had a cat like that . . . . only worse.

On a visit to their place, I personally witnessed this cat leaping out from its place of ambush - which could be anywhere in the house - and attacking the woman at the ankles for no reason at all, and pretty serious about it . . . . . apparently this was a normal, everyday thing.

Just a violent, chonically mean pusser.

Finally, they disappeared him and replaced him with two fluffy, friendly black cats.

Cowperson

Trust me, many time have fantasized about taking a ride to the shelter with the miserable thing, but just couldn't do it in reality. Just waiting for nature to take its course, but I'm sure that will be many years yet, she's 12 but so far the only health issue is she is really fat. We buy the super expensive food from the vet, calorie reducing, and measure it out faithfully and she is still huge.