Here’s Jane Marcus, of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, pictured with a new shelter cat! Can you tell Jane likes cats?
This little guy, whose name is Furlington, has beautiful black fur that was badly matted when he arrived. The kind shelter folks shaved him so his fur would grow back and transform him into his natural, handsome self. Furlington is available for adoption now!
Sharing your home with cats has many benefits but one of the downsides is that owning cats also means owning the odors that come along with them.
The irony of course is that cats themselves don’t smell! In fact, they are fastidious about cleanliness. The “smell” people associate with cats is usually because the humans aren’t doing their part to keep things clean.
Bacteria are usually the source of smells, so focus on areas where these bacteria breed and grow and you can catch odor early before it gets bad.
Here are 5 ways to keep your home fresh, whether you have one cat or a whole gang of them.
1. Start With The Litter Box
Not surprisingly, litter box smell can be overpowering and permeate your entire home if left unattended. Make sure you are scooping litter boxes at least once a day and more often if you can. Then, get that waste out of the house quickly!
Consider sprinkling a bit of baking soda in the bags you use to collect the litter box contents. This might help keep the odors in check in your outdoor garbage until garbage day. Another great use for baking soda is to sprinkle some at the bottom of the litter box to help absorb odors.
Even if you’re scooping regularly, make sure to change the litter completely a couple of times a month because bacteria remain in the box even after you scoop.
Wash out the box with unscented soap and water each time you change the litter and remember to replace the entire box once or twice a year. Also, be sure to check out the litter boxes and accessories at MyThreeCats.com!
2. Investigate the Entire House For Smells
If you can’t easily determine the source of an odor in your home, do some detective work to find out if your cat’s doing his business outside the box. Check corners, behind furniture and in closets to find out if your cat’s been peeing or pooping where he shouldn’t.
Also check along walls and the walls themselves to determine if you have a spraying cat. If your cat has been using a spot in your home as his alternative potty spot, use an enzymatic cleaner to clean the area or items or, ideally, throw them away.
Also, it’s important to remember that if your cat is peeing or pooping in strange places, please schedule a vet visit. Sometimes this type of behavior is a symptom of a medical issue.
3. Get the Vacuum Out
If you have cats or any type of pet, be diligent about vacuuming. And don’t stop with the carpet. Make sure you regularly vacuum rugs, couches, chairs and even draperies to capture fur, dander and, yes, odors. Again, sprinkling baking soda on carpets or furniture and then vacuuming it up can help keep things fresh.
4. Wash Cat Beds and Blankets
Don’t forget to wash your cat’s favorite blankets or cat bed on a regular basis. Remember, your cat’s paws dig in the litter box several times a day. There’s bound to be some transfer of germs and odor-causing bacteria. Keep those snuggle spots clean!
5. Keep Food and Water Area Clean
Your cat’s food and water areas are another prime breeding ground for bacteria. Sitting water, like the water in your cat’s bowl, can quickly grow bacteria, eventually leading to an unpleasant smell. And, you certainly don’t want your cat drinking out of it! Wash the water bowls and replace with clean water at least once a day.
Food that sits out can also lead to a smelly mess. Make sure to clean up spilled kibble and especially chunks of uneaten canned food that your cat may have missed.
Just because you have cats in your home doesn’t mean it has to smell like you have cats in your home! Keep on top of regular cleaning and be aware of stinky trouble zones, and you’ll have a fresh clean house for everyone in your family to enjoy!
Do you have a tip to share us with us? How do you keep your cat-occupied home smelling fresh? Let’s chat about it in comments below!
I don’t know about you, but I start getting excited to put up my Christmas tree around Halloween, but I somehow manage to restrain myself until after Thanksgiving. One thing I almost never think about is how deadly my Christmas tree potentially is to my pets. Thankfully, the internet exists and is filled with lots of great pet care resources so we can learn all these important safety tips before anybody gets hurt. Phew!
These 5 tips for a pet-safe Christmas tree were a real eye opener for me. For instance, did you know that if you’ve got a live tree standing in water, you must make sure that your cat or dog can’t get into the water because the tree is preserved with toxic chemicals that seep into the water?
And so much for tinsel on the tree. Tinsel can cause severe damage if swallowed by pets. This news will make my husband happy because he hates tinsel, not because he wants pets to swallow it!
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, so let’s make sure it isn’t a tragic time. Be sure to check out the full infographic here and then let us know in the comments if any surprised you! Is there anything you think the list is missing? How safe is YOUR cat from your Christmas tree?
What types of environmental enhancements do you offer your cat?
Caring for cats properly involves much more than simply furnishing food, water and a litter box. Environmental enrichment, such as toys, food puzzles, perches, and even hiding places, can really change the quality of life for almost any cat.
The Winn Feline Foundation recently took a look at this issue in a group of shelter cats on their blog. Environmental enrichment in shelter cats is an excerpt from a study which provided a food puzzle to a stable group of shelter cats and examined their reaction to the puzzle and their interactions surrounding the object. The study concluded:
“a stimulating item that can be shared by all individuals in a stable group, such as a puzzle feeder of appropriate size, can play an important role in promoting positive social interactions among cats and improving their welfare.”
Certainly, in shelter cats, this is an important study. It underlines the need for more than just basic care in the lives of these animals and the fact that this enrichment is easily achievable. After all, the ultimate goal is to give these cats the best chance for adoption. Cats that are comfortable in their environment and confident will show it in their behavior. And confident behavior is much more “adoptable” than a cat that is hiding in his cage or, worse yet, acting in aggressive manner out of fear.
However, this study also can be extended to those of us who keep multi-cat households. I have three cats and frequently see two or more of my cats interacting with the toys and puzzles at once. In fact, it seems as though if one cat shows interest, it generates interest in the other cats as well.
Many environmental enhancement toys, cat furniture and other items can be found at www.MyThreeCats.com, the experts in optimum care care and well being.
