Help me make my house smell nice

[Pickingmyselfup]

I open windows, wash curtains, clean the floors but it still smells.

Main problem being the rats, I clean them regularly but too much cleaning can make the problem worse. I can't use scented things in the room they are in either.

The cat also doesn't help, the food is the main issue but I've tried to counteract that with a self closing cat bowl so when it's not in use it keeps the food sealed.

The reed diffusers I have upstairs are horrible, I bought new oil from Amazon and I think I'm going to have to chuck it. Supposed to be orange and rhubarb, it smells of neither, just a fake strong smelling horribleness.

Any tips?

No that’s mice

Oh sorry, I thought MN was about opinions - this is my opinion. Don't like it - scroll on by.

It is. It’s also a place where opinions can be challenged! That’s the beauty of public forums.

To be fair, rats aren't for the faint hearted but they are cute, intelligent and affectionate so they make up for their disgusting ways!

We sadly lost one overnight so I'm now down to four. After these I'm having no more, apart from the smell I can't deal with the constant loss when you have a group which for them the bigger the better.

The only way to even start to get your house to smell nice is by getting rid of the rats. Can you move them to a shed/garage outside? It must be so unpleasant for your whole household to smell rat piss every time they enter the house.

You sound nuts tbh

If you are planning on giving them away when you have 2 left, why don’t you bring that forward and give them all away now? - I think that’s the only way to get rid of the smell. I knew somebody who had pet rats and they told me they didn’t smell and that they were clean animals, they really weren’t and the smell of the pee sometimes made my eyes water.

Try essential oil plug in diffusers like this type and run them several hours a day ...

Can't you move their cage into a shed or garage. They are rats so the cold isn;t going to hurt them

Windows open as wide as they will go for most of the day is all I can think of.

Get rid of the animals and you’ll soon solve the problem. This is one main reason why I’d never in a million years have pets that lived indoors.

Why is cat food smelling, is it wet food? Put enough in the bowl for one meal and wash it. Leave pet food and a fly lands on it, then it's binned, so you get maggots.
Is there a litter tray indoors?
Once pets are dealt with, make sure bedding is always fresh and bedrooms aired.

Because I have rats?

Well they aren't for everyone but that's the great thing about people!

Despite the smell, they will stay inside where they are warm and not lonely, I'm putting the feelers out for rehoming now rather than when there are two or three left, there are always rat owners willing to take on others when they reach an older age where the chance of them being left alone are high so it comes down to if someone has the space.

In the meantime I just have to suck it up because they were my decision and they deserve to be cared for properly.

I do need to keep windows open more, at least on the vent if nothing else.

We will never not have cats, could never be without them. I don't find the cat actually smells, the food does if I've fed her and she hasn't eaten it but she's getting old now so she gets to decide when she eats. For the future I'll likely raw feed and set meal times so that there is nothing ever left out to smell.

You sound like bags of fun!

Feed the rats to the cat, then only feed the cat biscuits after that 👍

That's just mean. Anyway, cats on just dry food tend to really struggle with kidney issues because they don't drink enough. They need to get the majority of water from their food so dry food on a regular basis isn't ideal from a health POV although it would solve the smell issue!

In an ideal world I would raw feed her but I need an extra freezer for that and there is nowhere to put it (unless my husband gives up a freezer shaped space in the garage 🤔)

Rats are lovely little pets. I have has them in the past but they were girls, and they don't smell as much as boys.

I use wax melts from Northern Soul scents to make my home smell nice, but like any scented things you should not use them in the same room as your rats.

I think this is going to be something that will only go away once the rats have, but I can understand how you feel a responsibility to them.

Im wondering if the synthetic air fresheners are harmful to the rats? This is a serious question as I heard they are not great for humans and can cause headaches and you suggested you have a source close to their cage.

As for the smell, I don’t think you are going to find a solution if you keep your beloved rats and even though they are not for everyone as a pet, I do admire your commitment to their happiness as a pet owner.

Maybe a different litter for the cage may help dilute the ammonia smell?

I would love rats, intelligent and sociable.

You can definitely get your house smelling fresh with some time and money. Clean everything frequently including soft furnishings, if you have carpets and fabric sofas buy a wet cleaner and do them regularly. Windows open whenever possible, get a good through draft going leaving internal doors open. Buy multiple air purifiers and run them, particularly in rat rooms and when windows are closed. Ensure your air isn't overly humid, run a dehumidifier if needed.

Then find some nice candles or diffusers.

Can you recommend some nice smelling diffusers I can use upstairs (and then downstairs one day!) I recently bought diffuser oil from Amazon but it's had to get poured away, it's absolutely horrible!!

I loved the Yankee candle margarita time and had a big candle years ago but they don't do the fragrance anymore. I have black coconut in my car but they don't do reed diffusers which I'll need for downstairs, I have nowhere to plug a plug in one in.

I don't like anything too sweet, I don't like the smell of cinnamon and my husband hates almonds and cherries. Citrus is ok especially if it's paired with something a bit softer.

Also, I have considered trying purdy and fig but it seems very expensive and it has mixed reviews.

I’m more curious how the rats have survived with a cat in the house! Mine would all be constantly eyeing them up for dinner.

I am actually, I am told I am hilarious. You however resort to insults. Not good form really is it?

She pays them zero attention, the most she does is turn an ear or her head if there is a louder noise than usual. I wouldn't let them out of the cage to run around with her in the room just to be safe but I think she would be more likely to do a runner if they were in a group.