House smells so "catty" after holiday

[Whoopstheregomyinsides]

Just come back off holiday. The house smells awful. Does it always smell like this? I've one elderly cat who has had a few accidents in past but cat sitter said no accidents this week - she put an extra tray in, just in case but oh my goodness. It stinks. Not if we. Just of "cat" like the battery smells. Maybe it always smells and I've been nose blind?? 😱😱. But I've not noticed like this before after holiday. I've googled but it's all advice about wee smells
Any ideas or honesty about it? Maybe it does smell always??

Sorry OP but I think your house just has a cat smell. Loads of people get nose blind to their own homes.

Yes. I can tell if a house has a dog or cat living in it within a minute of coming in.

Open all the windows today!! Have you any rugs? Ours smelly doggy but dh jet washed them outside yesterday! Look brand new now!

When we moved to our old house it had a terrible smell, I cleaned everywhere, ripped up floorboards in the room it was coming from etc and thought it was all sorted as I stopped smelling it. Went away on holiday about 2 years later and came home and smelt it again. Thought it must be a leak or something until my sister pointed out the smell never left so yes you can go nose blind for sure.

My brother has this - complains when he gets home from holiday that it smells of dog. Haven't had the heart to tell him and his very house proud wife that it always smells of dog...

Oh god. That's awful. I can smell dog instantly in houses aside from one or two friends with non shedding dogs and so guess it maybe just does smell. The woman before us had dogs and it was simply awful. We ripped up and replaced all carpets. Is there anything I can do at all? I don't usually notice a smell in a house with a cat but maybe I get nose blind to other houses too. Mortified. Anyone got a nice smelling house who does have a cat or are we all living in oblivious ignorance?

Although haven't noticed on previous holidays like this year. What can I do other than no visitors ever again?

When we go away the cats are confined to the kitchen and utility (with cat flap to the garden so no litter tray)
Friend feeds them twice a day, dry food only and I make sure I have given everya good clean before we go
BUT every time we come back and I open the kitchen door I am met by a slightly unpleasant smell so I think itbjust smells like that all the time and we don’t notice
Can’t help but notice the dog smell though!

Our cleaner has been in too. I'm going to ask her if it always smells then go about trying to tackle it.

Sorry but yes, you're nose blind and can only smell it when you've been away! I used to have 2 cats, never noticed the awful smell until returning from any holiday! I'm a bit of a clean freak too, so definitely nothing to do with any lack of cleaning.
We now have a little short haired dog and on returning from any holiday we finally have a house that smells lovely when we walk in. Strange really, I thought a dog would be smellier!

Did dog go to kennels while you were away? Our cat stayed home. Maybe would smell less with cattery stay? My cleaner and friend just rang me and said it did smell bad when she came but doesn't usually so I feel a bit better now.

I thinks it because you would normally air your house, but when you are away the door and windows are shut the whole time. Also you would have probably dusted and hoovered a bit if you had been there which would have removed some of the smells.

It's propably because the house hasn't been aired while you've been away. open the windows and get some Wilko pet deodoriser spray (£2) and spray carpets and soft furnishings. Light a nice candle.

Get your carpets cleaned, wash your curtains.

Curtain and carpet cleaning is a good call. Doors and windows flung open 🥶🥶 and candles burning too and just bought new reed diffusers ...fingers crossed for a stink free domain soon.

It’s shameful isn’t it? It’s not even my favourite cat. She’s horrible to me even though I’m the only one who cares to feed her and try to stroke her (she clawed me on my eyelid memorably over Christmas)
I’ve bought Aldi stock of reed diffusers and candles, mopped, hoovered, windows and doors open so let’s hope it goes soon - or lessens at least.

try the 1001 carpet cleaner - it's made the world of difference to my house (we have a very lovely but grumpy and enormous long haired old lady cat ). they have a special pet variety which is absolutely gorgeous. you just spray it onto carpets / rugs / curtains / upholstery, it's like a fine mousse and soaks in. couple of quid a can. i love it!

Funnily enough, we got back last night and noticed our house smelt catty.....I put it down to windows being shut and the heat of the long weekend. We didn't notice last time (end of July). We leave one cat who has a cat flap and only has dry food.

I second the 1001 carpet spray. Even clean pets have a smell, I was very pleased recently when someone visited and was very shocked to see our cat on the sofa. She said she usually smells a "cat house" as soon as she steps through the door but couldn't smell ours

I don't think I've ever been to a house with a cat that doesn't smell of cat. They always do! It's not always horrible- just sort of musty cat smell.

I think people dont smell it themselves. Like when they're proud their dog doesn't smell....

It makes me paranoid as although we don't have cats I'm overweight and get anxious I wouldn't notice if I smelt.

We have two cats and are a clean household but even though I'm blind to the smell I know people will smell the cats in our house. It's just a cat owning fact. They are 11/12yo and we've had them from kittens. So smell comes with them I'm afraid.

When we get back from holiday all we can smell is cat. Deep clean and a slow return to more blindness.

I love them, but I will recarpet and never get more cats when they go.

I hah e two cats and notice this too but I hoover and mop as soon as we get home pretty much and it’s instantly better. Maybe it does smell a little but it’s definitely better with regular cleaning so dont panic too much. Get a nice plug in for when you have guests I have a lovely one right now but I can’t remember which smell it was