How to maintain a non smelly home with a cat

[toxicwebb]

Hi everyone!

just as the title says really, looking for some advice on how to keep a home that doesn’t smell of cat, with a cat!

I recently had a bad experience which has put me off a little but I do really want a cat, and my little girl has her heart set on a cat so I’m hoping to pick up a kitten on Tuesday. We recently tried to take in a friends cat as he was thinking of rehoming him, I lasted a day as the cat was just terrified and spraying everywhere in fear. Bless him it wasn’t his fault he just wanted to go home, but I have carpet all over my house and it took me weeks to get the smell out.

Again I’m hoping to pick up a little kitten next week and don’t want a repeat of the situation last time, I’m willing to do everything I possibly can do give this little cat a great home but really want to minimise the smell if anyone has any advice?

The woman I’m getting the kitten from said he’s been neutered so will that reduce the spraying? Sorry for the long novel!

I'd suggest adopting a kitten from RSPCA as they're always litter trained. It's entirely possible to have a clean and nice smelling house with a cat! Just ensure you clear out the litter tray regularly. It's not normal for cats to spray all over their own home so maybe you just had a bad experience. Kittens from RSPCA will probably have been in a foster home where they will have got used to being with people and know how to use the litter tray. You're taking a bigger gamble getting a kitten from an individual (though it may well all be fine!).

How old is the cat? Why hasn't it been homed before now if it's old enough to be neutered?

Most decent rescues will do this. I fostered for my local rescue for a couple of years before adopting, & all kittens were fostered in people’s homes & not offered for adoption until they were socialised, toilet trained, vaccinated & neutered.

I can see how a litter tray might cause some kind of smell if not attended to well but it’s not usual for cats to be spraying indoors. In that event the cat is stressed in some way, eg by another cat. A relaxed, neutered cat who is happy in their environment shouldn’t cause any smell.

The cat is 6 months old, I’ve been told the owner is moving to a new house and is not able to take the cat.

Luckily I’ve never had a problem with male cats spraying. Keeping the litter tray outside the house accessible by cat flap means the house doesn’t smell of litter tray which is the smell that most people seem to associate with cats. The cats themselves don’t have a smell.

None of mine have anyway.

Cats either spray inside or they don't, not much you can do to change it in my experience. I've got a bastard spraying one. Love him to bits but it's been the bane of my life. He's on daily medication now which mostly stops it luckily. Have thought about rehoming him several times

Apparently 1 in 10 cats spray even when neutered ( I.e mine).

Chances are you won't have a cat that sprays

My boy cat was a frightened rescue kitty when he came to me. He was already neutered. But he did spray a fair bit at first. I think it was because he was so scared. Once he settled in he stopped spraying. He never does it now.

I bounced some enzyme cleaning solution and cleaned it up every time. That worked really well and completely got rid of the smell. So the spraying was just a temporary problem for us, and I'm so glad to have him that it was definitely worth it.

bought not bounced!