New cat mum - clueless

[Julianne65]

We have just adopted the most beautiful little one year old girl and have fallen in love. Now we have her home I am starting to worry our house is a potential death trap her her. I have a few questions:

I love fancy candles. Are they okay to be burned around a cat? More for the fumes rather than the flames as the candle would be out of reach.

Her litter tray does pong a bit but she’s really good with her tray. We scoop the poop and pee as soon as possible but I can still smell it a bit. Is there a way to stop the smell?

What cleaners are safe to use? I know Dettol is a no no and have got rid of all the Dettol products.

I’ve heard that oranges and lemons are toxic to cats. Can I never eat oranges again lol?

thank you x

Cat tax added.

Oh she is lovely!

I don't use candles so can't comment.

You can definitely eat oranges just don't let her eat any 😀. (Never heard they are toxic to cats but taking your word for it).

I cycled my way through all the cat litter on the market. I use catsan now as it seems to keep the smell down most. I don't put a lot in and I do change it very regularly.

I would be wary of candle fumes some oils/scents are toxic to cats.

I found worlds best cat litter the best for the least smells.

The flames on candles are the issue - there is very little that's out of reach for a cat! Don't leave them burning unattended.

If you can afford it, Catsan litter is good for minimising smell.

Try a pet shop for pet-safe cleaning products. You can use others but you need to 'rinse' them off afterwards and let whatever it is dry before your cat has access.

I have never known a cat try to eat an orange or lemon - they will instinctively avoid them.

VanCat litter is great too

www.vancatuk.com/shop/

Worlds best

www.worldsbestcatlitter.com

Neither are the cheapest but are super clumping and last ages so are the good value for money IYSWIM

That's a cute one! Lost my last kitty in 2006, got 2 dogs, but DH doesn't like cats. Cats jump all over the shop,all mine walked across the cooker hobs.. fruit bowl was always on the coffee table, never had a cat interested in the fruit. Lots of plants, flowers are toxic to cats (dogs,) never whipped them all out. Only thing I did was remove the pollen stamens from lilies,so the animals didn't brush against them. Cat litter shouldn't smell, maybe you haven't had cats, and experiencing it more. Would be worried about scented candles, they're bad for everyone. I used just hot water to clean out the litter tray. Other friends whatever they have to hand. If your kitty is going to go outside, they eat and bring in all sorts of revolting things, and thrive.

Congratulations! Cats are my favourite topic and I'll be following this thread with keen interest.
Since becoming a cat mum myself I've stopped using candles as I've seen posts suggesting the fumes are dangerous to cats. Oranges and lemons are fine for you to eat, just wash any residue off of your hands after eating so you don't stroke your cat with it on your hands.
New things I've learned: keep your hairbands stored away from your cat, cats like to hunt these & may try to eat them. Our cat has a tendency to lick plastic bags (sometimes books) so we keep them stored away, your cat may not have this condition.

Nothing is out of reach to cats if they want to get to it. I use candles when I'm having a bath and occasionally for special occasions but never leave the room leaving a lit candle.

I use Catsan and never had smell problems. Mine normally go outside but have an 'emergency' tray inside.

Wow! Thank you so much for the helpful posts! And so fast too! Noted about the candles. I think I’ll keep them for bath times only.

She does jump up on everything at the moment. Trying to teach her to at least stay off the kitchen counters but so far she’s ignoring us 😄

You can get covered trays which help with the smell.

As for all the other stuff, I've had cats all my life and knew none of this. I've eaten oranges, burned scented candles.... My boys are healthy and thriving, 14 years on. Don't stress too much. Cats are supposed to be good for your stress. Unless they're throwing up on your bed. Of course. Or bringing in small rodents. Those are pretty stressful things.

I burn scented wax melts everyday and it's never an issue with any of our animals. The candles are out of reach of the cats though.

Litter wise we use Greenwoods and have never noticed a smell unless one of them is unwell and has the shits.

I think I’ll keep them for bath times only

Your cat may try to get into the bathroom while you are having a bath - I had a girl who liked to parade up and down the edge of the bath while I was in there and would scratch and scratch if I closed the door 😃

I found catsan smelled bad really quickly. I used a mix of cats best smart pellets and worlds best and clay clumping litters as they were all clumping litter and you could remove pee and poo. I had a litter tray spray from pets at home for cleaning the tray. Most cleaning products are fine as long as they are dry before your cat walks on the surfaces.

Still have oranges in the house. Only use candles when they have someone in the same room. Avoid lillies if you have flowers.

Honestly, had cats all my life, never ever worried about any cleaning products, candles, plants, or fruits etc. All outdoor cats, roaming free so litter not required. When they first came to us, used Catsan though, and that seemed smell free.

My sister uses Catsan (I can't afford it) and when I cat-sat for her for a week I was amazed by how little it smelled, but of course this may depend on how naturally smelly your cat's wee is. Boys' wee smells more than girls' in my experience.

Which one?
There is a white one that smells bad but I think they also have an eco one and a fine sandy one too

Candles are banned in our house as my little furry idiot would try to bat at the flames as she's a menace

My foster cats sit and stare at me when I’m showering as if they’re wondering what the hell I’m doing.

I use Method products for cleaning & I’d also get a bottle of Simple Solution from Pets at Home for cleaning up accidents. It gets rid of the smell so they’re not tempted to go in that place again.

Also OP, you may already know this but most cats have a whale of a time jumping in & out of cardboard boxes. I’ve got a pile in my hall that I replace / rearrange every so often.

Ditto. Lilies are toxic to cats though so avoid those.

That cat has already decided who's boss. 🤣 I hope you have many happy years of servitude.

Cars really really hate the smell of citrus so it's unlikely they'll get close enough to an orange to feel any ill effects from it.

beautiful cat! And you’re doing great, I recommend Jackson Galaxy on YouTube for any cat related questions.

Candles - well out of reach and bear in mind she will be able to jump and climb more places as she gets used to her new home.

litter - I swear by tofu clumping litter (I use Hide and Seek, it’s got charcoal added) it doesn’t smell at all. Good job on keeping her litter tray clean, it’s one of the kindest things you can do for a cat.

citrus - she won’t eat it because they hate the smell. but as she is young, just make sure the peels are out of reach.

Welcome to the Cat Servitude world. Just wanted to add that she might lose interest in the kitchen counter if she has someplace higher. Cats like heights.

Oh, and she’s gorgeous and already has plans for running your life.