My son (a smoker) is staying with us for a while to help me take care of his mother.
Both he and his wife go outside to smoke, but don’t realize that the stink remains on them, and Bert is so loving he’ll get up into anyone’s lap to be petted.
Well, the smell has gotten into his hair, and so I am wondering what I can get (as spray) to take the smell off? He likes to snuggle up with me and Dondra and the smell is awful.
We don’t know what else to do except isolate Bert, but that isn’t fair, because it isn’t his fault.
I use Febreze to de-stinkify my own hair. Be careful not to spray any in his eyes, but it might work. Also, there is a spray they spray on dogs at the kennel before you pick 'em up – the techs call it “go home spray” because it freshens 'em up so they don’t smell so dog-kennel-y. I’ve seen it in pet stores, but I suspect that Febreze is probably less expensive and/or is the same thing.
You can get “waterless shampoo” for cats and dogs, so I would go that route. You want something safe for kitty to ingest because you know he’s going to be licking his fur. If you have a PetCo or a PetSmart near you, go there and look in the grooming aisle. You’ll find something!
DON’T use dryer sheets. They leave residue that is harmful to the cat when licked off.
I wouldn’t use Febreze, even if you’re careful to avoid his eyes he’ll lick it off his fur. Beyond that, I don’t know - maybe sponge him down with a little vinegar or something.
Don’t use Febreze. I used it on my dog once and his hair fell out where he was sprayed. It says right on the bottle, don’t use on pets. (He had rolled in something dead and I was waiting for my husband to get home to help me bathe the dog.)
Yeah, humans can spray Febreze on themselves because we don’t groom ourselves with our own tongues - cats are far more delicate as far as topical chemicals go. They do, however, sell pet-freshening sprays at any big-box pet store.
I wonder if dilute vinegar would work? Just rubbed over his fur, maybe. I guess smelling like a tossed salad would be better than stale cigarette smoke.
Other than that, I’d check a good pet store for cat-safe products, or with your vet. Cats are very sensitive to quite a few different substances, some of which are harmful or lethal.
NO FEBREZE. Never ever, EVER, put something on a cat that you’re supposed to call Poison Control if you ingest it. Cats schlorp on themselves like it’s a paying job, so they WILL ingest anything you put on their fur or skin. Feel free to spray anything of the sort on your son, though.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the cologne sprays – I think they stink worse than cigarette smoke and also they tend to set off my allergies. Dry shampoo is my personal preference, since it’s usually odorless and can be gotten just about anywhere that carries pet supplies. There are also little towelettes with destinker on them, though those can be harder to find.
Oh, I bought some of those to use on our Alfie… Near as I can tell, they’re wildly overpriced baby wipes. I would think that an ultra-mild baby wipe would be OK.
