# My mom says my house smells like cats. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 12, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939 "2007-09-12T17:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/1 "2007-09-12T17:29:30Z")
Well, I can’t tell - you know, you live in your house, and other people’s houses smell funny but your house smells like your house. It isn’t the litterbox, I have the Litter Robot. I guess it’s just that “cat lady” cat smell. The house is a huge mess, but it isn’t filth, it’s just clutter. I vacuum… sometimes, but fairly recently. What I _don’t_ want is for the house to go from smelling like “cat lady” to “cat lady in spring rain”. Is there anything I can do or any product I can use that isn’t some gross scented overlay? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/2 "2007-09-12T17:36:17Z")
I swore up and down that my house smelled like cats when I bought it. I had my uncle on the floor smelling the carpet for cat pee. Never found it… One day of being in the house and having the windows open made the smell vanish. I guess to me stale air or a musty smell smells like cat pee. I don’t have cats but I have a big dog who likes to get wet and stink like wet dog, plus I smoke, and I’m told my house smells relatively clean. I like to use this [foam carpet spray](http://www.amazon.com/Carpet-Fresh-No-Vac-Super-aerosol/dp/B000EB4U4M) every so often. It’s not over-bearing at all. I also had a Glade Plug-In for a while but now I just try to “air out” as much as possible. Seems to work. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/3 "2007-09-12T17:37:10Z")
In my experience, if you have a cat or a dog your house will smell like cat or dog. For someone to complain about it is a bit like complaining that your house smells like people. My family has three cats and an extremely cluttered house. I think the clutter contributes to all household smells by making it harder to clean and impeding air circulation. Therefore, my advice is to fight the clutter and open the windows on nice days. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/4 "2007-09-12T17:39:13Z")
My windows don’t open. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/5 "2007-09-12T17:40:59Z")
Pick up the clutter and clean. Seriously. If you have a lot of clutter it is hard to clean properly and stuff builds up underneath. There’s probably a lot of dander and hair that needs removal, and you may find a cat accident or hairballs somewhere that you didn’t know about before. My husband turned the garage into a huge clutter mess and we cleaned it out this summer - he’s a pack rat so there were some things that needed to be thrown out, plus once we had all the stuff out, we swept and vaccuumed. It didn’t look dirty, per se, nor did we notice a smell beforehand. But we noticed a definite change in the way it smelled afterward. It actually smelled good! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/6 "2007-09-12T17:45:23Z")
If you have central air, change the filter and run just the fan. This helps eliminate dust and pet dander from the air. Run the a/c, if you have it, when it is humid as the moist air seems to trap odor. Make sure the litterbox is not near an air return. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/7 "2007-09-12T17:45:23Z")
[QUOTE=ZipperJJ] I swore up and down that my house smelled like cats when I bought it. I had my uncle on the floor smelling the carpet for cat pee. Never found it… One day of being in the house and having the windows open made the smell vanish. I guess to me stale air or a musty smell smells like cat pee. [/QUOTE] I was thinking of the less offensive smell that cats give off from their skin or fur or whatever. Cat urine is something else entirely. That stuff is powerful. I would agree that it smells musty, also somewhat acrid. We have a product called Complete for Cats that seems to work pretty well on cat pee. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/8 "2007-09-12T18:01:39Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] My windows don’t open. [/QUOTE] Not a good thing. Some houses smell more like cats than others. We have cats, but I’ll tell you, I’ve walked into houses where the smell of cats just about knocked me on my ass. Someone who DOESN’T have cats and never has will probably always notice it at least a little bit, but some cats will secretly pee in places they shouldn’t and it can get pretty pungent without you noticing. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/9 "2007-09-12T18:02:41Z")
I have birds and a cat. I don’t have screens for my windows, so I can’t open them. I’m always afraid my apartment will smell, so I’m diligent about the catbox and any trash. I put anything that will spoil or fester in a small bag and take that out every day. Birds get new paper every couple of days, and I empty my vacuum canister out after every use. I’m not a neat freak, but I’ve been in houses where it smells and the owners get used to it, if they ever smelled it in the beginning. I don’t want to end up like that. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/10 "2007-09-12T18:07:21Z")
On review, I also concur with romansperson. If your house is cluttered and untidy, it’s probably dirtier than you think, and almost any substance short of stainless steel will absorb cat smells and get smelly. A full-blown cleaning should solve, at least for the most part, the problem. Please don’t take this the wrong way, our house gets messy and cluttered too, it’s just that every now and then we have to really get down to asses and elbows an clean it up. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/11 "2007-09-12T18:07:56Z")
I really don’t think it’s pee. My cats are really, really good about the litter box, unless maybe one of them got trapped in a room without one for a while or something. But I think I’d smell pee. In fact, once the level of litter in the robot got too low for Eddles’ sensitive tastes and I didn’t notice it, but when I was adding litter he jumped in right under the litter stream and took the world’s longest pee. Poor little guy! I’ve been a lot more careful since then. ETA: Oh, and I WILL have to clean now, 'cause I still can’t find my keys. 😉 I need to start the Slob Reform Club up again. I have backslid. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/12 "2007-09-12T18:37:09Z")
I second \*\*ZipperJJ’s \*\* recommendation of that carpet spray. It really does help, short-term, anyway. My solution was to get rid of the carpet. I have ceramic tile now, and my house smells much cleaner. That may be a bit radical for you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/13 "2007-09-12T20:36:40Z")
How many cats? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/14 "2007-09-12T20:46:07Z")
Well I’m not saying your smell is cat pee…more like saying that a house that stays closed up all the time (like the empty house I bought) tends to smell like…cats after a while. I can only imagine what it’d smell like if there actually WERE cats there 🙂 Might not be cat smell at all (although it probably is). You really need to rotate some air through there, and treat your carpet and upholstry with something like the foam. I just opened my windows today for the first time in a while and even though I have a super-awesome whole house kickass clean air filter and use the A/C fan a lot, the house smells so much different (better) when it has fresh air in it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/15 "2007-09-12T23:32:35Z")
Get a modestly prced air filter with Ionizer. Use it. Holmes is OK, and Target carries them. Get an extra filter (of both kinds) while you are there. Get some of that “all natural citrus” room deoderizer. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/16 "2007-09-12T23:47:46Z")
[QUOTE=The Surb] Run the a/c, if you have it, when it is humid as the moist air seems to trap odor. [/QUOTE] “If you have it”? Dude, check out her location! ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/17 "2007-09-13T01:11:42Z")
Down forum a bit, the OP, Plan B, claims [Odors Away - one drop takes the smell out of the room for an hour or so. One of my offices is above a Chinese restaurant so I get to use it once in a while. Costs about $3 for two year supply](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=436049). If the urban legend about cats being caged in the back of Chinese take-outs is true, this Odors Away stuff may be just what the doctor ordered. ---
**Author:** ![Micro\_Dot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Micro\_Dot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Micro_Dot)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/18 "2007-09-13T14:26:15Z")
I’ve never been in any house with a cat that didn’t smell of cat. Even when I had outdoor cats and put their bed under the porch the inside still smelled of cats. I’d say just live with it, and if it bother your mum, don’t expect her to visit, but go to her house. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/19 "2007-09-13T17:21:15Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] My solution was to get rid of the carpet. I have ceramic tile now, and my house smells much cleaner. That may be a bit radical for you. 😉 [/QUOTE] I have a rug that I can roll up and take to a professional rug cleaner one a year and I have hardwood floors. The only time my girlfriend says my apartment smells “odd” is when I forget to take out the gabage. NOTE: I also use silicone litter. It is more expensive, but it totally absorbs liquid into the silicone crystals. I ca n pour a cup of water into it then rake my fingers through it and my fingers will be bone dry. It is _highly_ effective when it comes to odor control IMHO. When I’ve had to use regular clumping litter, I’ve really noticed an olfactory difference. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939/20 "2007-09-13T17:35:07Z")
Maybe your keys are in the litterbox. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-mom-says-my-house-smells-like-cats/418939.md?page=2)