Understanding Cat Smells

Some people don't mind or even notice the smell of cat odor. Others would prefer the aroma of freshly cut flowers and home cooking. If cat smells are getting out of control in your household, you better read on...

Cat Hair Everywhere!
Although you may not immediately notice it, cat hair accumulates all over the house and more so in spring when your cat is shedding its winter coat. The hair that gathers has a certain smell; it is a general cat odor that tells you that a cat resides on the premises.

In order to keep a lid on those lived-in cat smells, you need to get rid of the hair! Brushing your cat regularly (in the garden) will go a long way to reducing the amount of hair released into the home environment. Easy-to-wash throwovers will help keep hair and cat odors from damaging the furniture; and a new wave of vacuum cleaners like the Neptune 'cat Master' and the Miele 'Big Cat and Dog' vacuum will do the rest.

Wet Cats Smell, Why Is It So?
Mmmm, there is nothing like the pungent aroma of a wet dog... or cat for that matter! Let's face it, wet cats smell bad. I don't know why, they don't smell bad when they're dry, so why do they fully pong when they're wet? It is one of the mysteries of cat ownership.

Bad Cat Breath
Everyone suffers from it once in a while and it's nothing to be ashamed of. However, if you told someone that you'd never brushed your teeth in your whole life, they'd probably say, 'what do you expect?'

So why should it be any different for our cats? Our cats' teeth and gums can suffer from the same problems and diseases that ours can. Gingivitis and cavities are a real threat to our cats' health and the main cause of bad breath. We can't blame our cats though; they can't brush their own teeth. But, we can do it for them.

It may take some practice, and it is often wise to start them when they're young, but before you know it your cat's teeth will sparkle and those morning licks on the face won't be quite so unbearable. If your cat won't have a bar of the brush (most cats and fickle dogs fall into this category) then you can provide teeth and gum care when serving your cat its meal. Dried cat foods such as Science Diet Oral Care are available that are not only highly nutritious, but are excellent for cleaning the teeth while being chewed and have vitamins and minerals essential for healthy teeth and gums.

The Cat Litter Box
If you have a new puppy or kitty, then chances are that toilet time is something the whole family will be involved in. I'm talking about the litter box, that wonderful invention that allows your cat to do whoopsies in the laundry, kitchen, lounge room; wherever it is in the house that your cat has adopted for its personal bathroom. The key here is the litter. The right litter will help make this necessary aspect of your puppy or kitten's life a positive experience. In a good litter, like Supersorb’s Kaocat Activated Zeolite litter or Cat San from Uncle Ben’s, look for absorption, clumping and odor control and you can't go wrong!