As with the previous questions, the answer stems in identifying the source of the odour. Some hints:
• Make sure that if you have a male cat that he is neutered. Regardless of how clean intact male cats are, their urine will be very strong. Neutering will resolve this.
• Make sure that your cat's litter box is cleaned regularly. This may be a common source and if the litter box is not cleaned regularly, your cat may elect to go elsewhere (often outside of the litter box) in the house. Newer litter may actually neutralize the odour of cat urine -- if you are going to try this, gradually switch to the new product to ensure your cat accepts the new litter.
• If your cat seems to be no longer house trained, ensure you have your cat examined by your veterinarian to eliminate a urinary infection as the source of both the odour and loss in house training.
• Search for any areas that your cat may be using instead of the litter box. If you locate the spot, clean it well. There are a number of excellent products available commercially to accomplish this -- ask your veterinarian for her recommendation. If it has happened frequently on a carpet, you sometimes have no other choice but to remove the soiled carpeting. There are also several effective ways to retrain your cat -- ask your veterinarian.
And finally, a reader with experience in eliminating skunk odour from their dog writes in:
"Our dog Charlie was sprayed twice by skunks last summer. I tried everything to get rid of the smell, including the recipe in your past column. The only thing that eventually got rid of it was toothpaste. Charlie weighs approximately 45 kg (100 lbs) so I bought 10 tubes of toothpaste, rubbed them into her fur (including her face), and rinsed. It worked like a charm!"
Page 3 of 3 -- Stinky pets can be a symptom of an underlying health issue. Learn more on page 1.
About Dr. Walt Ingwersen
Dr. Walt Ingwersen is Chief Veterinary Officer at PetCare Insurance Brokers Ltd. He is a 1982 graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College. Board certified in Internal Medicine, he has the distinction of being the first Canadian editor of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, a position he currently holds.
Involved in many aspects of the national and international veterinary community, "Dr. Walt" is the recipient of the President's Award for outstanding contribution to the veterinary profession awarded by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). He is also Chief Veterinary Officer and Chairman of the Veterinary Advisory Board at PetCare Insurance Brokers Ltd. -- Canada's leading provider of insurance for dogs and cats.
