Cat: how to overcome certain odors
For a cat, it is normal to live in a world of smells. However, not all of them are pleasant, even for him!
When he walks on his territory, the cat studies all the smells, including those he himself has deposited before to mark his space. For this, it has an organ that humans do not have: the Jacobson or vomeronasal organ, located at the level of the floor of its nasal cavity. It is thanks to the latter that he is able to decipher the pheromones which are so many chemical messengers. The cat being much more sensitive than us to odors, some can even upset it.
Dirty litter: your cat doesn't want it!
When a cat feels that its litter box is too dirty, it no longer puts its paws in it and finds another place to do its business (a plant pot, for example). To avoid this, the minimum is to remove your droppings as you go or invest in a connected self-cleaning litter box that will take care of it for you! You will also need to change the content often and make sure it is suitable for your cat. Vegetable litter, made from natural products such as bark, corn, wheat or hemp, has a pleasant smell. Mineral litter, made up of silica, is associated with a molecule that neutralizes bad smells. All that remains is to place the bin in a tiled room (easy to clean) and equipped with a window, thus allowing as frequent ventilation as necessary. With such precautions, the smell of her litter box should no longer be a problem…unless your kitten starts to urinate while standing up and her urine suddenly smells very strong. This change in smell is a sign that your baby has reached puberty. If you haven't had it sterilized yet, it's high time to think about it! Once sterilized, your tomcat will find urine with a less marked smell.
Another problem to consider: if your cat starts scratching and/or urinating outside of its litter box even though it is sterilized, this is often a sign of stress caused by the arrival of a new animal or a child, by a move or any other badly experienced change. In general, calming pheromones allow him to adapt more gently.
Body odors
When all is well, a cat's fur is soft, silky and does not carry an unpleasant odor. If this is not the case, an inspection is necessary in search of scratching lesions or an abscess which should quickly lead you to consult to treat the problem (a simple bath will not solve an infectious problem). Sometimes it's not his fur that doesn't smell very good but his breath, very often due to the presence of tartar. To limit its formation and reduce its progression, there are specially designed kibbles as well as other options, such as powder to mix with food, a solution to put in drinking water, enzyme patches ( to stick inside the cheek), chewing strips, etc. When it is already too late and the tartar is present, the veterinarian can take advantage of anesthesia to perform a scaling.
As for vomit and regurgitated hairballs on the floor, they leave traces and an unpleasant smell. To limit their impact, it is advisable to sprinkle them with baking soda without delay, rub, let stand and vacuum after putting purifying granules in the vacuum cleaner. All you have to do is ventilate well.
Read also: Their intimate hygiene
