If you’re a cat person there are probably few people you love as much as your feline companion. Cat odors in your home, however, can be an extremely unpleasant thing to deal with, especially if you have frequent guests or live in a small apartment. Whether your cat’s litter box is a bit too noticeable, or you find yourself constantly cleaning up cat dander, here are a few easy steps you can take to get rid of cat odor in your home.

DIY: Get Rid of Cat Odor…Forever

Vacuum and Sweep Often.

Whether your cat is long haired or short-haired, its hair is probably accumulating in your home. Accumulation of animal hair can trigger allergies and add to the overall animal smell within your home. Vacuuming often and sweeping floors weekly are easy ways to keep hair and thus odor from accumulating. Making sure you vacuum easy to forget areas such as curtains, drapes, and furniture are easy steps that can make a big difference.

Use a Litter Deodorizer

I’m sure you already know the importance of your litter box in litter eliminating efforts, but there are extra steps you can take to really kick odor to the curb. There are many products available that will help control and eliminate odors in your home, by focusing on your litter box. Litter Deodorizer​s ​reduce and eliminate cat odor from the litter box before the smell spreads throughout your home. There are products available for under $10 that offer great results. You can combine multiple products to cover all your needs, but my Aries isn’t THAT smelly. Depending on your cat’s odor levels — this may be a better option for you.

Scoop Your Litter Box Daily

The more often you scoop your litter box, the less time odors will have to circulate in your home. Scooping frequently will keep you, your kitty, and your guests happier by reducing smell immediately and cutting down on overall odor in your home. I like to use non tracking litter to keep the area around the litter box clean, too.

Pay Attention to Their Feeding Area

Some cats are tidy eaters, and others are not. Aries tends to eat like a slob so it has made me hyper-aware of their feeding area. I’ve learned you can reduce odors in your home by not leaving food out for long periods of time, and cleaning up between feedings. Animal dishes and toys can also be breeding grounds for ants, mold, and bacteria, so cleaning these with soap frequently is another good step to take.

Make Sure Your Litter Box is in a Place with Good Ventilation

Many people want to keep their litter boxes out of site in their home. However, if you’ve got your litter box out of site and in a small, dark, hidden place, that will cause the odor to concentrate and become stronger. This also might keep your cat from wanting to use it, causing him to relieve himself in other parts of your home. To reduce concentrated smell, try to find a better ventilated area for your litter box.

Invest in an Air Purifier for Dander and Hair

There are many air purifier and dehumidifier solutions that can reduce the smell of cats in your home. Ranging from ​small air purifiers and devices​ that can reduce animal hair in your home, to larger solutions​ that can capture almost all airborne pollutants in your home, there are many devices and machines that can make your home smell better and reduce allergens. This is great if you enjoy entertaining guests because you’ll never have to worry about who you invite (based on their allergies).

Have Some Spaces be Off Limits to Your Pets

For households with allergies who still want to have pets or simply to reduce animal smell in your entire home, making some spaces off limits to your cat is a good solution. Closing bedroom doors while you’re not home, putting protective and washable sheets or blankets on furniture, or only allowing animals on one floor of your home if you have multiple floors can be easy solutions. This way, you can enjoy your cat but still have odor and allergy-free spaces within your home.

Guest Post Author:

Stephanie Selige