How to clean up your cat's messes
that has a roll of sticky paper and a handle. Tear off each dirty sheet and roll the newly exposed sheet over your clothing. You can use this device on any upholstery also, but I have a better solution for the larger areas. Invest in a handheld brush such as you would use to clean your fingernails. Rub that over your upholstery to pick up cat hair. But the best solution, although not easy to find, is a special sponge that's used for removing soot after a fire. It's used dry and will pick up more cat hair than you could even see on the chair, car seat, bedspread, or whatever. It will save more time than any other method, although you may have to invest some time in finding it. I use it once a week to “decathair” all the fabric on the furniture. Each time I use it, it amazes me to see that the cats have shed so much hair that I hadn’t noticed. Check out www.spongeco.com.
Dander is the loose flakes of skin that cats (and humans) shed. You might have to vacuum and dust more frequently. Another good solution is to invest in a HEPA filter air purifier. A HEPA filter takes out the smallest particles in the air. Run the filter on a weekly basis, or more frequently in your bedroom. Or maybe you just have a cold or the flu. Don't worry about the cat catching your diseases. It's not likely to happen.
full of compacted hair in a tube shape. Dare you touch it? Yes, it's just a hair ball. First of all, use prevention. Invest in a reliable manufacturer's cat food that is specific for reducing the incidence of hairballs, such as Hairball Remedy or Hairball Control. Brush your cats more often. But if hairballs still happen, pick the mess up with a paper towel and use some kind of carpet cleaner that will remove the stain. The stain comes from the food that the cat ate after forming the hairball in its gullet. Nothing could move on down to the stomach, so the cat threw it all up. This is normal. I use Krud Kutter which is useful for all stains and doesn't change the color on my carpets. Test in a hidden place first to make sure it's OK for your carpets. Wash your hands after cleaning up the hairball. Do your plants look sick, like something has been eating them? First, check my page on How to prevent poisoning from plants and bushes. If this plant isn't safe for cats, you'll want to remove from the house. If the cats are safe but the plant is not, crinkle up some aluminum foil and place it around the plant pot and soil. Cats don't like the sound and feel of the foil and may stay away. So, it seems that your indoor cat may like to eat greens. Try growing lawn grass in a pot and cutting some off each day for an alternative to your plant leaves. Place it near your cat's food. Refresh it each day. What if your valuable glass vase just fell and broke? Was it an earthquake or an active cat? First, remove the cat from the area where the broken pieces are and pick up the shards to prevent glass from cutting your cat's paws. Daub the spot with a damp paper towel to remove the smallest pieces. Then invest in a special goop that secures valuable items to tables and shelves in case of an earthquake. One kind is called Quake Hold Putty. It will make it harder for your cat to knock items down.
your furniture instead of a scratching post. Try to redirect your cat from your furniture to the proper scratching place. Use catnip to make the proper place more attractive. Try attaching some crinkled aluminum foil to make the wrong scratching place less attractive. As a last resort, invest in a stinky smelling spray that will repel the cats. Sometimes lemon or orange flavored sprays work. Otherwise, you may be repelling more than just your cats. Remember, your cat is not scratching out of spite. Scratching is a normal activity for a cat. They have sweat glands on their paws and mark their territory. And they need to sharpen their claws and remove dead nails. Your cute cat ran to hide when it saw strangers in the house. Not too unusual. But you can teach the cat to be less afraid. After all, you're proud of your furry babies, and you want everyone else to admire them, too. Put your cat in its carrier along with some treats and place it in the room before the company comes. Remind the people that cats don't like loud noises. After several experiences where your cat sees that nothing frightening is going on, it may have learned that company is OK.
it from happening again. See my page on How to teach a cat to stop doing something bad. Is the box very dirty? That will turn the cat away in disgust. Have you tried a new brand of litter? The cat may simply not like its odor. Or, is the cat insecure about using the box in that area? Try a more quiet and protected area. Does the cat have a urinary tract infection? Or does it have another health problem? If this mess happens frequently, it's not normal. Cats are usually very clean animals. Tell your vet about it. An alternative solution to bringing your healthy cat to the vet would be to isolate the cat in a safe room with its litter box, food and water dishes. Soak up the spot with a paper towel before using any cleansers and place the smelly paper inside the litter box, so the cat can relearn to associate the proper place to make the smell. Clean the spots with baking soda and then scrub them with rubbing alcohol to get rid of the odor.
cat is terribly confused. You never smelled anything wrong but, to your cat, the room smells wrong. Previously, your cat had deposited its normal scent all around the room and now it's gone. You may want to keep the cat out of the newly decorated room until the usual house smell enters that room. Or, just keep an eye on the cat for a few days to prevent any damage. And then there's that terrible unidentified odor in your room. Hmm, do you have a non-neutered male? He may have sprayed the wall or furniture in an attempt to mark the spot so that a receptive female will know he's around. This odor will be very difficult to remove. And it will be very difficult to live with. Alternatives? Neuter that boy as soon as possible.
Here's my confession---I had a neutered male, Tootsie, who started to spray. He sprayed because he was insecure with a dominant male cat in the household. I washed the walls with baking soda and then scrubbed them with rubbing alcohol to discourage him from going back to the same spot. It didn't work. I got rid of the sofa. It didn't work. The next thing I did was sadly bring Tootsie to a non-kill shelter. He was a beautiful Maine Coon mix, definitely a loving lap cat. I had taken him and his sister from a woman who was getting married and whose husband wouldn't accept her cats. They were both pitifully shy cats, hiding under the bed or in cabinets most of the time. They would probably not have been chosen for a pet if they were in a regular shelter, so I took them in. They learned not to be so shy. But my Siamese-type hyperactive cat was the alpha cat and after several years, Tootsie no longer felt safe. I'm still sorry I had to do this, but I didn't know any alternative. I still don't. I don't have much good news if you have a similar situation in your household. You can browse through more images of Tootsie and other visitor cats by clicking on my page, Order Cards and Prints. |
How to Clean Up
Your Cat's Messes
Your Cat's Messes
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