Stinky-Pet Solutions

About a week and a half after my dogs’ monthly bath, my boyfriend starts asking when their next one will be. I try to keep in mind that I might be somewhat desensitized to pet odors, working with dogs all day, every day. Living with one cat, two large dogs and one human with a sensitive sniffer, I’m always on the lookout for the next great stinky-pet solution.

Here are some of my current favorite solutions to various pet odor challenges.

Summer Swamp Dog Smell

A favorite way for my dogs to cool down on hot days is to go wading in a pond, but a rinse in the hose usually isn’t enough to eradicate the funky scent that clings to their fur afterwards. Just recently, I discovered a product that’s a big help. Nature’s Miracle Ultra-Deodorizing Spray contains a protein conditioning complex along with “pro-lift enzymes” that provide “deep odor lifting action” and dander control. I top that off with Nootie’s all natural Daily Spritz in Sweet Pea and Vanilla to maintain that just-back-from-the-pet-salon fresh scent.

Stinky Kitty Cat Box

I’ve honestly tried a number of the more eco-friendly cat litters, and just have not yet found one that really does the trick well enough for our household. Until recently, I’ve settled for breaking my back lugging heavy clumping, clay cat litter laden with odor-absorbing carbon crystals—various brands. This week, I was delighted to come across a box of Cat’s Pride Fresh and Light clumping cat litter boasting, “lift me!” This product claims to be up to twenty-five percent lighter, offering the equivalent of twenty-eight pounds of other brands’ clumping, scoopable cat litter in a twenty-one pound box. I was sold on the lower weight. We’ll soon see if it works as well in the odor-control department.

Home, Sweet-Smelling Home

Gonzo makes a couple of odor-absorbing products I like: Pet Odor Eliminator made up of “all natural, odorless, non-toxic volcanic crystals with millions of surfaces and channels containing an electrical charge that acts as a magnet to attract and hold unpleasant airborne pet odors” and Citrus Odor Absorbing Gel. Glade’s Tough Odor Solutions air freshener and carpet freshening powder seem to work the best out of all the similar products I’ve tried, without being overpowering scents, themselves.

Accidents Will Happen

It’s been a while since my own dogs went through the housebreaking phase, but I still keep basic enzymatic cleaners on hand in case of the rare accident caused by severe stomach upset. There are so many brands on the market these days, and I have to admit that I just haven’t ventured to try anything besides the Nature’s Miracle and Simple Solution brands I’ve found reliable throughout the years.

Oh, No! Not the Rug!

Nearly every puppy home I visit, I get to hear that cry at least once. I so very much prefer my patchwork of area rugs over wall to wall carpet as far as ease of cleaning pet stains. I like being able to lift the carpet up to see how far the stain spread underneath, so that I’m sure I’ve treated the full area. I usually sandwich the carpet with towel or paper towels on the top and bottom as I spray and blot the stain away. It’s much trickier to truly get stains out of wall to wall carpet without the help of a cleaning machine.

Still, earlier this week when I heard a radio ad for a “Stinky Pet Special” on Oriental rug cleaning, my ears perked right up. Horrigan Cleaners welcomes pet owners with a Pet Package utilizing an “in-plant rug washing process that guarantees to completely remove the odor associated with pet urine.” Although they are located in Gardner, MA, they do offer pick-up and drop-off service to our area. Further investigation of their website shows that in addition to Oriental, Persian and area rug cleaning, they also offer upholstery cleaning and in-home wall-to-wall carpet cleaning. They even offer cleaning for leather furniture. I’m sure many new pet owners could benefit greatly from getting to know Horrigan Cleaners. And they seem like really nice, down-to-earth people, to boot. That goes a long way in my book.

Personally, it wouldn’t matter how stinky my pets were—I’d love them no matter what. My plethora of tricks for keeping them and our home sweet smelling just makes it easier for other people to love them, too.