Do you think your house smells like your pets?
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Anonymous
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Our kids have been pressuring us for a pet and we're pretty close to caving in. We're looking at getting a dog (not a cat due to allergies) but, besides the usual concerns (cost, where to place them when you're traveling, the parents ultimately becoming responsible), we're worried about the potential smell of living with a pet.
The majority of our friends/families have pets and that also means their house smells like dog or cat. Is it inevitable that if you have a pet, you'll also get pet smell. I don't think most people are aware that their house smells like animal (odor blindness is a thing once you get accustomed to the smells), and some or worse than others, but I don't think we've been in a single pet-occupied house that doesn't have the smell. We're especially concerned now because we were visiting friends last weekend and their house reeked of dog and cat and, once we left, the smell was in our clothes. It was actually quite disgusting and, while that may be an extreme case, we're very sensitive to smells and want to have a plan in place before committing to a dog. Are there any pet owners that are 100% certain their home doesn't smell like animal? If so, do you have tips on how to prevent the smell? |
Anonymous
| I have one friend who gets their dog washed weekly. It doesn't smell. everyone else, yes. |
Anonymous
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My house does sometimes smell like my pets. Mostly my dog. We keep covers on the couches that we wash frequently (they’re ugly and I pull off when we have company), and what cannot be covered we steam clean or shampoo regularly. It definitely helps, but there will be times when I haven’t had time to clean and I start to notice the smell. Basically the solution is diligence!
I think your friends sound like an extreme case, I’ve never been in a house that bad. In fact it’s been very rare that I’ve ever noticed pet smell in a house at all. |
Anonymous
| I have friends who have dogs and their dogs may stink a bit, but their homes do not smell. CATS, are a different story. I only know of two cat families whose home does not smell at all and its because their homes are clean and tidy. Every other cat home I've been into, reeks of cat, and I try not to spend so much time in their homes because my allergies flare up instantly. The smell is disgusting and yes, the people who live there have odor blindness. |
Anonymous
| The thing about getting used to it is that you don't have to care. I'm sure my house smells like the cat, in the same way it would smell differently if people didn't live there. I don't notice it though, so it's not an issue. |
Anonymous
| We have only two fish tanks filled with I have no idea kind of fish. They stink - so much so that I’ve told DH to let they die off and not replace. Call me a monster, but this is gross and I know the tanks require more regular care than what DH is providing (filters, draining and refreshing the water). |
Anonymous
| It depends on your house. We have two dogs and a cat. At our last house, which was 2/3 carpet, it did smell a bit like pets, but not too much. New house with hardwood on one floor and tile on the other does not. |
Anonymous
A fish tank shouldn't smell with diligent care, but fish tanks do require a lot more care/cleaning than most people who get them realize. It's a lot of work. |
Anonymous
| We just bought a home, literally, yesterday.... and the previous owners had a dog. I didn't know during the open house there was a pet living in the house based on smell and I have a sensitive nose. The only reason I knew they have a dog is because during the walk through/inspection I saw dog food. The home has only hardwood floors. |
Anonymous
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1.) Depends on the breed. In my experience, houses with doodles or non-shedding breeds do not smell.
2.) Depends on the damage during house training. Despite significant cleaning efforts, our old rugs always smelled due to accidents before our dog was house trained. With new rugs and an older dog, we do not detect any smell. Honestly the biggest reason we have not adopted a second dog is not wanting to pull up the rugs in advance or replace them after house training. |
Anonymous
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12:52. Maybe because I am a super-smeller (really…it’s weird), I/we could never have pets.
And yes, even your house smells like your pet(s). I can try to describe but the odor varies widely-from the obvious cat urine odor that smells to me a bit like a gas leak to the wet-dog stale smell to a light earthy odor akin to potting soil. Another neighbor’s house smells like summer camp - vaguely musty with a hint of wet dog. |
Anonymous
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I also fear this. We have one dog med size thick coat loves the water in the summer and goes into lakes,rivers, puddles whatever water it can find in summer b/c it's so hot out there. I can't possible wash it every single day or every time it comes back smelling swampy and like a wet dog. It's inevitable with a dog that likes/needs water, as this one does. Must be part lab?
We have mostly bare wood floor + cheap wool area rugs. I got the dog when kids were younger and very messy so kinda gave up on having nice things. Now kids are not so messy but the dog is still kinda stinky unless it's just had a bath. And out dog does not smell - it eats very clean - but the wet hair/swampy/rolling in dirt smell is there i'm sure of it. While I am ready to move on to more grown-up furnishings, we still have this dog. I think when kids are gone and after this dog is gone i will get nicer rugs and furniture and a smaller dog that doesn't love water. So - be aware of what type of dog you get. If it likes water it will cause more mess. |
Anonymous
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It depends on several factors. The smells comes from hair and dander.
-hardwoods that you regularly use a vacuum safe for hardwoods on and Bona once a week - wash dog blankets, beds once a week - don’t let dogs on couch or if you do regularly use one of those super strong Miele or Dyson vacs with attachment for upholstery - regularly run a good HEPA air filter and or air out with open windows - dust services weekly - move furniture that traps dog hair weekly and vacuum - wipe down baseboards |
Anonymous
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No. It depends what kind of pet you have and what activities you let them do and how often you bathe them. Keep in mind you can't bathe a dog too often because of dry skin.
We have a dog with hair rather than fur, and she doesn't roll around outdoors. She goes for walks, we wipe her paws upon coming back in the house with paw wipes, and she is bathed every other week, but no more. This is not a dog who goes exploring offleash and rolling around in crap and god knows what else. We also wash her bedding and and towel. |
Anonymous
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It will definitely smell, but less if you:
1) pick a not so smelly dog. Low shedding, small, not drooly 2) have the dog groomed regularly. This is huge. 3) don’t let the dog on the furniture 4) don’t have any carpet 5) have dog beds, rugs and anything else the dog is on washed regularly. |