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How to Get Rid of Cat Smell from Previous Owner – 12 Effective Ways

Moving into a new apartment is a whole new adventure in itself. The excitement of a new location, the feel of a new neighborhood, and the fresh sight of your new home. Isn’t everything simply wonderful?

You immediately start moving your stuff in and setting up your apartment with furniture and decor. Everything seems fine until you start getting the hint of a raspy smell.

You sniff your way around the house and soon realize that it’s not coming from one of the movers. So, where is the smell coming from? You ask yourself as this dilemma confuses your brain and renders you baffled.

Naturally, you take up with the landlord, and to your surprise, he notifies you that the previous tenant was a very dedicated cat person. Turns out your new apartment was home to dozens of cats at a time!

Now, those feline cretins have left a homecoming gift for you; and it’s not exactly a box of candy. No, it’s their unbearable and overwhelming stench!

Do Cats Really Smell That Bad

That depends on whether or not you’re used to having cats around. Pet owners who live with dozens of cats at the same time might have no issues with the smell. They sort of become used to the various odors flying around the house.

Of course, some cat owners do take measures to keep the smell at a minimum, but I can’t say that’s the case for everyone.

However, if you aren’t a pet person at all and have never had a cat or dog in the house, you’re gonna be in for a wild ride.

Cats attract a lot of elements onto their furs and, as a result, can smell like a whole bunch of different things.

Many cats enjoy lying on the ground or rolling around the grass outside, which makes a lot of dust and dirt stick to their furs. So naturally, these cats will smell like a combination of grass and soil, which is often not too pleasant for the human nose.

What’s more, if a cat has long and thick fur, there’s going to be the occasional poop stuck on the coat. Needless to say, the poop smell can grow to a grotesque level if left unchecked and uncleaned.

What’s more, even if the poop doesn’t get stuck on the fur, there’s still gonna be some leftover odor, especially if it’s a small-sized or studio apartment.

Just think about it; years and years of cat poop being dished out the wazoo is obviously gonna have some long-lasting effects.

Unlike humans, cats don’t poop in water; on the contrary, they like pooping on sandy and dry surfaces. And even though we throw out their litter, the smell tends to stick around, especially if the apartment isn’t properly ventilated.

With so much going around, there’s a huge possibility that this circus of odors will leave a permanent mark on the apartment. And you being the unlucky chump who moves in, will have to deal with all of it.

How to Get Rid of Cat Smell from Previous Owner

Getting rid of the cat smell left by a previous owner is crucial for anyone who moves into the space. There’s no way you can spend the next year or even the next few days smelling that leftover residue of all that kitty poop and pee.

That’s why I’m going to describe 12 ways to remove the cat smell from the house which was left by a previous owner. So get your pens and notepads ready; this is gonna be a long day.

1. Keep the Windows Open

The first thing you have to do is open all the windows and keep it that way for a long time.

We’re talking about getting rid of the odor accumulated for years and years in a tiny space. So naturally, you’ll want to ventilate your apartment to the core.

2. Vacuum the Entire Apartment

Cats leave a lot of furs, dirt, hair, and dander, which ultimately mix and seep into the carpet. This could grow into a permanent problem if left unchecked.

So I guess the question on most people’s minds is how to get rid of cat odor in the house naturally?

I recommend that you dust down the whole place and give the entire floor a good and rigorous vacuuming. It won’t solve your problem completely, but it’s a good place to start.

3. Clean Everything in The Apartment!

This is a general rule one should follow and something you should definitely do when moving into an apartment with leftover furniture.

As I mentioned earlier, cats are bound to leave all kinds of furs and hairs on whatever they touch. This could be the curtains, the couch, the carpet, and even the bed.

So naturally, the first thing you wanna do before trying out anything else is giving the whole apartment a good cleaning. Make that furniture shine!

How to Get Rid of Cat Smell From Previous Owner
How to Get Rid of Cat Smell From Previous Owner

4. Bring out the Enzymatic cleaners

Enzymatic cleaners are the traditional old cat urine odor removal home remedy. Using them can work wonders when removing that nasty pee and poop smell from your apartment.

KisClean and Ecos are just some of the examples of natural cleaners you could use to fix the problem.

5. A Dash of Vinegar

Another natural pet odor remover is some good old vinegar. I admit that it has a strong odor of its own; however, it’s a great alternative to some of the more chemical-based cleaners out there.

It’s like fighting odor with odor!

6. Say Hello to Baking Soda

Baking soda is a popular ingredient for numerous deodorizers, and I can see why. It is a safe and natural way of removing unwanted stains and smells from your apartment.

Just sprinkle some baking soda over a smelly area and let it settle in for about half an hour. Then, just vacuum the place up to remove the powder, and voila! No more smell.

7. Purify the Apartment with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a great odor eliminator and can even remove unwanted stains and marks left by cats. What’s more, it can even kill disease-spreading bacteria!

Just be careful not to leave it on the carpet for too long; otherwise, you’ll be looking at some nasty discoloration.

8. Freshen up The Carpets with Carpet Cleaners

Carpet cleaners are the way to go if you want something strong to combat that cat stench. Just spray some of it on a concentrated spot, and it should be able to get rid of the stench.

Unlike other materials, carpet cleaners can really get to the core of the problem and eliminate even the tiniest of stenches. It’s the best way to de-odorize the floor!

9. Don’t Stop; Keep at It

Remember, we’re talking about getting rid of years of collective odor here; it’s obviously not gonna be fixed so soon.

Be consistent and keep up the work until every last bit of stench has been eradicated from your humble abode.

10. Paint the Walls

Stench and odor coming from the floor or furniture is one thing, but what do you do when they’re coming from the walls?

Well, the only thing you can do here is to cover the walls with odor-killing paints that can swiftly put a permanent stop to the smell.

11. Get Some Professional Help

Are you trying everything you can to get rid of the odor, only to have it somehow survive? That’s when it’s time for professional cleaning to get involved.

To tackle this problem on your own is commendable, but it might not always be the best solution. That’s especially true if your apartment was home to dozens of animals in the past.

Professional cleaners will bring a level of expertise that you might not have the privilege of knowing. What’s more, they are equipped with high-grade tools that are specifically designed to tackle this kind of situation.

12. Redo the Entire Floor

This is the last resort that should only be applied when nothing else works.

You see, removing odors on the surface of the floors is not a difficult task. However, the real problem starts when the stench seeps deep into the sub-flooring of your home.

This would be a common phenomenon if the previous tenant allowed their pets to regularly pee or poop on the floor. Needless to say, that is simply disgusting on their part.

If that’s the case for you, unfortunately, the only thing you can do to fix it might be a complete reflooring of your home.

Asked By Our Readers

How to Get Rid of Cat Poop Smell from Previous Owner?

Start off by ventilating the entire house and thoroughly cleaning the floors, furniture, and walls.

How to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell on Wood?

Apply Hydrogen peroxide directly onto the affected area to remove the stench.

Will Cat Smell Ever Go Away?

Don’t worry; just follow the instructions given above, and you should have an odor-free home in no time.

Wrapping Up

Turning your apartment into a liveable home free from any cat stench might appear to be a challenging task at first glance. However, using the right materials and going about it the right way can easily remove all that unwanted odor.

Start off small and basic and see if that fixes the problem. If the odor persists, then bring out the big guns and the chemical deodorizers.

If that doesn’t work either, then hire some professional help to do the job. It might be an expensive solution, but you’ll be thankful in the long run.