Is vinegar toxic to cats? I was told when adopting that vinegar is toxic to cats, and I should not clean with it. Everything I read online says it's fine, but I'd like to be very safe.
No, vinegar (normal, edible vinegar - concentrations around 4-8%) is not toxic to cats - or dogs. Keep in mind that both cats and dogs as susceptible to the same kinds of foods. Vinegar, pure, is just acetic acid [1,2]. So, if you had a very concentrated form of vinegar (for whatever reason), really what you have is a very concentrated weak acid. This would be harmful to animals and people alike. The pH ranges, but normal vinegar is at a pH of around 3 [1]. So, yes, vinegar is acidic, hence it's bitter taste. But just because a cat is smaller does not mean this same substance will somehow become more acidic and/or dangerous. Rather, since cats tend to avoid acidic substances (even seen a cat lick a lemon?), if my cat were to lap up a taste of vinegar, he would immediately recoil and might experience some minor discomfort. It would irritate the tongue and possibly the throat; I don't see any other reactions unless a significant amount is forcibly ingested.Since acetic acid is a normal byproduct of many foodstuffs and biochemical processes (think ketone body conversion), there is no reason to believe it will interact in any special way with any of a cat's internal organs/mechanisms. That said, you don't want to feed a cat vinegar; while humans can ingest significant amounts of vinegar, we have more volume. Cats, with a smaller volume, would be affected faster by any addition of an acid (or base) to their systems.Since you've read any online articles you can find, I don't need to cite the foods that you should avoid feeding to your cat(s). [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin...[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace...
I used vinegar to clean out cat urine from my mattress, but now it smells like vinegar all the time. How do I get the vinegar smell out?
I'm putting this here instead of a comment on Marilyn Hubbard's answer to make sure no one who needs it misses it.Yes, what she said.I recently had a problem with cats repeatedly spraying my leather couch…much more smelly than regular pee. They did it so often that NOTHING would get the smell out. I tried vinegar formulas, which partially worked and added a vinegar smell. I was afraid I was going to have to get rid of the couches because once the smell of spray is on something, it signals cats to keep spraying that spot.(Nature's Miracle was the best of the enzyme cleaners, BTW. Good for anything but the very worst spots)Then I read Marilyn's answer here, about SCOE 10x and decided to try it. It is expensive, but I was desperate.Oh. My. God.Odor is ALL gone. Every molecule of it. This was a couch so hopeless that professional leather cleaners wouldn't touch it (seriously, I tried to pay to have it cleaned and they said " we have no reliable way to get out a urine smell like that"). It is GONE. My cats don't even sniff the spots where the smell used to be. It got rid of the vinegar smell too, and the perfume from the other products I tried.And it has no perfume, either, so it's not replacing one smell with another.If you are desperate, try Nature's Miracle first, because it's the best enzyme cleaner out there, and if that fails, find SCOE 10x online and order some. You won't regret it. (order it with the spray bottle because it has the right fill markings, which another spray bottle won't.) This isn't just a urine cleaner, BTW; it advertises that it gets rid of ALL odor.Thank you, Marilyn! I wish I could give you 1000 upvotes for that advice!
Does vinegar get cat urine smell out of carpet?
Yes, vinegar neutralises the ammonia in the pee, but for the best results, do this:If the urine is still wet, blot up as much of it as you can with an old towel. Stand on the towel to blot up more of it. Only stop blotting when the towel remains dry.Next, use a spray bottle to saturate the area with a mixture of three parts warm water and one part white vinegar and thoroughly scrub it into the carpet with a brush.Wait 5 minutes and blot up as much as you can. Wait for a few hours so that it can dry completely.The smell might be gone by now, but to be sure, follow the above treatment up with the following:Generously sprinkle baking soda on top of the affected area.Mix a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with a 3/4 cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide and spray over the baking soda. (Test it first on a small hidden area of the carpet, because it can sometimes stain the carpet).Scrub it into the carpet with a brush.Wait for a few hours so that it can dry and blot again.Vacuum.Never use products that contain ammonia on carpets, because it reminds pets of pee, so they might want to mark the spot again.
Parrots were sprayed with diluted vinegar?
Your birds will be fine! For starters, the vinegar was diluted with water, reducing the strength of the vinegar. Secondly, vinegar spray is actually used as a natural treatment for mites in poultry and parrots! http://www.jinglespot.net/blogs/entry/Fi... Just as an aside, apple cider vinegar is thought to be benefical to a bird's health, so feel free to add a little to their drinking water. Also, diluted vinegar is a very safe and effective cleaner and disinfectant for cages, bowls and toys. It's lovely to see another person so concerned about the wellbeing of their birds!
What supplements can I include in my cats food to help decrease ammonia smelling pee?
Water. If the strong ammonia odor occurs immediately following your cat urinating, the cat may be dehydrated. Especially if the cat is only (or primarily) fed dry food. In this case, providing high quality raw, home-cooked, and/or canned food can solve the problem. And of course, make sure your cat always has a bowl of clean drinking water available. Cats have a low thirst drive, because they are designed to get most of their water from eating prey. And if they don't take in enough liquids, it can strain their kidneys and urinary tract, and lead to serious health problems. A cat who is dehydrated can develop serious health problems pretty quickly, so it is important to avoid that. Strong smelling urine can also indicate an infection or other health problem already exists. So if providing a diet with more liquid content doesn't help, your cat may need to see a veterinarian. Watch your cat for any signs it doesn't feel well, such as sitting in a tense and hunched position, walking stiffly, crying out for no obvious reason. Watch for signs of pain or discomfort when urinating, visits to the litter box without passing anything or to only pass tiny amounts, and any traces of blood in the urine. If you are noticing an ammonia smell after the urine has been sitting around a while, this may simply mean that the litter box needs to be changed more often. And some cat litters are better at controlling or preventing odors. The best one I have used is Just for Cats Natural Care Cat Litter. It has bacterial enzymes that remove the odor. Urine causes this litter to form soft clumps, which are flushable. When you scoop the clumps and stools out, clean litter is left behind. The litter is made from corn husks, not clay, so if your cat ingests some, it is supposed to be harmless. I currently use wood pellets sold as horse or pet bedding in our litter boxes. Upon contact with urine the pellets break down into sawdust. It doesn't provide much odor control, but the 30 to 40 lb. bags are inexpensive. So I can change the litter frequently. And the soiled litter can be composted for landscaping. Good luck with your kitty!
What are some ways to get rid of the vinegar smell without removing the cleaning powers of acetic acid?
@SavvyCleaner by Angela BrownWhat are some ways to get rid of vinegar smell?I’m not sure where the vinegar smell is coming from. If you are using vinegar for cleaning your house, the smell should evaporate within a few minutes. Vinegar is known as one of the most effective, most efficient cleaning solutions available. It’s non-toxic and it’s safe for humans and pets.If the smell of vinegar lingers and you just hate the smell, open a box of baking soda and leave in the room that smells. The baking soda will neutralize the smell of the vinegar.Of course you can always ventilate the room you’re working in. Open doors and windows to let in some fresh air that can circulate while you’re cleaning.
How to remove cat urine odor from linoleum floor (see below)?
You have to use products designed for cat urine and it has to penetrate to the subfloor, if there are any joins or breaks in the linoleum. There are various choices. Some use enzymes (like Nature's Miracle), while others try to make chemical changes to the urine itself. I don't think that the enzyme cleaners are very effective, but they are readily available at Petco, Petsmart, and probably even Walmart. I haven't yet tried these, but there are products like Cat Odor-Off concentrate or SCOE 10X concentrate that claim to stop the odor on contact. They are both online. Odor-Off is less expensive on Amazon than on their website, while SCOE is cheaper on their website than on Amazon. I can't vouch for either. I am about to try Odor-Off for an accident that happened at my house when the cat was accidentally locked in a bedroom.
What can I use to to impregnate heavily a room of good odor?
You should rent an ozone generator. My boyfriend owns a bunch of rental properties and uses it every time a tenant moves out, especially if they had cats or dogs. Works great on smoke smells too. Home depot rents them out: http://www.homedepotrents.com/proTools/generator_3000.asp Then once you have done that I would highly recommend getting a Village Candle scented candle - they are the best smelling and most powerful scented candles on the market. You can find all of their different fragrances here: http://www.villagecandle.com/fragrances/default.aspx Good luck!