selling - what to do with cat litter trays during viewings

lostinrates

That's IMO a bit like saying you can't possibly not smell of BO if you wear dry clean only suits!

(BTW, my friends would tell me to sort it out if I had BO too, lol.)

poet123

lostinrates wrote: »

That's IMO a bit like saying you can't possibly not smell of BO if you wear dry clean only suits!

(BTW, my friends would tell me to sort it out if I had BO too, lol.)

Not at all,unless you only dry clean your suits as often as you would shampoo a carpet or have a suite steam cleaned......twice/three times a year max?.

My suits are dry cleaned much more regularly than that,usually after every couple of wears. Not really feasible to clean a suite/carpet that often. Therefore cat smells linger.

justme111

poet123 wrote: »

Not at all,unless you only dry clean your suits as often as you would shampoo a carpet or have a suite steam cleaned......twice/three times a year max?.

My suits are dry cleaned much more regularly than that,usually after every couple of wears. Not really feasible to clean a suite/carpet that often. Therefore cat smells linger.

Just curious, haw many houses with cats have you been to ?
Btw I would be put off by unpleasant smell. It is not easy to eliminate if at all possible.

lostinrates

Er, sure, if the cats were weeing on carpets (or soft furnishings etc.) Our litter trays are on washable mats/pet fleeces, which get picked up and washed at least twice weekly. (the mats help prevent any 'tracking' I think) (They are on wooden floors now, but have one this on terrazzo and carpet too.) I clean the walls and skirtings of each room in the house weekly, and I clean the litter tray weekly too. I hoover or sweep daily everywhere less throroughly, apart fromthe highest wear areas, which on rainy days lik toay I've done a quick glitz over everytime the animals went out and came back in. My dogs don't go on carpeted areas AT ALL, only my greyhound (who has an almost daily wipe with a damp facecloth and no rinse shampoo) is aloud on sofas and only with permission...sofas are all covered with throws anyway (I agree that hair carries smell and has to be dealt with, the throws are wasked weekly, or more if I think we need too in fact I layer them up, so I can remove the top layer quickly). Curtains are cleaned annually...when we change summer for winter/winter for summer curtains. Oh yes, cats get the facecloth treatment regularly too, not daily, but regularly

Usually weekly I do a 'deeper' vacuum with bicarb on carpets, and I wash the low wear hard floors weekly too (cat litter is in a 'low wear' area).

I would agree that you have to clean more if you have pets not to smell of them and that putting a litter tray straight onto carpet is daft and yes, would I bet make smells linger! (as it woul on wood too I imagine). You could get away with it on tiles I guess. But I'm not a slave to cleaning, I whisk through the bathroom and kitchen and hallway daily and the floors (I hoover fast!, great exercise) and one or two rooms a day thoroughly.

poet123

justme111 wrote: »

Just curious, haw many houses with cats have you been to ?
Btw I would be put off by unpleasant smell. It is not easy to eliminate if at all possible.

I am not saying it is eyewateringly unpleasant,but if you are not a cat owner it is detectable. Most of my extended family have cats,and some of my friends,all are quite houseproud but you can still tell they have cats.

puddy

Felicity wrote: »

Oh, sorry, I meant to add, my reason would probably be the carpets. I would feel as though I needed to recarpet the place (even though, as I am sure yours are lovely. I would still feel the need).

its wood flooring throughout, the only 'carpet' is a red rug in the living room, thats why im not too concerned that the place really smells of cats but im only concerned about the sight and smell of the trays

puddy

poppysarah wrote: »

Can you put them somewhere you can screen off?

It's almost certain the cats will go and do their cat thing the very second someone comes to visit though.

Could you take them to a friends for a day if you could get several viewings all on one day?

yes, ive got a nice fabric and iron screen, i might put them behind there during the viewing. my friends live quite far away and my cat who is ill, cant be stressed out too much so i dont want to be moving her around too much, moving her tray from room to room is enough for her at the moment.

charley1965

I had the same problem when I sold my flat. I left the covered litter tray where it was (on laminate flooring) and obviously just made sure it was spotless when viewers arrived. The cats will not use the tray while strangers are in your home anyway. I didn't have any problems selling and to my knowledge no one commented negatively regarding my cats. In fact most people were very friendly to them when they were viewing. No need to stress your cats, especially the one who is ill. Good luck.

savinglikemad

i have three cats and one large German shepard. I always put dog and basket in car prior to viewing, he usually gets a nice walk after so loves the car. Cat bowls and trays are washed and then put in black bin bag then put in...................... washine machine (then door locked, ) seems to work as people have brought off me before and when I mention the cats after (warning they may try and return) have been told they did not even realise I had a cat Also use cat san which really does reduce any smells.

puddy

yes, I use catsan, it does reduce smells but certainly doesnt eliminate them.... how on earth do you fit cat litter trays in the washing machine???