Pets Discussions

Do you have any boxwood shrubs around your house by any chance? I have noticed that boxwoods sometimes smell like a litterbox, to the point where I now call them "litterboxwoods."

The only thing I can suggest for cats peeing on your house is to put something in the area that will keep the cats away. A dog will do that, but you might not want a dog. Fence off the area -- it doesn't take a very impressive fence to discourage a cat.

If you have boxwoods planted around your home, remove them. They really are smelly and yet surprisingly popular.

Good luck!

--Bob

Wow, I had no idea!  There are 5 large boxwoods right outside that window so maybe that's it. 

I'll bet that's it. To be sure, take a clipping from near the top of one of the boxwoods, up high where a cat couldn't possibly pee. Then walk somewhere well away and sniff the clipping. I'll bet what you're smelling is boxwoods.

Or rather... litterboxwoods.

Edit: I did a Google search on "boxwood smell" and got lots of hits. This one sounds exactly like your situation:

http://crosslandteam.com/blog/2006/04/04/boxwood-shrub-can-stink-up-your-sale/

--Bob

Hmmm, tried that but it just smells green like a shrub.  I think it's really cat pee.  Oh joy.

Okay, you've done the sniff test. Even still, my money is on the boxwoods. Some species of boxwoods definitely smell like there's a pack of feral cats around, and it's too much of a coincidence that you have the smell and the boxwoods.

Whatever it is, I hope you get it figured out!

--Bob

Would it make you feel better if I told you that there IS a pack of feral cats running about?  LOL  It's true.  So it's definitely one or the other :)

My father-in-law swears that putting mothballs in his landscaping by his front door keeps the cats away (they had made it the neighborhood litter box).  I'm not sure if I'd trade the cat pee smell in for camphor, but it's worth a try.

Bob, I had no idea about the boxwoods either!!!  We have 4 out front, and when we open our windows, my whole living room smells like cat pee.  I thought the previous owners had just lied to me when they said they had my carpets cleaned.  I'm trying your little test.  I'm going to be so mad if that's what it is, because they look so pretty!  MH DH will be thrilled, since he hates them.  (eye roll)  I'll never admit it if they are the cause of the stank!

If you do have cats in the area around your house, there are several things to try.  Cats hate the smell of oranges and citrus, so use a citrus product for smells regularly.  Also if you see cats get rid of them by shaking pennies in a can, they hate it.  Also there are some commercial products, ask the pet store.

do you have any plants that are about 3 feet tall and the flower comes straight up with the color purple as the flower? that plant smells like cat pee. but if you dont have that plant have you tried mothballs and putting them around the base of your house

There is a product that I have used to keep the neighbor dogs from pooing in my yard.  Its usually sold at a garden store or nursery.  I have cats and have used it up in my flower beds that I dont want them to potty in and it works fairly well.  You have to re-apply often at first to deter them.  I think its called Keep away or something.  There are several brands, I just picked the cheapest one.  You can also try Natures Miracle, its from the pet store, and there is a smell remover...Im sure you could use it outside.   Ive also used Vinegar before to get pee smells out of material. 

Juniper shrubs also stink. 

HELP  I have been having this problem for a few months now -- as someone mentioned above about boxwood plant - i almost fell down -- we have 8 boxwoods in our front flower beds..I smell it everyday and NEVER do I see the stray cats..I hate the smell - also I smell it like they are also peeing on my beautiful from door...I have 4 furry kids (dogs) so I have been afraid to put anything down and I truly am at my wits end

Please reply and tell me what to do..I need a sure proof method shy of pulling the shrubs out at this time (we were planning to do that anyway within the year so we could get profesional landscaping there but cant do it now and i fear I will hurt my 4 dogs with something that could poison them

seriously I need help here....I live in a rural area inside a subdivion and have never experienced this before...its gross..

thanks

sheepdogmama

sheepdogmama said…

HELP  I have been having this problem for a few months now -- as someone mentioned above about boxwood plant - i almost fell down -- we have 8 boxwoods in our front flower beds..I smell it everyday and NEVER do I see the stray cats..I hate the smell - also I smell it like they are also peeing on my beautiful from door...I have 4 furry kids (dogs) so I have been afraid to put anything down and I truly am at my wits end

 

---

If you have dogs running around, it's not cats. Your dogs would quite happily chase away any cats.

I'm telling 'ya, it's the boxwoods. I don't think all species of boxwood smell like cat pee but some certainly do.

Good luck!

--Bob

At least your problem is outside! I have cats who rather enjoy a good spray now and then INSIDE. There is a product that is sold that eliminates most of the odor in or outside and my sister knows the name. She's on vacay though. Also bleach and water will remove a lot of the smell if you know where it is coming from. Obviously pouring bleach and water on a plant isn't a good idea but if you see spray on the house or whatever, that does work. 3 parts bleach to 7 parts water. I had to mop my hardwood floors with that to remove the odor and it is, indeed, gone.

For now. Crazy cats.

If you happen to see the cats, spray them with a squirt gun. It's harmless but they hate it and they don't know where it is coming from so eventually they just won't come around for fear of being sprayed with water.

Did you ever find out from your sister what that product is?  I definitely have a problem with feral cats spraying around my sliding glass doors by our back patio (I have a high ranch).  There are definitely no boxwoods on our property.  I find cat poop all over my lawn and even on the edge of my pool.  I see their paw prints on my patio furniture.  I have begun to trap the cats and release them in a different neighborhood (caught two so far).  There must have been a spraying yesterday because when I came home from work, the smell hit me as soon as I walked in the door.  When I walked into the room where the doors are, the smell was overpowering.  I tried hosing down outside, and spraying Lysol in the door track and on the carpet inside, to no avail.  Even sprayed Lysol outside.  Sprayed Febreze inside; sprayed door track with apple scented Windex all-purpose cleaner and wiped it clean, but the smell is still there (though perhaps a little better).  HELP!!!

I have a boxwood (that's what my neighbors told me, but I think it's actually a Pittosporum) that I've been shaping into a bonsai and strays ~ both dogs and cats ~ sometimes come around it to pee. 

I spray 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water on and around it.  It seems to work for me.  Not more vinegar than that or you may kill the tree or what's around it that you want to keep alive.  It should take the pee smell out.  I would never use bleach.  Also be very careful about putting moth balls where animals may come, they are toxic. 

The mothballs do help with snakes though, just put them where other critters can't get to them.

Inspector bkovacs Gadget, I should post a pic of that pitt...you'd get a big kick out of it I'm sure ;)  I'll try to go find one and put it in my photo thingy.

I bet my uncle cousin RustAddsFlavor would have some tips too...stand by.  Maybe he'll see this thread.

Our neighborhood has too many loose cats & dogs, and they pee & poop everywhere...in my yard...in the plant beds, in all the neighbor's yards.  They use my idea about the vinegar, which has a ton of uses from my spray bottle.  It does the job on the cat pee stink.

There is a product called Boundary that you can get from the pet store (PetSmart, Petco) that you can spray on your plants and around your home.  It is a cat deterrant, and once they get a whiff, they wont come back.  I used it on my Christmas tree because my cats kept climbing up in it and knocking the ornaments off.  Once I sprayed the tree, they wouldn't even go near it.