Vancouver Feline Hospital - Cat Veterinary Clinic

What we do to prevent nasty odours

Good management. Cats are NEVER left sleeping next to a dirty litter box - as soon as they go to the bathroom, it is cleaned up. We use flushable environmentally friendly litters (Bed-o-cobs, Clump'nFlush). "Accidents" outside the litter box are immediately cleaned. All surfaces have been selected so that they are non-porous - urine cannot soak in and be a never-ending source of odour. The wood items are urethane coated. Other than the continuous cleaning-up after our patients, and ourselves, to meet the strict medical standards we have set for ourselves, there is a daily cleaning routine to remove dust, hair, and all those other particles that like to gather in the corners and crevices. This involves vacuuming (HEPA-filtered), antibacterial washing and then disinfection.
We need to always bear in mind our philosophy of environmentally sound practice without compromising medical standards - so we have been selecting all our cleaners and disinfectants with the aim of effectively killing all the bugs without being toxic to the environment or ourselves. These products tend not to have offensive odours. Currently we are using Ecogent, Virox , EcoTru and bleach. Everything is designed with the aim of easy-to-clean in mind. Waste is not allowed to build up in any way. All waste receptacles are covered.

The biggest source of that cat pee smell is the cats themselves - our mascot cats are not allowed in exam rooms or surgical areas, and if we find anything so gross as urine sprayed, the culprit is on Prozac and confinement. We use vast quantities of Natumate odour remover routinely in the rooms to prevent any unwanted odour build-up from accidents.

Our huge intake air filter eliminates the stinky gritty stuff from the street. The interior HEPA filters clean up air in the surgical areas. The air itself is completely changed every twenty minutes. Huge extraction fans ensure a negative air pressure inside the hospital so that "dirty" air does not accumulate.

If you think it smells - tell us!