"Smelly Cat" may be a hilarious song from "Friends" that still makes people laugh, but there is some truth to the fact that cats don't always leave behind a lovely scent. Dogs can be even worse when it comes to the stink factor! Before placing any homes for sale, you need to eliminate bad pet odors first.

Cute Pets Can Leave Behind Ugly Smells

The problem is, many people may not know that their home is stinky even when the stench is disgusting to strangers. You may become adjusted to smells that your pets leave behind in your home, but that does not mean that they won't be very noticeable to potential home buyers who come to a showing or open house of your home. Here are some reasons pets may be leaving behind such bad smells:

• The pet bedding that a dog or cat uses can acquire and spread bad smells that can permeate the entire area.
• A feline or canine companion may leave behind soiled or dirty dog or cat toys in crevices of furniture or out-of-sight spots.
• Hidden areas of carpets and rugs may hold old, unnoticed urine stains.

Those are just some of the many reasons that pets can leave behind an unpleasant odor.

Solutions for Smelly Cats and Dogs

Once you discover that your home does, in fact, stink because of the pet odors, it is important to combat this right away if your home is for sale. Try the following solutions:

• Replace stained and smelly carpets where your pet may have relieved themselves.
• Wash all pet bedding regularly. You should wash blankets and pet beds once per week.
• Bleach floors with a hard surface or otherwise assertively clean them.
• Make sure you are changing your cat's litter each day.

In addition to getting rid of bad pet odors in your home, you may be best served to not accentuate the fact that you have animal companions at all. Not everybody will be a pet enthusiast, and some people can perceive your home less favorably if there are reminders of an animal resident everywhere they look. If the option is available with close friends or family members, you may want to temporarily relocate your pets while you try to sell your home. That way, you can keep bad smells at bay and appeal to the widest variety of potential home buyers.

Finally, keep in mind that there are no ideal solutions to having a stink-free home when you are a proud pet owner. While you are selling your home, though, you need to pay strict attention to cleaning up after your pet every single day, and be sure to let your real estate agent know if there are certain days that your house should not be shown because of issues with pet smells.