P.Kitty sprayed by skunk right in the face

chatnoir

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Last weekend P.Kitty tangled with a skunk (while on his leash and harness while we were eating at our picnic table). We've washed him 3 times with Nature's Miracle, which worked for us in the past with previous cat,but it is not working with P.Kitty very well. Since he was blasted in the face, his face, chest, and belly are the stinkiest (he reared up when he got sprayed).

I read the posts with the hydrogen peroxide mixture, but I wonder how much it will bleach P.Kitty - he is all black. Would the Massengill be a better option for a black cat?

Also, how long will it take for the scent to dissipate on its own? P.Kitty is not enjoying being mostly banished to the garage (we've been taking him out for a couple hours a day outside, but I don't want the house to smell). I've been changing the towel on his bedding every day as the smell is still transferring.

Thankfully, he's really good in the bath. He tries to escape, but no people are harmed :-)
 

momofmany

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When my dog got sprayed in the face by a skunk, we purchased a shampoo called Skunk Off from our vet. After about 3 washings, he was bearable to bring back into the house. The smell lingered for a bit, but the Skunk Off got the majority off of him.

I've read mixed reviews on the peroxide mixture, but all of them say to avoid their face. I would worry less about bleaching him than I would harming his eyes, nose and mouth.

I do know that skunk spray is highly oily, so most shampoos won't work. Come to think of it, we did wash Spike with Dawn dish soap in between the Skunk Off rounds and it did remove the oils from his coat.

What a pain! I can really empathize with you right now!!
 

goldenkitty45

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Ohh poor kitty! - but how in the world did a skunk get that close when you were right there and the cat on a leash? I'd have grabbed the cat the min I saw the skunk heading my way and run.

You're lucky the cat didn't get bit either!
 
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chatnoir

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P.Kitty was about 20ft away, just dozing. We live in the country (and have coyotes, bobcats, etc.. and that is why we don't let the cat roam free). This young skunk just waddled up and when P.Kitty saw him, he just tore off after him. His leash is a very light thin nylon rope with latches on both ends--- he tore the leash right out of the latch!!! I didn't know it was a skunk and I pulled on the leash but he tore it out of my hand, got it caught on something and then broke the leash.

Of course moments later we all knew it was a skunk...

We have a fairly long leash (a couple linked together) so he can hang out while we are barbequeing or if I am gardening. If I walk around with him first for a while, he gets his curiosity taken care of, and then usually just lies down and hangs out for a really long time. It's great= he gets the fresh air, some exercise walking around, gets to stalk for lizards (thankfully they are faster than he is), and he gets the enrichment of new smells and sights. And we get to hang out as a family together more :-)

Was a win-win arrangementuntil last weekend.
 

pennicat

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I know for humans, I've read that tomato juice will wash away the smell. If tomatos are OK for cats, you might try that.
 

mzjazz2u

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I'd be leary of using hydrogen peroxide. It damages skin cells. Ever notice how when you put it on your skin and after it dries, you have white, dry skin that you can kind of brush off? That's dead skin cells.

You could try dawn dishwashing liquid and rinse with a strong vinegar/water mixture. Like 2-3 gallons of water with 1/4 cup vinegar. The vinegar may help neutralize the smell. The other thing we used to do when I was a kid was bathe our animals in tomato juice if they got skunked. My mom swore by it.
 

goldenkitty45

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Found this on the net:

Lately your pet smells like the garbage but he’s been no where near the garbage, well, it’s not the garbage that has gotten your pet it’s a skunk. Your pet came to close to the critter and got sprayed. So how do you get rid of your pet’s awful skunk smell? Here are a few things for you to do.

The first thing to do is check his eyes. Skunk spray is irritating and your pet’s eyes may have come in contact with the spray. It’s not harmful but it is definitely painful. Rinse out your pet’s eyes thoroughly with either eyewash solution or just plain cool water. Also, since your pet’s skin is smelly and oily so you need to give him a good wash. Take the bath outside don’t wash the skunk spray in the house unless you like the smell of skunk spray all over your house. Next, put on some rubber gloves to protect your hands and scrub your pet thoroughly with pet shampoo. Wash and rinse him a couple of times to make sure all the skunk spray is gone.

Here are a few mixtures you can use to help get rid of skunk smell. Get some tomato juice and pour it on your pet after washing and drying your pet. Tomato juice helps get rid of that skunk smell. Depending on your pet’s size, you may have to use several cans of tomato juice to get rid of the skunk smell. The juice needs to saturate your pet’s coat. Then let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes, rinse it off, and wash him again with pet shampoo. Keep doing this until you have gotten rid of the skunk smell or at least it is not very noticeable. The downside to pouring tomato juice on your pet is if their fur is white or blonde, the fur will be discolored for a few days but it’s better than the smell of skunk spray, right?

Give your pet a douche with Massengill. Massengill works wonders in getting rid of skunk smell. For small and medium pets, use two ounces mixed with a gallon of water, and for large dogs, double the amount of water. Pour it over your pet giving them a good soaking of the mixture, let it sit for 15 minutes, and then wash and rinse your pet with shampoo thoroughly. Another product to use to get rid of skunk smell is vanilla extract. The sweet smell of vanilla extract can help get rid of that horrible skunk spray smell. Mix 1 ¼ cup of vanilla extract with a gallon of water and pour it on your pet. Let it soak for about 10 minutes and then wash with regular shampoo and rinse thoroughly.

The last mixture to use is baking soda, liquid soap, and hydrogen peroxide. Mix ¼ baking soda, one teaspoon of liquid soap, and a quart of hydrogen peroxide. Pour the mixture over your pet and let it soak for a few minutes, then wash and rinse your pet thoroughly. You can also look for skunk spray solutions in pet stores to get rid of skunk smell. To keep skunks for inhabiting around your house, don’t feed your pet at night or don’t leave pet food out at night. Tightly close your pet’s food if you leave it outside and make sure there are no holes under your house where a skunk can enter.


And some more:

White vinegar or hydrogen peroxide counteracts the natural oil in skunk spray. You need to clean with something stronger than water -- something that can remove oil instead of just spreading it around. Try this popular and highly recommended mixture:

* 1 liter (or quart) white vinegar OR 3% hydrogen peroxide (peroxide may cause bleaching)
* 1/4 c. baking soda
* 1 tsp. dish detergent (also a de-greaser)


another:

De-Skunk Solution

* ¼ cup backing soda
* 1 teaspoon dish soap
* 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide

Double the recipe for a large dog.
Application Method

* Put the solution directly on your pet. Do not add water or get your pet wet before applying the solution. Work this solution into the coat and over the skin. Carefully avoid the eyes. Apply to the head with a cloth. Leave the solution on for 5-20 minutes.
* Rinse thoroughly with water.
* Wash with pet shampoo working the shampoo well into the skin and hair to lift any oils.
* Rinse thoroughly.
* Apply conditioner.
 
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chatnoir

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Thanks! I went to 3 pet stores and called my vet, but no one has "Skunk off", just Nature's Miracle.

Since the peroxide made me nervous, I made a solution of baby shampoo and just a tiny bit of detergent (since that was an ingredient in the recipes above). Into the tub we went (me in old clothes). Just washed and washed until we couldn't smell it any more, and then tons of rinsing.


Now there is just the tiniest bit of smell left, but it is completely bearable. And he's purring, too, so I think we're better. Maybe I shouldn't have believed that we get rid of this as easily as the Nature's Miracle label implies..

Thanks to all for the great advise!
 

momofmany

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Originally Posted by pennicat

I know for humans, I've read that tomato juice will wash away the smell. If tomatos are OK for cats, you might try that.
It sounds like the problem was solved, but for future reference: tomato juice will neutralize the smell to some degree, but doesn't remove the oily base of the spray. Therefore a lot of sites claim that it is ineffective on pets. As a human, if I were sprayed, I'd be using a lot of soap which would first cut the grease, at which point the tomato juice might work.
 
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