What to Do if Your Cat Is Sprayed by a Skunk

you suspect there was a physical encounter in addition to the spray.
If your cat seems to have gotten away from its skunk encounter with just a noxious smell you will still want to get rid of the smell. In years past homemade tomato juicebased recipes were the remedy of choice but the results werent always the greatest.
Instead of tomato juice the most effective homemade remedy to deskunk your cat after consulting a veterinarian is to make a solution of one quart of three percent hydrogen peroxide one quarter cup baking soda and one to two teaspoons of liquid hand soap. You will want to wear rubber gloves as you work this solution into your cats coat before rinsing him thoroughly. Its important to not leave the solution on too long as the peroxide may bleach your cats fur after prolonged exposure. You also want to be sure to use only three percent hydrogen peroxide and not anything stronger as it can be more irritating to your cats skin. Make sure to keep this solution away from your cats eyes as it can sting and cause irritation to the corneas. You also need to throw the solution out after a few hours as it can explode if left sitting for too long.
You may need to repeat this bath if your cat is particularly smelly. If the idea of bathing your cat has you reconsidering just how noxious the smell is you can try doing a sponge bath type of treatment. Instead of completely dousing your cat with water use a wet washrag to dampen their fur and then again to work the solution in. Once you are ready to rinse use a fresh wet rag to wipe the solution out of your cats fur. If there is only one area of

your cats fur that got sprayed feel free to only wash that area.
If any skunk smell gets on you during any part of this process you will want to wash your clothes in regular laundry detergent and ½ C of baking soda.
Can I Do Anything to SkunkProof My Yard?
There are measures you can take to make your yard less attractive to a skunk. Securely seal your outside trash receptacle to prevent a skunk from getting into your garbage. If you feed your cat outdoors pick up the food and water bowls at night. If you have a porch or shed
a skunk might find the area underneath those structures desirable for a den. You can block access by tacking chicken wire all around or laying bricks all around.
Knowing the steps you can take if your cat has a notsonice encounter with one can be the difference between something that you can laugh about later and something that can really put a damper on how your day is going.