Last night, Betty woke me and asked "What IS that horrible smell, ?", and I didn't know, so we investigated and found Grey, our 8 yr old Stumpy Manx drooling a long train and his eyes were tearing horribly.
The odor was like nothing I have ever smelled, similar to that of charred leather or burnt bone, and also similar to a preparation in a spray can that is used to keep pets off furniture, but I would rather have the pets on the furniture than have the smell of the stuff.
Grey is an inside cat, and has passage through a cat door to a large, unfinished basement where he likes to prowl and find the odd lizard.
His brother, Boots, a 12 yr old DSH Holstein wasn't bothered, but he isn't as curious as is Grey, either.
The best Betty and I can figure is that a skunk was outside next to the heat pump when it came on, and perhaps scared the skunk and it sprayed the heat pump and Grey happened to be close to the vent or duct in the basement and got a little of the spray that way.
This is really reaching for a reason, I know, but is about the only possibility I know of.
The basement area is secure (I think) I HOPE !) from the outside, so there is little chance that a skunk or weasel could have gotten in there.
The thought of something besides a cat coming through the cat door from the basement is a bit unsettling, to say the least.
I have been told that a skunk smells altogether different up close that it does at a distance.
It has been about 18 hours now since the incident, and Grey seems in normal spirits, and cries to be picked up, something he isn't going to get untill he smells better, and with open windows and doors, the smell is going away in the house.
I tried putting some Old Spice on Grey, but it just makes him smell like road kill with a fresh shave.
Anyone have any ideas ? ?
Leonard.
The odor was like nothing I have ever smelled, similar to that of charred leather or burnt bone, and also similar to a preparation in a spray can that is used to keep pets off furniture, but I would rather have the pets on the furniture than have the smell of the stuff.
Grey is an inside cat, and has passage through a cat door to a large, unfinished basement where he likes to prowl and find the odd lizard.
His brother, Boots, a 12 yr old DSH Holstein wasn't bothered, but he isn't as curious as is Grey, either.
The best Betty and I can figure is that a skunk was outside next to the heat pump when it came on, and perhaps scared the skunk and it sprayed the heat pump and Grey happened to be close to the vent or duct in the basement and got a little of the spray that way.
This is really reaching for a reason, I know, but is about the only possibility I know of.
The basement area is secure (I think) I HOPE !) from the outside, so there is little chance that a skunk or weasel could have gotten in there.
The thought of something besides a cat coming through the cat door from the basement is a bit unsettling, to say the least.
I have been told that a skunk smells altogether different up close that it does at a distance.
It has been about 18 hours now since the incident, and Grey seems in normal spirits, and cries to be picked up, something he isn't going to get untill he smells better, and with open windows and doors, the smell is going away in the house.
I tried putting some Old Spice on Grey, but it just makes him smell like road kill with a fresh shave.
Anyone have any ideas ? ?
Leonard.