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She has pets (3 cats and 4 dogs - half are my brothers who lives there) and the air in her home is unhealthy. She is not unhygienic but also is not aware of the rancid air. I’d also like to see if there is a pet assistance service to help her keep up with her cats on a regular basis. The animals make her happy so I’m trying to make her life better without upsetting her.

Look for Junk Removal services. They will quote you in advance.
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Reply to brandee
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Join Nextdoor for her area and post asking for helping with home organizing and deep cleaning. My local Nextdoor has posts on this subject pretty regularly and always gets responses from people who specialize in this. Hope you find the help needed
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Reply to Daughterof1930
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A couple comments.
No deep clean out will help if nothing is being done to eliminate the cause.
Are furnace (if there is one) filters being changed often. More often than is normally recommended? And are the filters used a higher grade filter?

Are there air purifiers in use in the house?
I am not talking about "air fresheners"...by the way they can be toxic to many critters

Are litterboxes being changed often. As in DAILY?
Are there at least 3 litterboxes? there should be one box per cat.

Are the dogs housebroken? Do they also use litterboxes? (some owners train small dogs to litterboxes)

If the dogs are allowed on the furniture is the furniture covered and the covers washed at least weekly?

And I have to add that if the 3 cats and 4 dogs are more than she and your brother can manage it is not fair to the animals to house them in conditions that are unhealthy or unsafe for them.

People become "nose blind" to odors in their house.

If there is carpet it might be advisable to remove all carpet and replace with a waterproof or resistant Vinyl plank flooring. This flooring is much easier to clean will not retain odors

It might help if mom is unable to do all the cleaning and care and your brother is unable or unwilling to help that a cleaning company come in 1 time a week to maintain. BUT most will not do pet cleanup or care you would have to hire someone for that. And when I say you MOM and or BROTHER pays for the clean up, the weekly cleaning and if a company has to come in to do "poop patrol" they pay for that as well.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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Mynameiskat Apr 11, 2025
I appreciate your reply. My brother is a huge help with the dogs and she does pick up after her cats but recently hurt her lower back so that is a current problem. I don’t want to paint an incorrect picture. The animals are beyond cared for but that many animals (living indoors primarily) create an odor. She has grown used to it but it was jarring to me.

she is not a hoarder, she has a housekeeper and keeps her house as clean as she can.

what she needs is help getting rid of heavy furniture, and old clothes, after which, I can replace her flooring and furniture plus a good deep clean for a fresh start.

this with her regular housekeeper and added pet assistance should improve her lifestyle.

she lost my dad a couple of years ago. Her pets make her happy. I’m taking baby steps to help her.
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She's going to be upset anyway. And yes, she is unhygienic based on your observation that the air in her home is unhealthy. If she's not aware of the rancid air, why do you think that is? In dementia, the sense of smell often goes away, and that's one of the first signs others notice about someone with dementia. I'm so sorry to say these things, but I believe your mother has more of a problem than you think. We see this often on here - it might be helpful for you to read some posts by others who have had the same problems. And in your case, there are quite a few.

There are wonderful services who will come into the home, care for the pets, clean litter box, walk dogs, etc. But many WILL NOT come back if they're uncomfortable with the state of the home (or anything else about it, for that matter, such as mean dogs, rude people, and more).

Look for a home cleaning business that advertises Contractor's Cleanout. They clean, remove the things you tell them to, haul it to the dump or thrift store. They're used to big messes, and when I've hired them, they worked quickly and efficiently. They are more than a maid service. In addition, you'll need to hire help to clean weekly if you want to keep the house "hygienic," which is unlikely to be possible with 7 pets living there.

I wish you luck. Please read a variety of posts on this site so you'll understand the steps you'll need to take moving forward.
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Reply to Fawnby
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