Plagued with Cat Urine Scent? How to Eradicate the Aroma of “Eau-de-chat” Cat Pee

Cat on litter box

Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

Most of the cat lovers I know living with felines tell me they feel extremely blessed. After all, avid felinophiles delight in watching their cats play together. The creative games cats invent to tickle their fancy can entertain us for hours on end.

Of course there is nothing more rewarding than the soft, gentle touch of a kitty’s paw on our cheek that lets us know we are loved. And after we return from a hectic, stressful day, what could possibly be more relaxing and rewarding than the sound of a deep resonating purr made by a contented kitty?

This said there are those times when significant challenges present themselves which can test the patience of even the most die-hard kitty guardian. Top on my list of these unpleasant occurances are when one of my cats suddenly starts anointing our carpets with urine, our unmade bed, clean clothing and the basket of clean laundry. Trust me, I was very upset when Sir Hubble Pinkerton started lifting his tail and began spraying on the window sills, dresser drawers and around the bed which soon became soaked with cat pee.

In Sir Hubble’s case it turned out that a stray cat hanging out in our side yard was visibly taunting him while making a “guest appearance” at our bedroom window. Totally frustrated, this drove him up the wall. Fortunately, a few months following his disappearance, Sir Hubble felt more secure and his frustrating behavior slowly came to an end.

However, when a cat’s elimination behavior changes radically, the first thing to check out is whether the litter boxes are too dirty, or its location is inconvenient making their “toilet” unacceptable. Since cats are picky creatures by nature, if their litter box is filthy, can you blame them for going on strike out of protestation? Is there more than one box for every cat in the household? Do they like the litter that is being used?

Once the box is clean and all the other requirements are met, the next thing to consider is a urinary tract infection or bladder stones. These are serious conditions which need immediate attention, making a quick visit to the vet essential.

Once all problems are resolved, dealing with the unpleasant lingering odor of cat urine is next. Since the pungent and lingering scent of “Eau-de-Chat” pee can turn into repetitive unwanted behavior, it’s necessary to take quick action to eliminate the smell.

Commercial Products

There are several enzymatic products available to both help break down odors and remove stains. Two of my favorites are Nature’s Miracle and Simple Solution.

These products are available in most pet stores and the Internet. To help locate affected spots, I recommend purchasing a good ultra-violet light flashlight.

Homemade Cleaner

Using commercially made enzymatic products is more convenient, however for folks preferring a more “natural” method, there’s a popular home-remedy to help eradicate the stench of cat urine.

Important: Before proceeding, to ensure that the hydrogen peroxide component of the remedy won’t bleach out the color; test this mixture on an obscure area of your carpet.

Begin by using old rags or paper towels to soak up as much urine as possible. Combine 3 parts water with 1 part vinegar and saturate the spot with the mixture. Dry the spot thoroughly. Once it is dry sprinkle it with baking soda. Mix ¾ cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with one tsp. dish detergent. Sprinkle the mixture over the baking soda.

Final step: With an old tooth brush or your fingers work in the baking soda. Vacuum the entire area once the area is completely dry. If a slight odor remains, repeat the entire process. For laundering “soiled” clothing, blanket and linens, add ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to your laundry detergent.

What other methods work for you? Share them with a comment.

Jo


Photo credit: Flickr User alan_i_think

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30 thoughts on “Plagued with Cat Urine Scent? How to Eradicate the Aroma of “Eau-de-chat” Cat Pee”

  1. Thanks for another great article, Jo. I have only had one experience with inappropriate urination. Our cat Harley began to spray the living room when a stray cat started marking the outside of that particular wall. They were evidently competing with one another. I had no luck with anything I tried, Nature’s Miracle, Simple Solution, Urine OFF, etc. I even tried that peroxide concoction. Nothing worked. Then, quite by accident a discovered a wonderful product. Stazko’s Waterless Shampoo. It is a product designed for pet groomers. I had some and since Harley christened a stuffed animal of mine, I tried it on the stuffie’s fur. It took the smell right out. So….I put it in the steam cleaner to clean the carpet that had been urinated on. BIG MISTAKE!!! Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles. But the urine odor disappeared. Then, Tallulah urinated on the carpet once due to a bladder stone. I sprayed the area with the Waterless Shampoo and then used the steam cleaner with just plain water. Odor gone. Since then, I recommend this product to anyone with kitty pee pee issues. 🙂

    Reply
  2. I’ve used Odorzout for years and love it.
    Also, as an overall refresher for cat beds, etc. I use K.O.E. (Kennel Odor Eliminator) and threw out Febreeze and the like.

    Reply
  3. Amy!

    I don’t know if this would help or not, but once Sir Hubble and Dr. Hush Puppy joined our family, for the first time I had two kitties that were very macho and had to stand up to pee. LOL. I put the litter boxes in tall cartons, so if they missed the box itself at least the urine wouldn’t end up on the wallpaper.

    It was a mess- the carton was disgusting- So I put a big plastic bag-inverting it, over the carton- and under the litter pan. That was worse.

    I found a litter box that finally solved the problem- the brand is CleverCat. It is available on Amazon. They are about 14 inches tall anda foot wide. There is an optional cover which has ridges- keeping most of the litter off the floor. Our boys LOVE it and they can stand up as much as they please but no more urine on anything! We have 4 of them. Two of them are at least 12 years old and are still pristine!

    Hope this helps! How many boxes do you have right now?

    Reply

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