If you are a seasoned cat owner, you also know that unlike dog pee, the smell of cat pee can last forever. From personal experience, even the mere scent of cats lasts for months after the cute little pets are gone. This explains the importance of ensuring that your cat has a litter box and personal beddings throughout.
Unfortunately, sometimes the felines ignore their litter box and identify new favorite peeing spots. Whether it is your carpet, house floor, clothes, bed or any other place in the house, the reek coming from the urine can force to you to relinquish your buddy to an animal shelter.
When you cat begins such tendencies, it is time to identify the causes and a thorough cleaning method that will also help with odor elimination.
Why do Cats ignore the Litter box?
There are many reasons as to why a cat chooses to ignore the litter box. For example, a cat that is not properly trained is likely to urinate at random places in the house. It is also possible for cats to get uncomfortable with a dirty litter box. There is no general litter box cleaning rule. The most important thing is to ensure that your cat has a comfortable place to empty its waste.
According to experts, health and behavioral reasons can also lead cats away from their litter box. It is important to seek the intervention of a vet once you notice change in behavior so that the root-cause for the problem can be established and treated.
How does Cat Urine Smell?
Cat urine produces a pungent odor that gets stinker with time. The change in smell results from the breakdown of urea to release ammonia. It is normal for some cats to produce smellier but more concentrated pee because of factors such as humidity, age and the rate of water consumption.
How to get rid of Cat urine Smell
If the odor is coming from your cat’s litter box, develop a routine of cleaning the box thoroughly and regularly. Use appropriate products to ensure that your feline does not begin to avoid the box. The alternative is to invest in a self-cleaning litter box that offers leak protection and odor control mechanisms.
If the intention is to deal with the naughty behavior of urinating on the floor, you might need to replace some part of the flooring depending on the surface materials. It is impossible to clear the smell from some materials once they absorb the urine.
As for wooden and other cleaning-friendly floors, begin by mopping the area with a solution of water and an oxygen cleaner. Follow up with an enzyme cleaner/digester if the odor persists. You can also hit the area directly with an enzyme cleaner if the urine has already dried up.
Unlike other cleaners, enzyme digesters contain bacteria that breaks down the protein material that is present in cat’s urine. Sprinkle baking soda on the mopped area and leave it for some time if you do not have an enzymatic cleaner in the house.
Important note: Avoid bleach when dealing with cat urine. Chlorine from the bleach reacts with ammonia from the urine to produce a much foul odor.
How to get Cat Pee Smell out of Carpet
If your cat has peed on the carpet, blotting the area with soapy water and a clean cloth might help but it will not do a thorough job. In fact, there is a possibility that the contents will be pushed further into the carpet fibers thereby inviting the feline for return sessions. The same case applies to upholstery.
The most ideal solution is to soak the area with a powerful enzymatic cleaner. Use a plastic material as a cover so that the area can remain wet until the bacteria present in the cleaner can act on all the protein material present in the urine.
How to get rid of Cat Pee Smell from Clothes
Getting cat pee smell out of clothes is probably easier than all the other places mentioned in this article. Soak the clothes in a solution of baking soda or white vinegar and let them sit for some few hours then follow up with your usual washing routine. However, ensure that you use oxygen bleach if need be and an enzyme detergent.
