Cat Urine Smell – Remove it Once and For All

Guest article written by Susan Livingstone

It’s well known that cats, particularly feral cats, like to spray in order to mark their territory. They tend to do this at vertical objects like walls or a doorposts. But often they may just urinate on the carpet as well. The issue is further aggravated if your cat is suffering a urinary tract infection. You thought that cat urine smell was bad before? With a feline UTI thrown in, that urine has a uniquely awful odor. A cat’s urinary infection is also accompanied by feline urinary incontinence, wherein the cat is unable to control the urine.

Most likely, your cat is going to return to the same spot on the carpet where he urinated initially. This can happen despite your conviction that you cleaned the carpet as thoroughly and carefully as you knew how. This repeated peeing at the same spot can result in an offensive ammonia smell that can be very exasperating. If it isn’t cleaned correctly it gives a variety of nasty bacteria a golden opportunity to multiply and grow. The longer you leave the problem to fester, the larger the issue is certain to become. Once the urine soaks through the carpet and into the floor boards you stand zero chance of getting to it without pulling the carpet back.

Tired Of Your House Smelling Like A Biological Weapons Lab?

So, how to get cat urine out of the carpet, permanently? Cleaning the carpet and effectively removing the offensive odor of cat urine depends on the surface underlying the carpet. If the floor below is linoleum or another easy-clean surface, the problem is minimal as you may clean it easily with plain water or detergent. It’s obviously much more of an issue when the cat urine smell is found on a liquid absorbing surface.

Step one in this circumstance is to take tissue paper, a rag or a towel and press it firmly over the damp spot in the carpet to soak up the most liquid that you can. Most cat urine removal products for sale on the market contain enzymes that function as catalysts to start a chemical reaction in the urine, making it a snap to clean. These products have varying strengths and contain chemicals that will have diverse effects on different surfaces. Be sure to read and follow the directions on the label for how to proceed from this point.

In addition, here are some home remedies that will help you deal with this issue of a nasty cat urine smell:

• A bowl of naphthalene flakes aids in keeping cats away from the carpet. A touch of citronella on cotton balls in a bowl will also keep them away as cats deeply dislike the scent of aromatic lemon grass oils.
• Add a little soap into a mixture of vinegar and water (1:3) and pour over the affected area. Soak up the excess liquid with a rag. Repeat this process with clean water and soak in water again. Sprinkle a little baking soda over the area, leave it there for about 24 hours, and then vacuum it up.
• Adding a small amount of Listerine mouthwash to a vinegar and water solution will help dispose of the smell. Rinse with clean water and soak.
• Pour a bit of peroxide over the area and then wash with warm water and soak. However, don’t use this method on carpets as peroxide has a tendency to ruin the color.

Whether or not you’re dealing with a cat’s urinary infection, cat urine smell is something you want to remove from your house as soon as you can. Thanks to their reluctance to drink water, cat pee is especially concentrated and potent, which explains why you can practically use it to remove wallpaper. But with the steps outlined above, and quick action on your part, it doesn’t have to be a permanent problem.