How to get rid of the smell of cat urine

Cute cats, even very, very well-mannered ones, can still sometimes upset their loving owners with an annoying puddle or a “mark” in the most unexpected place. Or “miss” the tray a little. One way or another, the result will be a pungent, unpleasant odor and an unsightly stain. We hasten to assure you that this situation can be easily and quickly resolved! We want to share with you how to get rid of the smell of cat urine in a variety of cases in this article.

First of all, wipe the puddle dry

Why does it smell like that?

Surely, you have asked the question “Why is the smell of cat urine so pungent and difficult to remove?” Everything is explained by the composition of these animal secretions:

Urochrome is a substance that gives color.
Urea is a substance that makes a puddle or stain sticky after drying.
Uric (uric) acid - it is what helps the cat’s urine to quickly crystallize - these “crystals” do not dissolve in water, which is why it is difficult to get rid of the smell, and we are at a loss - how to remove the smell of cat urine?

Alas, the cat himself will not be able to remove the consequences of his “deeds.”
Thus, by simply thoroughly washing the affected area with water, you will only remove the first two components. The “crystals” will remain and will continue to “smell”, especially on surfaces that quickly and easily absorb moisture. Therefore, our struggle must first of all be directed against them.

Advice! If you are thinking about how to eliminate the smell of cat urine, then take decisive measures to eliminate such unpleasant behavior of the animal immediately after the first puddle you notice! And this does not mean at all that the cat needs to be severely punished; the reasons for his actions are most likely in your actions and in your attitude towards him.

The cat's litter box should always be clean - the animal may ignore a dirty litter box

Causes of a pungent odor

Cat urine consists of urochrome, urea and uric acid. When you try to eliminate traces of a cat’s misbehavior, only visible stains are removed, but the smell remains.

Uric acid has the property of penetrating into surfaces that absorb moisture and is not soluble in water. As humidity increases, the smell will spread with renewed vigor. Because of this, even after thorough cleaning, it is impossible to remove the smell and the unpleasant aroma returns again.

Effective means of control

Here you will find a remedy for the smell of cat urine, a handy and professional one that is guaranteed to help remove the foul-smelling “tag”. Let's also look at what we should give up in this fight.

Available means

Check out the table - something from this range must be kept in your home and will help remove the smell of cat urine.

Manganese	A weak solution of the substance deodorizes the surface. But be careful - potassium permanganate can stain the surface!
Vinegar	Dilute it with water - the solution perfectly fights odor without leaving visible marks.
Lemon juice	Freshly squeezed lemon juice is an effective odor fighter.
Hydrogen peroxide	Quite a strong product, but destructive for varnish surfaces.
Iodine	The smell of cat urine can be removed by diluting 10 drops of a regular alcohol solution of iodine with a liter of water.
Soda	Copes well with cat "business". But it is an abrasive agent, which is why it should not be used on glossy coatings.
Laundry soap	It will help fight the smell of both urine and animal feces.
Vodka	The smell of cat urine - how to remove it with its help? Vodka does not fight odor so much, but it has a valuable quality - the “aroma” itself is so disgusting to the cat that he is unlikely to want to mark this place again.
Tooth rinse	Not only will it help eliminate the smell, but it will give a pleasant aroma instead of cat stench.
Bleaches	Whiteness, BOS reliably eliminate cat urine odors.

A few drops work wonders

Be careful with peroxide

Lemon juice is a great helper

How to remove the smell of cat urine - try regular potassium permanganate

Vinegar is also good

All Purpose Soda

Advice! Do not use aromatic oils and fragrances to combat cat odors - they will not eliminate the cause, but will mix with the stench, creating an equally unpleasant-smelling “ambre”.

It's a shame when shoes suffer.
Now let's move on to the “professional fighters”.

Professional products

The problem of cat odors is not new at all, which is why many effective drugs have been created that are aimed specifically at combating them. You will find the most proven ones in the table below: removing the smell of cat urine is their direct purpose.

Odorgone Animal Gold

"Zoosan"

"Dezosan"

Odorgone Animal Gold	This product is patented in the United States, but bottled in Russia. It is hypoallergenic, safe and consists only of natural ingredients and water. A few sprays of this miracle spray, which you see in the photo, will rid the room of even persistent and ingrained odors in a matter of minutes. The natural remedy can be used on small children and animals.
"Zoosan"	An excellent answer to the question: “Smell of cat urine – how to remove it?” A Russian natural remedy, which is packaged both for large premises with animals and for ordinary apartments. It is also safe for animals and children, because... contains non-ionic surfactants, fragrances, food coloring and antiseptics. The product is guaranteed to remove stains from any surface and destroy the “aroma” at the molecular level.
"Dezosan"	It kills “amber,” as they say, “in the bud,” and does not drown it out with a pleasant smell. Its composition is simple - nonionic surfactants and fragrance.
Urine-off Cat & Kitten	An American product whose manufacturers keep the composition of their creation secret. Its ingredients destroy precisely the uric acid crystals, which are “to blame” for the persistent odor. In addition, Urine-off Cat & Kitten also acts as a pheromone blocker - as a result of its use, the animal completely loses the desire to choose the “treated” place again. The product allows you to effectively remove the smell of cat urine on hard and soft, horizontal and vertical surfaces.
Odor kill	This English-made product is truly universal. It removes the smell of cat urine, feces, tobacco smoke, burning, kitchen odors and more. The drug is safe for children and animals and has a pleasant vanilla scent. To treat it, you just need to dilute it in water and treat the problematic surface - floors, tiles, upholstered furniture, carpeting, etc.

Odor kill

Advice! If you can't find a foul-smelling crime scene, use an ultraviolet lamp to make the search easier - cat urine will glow yellow.

Now let’s tell you about what is best to avoid in your search for “Cat urine smell – how to remove it”?

Harmful and ineffective products

In order not to harm yourself by removing contamination with your own hands, as well as the animal and the marked surface, we advise you to avoid chlorine-containing products. Their use is unsafe for cats and people. It also harms many materials.

Advice! If the stain is large, ingrained, or there are many stains on a soft surface, then there is only one correct solution - professional dry cleaning.

A little kitten can do big things

Preventive measures

The urine of warm-blooded animals contains protein processing products. After leaving the body, these substances become a breeding ground for bacteria. This process causes an unpleasant odor and a source of infection.

To stop the appearance of puddles of urine in secluded places at home, the pet owner should pay attention to the possible causes of unwanted behavior:

The cat is unhappy with the tray. Perhaps the animal does not like the configuration of the tray or the owner does not bother himself too much with the timely replacement of the filler.
An annoying person or piece of furniture has appeared in the house. When marking territory, the cat exhibits a defensive reaction.
Old age or illness. If your pet did not suffer from such abnormalities as a child, you should take the cat to a veterinarian for a diagnosis.
Tail injury often interferes with the natural fulfillment of needs.
Sexual activity. An animal that is not subject to mating must be sterilized or neutered.
The tray is located in an inconvenient place. Cats generally prefer quiet corners away from light.
Not enough trays. If there are several pets, the number of toilets should be increased.
Increased love for cleanliness. Some cats separate litter boxes for large and small needs. Installing a second tray will help solve the problem.

To prevent problems from reoccurring after removal of contamination, it is recommended:

Treat surfaces using proprietary preparations from a veterinary pharmacy.
Scatter the peels of oranges or tangerines. The smell of essential oils will repel your pet.
Place vials with ground pepper or coffee in the marked places, having previously drilled the lids.
If the cause of the problem is heat, the pet should be sterilized.

Universal methods

Let us introduce you to universal “recipes” for all occasions:

Half the battle is to eliminate the puddle in time. Cover it with napkins, paper, and a well-absorbent cloth. Do not rub it under any circumstances - just blot it.
Dilute vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:2 and rinse the stain with it. This is effective advice on how to remove the smell of cat urine, from our grandmothers.
To get rid of the smell specifically, sprinkle the “treated” area with soda so that a dense layer of this powder forms. Then treat the surface with an “explosive mixture” of hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing detergent. Finally, vacuum the surface.

Stop!

Grate the laundry soap into fine powder, then pour it into warm water. Apply the resulting mixture to the contaminated area and leave for half an hour. Then all that remains is to get rid of the resulting crust with a clean, wet cloth.
Another effective remedy is to drop 15 drops of iodine into a glass of water and stir the solution. Dampen a sponge in it and use it to treat the dirty surface. This is great advice for the question “How to remove the smell of cat urine from a bag?”

Nurture from “young claws”

Ammonia works great for any odors - drop it onto the dirt, wait 10-15 minutes and rinse with plenty of water. However, one thing - some cats love the smell of ammonia, and it is not a fact that, attracted by it, they will not choose this area to defecate again.
It copes well with the smell of “laundry soap + hydrogen peroxide” steam.
The contamination is large or far from fresh - how to remove the smell from cat urine in this case? A comprehensive method can help you: apply lemon juice to the stain, then sprinkle baking soda on top. Once everything fizzes well, remove it with a vacuum cleaner. Then wash the area with laundry soap and rub hydrogen peroxide into the stain. Then it’s time to wash with soap and alcohol. Finally, vacuum the surface thoroughly.

An ultraviolet lamp will help find contamination

If you don’t have anything suitable at hand, then strong, fresh tea leaves will help you.
How to get rid of the smell of cat urine after cleaning? Scattered citrus peels and cinnamon sticks will scare the animal away from the washed area.
A universal device such as a household air ionizer helps a lot. The instructions for your actions are simple - cover the surface with a suitable piece of polyethylene, and pass the hose of the device under it. Leave it to work for a period of about two hours. If an animal poops in a flower pot, shoes or on clothes, water ozonated by the same device will help you.

The video in this article will introduce you to several more ways to combat cat “odors.”

Advice! Use hydrogen peroxide with caution - it may discolor the product.

It's better to use several products at once

So!

Let me remind you that there are 3 more parts to this detailed article. Follow the links to read:

First article. About what kitchen tools will help. And also recipes for strong DIY stain removers. How to prevent a cat from being "squeaky".
The second article, which contains 25 inexpensive recipes: household chemicals, natural deodorants for furniture and carpets. Useful tips on how not to ruin your sofa. And other.
Part four will explain why cat urine stinks for years. How to choose products in connection with the characteristics of cat urine. What pharmaceutical preparations will save upholstered furniture. What and how to clean urine that has penetrated deep into the sofa? How to make a cat go potty? Evidence that insidious pets are still loyal to their owners.

The smell of cat urine is no longer a problem. Just add “Clean” to your bookmarks, and ALL recipes (including those that are not on other sites) will always be at hand. The furry saboteur will no longer take you by surprise! Enjoy your pet without worrying about side effects.

The final part of the online information series. While discussing cats, we laughed and cried, were indignant, and shook our heads. Bookmark the mega-useful website Chistyulya,” and you will never find yourself face to face with a puddle of a naughty pet!

For specific cases

Let us now consider which products will be more suitable and effective for a particular surface.

Upholstered furniture, sofas	If there is no risk that the surface may become stained, use a manganese solution. Otherwise, vinegar or lemon juice.
Flooring, parquet, laminate	How to remove the smell of cat urine from the floor quickly and effectively? Use freshly squeezed lemon juice or vinegar diluted with water (both in 1:1 ratio). Wipe the surface so that it remains damp after cleaning. After a couple of hours, wipe the area dry.
Mattress	Baking soda and boric acid will help you. In the absence of the latter, you can take regular carbonated mineral water. First, pour soda or boric acid diluted with water onto the stain, and then cover with baking soda. Leave it on for several hours, then rinse everything off with water and dry the item.
Leather shoes	How to remove the smell of cat urine from your skin? It’s easy to deal with a fresh puddle - stuff the inside of your shoes with crumpled paper and wait until it absorbs the moisture. Then wash thoroughly with laundry soap. It is more difficult to deal with a stain noticed at the wrong time. You will have to go through several cleaning cycles with laundry soap. To consolidate the effect, after each cycle, wipe the smelly area with a cotton swab generously soaked in vinegar. All this must be repeated until the smell disappears.
Fabric shoes	Washing the product in the washing machine will help you. Then, after drying, you can spray the shoes with a special anti-odor spray. “Freezing” shoes on the balcony at low temperatures in winter is also effective.
Carpeted, wood floors	Blot the puddle dry with a cloth or paper napkin, toilet paper or rags before removing the smell of cat urine from hardwood floors and other surfaces. Then use laundry soap, vinegar or lemon juice.
Cloth	We'll tell you how to remove the smell of cat urine from clothes: before washing, rinse things in a vinegar solution (1 tablespoon of vinegar per liter of water).

Advice! Uric acid will be dissolved by alkali, glycerin, and sulfuric acid. Manganese is both a cleaner and a deodorant.

The tray should be comfortable for the cat

Tips for renovation

The presence of pets in the home imposes additional obligations on owners. Compliance with a number of requirements when renovating a home will help the animal owner to significantly simplify the life of himself and his charges.

When arranging the floor, fleecy coverings should be avoided. It is impossible to properly clean such surfaces, so the carpet floor will always serve as a source of dirt and infection.

Laminate looks no worse than parquet, but urine easily gets into the holes between the boards, promoting rot. Wooden or varnished parquet floors are much more hygienic.

When laying baseboards, you should carefully seal the joints, leaving no holes between the floor and walls. It is recommended to lay an insulating film on top of concrete floors to prevent the concrete from getting wet.

When choosing linoleum, you should give preference to a material with a waterproof synthetic lining.

Tile or ceramic tiles should only be attached with an adhesive base. Using the solution creates cavities into which urine can leak through the seams between the tiles. For high-quality sealing of seams, you need to use a polymer-based grout to protect against corrosion by uric acid.

The best choice for a home with cats and dogs would be epoxy self-leveling floors.

Cleaning the house will be greatly facilitated if the lower part of the walls is painted with paints that can be washed using brushes and chemicals. It is not recommended to use paper and fabric wallpaper. The plaster should also be checked for acid resistance before installation.

For cleaning, it is recommended to use a water vacuum cleaner.

Prevention of the problem

It is easier to eliminate any problem than to deal with its consequences like “how to neutralize the smell of cat urine.” Therefore, if this is not the first time your pet has ignored its litter box, you need to find the reason for this behavior. Let's look at what it turns out to be most often:

Your cat simply doesn’t like his litter box and is behaving this way on purpose. Hostility can arise due to many circumstances - the cat’s litter box is too small for its owner (the litter box should be twice the size of the cat sitting in it), the cat cannot have privacy during the process (passage place, nearby toilets of other cats), the animal does not have the opportunity to bury their excrement (this is especially typical for cats who, from childhood, go to a tray with filler and sand).
The animal discovered an unfamiliar thing with a “foreign” smell. Usually this is the property of the owner’s guests - bags, clothes, shoes. Therefore, in the future, out of harm’s way, put the things of those who come to visit you in the closet.

What's happening to your cat could be a symptom of a serious illness

The animal is seriously ill or is in a stressful situation. If a cat has cystitis or urolithiasis, then she simply cannot control the process of urination. And “finished” things, furniture, are just the tip of the iceberg. It is possible that the disease seriously threatens the health and life of the animal, and it urgently needs the help of a veterinarian. Also, a cat may urinate in the wrong places, experiencing extreme stress - the animal is very frightened, is in an unfamiliar and incomprehensible situation or environment, there are many strangers around it, it hears sounds that are scary for it, etc.
This is how the cat marks its territory. This is typical for uncastrated animals. To avoid taking your animal for surgery, try letting him go for walks in the fresh air (if you are afraid that the cat will get lost, accompany him by putting a leash or harness on the animal). Some owners recommend a zoopsychological method - to catch the animal at the scene of the crime, take it by the scruff of the neck and menacingly, without blinking, look into its eyes. Whoever wins this “staring contest” and does not take his eyes off first, will be the founder of order in the house. There is also such a strange way: to wipe the place of the cat's mark after cleaning with your sweaty thing.

The main thing is to raise the animal correctly

A cat is a very clean animal. And such indecent behavior may be a direct protest to the fact that her tray is completely unsanitary. Try to clean the cat litter box on time, using disinfectants and odor-eliminating products.
Sometimes such puddles can be a kind of revenge for old grievances. If you hit the cat and try to isolate it, you will only make the situation worse.

Don’t forget about this universal remedy.
We hope that our article helped you determine how to remove the smell of cat urine from various surfaces using improvised or professional means. Let us remind you once again that with frequent repetitions of such incidents, it is much more important to eliminate the reason that caused this behavior of the animal.

Common Misconceptions

One of the common mistakes that owners of furry pets make is punishment without clarifying the circumstances. A cat may mark territory for the following reasons:

stressful state;
urinary system disease;
tail injury;
uncomfortable tray;
poor selection of toilet filler.

The second most common mistake is the decision to postpone cleaning until a more favorable time. A fresh stain is much easier to remove, but old urine residue will attract the cat to repeat the violation again.

The third misconception is related to the second and is to get rid of the smell at any cost. The use of deodorants and fragrances (coffee, aromatic oils, incense) relieves the human nose from suffering, but the cat will still feel its marks and will get used to using the marked area of the home space for the toilet.

Chlorine-based products disinfect well, but the stench only intensifies after such cleaning.