How do you eliminate the smell of cat urine?

Probably, this story is familiar to many people – a perfectly cleaned apartment, shelved dishes, and – an intrusive odor. The main “pain” of all owners of cats and cats, with all the incredible love for these beautiful animals – how to get rid of the smell of cat urine and how to wean the pet from marking the territory. In this article we will try to answer these urgent and important questions.

Causes of unpleasant odor in the house

Cat urine consists of three components (basic): urea, pigment urochrome and uric acid, it is this that gives an unpleasant odor. If the first two substances are perfectly washed out with water, uric acid is crystallized and is able to penetrate deeply, absorbed into any surface, and it is impossible to wash it off with a damp cloth, only with the help of special substances.

Uric acid has another unpleasant quality – when interacting with water, it, having a tremendous resistance, begins to emit an odor even stronger.

Differences between urine and markings

It is not difficult to distinguish when a cat has missed the litter box and when it has marked something on purpose: in the first case, it sits down to do its business, then shakes off its paws and leaves, and when leaving a mark on the territory, it chooses an object, raises its tail high and shakes it, releasing a small stream (sometimes literally a few drops) on the chosen place.

The difference is the odor – cat urine smells not so sharp and sharp. When marking, however, a special hormonal secretion is released, which in interaction with uric acid and gives this strong odor.

Mostly unneutered cats and cats mark, so the sterilization procedure can help, after which the hormonal background of the animal changes. However, this habit can remain after surgery.

Why did the cat stop going to the litter box?

There can be a lot of reasons for this – from the desire to say something to its owner to age-related changes and diseases. Let’s consider the most common ones.

Stress

One of the most common causes. The reasons for it in the animal can be many. A trip by car, a trip to the vet, strangers in the house, noisy children, loud noises, a new pet and much more. Sometimes cats react this way to a change of food, although more often than not they tend to just stubbornly refuse to eat something they don’t like.

Another good reason for stress can be a change in litter box location, or the type of litter. The cat may not like the place where it is standing – passable, not private, loud, in a draft. Filler is also extremely important – cats are very conservative, very picky, and if they are used to a certain granulate, they often reject the rest.

Also, the litter box may be dirty, and then the cat will start doing its business in inappropriate places, thus signaling that it is not ready to put up with such untidiness.

Health problems

Sometimes when a cat urinates in an inappropriate place, it can show that she has a health problem. She can’t tell you about it, but she is able to show it.

Puddles left by the cat in the wrong place can be a sign of urolithiasis: it is associated with the formation of uroliths in the urinary tract or kidneys, which create a blockage, and is accompanied by painful sensations when urinating, and can lead to an unfortunate outcome. The behavioral characteristics of the cat are such that the animal seeks a new place to perform its needs, believing that this will help relieve the discomfort.

Urolithiasis can be caused by high concentration of urine, infection of the urinary tract (urinary tract), overweight, metabolic disorders, low mobility of the cat, incorrect diet, inflammatory processes, hormonal disorder.

The disease may be indicated by the following symptoms:

• lethargy, apathy, lack of appetite, with constant restlessness – signs of acute urinary retention;
• blood in the urine;
• frequent urination or urges;
• what experts call a “sharp” abdomen, tight or inflated.

If you notice any of these symptoms, see your veterinarian immediately.

Cystitis. This is an inflammation of the bladder, more specifically, its mucosa. Has a bacterial, fungal, idiopathic, calculous cause, the start for this disease can be hypothermia.

Symptoms:

• Sharp odor of urine, frequent trips to the toilet or “dripping” in sleep;
• high fever;
• blood in the urine;
• restlessness, apathy,
• licking of the genitals.

Older age

The causes can also be geriatric. These are age-related changes peculiar to older cats and cats. First, at a venerable age, animals, like humans, undergo a change in cognitive skills and functions. Their vision, hearing, and memory begin to gradually deteriorate, they may break “self-imposed rules”, sometimes forget where their litter box is located – this is not uncommon for older cats, though not for all.

In such cases, a veterinarian or animal behaviorist should be consulted. This will help to ensure that the elderly pet has a decent quality of life in its new status:

• Obtain appropriate medication support;
• understand how to remodel the apartment or home for comfortable living;
• discuss issues related to nutrition.

In many ways, the cognitive functions of older cats depend on how stimulated their pleasure centers are. Nutrition is one pleasure center aside from the fact that a pet’s health, immunity, and activity are largely dependent on diet.

How to remove the smell of cat urine: 5 ways

How to eliminate the smell of cat urine in the apartment? Choosing a method, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of the material or the place where the urine got there – for example, removing the odor from rubber shoes or velour upholstery requires different approaches and, possibly, their combination.

Useful supplementary material: How to get the foul odor of cat urine out? Labels left behind by the cat.

Specialized products

There is a wide range of deep cleaning products on the market today. They contain active oxygen and enzymes that penetrate deeply into the surfaces and remove almost any dirt. When using them, it is necessary to take into account the factory instructions and contraindications to use – for example, to understand whether they will not spoil surfaces. And most importantly, whether they are harmful to pets.

Baking soda

Is a unique absorbent that is capable of “miracles” – from cleaning pots to eliminating unpleasant odors. If you sprinkle the marked place with baking soda, and then add a small amount of three percent solution of pharmacy hydrogen peroxide, the resulting mixture will penetrate deep into the material and clean it.

However, this method leads to the release of ammonia, so you need to do it very carefully and be sure to ventilate, the odor will be strong and acrid. After you should wash the place of treatment with water or soap solution.

Vinegar

Most often for this purpose use food apple cider vinegar, which is sold in stores. This is a strong remedy that can remove a stain from almost any surface. But it is more suitable for removing urine stains than marks, as it can significantly increase the odor of the latter.

Oxygen bleach

Make sure that the oxygen bleach is not chlorine-containing and, if you remove the odor from clothes, pre-treat it with a vinegar solution or baking soda. Washing is best done in cool water and don’t use the drying mode – it’s best to air dry your clothes. Hot water, as well as hot air, will lift the odor from deep within the fibers and intensify it.

When choosing an oxygen bleach or cleaner, focus on the instructions – how versatile and suitable it is for your fabrics.

Glycerin

Glycerin is a great fighter against uric acid. Most often it is used as follows: grate glycerin soap, add a little water and actively rub the stain, later rinse. Also glycerin can be used as part of an alcohol solution.

How to fight odor on various surfaces?

Upholstered furniture

Upholstery fabrics are very textured, with a sparse weave or velour dressing, so liquids easily penetrate to the very depth of the fibers and it is difficult to fight it.

The best solution is a combination of baking soda and pharmacy peroxide, but only for light-colored surfaces – the chemical reaction will lighten the material. For dark fabrics, it is better to use diluted food vinegar or special detergents. After drying, rinse thoroughly with a soap solution and clean water.

Floor

How to remove the smell of cat urine from the floor is probably the most popular question. It is important to take into account the material of the floor, as well as the presence of joints of laminate, tile or parquet – urine tends to flow into them. All methods of cleaning will do, but for dark textures you should not use oxygen bleach and peroxide solution – light stains will remain. It is best to use special means sold in pet stores.

Carpet

If you realized that the carpet was spoiled recently, it should be immediately blotted (carefully, without rubbing urine into the fibers) with a napkin, then quickly pour soda, pour soda peroxide, wait until everything dries, and rinse thoroughly with water. But if the stain is old, the carpet will have to be handed over to the dry cleaner.

Shoes

Slippers, woven or rubber shoes enough to wash a few times in the machine at high temperatures with good deodorizing agents, before rubbing properly with soap solution, but with leather shoes will have to deal. Vinegar (but with caution – it can damage the shoes), and manganese, and iodine (for black shoes).

Another good remedy for leather shoes is ozonizers. This is a great natural oxidizer that removes even stubborn odors.

Clothing

Never try to rub the stain – the urine will penetrate even deeper into the fibers of the fabric. If the stain is quite fresh, there is a chance that you can get rid of the odor by washing the item immediately. If at least 30 minutes have passed, then soak the thing in a basin with oxygen bleach – for two hours if it is dark, and from three to five hours if light or white. Then wash on the desired temperature mode.

What will definitely not help to get rid of the odor?

• Chlorine-containing products. Not only is it useless, but also dangerous – chlorine fumes are harmful to the respiratory tract of both cats and humans.
• Essential oils. Useless and will only emphasize the odor more, and some of them can be dangerous for the cat.
• Frankincense. Will intensify the ammonia odor and may encourage the cat to continue to urinate in the area.
• Perfume. A waste of an expensive product – the odor won’t go away, and the alcohol components will spread it around the house even faster.

FAQ: How to Get Rid of Cat Urine Odor and Prevent Territory Marking