cat urine carpet
how to get rid of the oder of cat urine in carpet and woodwork?
We got a dog in December, and one of our cats is not happy about it. She ‘voices’ her discontent by urinating on the living room carpet and the three of the wooden doors in the house(she still uses the litterbox for poop and the majority of her urine – and we do not have this problem with the other cat).
We keep the litterbox clean. Spraying vingar on the problem areas does not seem to help. Ripping up the carpet is not an option at this time. We use Oder Ban from Sams club when company is due, but within three days, I can smell the urine again.
I DO NOT want to get rid of the cat. I understand why she is doing it, and I know where she is doing it. I don’t think I can keep her from doing it, so my next option would be to get the best possible cleaning solution to clean up the smell.
There is a WONDERFUL and VERY effective enzyme product on the market called “Nature’s Miracle for cats”. It is available at most pet supply stores, and perhaps even Wal-Mart. Use this FULL STRENGTH and saturate the carpeting where she has been going. You may want to put some of it in a spray bottle to spray the woodwork. Leave on carpets about 10-15 minutes, then blot up well with old towels or paper towels and wipe down all the woodwork. Allow the carpeting to dry–SLIGHTLY, but not completely. Re-apply to the carpeting (this time using a spray bottle so as not to completely saturate it), and allow to dry into the carpet. If after completely dry, the smell should have disapated, If not, repeat the entire process over again. If your cat has been doing this for quite a while, it may take several applications to kill the odor completely. But, keep at it, and it WILL get rid of the odor completely. This is an excellent product! Now, I even take it a step further when my little boy accidently gets shut out of the bathroom where his litter box is. After I’ve used “Nature’s Miracle”, the odor is completely gone, and all is well, I lightly spray a thin coat of Pine-Sol on the same spot and allow it to dry into the carpet. Cats HATE the smell of Pine-Sol.
Now, be advised–YES, Nature’s Miracle WILL get rid of the smell of the urine, but watch your cat if you start smelling it again. This appears to be a “territory” issue, and she just may choose another spot in the house to relieve herself in. Also, if you can catch her in the act, observe her (without yelling at her) to see if she is actually squatting to urinate or if she is “spraying”—and the way you described this situation (urine on doors, etc.) it sounds like she may be doing more “spraying”—staking claim to HER territory rather than just urinating. And, regardless of anything you may have heard, YES INDEED, female cats DO spray! I’ve actually had 2 of them do it right in front of me when someone got too close to me. You can definately tell the difference. When a cat “sprays” (territory marking) the tail goes straight up in the air, and they really bear-down and shake all over when they are doing it. I have found that you can stop a cat from “spraying fairly easy by doing 1 of 2 things: Keep a bottle of plain tap water within reach, and just when she starts, blast her right in the face with the water while firmly saying “NO!” Or, keep a rolled up newspaper, fly swatter (anything that will make some noise) handy. Once again, just as she’s thinking about or starting to spray, rap the “object” fairly hard on a flat surface while firmly saying “NO!” Cats also hate loud noises. Both methods work. Best of luck to you in stopping this behavior.
