A cat shits in an apartment - how to remove cat urine stains and get rid of the smell

Removing cat smell from the house is a task that almost every owner of a purring dog faces sooner or later. And okay, when an animal leaves puddles on the floor, you can wipe them with a damp cloth and forget about them. What if your pet craps on the sofa or bed, leaves marks on the walls, or ruins shoes? What remedies will help get rid of the corrosive smell of urine forever? Here you need to prepare thoroughly.

Why does the house smell like a cat?

Unlike a dog, a cat regularly takes care of its “fur coat”. Therefore there is practically no smell. An unpleasant aroma in the apartment may appear due to the following reasons:

• you rarely or incorrectly wash the litter box;
• the pet shits in the wrong places;
• The animal has begun the period of sexual hunting, and it marks its territory, expressing its readiness to mate.

In the latter case, sterilization (castration) surgery will help. You can call a veterinarian at home or take your pet to the clinic. It is advisable to carry out sterilization at the age of 8–12 months. It is not harmful to the cat’s health - on the contrary, it increases life expectancy. It has virtually no effect on character. Unless the pet may become more affectionate and slower.

If you are categorically against sterilization, find out what places your cat usually marks. Place a tray there (vertically) or spray the surface with a repellent, for example, spray lotion from BioVax “Shit? No!".

How to properly wash a cat's litter box?

To get rid of cat smell in the house, you need to clean the cat litter box more often:

• Wash at least once a week under running water using cleaning products;
• every day, 1–2 times, use a special scoop to remove lumps with traces of urine and add fresh filler;
• Don't forget to vacuum the floor around the cat litter box.

How to properly wet clean the litter box so that there is no unpleasant cat smell in the house?

1. Wear a respirator mask and rubber gloves.
2. Place the dirty litter in a garbage bag and take it out of the apartment.
3. Place the cat litter in the bathtub. Direct a powerful stream of hot water from the shower hose at it.
4. When the tray is full, take a mesh-bottomed scoop and scrape down the sides, trying to remove any stuck-on litter.
5. Pour dirty water down the toilet.
6. Refill the cat litter box with hot water and add detergent. Modern sprays and powders that are sold in pet stores (for example, Hartz, Joypet, Mr. Fresh, Super Benek) will help you get rid of the smell of cat urine. Home remedies include baking soda, dishwashing liquid, and laundry soap.
7. Leave the tray for 5-10 minutes. Then use a sponge with a rough surface to finally clean the walls.
8. Pour the dirty water down the toilet and rinse the cat litter.

Do not rush to pour fresh litter into the tray, otherwise it will harden due to increased humidity and stick to the walls. Wait at least 5 minutes for the clean toilet to dry.

Some owners put a garbage bag on the tray, and only then fill it with filler. This helps prevent the formation of urinary stones on the walls. But not all cats like the presence of a rustling bag in the toilet.

How to clean up a puddle of urine on the floor?

Cat urine contains a high concentration of uric acid. The latter crystallizes over time and firmly eats into the surface. Therefore, the sooner you clean up after your cat, the better.

So, you found a puddle on the floor. What to do?

1. Absorb moisture with a dry cloth. But don't rub urine on the floor.
2. Sprinkle some salt or baking soda on the dirty surface. These products absorb remaining moisture well within 15 minutes.
3. Sweep or vacuum the floor.
4. Clean the area with a disinfectant solution. You can dilute a couple of crystals of potassium permanganate in water - it breaks down ammonia compounds, eliminating the pungent smell of a cat. Laundry soap, vodka, and lemon juice are also suitable.
5. Go over the floor again with a damp cloth. Ventilate the room.

Cats' sense of smell is much better developed than that of humans. Therefore, it is not enough to remove a urine stain on the floor. It is possible that in the future the pet will again want to mark familiar territory. We recommend purchasing a professional solution for eliminating stains and odors at a pet store or ordering online to spray over the places your pet likes to use as a toilet. It will not just mask the pungent smell of urine in the apartment, but will completely break down organic compounds at the molecular level.

The following brands of anti-cat odor products are popular among cat owners:

• Spray Urine OFF. The spray removes even old, very darkened stains from cat urine. The product should be sprayed over the surface, left for 30 minutes, then wiped with a damp cloth. The composition contains plant extracts, the antimicrobial component benzisothiazolinone, biological agents and enzymes.
• Spray "ZooSan". Cleaning product safe for people (including small children) and animals. Contains surfactant, fragrance, and disinfectant component biopag. More suitable for removing fresh urine stains.
• Odorgone Animal Gold Spray. The product breaks down even deeply ingrained odors of cat waste products: urine, feces, fur, vomit. Has a strong antibacterial and antifungal effect. Destroys potential allergens in the air. The basis of the composition is plant extracts. The spray formula was patented in the USA.

How to rid upholstered furniture of the smell of cat urine?

What to do if a cat shits directly on the bed, chair, sofa? How to remove the smell from cat urine that is deeply embedded in the upholstery? Professional cleaning and folk remedies will again come to the rescue. You just need to act quickly - preferably before the stain on the upholstered furniture has time to dry.

First, spray the contaminated area with water. Then take dry sponges and try to “pull out” as much moisture as possible from the upholstery. But don't smudge the stain.

The next step is to use detergent. Any of the three sprays listed above in the article will suit you. In addition, you can use the following professional tools:

• Odor Kill;
• Pchelodar;
• Doctor VIC;
• Natures Miracle.

They are also suitable for removing cat urine stains from carpets.

It is advisable to test any professional spray on an unwanted piece of fabric before use. If the material does not change color, use the product freely according to the instructions.

What if there is no time or desire to go to the store? Then try traditional methods. True, they rather mask the smell of cat urine rather than eliminate it completely.

Table 1.Traditional methods to get rid of cat smell

Do not try to remove cat urine from upholstered furniture using bleach: it releases caustic fumes into the air that are harmful to the health of animals, people, and especially small children. In particular, bleach irritates the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract. At the same time, it does not scare away cats with its smell, which means it does not protect your furniture.

After using the detergent, open the windows in the apartment, creating conditions for a draft. Then the furniture will dry out faster and the smell of the cat will disappear.

How to save shoes?

The most difficult thing to remove the smell of cat urine from shoes. Here you still need a professional odor remover from the store. Folk remedies can damage leather or varnish coating.

Spray the active composition inside and leave for 30 minutes. Then carefully wipe the shoes with a damp cloth and place them on the windowsill to dry. Repeat the procedure every day until the cat smell completely disappears. In the future, store “tagged” shoes in a locked cabinet or box.

You can wash sneakers or textile sneakers in a machine. To do this, buy a special bag at a hardware store.

We find and eliminate the reasons why a cat craps in the house

The methods listed above to get rid of cat smell in an apartment are aimed at combating the consequences. But they do not eliminate the reasons why the pet has hygiene problems. To forget about puddles and urine stains forever, we advise you to observe the behavior of the animal and take preventive measures.

• Reason 1. The cat doesn't like his toilet

The length of the tray should be at least 1.5 times the length of the animal’s body (excluding the tail). Only then will the cat be able to sit comfortably in its toilet. Many pets don’t like it when the sides are too low and the filler easily spills onto the floor.

The type of litter is another sore point for cat owners. When used without a grate, silica gel scratches your paws, and sawdust quickly swells and gives off an unpleasant odor. If you want to please your pet, choose compromise options: clay, pebbles from ocean rocks.

Sometimes the cat's choice is influenced by the poor location of the litter box. For example, the cat litter box is located in a walk-through area or next to a source of strong odors. Try rearranging the tray and see how your pet reacts.

• Reason 2. Stress

Cats are real conservatives. Most of all, they value stability in the home. Moving to a new home, rearranging furniture, the arrival of guests, even changes in the owner’s mood can upset the cat. By relieving itself in inappropriate places, the pet is trying to draw attention to the problem. If you want to protect the furniture and floors in your apartment, provide your pet with a favorable psychological environment.

• Reason 3. Disease

Cats can shit in an apartment if they have diseases of the bladder, kidneys, arthritis, or helminthic infestations. In such situations, they associate the tray with a feeling of pain. You should be wary when your pet relieves itself in the wrong place, without even hiding. Show him to the vet.

• Reason 4. Lack of education

Until 6 months, many kittens walk past the toilet because they have not yet developed useful habits. Although there are also adult “blockheads”.

In this case, you just need to be patient. When you see your pet sniffing and scratching with its paw, take it to the cat litter box. Praise for correct behavior, and strictly reprimand for mistakes (but never hit). Until the cat gets used to the new rules, hide your shoes in the closet and close the bedroom. Treat upholstered furniture in your home with repellents from a pet store or citrus essential oils.

Conclusion

So, to get rid of cat smell, you need to regularly clean the litter box and monitor your pet’s behavior. It is advisable to place the cat litter in a quiet place where the animal can easily reach it. And if the cat does cause a “flood” in the apartment, use professional or folk remedies.