How To Clean Cat Urine

By Donovan Baldwin

Why is a cat urine smell so difficult to remove even after you have cleaned the spot with a good cat urine cleaner?

Pet urine, cat or otherwise, is comprised of three major components:

1. Urea - Sticky stuff

2. Urochrome - Pigments which give it color

3. Uric acid - The stinky part

It is generally conceded that almost any decent cleaner would probably do to get rid of the first two if that was all that was involved. No specialized cat urine remover or cleaner would be required for that part of the task.

However, it is the last item, the Uric Acid which accounts for that lingering reminder of, "Oh! You have a cat!" when there is no visible feline. It is also the reason why normal household cleaners will not work to clean cat urine effectively. What happens is that the Uric Acid part is comprised of crystals and salts, which, once dry, release relatively little odor. However, once the crystals and salts dampen again, with rain or humidity, for example, the pet odor comes back. Even steam cleaning a carpet in hopes of getting rid of the odor for good just dampens everything and brings the odor back to life.

This is the point at which you will need a specifically designed cat urine remover such as Simple Solution Cat Spray & Urine Stain & Odor Remover which is readily available at pet supply stores such as Petco and PetSmart. The most effective products rely on bacteria and enzymes to actually eat up the last remnants of the Uric Acid and thus rid your home of the unpleasant odor. Many home remedies will recommend the use of vinegar to remove the smell. I have never tried this, but those who have tend to give mixed reviews to the process.

A word of warning here. No matter what anyone may try to tell you about how to clean cat urine from carpets or furniture, do NOT ever try to use a product with ammonia in it as a cat urine cleaner. Cat urine contains ammonia, and by using that product, you have just provided a marker for your cat telling it where to do its business next time.

Sometimes, finding the offending spot can be difficult. One trick is to search with a black light. Remember, you will probably not be looking for a large puddle, particularly on carpet. The urine will have come out in a stream, so the actual spot visible in the black light may not be much larger than a pencil eraser. However, the problem will be that once in the carpet, the cat urine will seep into the backing, the pad, and possibly through to the floor itself. To effectively remove the cat urine smell and prevent further visits to that spot by your cat, it may be necessary to lift the carpet and clean the pad and the floor as well as the carpet itself.

By the way, one of the best things you can do to help cut down on odors associated with the litter box while decreasing the possibility of "accidents" is to keep the cat pan clean. Cats can be picky, and a dirty litter box can encourage your pretty Persian kitty to find another place to grace. Keep access clear to it, and make sure that your cat can get to it in time of need, even if there is company present.

Donovan Baldwin is a Texas writer and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, pets, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as animals, health, fitness,yoga, writing, fuel economy, the environment, happiness, self improvement, and weight loss. You can find information on caring for your cat or kitten at http://cat-and-kitten.com/