The Best Way to Get Rid of Cat Urine Smell From a House

As a cat owner, I know how frustrating it can be when you can’t seem to get cat urine smells out of your home. You may not notice the smell at first, but after being outside the home for a few hours when you return to your house you will smell what everyone else who visits your home smells, cat urine!

There are many reasons for cat urine smells to crop up in your home. The cat may have just used the litter box and not covered it up well enough, the litter box might not been emptied regularly enough, the cat is not old enough to be properly toilet trained yet, the cat may have had an accident and didn’t make it to the litter box or the cat is acting up for some reason.

The first thing to do if your cat has urinated outside of their litter box is to make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out any health-related problems your cat might be experiencing. Those medical problems that cause a cat to urinate in inappropriate areas can include a urinary tract infection and feline urinary syndrome (FUS). A vet can also advise you if your cat is experiencing a behavioral problem or not. Once you know the cat is healthy, it’s time to get down to getting rid of that cat urine smell.

If you can’t figure out where the smell is coming from you can use a blacklight to find the source. When you turn out the regular lights the blacklight will find that urine spot.

Tools you need:

• Paper towel
• Brush
• Sponge
• White vinegar
• Baking soda
• Water
• Enzyme-based cleaner
• Bowl

Additional tools:

• Black light
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Dish detergent
• Spray bottle

Hopefully, a cat urine stain is still wet when you find it which makes cleanup a little easier. When you find a wet spot blot it with paper towel immediately. Mix together 3 parts water and 1 part white vinegar in a bowl. Dip a sponge in the mixture and sponge the area well. Sprinkle baking soda over the spot, use a brush to rub it in and vacuum when dry.

Time is of the essence when the cat has urinated on carpeting, if it is left too long you might not have any option but to replace the carpeting. If you are cleaning a wood or cement floor, you might want to mix ¾ cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of dish detergent and spray that on the spot before adding the baking soda.

After the stain has dried and has been vacuumed up, you should also spray the area with a enzyme-based product such as Odor Ban, Nature’s Miracle and Nature Clean; enzyme-based cleaners break down the molecules of stains and odors. Thankfully, I have never had to clean up cat urine from my cat out of the litter box. I have, however used Nature Clean to clean up areas where the cat has thrown up a hairball or food on my bed or the couch. It works very well and does not leave a smell.

The main thing to remember is that the area must be cleaned completely leaving no cat urine smell behind; a cat will return to the same spot again and again.

I hope these suggestions for cleaning up cat urine smell are helpful to you. Thankfully, I have only smelled urine when passing the litter box. But, my cat is older and there may be a time when I have to try these solutions.

These tips will have your house smelling clean and fresh before you know it; your friends and family, especially those who do not own pets, will appreciate it.