How to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell

A few minutes spent on a search engine looking up "cat urine smell" and it's obvious there's a problem with cats urinating in the house. Cat urine has a very strong odor, and once it saturates your carpet, furniture, upholstery, or hardwood floors, it can be difficult to remove. There are, however, a few home remedies as well as commercially available products you can try to get that heavy, unpleasant smell out of your house.

Things You'll Need

  • Enzymatic pet odor product
  • Black light
  • Baking soda
  • White Vinegar
  • Water
  • Listerine (optional)
  • Peroxide (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1
      Try to see things from your cat's point of view. If the litter box is full, she won't want to use it.

      Address the problem with your vet to determine why your cat is urinating outside of the litter box. Cats that have not been fixed (spayed for females, neutered for males) are much more likely to spray and mark with urine all over your house. If your cat is not neutered, talk to your vet about this common, safe procedure. Other common causes of improper urination include medical problems (kidney disease, urinary tract infection, urinary blockage) and stress (moving to a new home, adding a pet, moving the litter box, etc.). All of these things can stress out your cat and cause him to act out.

    • 2
      Cats are not being "spiteful" when they pee outside the box; they are trying to tell you something.

      Treat the medical issue. Cats pee outside the litter box when they have a urinary tract infection, UTI, blockage (common in males) or other problem with their kidneys or bladder. When a cat has a UTI, they experience pain upon urination. If they are peeing, they associate that pain with the litter box. They pee elsewhere in an attempt to avoid that pain. If there is blood in the urine, they may even be peeing outside the litter box in an effort to show you there is something "off" about their pee. Take the hint and take Kitty to the vet immediately. Painful UTI's are no fun for you or your kitty.

    • 3

      Locate the source of the odor. Cat urine odor is so strong that sometimes it's difficult to figure out where it's coming from. Follow your nose and check for stains on your carpet, walls, and floors. If you are unable to find any, purchase a black light bulb, turn the lights off, and walk around the house with the black light like you're a member of a CSI team. A black light will reveal cat urine stains.

    • 4
      There is a variety of commercially available products on the market that remove the smell of cat urine.

      Purchase an enzymatic pet odor product. There are quite a few of these products on the market, and they are far superior to cleaning supplies that only mask the smell. They are fairly expensive but well worth it because they really do work. The live enzymes and bacterial cultures in these pet odor removers actually eat away at the source of the odor.

    • 5
      Some cats develop a problem called spay incontinence. Ask your vet if this may be your cats problem.

      Apply the pet odor product properly. Be sure to follow the directions carefully. If the cat urine is in a visible location, test the pet odor product on a hidden area of your furniture or floor first. Once you are sure it won't damage your furniture or carpet, soak the area where your cat has urinated. If the cat soiled the carpet, lift up a corner and treat the carpet padding and floor beneath it as well to be sure the product is reaching every nook and cranny that the urine could have soaked into. You may need to treat the area more than once to remove the smell.

    • 6
      Keep your kitty's litter box clean to avoid her urinating outside the litter box.

      Soak up as much of the urine as you can. Then, saturate the area with a mixture of 1/3 cup of white vinegar, 2/3 cup of water and a few drops of dish soap. Allow the mixture to sit, and then blot it up with a towel. Repeat the process several times. If using on carpet, try to get the area underneath so you can saturate the carpet padding as well. When it dries completely, sprinkle baking soda on the area, allow to sit for 24 hours and the vacuum up.