While cats are lovable dynamic creatures who clean themselves and go to the bathroom in a designated area (what could be more convenient?), every once in a while, we have to deal with their urine. It’s a harsh reality, but it happens. Some cats might miss the litter box by accident, others may feel threatened or hurt and spray their urine to either mark a spot or exact revenge.
Regardless of how the situation arrived, the smell and sight of cat urine is extreme, to say the least. Because their urine is riddled with ammonia, the smell, if you are not already familiar, is that of heavy ammonia, and the colour is yellow.
What do you do when a cat sprays a pile of clothing?
In many cases, it might just be time to throw those clothes out and move on. While removing the smell and sight of cat urine might be more or less possible, it might not be worth the time to get the smell out of clothing. Odours often become trapped in fabrics and when they become wet from sweat, water or other liquids, they can release those trapped odours once again. Cat urine is also typically a heavy yellow colour and will be very difficult to remove from clothing.
What if your cat sprays the wall?
This is a fixable situation. If you can catch it in time, wipe away the wetness, wash with a disinfectant spray, then apply a stain and pet odour eliminator to the surface. Follow the instructions for that odour and stain eliminator and hopefully you will have a scent-free, clean wall!
If the urine has dried, unfortunately, you will need to rehydrate it to remove it. This can be done using a disinfectant spray, just ensure you leave it time to sit before wiping it away.
Cat Urine and Carpets
First of all, if your cat has sprayed or accidentally urinated on your carpet, you need to ensure the scent is completely destroyed. If there are any remnants of the scent, this may signal your cat to continue using that space as a place to urinate. Cats are drawn to areas where their scent already exists to do their business and the last thing you need is a corner of your carpet devoted to that.
If a cat has urinated on your carpet, blot with a paper towel if still wet. Once blotted, or if the urine has already dried before you could get to it, liberally apply a pet stain and odour remover to the area. Many of these will need time for it to sit on the stain, so placing a laundry basket or a crate over top of it will keep other pets or children away from it.
Once the stain has had time to soak, blot away the excess moisture and then either let it dry and vacuum it up, or if you have a shop vac, you can vacuum it while it is still wet.
Stain and Odor Eliminators
At the end of the day, you will need a pet-specific odour-killing spray. These have enzymes in them that can break down the urine scents and remove them entirely. Simply using a disinfectant spray on a cat urine stain will not produce the outcome you’re looking for.
One brand that is particularly helpful is Skout’s Honor, which makes use of Bikore technology, a stain and odour eliminator that is both incredibly strong but also safe for pets or people to be around. It is also environmentally friendly!
