Cats have “accidents” or sometimes urinate or defecate in the house. To make matters worse, once the area in the house has that odor, many cats are more likely to urinate in the same spot again. and again…and again! Urine can especially go through all layers of a carpet and sit there for years. And to top that off, because a cats sense of smell is so keen, another cat may smell what you don't and urinate there week, months or even years later.
There are several methods that have been recommended to minimize cat urine odor such as: "Wash the area with carbonated soda water or with soapy water and rinse well" ...or "As a deterrent, mist the area with vinegar, perfumed soap, mouthwash or moth repellant spray."
However, these methods do not act to neutralize and break down the source of the cat odor or cat urine odor molecules which are what you need. The best products to get rid of cat odors or cat urine odors are commercial products.
Here is a guide to help you choose the best cat odor control products:
Desirable Features in Cat Odor Control Products Easy to apply
Safe around kids and pets
Guaranteed
Biodegradable
Works!
Works on different fabrics
Pleasant scent or no scent
Doesn't stain upholstery or fabrics
Ingredients - Chemicals that neutralize and break down the source of urine odors. Avoid ammonia as this can be similar to the urine odor molecule and may not be a “deterrent”
Presentation: liquid, spray, foam, air freshener
Ideal Choice for Cat Odor Control Products
A variety of cat odor control products are available to neutralize and break down the source of cat urine odors. For most cat odors, this is the most successful way of eliminating the smell and eliminating the cat's return to that area.
Recommended products include: SeaYu Petrotech Odor Eliminator, Urine-off, Anti Icky Poo (AIP), Nature's Miracle, Odorban, Odornil, and Nilodor. Some products come with “money back guarantee”. It is very important to carefully follow instructions on the labels of these products.
Shopping Tips for Buying Cat Odor Control Products
Avoid any product that contains ammonia, since the odor of ammonia is similar to the odor of urine.
Carefully follow instructions. DON”T skimp. Use as much as the manufacturer recommends. It is best to treat all odor problems right the first time to minimize repeat problems.
More Tips for Using Cat Odor Control Products
Read label carefully and if applicable, keep out of reach of children and pets
Minimize exposure of area to pets until completely dry
After cleaning the area, place a litter box or even small food bowls over the affected area to help deter the cat from future house soiling episodes. For cats, you also may want to change the texture of the area where they are urinating – for example if they are urinating on carpet, place down plastic. If they are urinating on hard word, place down carpet.
Make sure you have good litter box hygiene in your home. For more tips, click here.