How to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell For Good: 8 Effective Ways

If you have cats, you’ve had to deal with eliminating the smells that they leave behind. One of the worst smells (and one of the hardest to get rid of) is the smell of cat urine. Whether you are litter training a young kitten that hasn’t caught on yet, you have a cat with health issues, or your cat is peeing outside the box when you’re away from home, you need a way to eliminate the smell.

Below, we’ll discuss six ways to get rid of the odor for good and a few reasons why your cat might be peeing outside the litter box.

The 8 Ways to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell

If the mess you are trying to clean is fresh, blot or wipe away as much cat urine as possible with a paper towel or old cloth. Then, consider using one of the following six options.

Removing Cat Pee Smells From Floors

1. Enzymatic Cleaners

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Materials Needed:

Enzymatic stain and odor removers are ideal for removing cat urine odors. They break down the sulfur, ammonia, and other compounds in cat urine, feces, and vomit. They do a much better job of getting rid of old stains than baking soda or vinegar.

How to use it:

Follow the instructions on the manufacturer’s label. You can find enzyme cleaners that come in powders, liquids, and sprays. Each has different instructions for how much to apply.

Generally, you will thoroughly spray or spread the enzymatic cleaner on the affected area and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Then, blot or scrub off the solution and let it air dry.

2. Baking Soda/Pet Odor Remover and Vacuuming for Odors in Carpet

Materials Needed:

Urine odors in carpets can be the most challenging to get rid of because they soak right through the carpet fibers to the padding underneath. Since cats have a superior sense of smell, it’s important to get every last bit out of your carpet. Otherwise, your cat will return to the same spot repeatedly because it smells like a bathroom to them.

This method works well at removing relatively recent stains from carpeted surfaces. However, for older stains, such as those from a prior resident, you may need a more drastic solution.

Using Baking Soda:

Scrub the stain thoroughly with club soda using a toothbrush. Let it air dry. Sprinkle the area with baking soda and let it sit for 10–15 minutes to soak up any lingering smells. Then, vacuum the area. Depending on how long the smell has been sitting, you may have to repeat the process several times.

Using Pet Odor Remover:

Using a commercial pet odor remover product designed to break down the particles in the urine that cause odors can go a long way toward getting rid of the smell. For powdered cleaners, you’ll sprinkle them on your carpet, let them sit for the period designated by the manufacturer, and then vacuum. Some cleaners also come as sprays and can be used similarly.

• Also see: Best Cat Litter Deodorizers: Reviews & Top Picks

3. Vinegar

Materials Needed:

The acidic nature of vinegar means that it can neutralize the bacteria in fresh cat pee and kill the smell.

How to use it:

Mix equal parts white or apple cider vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the vinegar solution on the affected area; it can be used on floors or furniture. Blot away the vinegar solution with a paper towel or old cloth. Repeat spraying and blotting until the smell is gone.

Vinegar does a fantastic job of neutralizing urine odors. However, this solution only works on fresh stains.

4. Hydrogen Peroxide

Materials Needed:

Hydrogen peroxide is a household product that oxidizes the ammonia in cat pee. Mixing it with dishwasher detergent will help your floor smell clean and fresh.

It’s essential not to use hydrogen peroxide on furniture, upholstery, or carpet, as it can discolor fabric. However, it is an excellent solution for hard floors.

How to use it:

Mix equal amounts of hydrogen peroxide and water into a spray bottle. Add 1 teaspoon of liquid dishwasher detergent to the solution and spray it on the stain. Then, blot the solution off the affected area. Test this method in a spot you can easily cover to ensure it doesn’t stain.

5. OxiClean

Materials Needed:

If your cat is peeing on ceramic tile, grout, vinyl plank, laminate, hardwood, or linoleum, you can use the OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover.

When cleaning hard surfaces, you need a non-ammonia and non-vinegar-based solution. It’s also important not to use any products that contain chlorine bleach. Cat urine contains ammonia, and dangerous gases are created when it mixes with bleach.

How to use it:

Fill a bucket with hot water. Pour one scoop of OxiClean into the bucket. Stir the solution with a long-handled spoon to mix until the powder is dissolved. Apply the solution to your floor and allow it to sit for 1–5 minutes. Use a sponge or mop to clean the affected area. Dump the OxiClean solution, and refill the bucket with cold water. Re-mop the floor with water to rinse off the residue.

6. Professional Carpet Cleaning

Materials Needed:

Sometimes, you just can’t pinpoint where the urine odor originates, particularly if it’s an old smell. If the smell is in a carpeted area, you can use a carpet cleaner to deep-clean your carpet. In extreme cases where the smell has spread through furniture, floors, and even walls, getting a professional to clean the whole area may be necessary.

Removing Cat Pee Smells from Clothes, Bedding, or Towels

7. Laundry Additive

Materials Needed:

If the odor is coming from your bedding or your laundry basket, the good news is that you can wash out the smell, but the bad news is that regular laundry detergent won’t cut it. You need a special cleaner to neutralize the odor. There are a few options to choose from:

How to use it:

Wash the linens in cold water, adding the odor-eliminator product of your choice according to the label. Make sure to line-dry the item, as heat from the dryer can “set” the smell. If possible, hang the items outdoors in the sun.

8. Ozone — The last resort

Materials Needed:

There is one final option to get rid of the stain on valuable items that can’t be soaked in baking soda, vinegar, or enzymatic cleaner. It can remove odors from shoes, suitcases, or pieces of artwork. You’ll need to find a specialty dry cleaner with an ozone room. This might not be an option for cleaning floors, furniture, or walls, but it can save expensive clothing or valuables.

How to use it:

Using plain water, remove as much urine as possible from the item and blot the stain. Continue blotting until your paper towel or old cloth comes away clear. Let the item air dry. If the smell lingers, take the item to a dry cleaner that has an ozone room to have it ozone-treated. The item is usually scent-free in about 24 hours.

Why Cats Pee Outside the Litter Box

Litter box issues are frustrating, especially when they result in your home smelling like ammonia. Most of the time, your cat peeing outside the litter box signifies something’s wrong. Common reasons that a cat ceases to use their litter box include:

If your litter-trained cat has started peeing outside their litter box, your first call should be to the vet. If there is a medical issue, it can be properly addressed. Otherwise, you can determine if it’s a behavior issue.

Why Does Cat Pee Smell So Bad?

Cat pee is one of the most stubborn smells around. It’s not that it’s much different from any other kind of animal urine; it’s that cats are sneakier about where they pee. The stain can sit around for a while, enabling the bacteria in the urine to decompose and give off a pungent, strong ammonia odor. After a while, it emits mercaptans, which are the same compounds that make skunk spray so stinky (also a notoriously hard smell to remove).

Older cats are likely to have stronger-smelling urine than younger cats since their kidneys don’t process the urine as effectively. Unneutered male cats also have strong-smelling pee, as their urine contains hormones.

Conclusion

No matter the reason that your cat is peeing outside the litter box, getting the area clean is vital to preventing repeat behavior and removing the smell from your home. This guide contains tried-and-true methods for removing cat pee smell, with options for every type of surface. Whether it is your floor, carpet, furniture, or bedding, there are ways to eliminate the smell.

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