Don’t Piss Just Because You’re Pissed Offmay 14 200: 24 Pm Subscribe
Why Cats Pee Outside The Box
Litter box issues can be frustrating, especially when they result in a stinky cat pee smell. Most often, when your cat pees outside of their box its a sign that somethings amiss. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the most common reasons a cat stops using the litter box include:
- Environmental factors such as a dirty litter box, upsetting noises, or a perceived threat from another cat in the household. A cat may be objecting to a new type of litter or having their litter box moved to a different location. Some cats hate change, and peeing is how they let you know.
- Cats spray on vertical surfaces to leave their scent, especially if they havent been spayed or neutered. Some fixed cats will also mark. Marking is more common if your cat is having territory issues with a new cat or person in the house.
- Medical issues. Inappropriate elimination could be signs that your cat has a urinary tract infection, blockage, kidney problems, or diabetes. It could also mean that the cat has arthritis, and a formerly easy-to-use litter box is now uncomfortable.
- Stress/anxiety. If your cat feels anxious, they may pee outside the box to let you know.
If you suddenly find cat pee outside of the litter box, start by calling the vet. Urinary tract problems wont clear up on their own. Even if you suspect your cat is stressed out or marking, and its a behavioral issue, its important to rule out medical causes.
How To Help Your Kitty With Urinating Outside The Litter Tray
Inappropriate urination is a common problem among households with cats, but by identifying the cause, you can help your pet. The most important thing to remember is to never punish your cat for urinating outside of their litter tray – whether there is a medical reason or they are simply anxious, punishing them will only make the situation worse. Instead, here are some tips on how you can help your kitty:
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Help Your Cat Be Happy With Their Litter Tray
If your kitty doesnt seem to want to use their litter tray, try changing the litter substrate you use. Why not make it into a little experiment? Have 2 or 3 trays in the same place but with different substrates in each and see which your cat prefers. Many cats prefer to use a clumping, unscented litter with a fine consistency, like sand. Try to introduce your cat to the new litter substrate gradually so as to put them at ease, and ensure the litter is deep enough for them to dig in. Its been said that the less they dig, the less they like the litter, so monitor this closely!
How To Clean The Most Common Cat Messes
From fur balls to, ahem, stains, heres some help.
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By Jolie Kerr
You, a cat owner, love your cat. Your love for your cat runs so deep that you overlook the hairballs he coughs up, even the overlooked ones that you stepped on in the middle of the night on your way to the bathroom.
You sigh with understanding when she expresses her displeasure at your upcoming travel plans by relieving herself in your luggage. You willingly live a life in which your clothes are accessorized by stray fur unless, of course, you are the proud kitty parent of a sphynx cat, in which case youve got a whole other set of problems.
Love your cat though you do, you probably do not love the hairballs, soiled luggage and the fur, oh the fur! And so Ive rounded up some of the messes cats most love to make, to help you, dear cat person, live in harmony with your feline.
Wirecutter, a New York Times company that reviews and recommends products, has spent hours testing cleaning solutions, and youll see their recommendations throughout. Questions have been edited.
Our 15-year-old cat is peeing and sometimes pooping on our carpet. We are getting a larger litter box in the hope that helps, but what is the very best way to get the smell out of our carpet?
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How To Remove Cat Urine Odor From Clothes & Bedding
The Spruce
Pets may occasionally have accidents and soil your clothes or bedding with urine. Cats are not only particularly prone to this, but their urine has an odor that is very hard to remove, especially if it is dried and set-in. More than one homeowner has had a feline who chooses to use a basket of laundry as a substitute for a litter box, and loose clothes lying around a bedroom can also be a target.
You can, however, remove cat urine and its odors from any washable fabrics. The same method can be used for other types of urine. After dealing with the immediate problem, also consider behavioral or health issues that might be causing your cat to soil laundry in this way.
For the full treatment, the materials you’ll need include:
- Paper towels
The Spruce / Nelly Cuanalo
Double Check Use Blacklight To Spot Urine
If your cat continues to go to the same spot, youll know you didnt completely neutralize the smell. But its not all bad news now you get to unleash your inner CSI skills. Try using a blacklight to check for residual or old stains so you can go over them again with your cleaner. Even when you think you’ve cleaned a spot well, there can be residual proteins and smells that your cat will find. This UV flashlight is less expensive, however, the wavelength from this UV Blacklight Torch is more effective but it’s a pricey gadget. Both of these lights will work, but the less expensive light will typically only work in a very dark room.
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Make Sure Your Kitty Has Multiple Litter Trays Throughout The House
Cats like to feel safe when using the toilet, so quiet places are ideal. If you have multiple cats, its important that each cat has their own litter tray that they can access without interacting with each other. Kitties dont like to share, and if they have to share their litter tray with a fellow feline friend they may decide to take their business elsewhere ie. your carpet!
Whatever You Do Don’t Steam Clean Urine Stains First
You need to neutralize the odor with the enzymatic and bio-based cleaners first. Otherwise, the steam can “set” the stain and odor by permanently bonding the proteins contained in the urine to the fibers of your carpet. That “set” stain and odor will now be a permanent reminder to your cat that they “were there,” which will likely tempt them to go there again .
Dr. Marci Koski of Feline Behavior Solutions, has tried a lot of different products over the years and so far she’s found the best results with Mr. Max P-Bath as the neutralizer, and Anti-Icky Poo as the enzymatic cleaner.
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What Completely Removes Cat Urine
Using baking soda and vinegar, vinegar, while a bit smelly, works to remove the odor left behind by cat urine sprays because vinegar acts as an acid that neutralizes alkaline salts left behind by urine stains after drying. The walls and floors of your home can be cleaned using a solution of one part water and one part vinegar.
Using Other Cleaning Methods
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You Love Your Cat But Don’t Love Cat Pee Or Its Smell Find Out How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Clothes Once And For All
Its certainly not the highlight of cat ownership, but it comes with the territory: Dealing with cat urine stains and smells on clothing and other fabrics. Its not easy to get them out, but it can be done. Try these expert methods to get cat pee out of clothes and eliminate that cat pee smell, too.
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Baking Soda/pet Odor Remover And Vacuuming For Odors In Carpet
- Baking soda or pet odor remover
- Club soda
- Old toothbrush
Cat urine odors in carpet can be the most challenging to get rid of because the urine soaks right through the carpet fibers to the padding underneath. Since cats have a superior sense of smell, its important to get every last bit out of your carpet. Otherwise, your cat will return to the same spot again and again because to them, it smells like a bathroom.
This method works well at removing relatively recent smells from carpeted surfaces. But for stains that have been lingering for a long time, such as old cat pee smells from a prior resident, you may need a more drastic solution.
Using Baking Soda:
Scrub the urine stain thoroughly with club soda. Use a toothbrush to rub the soda into the stain. Let it air dry. Sprinkle the area with baking soda, and let the baking soda sit for 1015 minutes to soak up any lingering smells. Then vacuum. 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 that is designed to break down the particles in cat urine that cause odor can go a long way toward getting rid of the smell. For powder cleaners, you will sprinkle these on your carpet, let them sit for the period of time designated by the manufacturer, and then vacuum. Some cleaners also come as sprays and can be used in a similar fashion.
- Pulls odors out of carpet fibers
- Also removes stains
- Doesnt damage your carpet
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How To Stop A Cat From Urinating In The House
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 55,488 times.
Most cats learn to use the litter box without much training. However, sometimes a cat might have issues urinating outside his litter box. This can be caused by stress, the location of the litter box, the type of litter, or an underlying medical condition. Figuring out the cause of your cat’s litter box problem and proceeding accordingly can help eliminate the problem.
One Final Piece Of Business
Whether youre cleaning an accident from a hard surface or carpeting, the key is to remove the mess as quickly as possible. The sooner you catch an accident and clean it, the easier it will be to neutralize the odors that keep your cat coming back.
If your cat is having lots of accidents, theres a good chance their litter box is the wrong size, not cleaned frequently enough, or there arent enough boxes for your cat. Find out why your cat might be going outside of their box and a few simple ways to curb that stinky litter box odor by checking out 7 Ways to Reduce Litter Box Smell .
In some cases, frequent accidents might also be a warning sign for a medical issue like bladder inflammation, urinary tract infection, arthritis, diabetes, and others.
For more information about why your cat is eliminating outside of the litter box and for some great solutions for getting them to stop, tune in to our podcast episode with Dr. Marci Koski, from Feline Behavior Solutions!
For More Help on Cat Litter Box Problems:
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Enzyme Cleaner To Remove Urine
Youll use a cleaning agent with enzymes in it to help break down the enzymes in your cats urine. Not only will this help get rid of the smell, but itll also help get rid of the resulting stain. Youll need:
- Paper towels or a soft cloth
- Enzymatic pet odor neutralizing cleaner
- Saddle soap
- Olive oil
Step OneTake your paper towels and soak up as much of the urine as possible, and wipe away any excess urine that may have ran down the sides of your leather item, the inside, and wipe around the general stain as well. When you have all of the excess urine soaked up, get rid of the towels. Step TwoTake your enzymatic cleaner and spray the stain, making sure that you get just over the edges of the stain to help break the entire stain down. Let it sit for five minutes before you take a damp cloth and gently work the cleaner into the leather by rubbing it in a circular motion. Step ThreeAllow it to dry overnight until the leather isnt damp to the touch anymore. Take your saddle soap and get a soft cloth damp with warm water. Work the saddle soap into the leather to condition it and to get rid of any lingering stains, and make sure to go just around the outside of the edges of the stain. Step FourThe final step is to add moisture back into the leather to help prevent discoloration and cracking in the area that your cat urinated in. Take two or three drops of olive oil and apply it to a clean cloth. Gently apply it to the dry leather, and take another cloth to buff it out.
Bubbas Cleaner To Get Rid Of Cat Pee Smell And Stains
This is another great enzymatic cleaner option, especially for upholstered furniture. Be sure to let the enzyme solution soak into the cat pee spot and sit for a while before you blot up the excess. Then, leave it to dry completely. If youre cleaning a couch or chair with removable cushions, take the cushion outside to dry in the sun.
Because cushions can take a long time to dry, its important to keep them protected from further pee attacks. To discourage your cat from returning to the scene of the pee crime, cover cushions with aluminum foil. Most cats hate the feel and sound of foil and will avoid walking on it.
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Use Uv Light To Find The Cat Pee
Before you reach for the cleaners, be sure to figure out exactly where the cat has peed and how long the pee has been there. Start by following your nose, and look for discolored or damp-appearing spots . If the room stinks but you cant locate the source, try a UV flashlight.
Ultraviolet light illuminates any substance containing phosphors . This makes it easy for you to locate and treat set-in urine stains. Youll need to search at night, with all other light sources turned off. Once youre in the dark, turn on your UV flashlight and get searching.
Once you locate the soiled area, outline it in chalk or mark it some other way so youll be able to find it again when the lights are back on.
Keep in mind when you find a spot where the cat has peed that the urine may have traveled under a rug or subflooring, or pooled under the foot of a couch, table, or cabinet. When you pour liquid cleaner on the spot, use enough that it can follow the path of the cat pee and eradicate the scent.