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My Furbabys Bed Reeks Whats The Best Way To Clean It
Unless you have a non-shedding pet, fur is probably covering most of the surface, and thats one of the culprits for the stink, says Jennifer Gregory, brand manager of Molly Maid, a Neighborly company. When your cat or dog perspires, the scent is emitted through the fur so its essential to vacuum it up before laundering. The Humane Society recommends adding a one-pound box of baking soda to your regular detergent for pet odor removal. Air dry if possible to avoid shrinkage. If it still smells, wash again with an enzymatic cleaner to break down pet-waste odors. Tempted to let your kitty sleep in bed with you? Find out all the reasons you shouldnt sleep with your cat.
Why Urine Is So Bad For Concrete
As you already know, concrete is dry and hard as rock. Among concretes basic properties, its also a relatively porous material.
This means, that water and other liquids that comes into contact with bare concrete will saturate and seep down into it.
Usually this is harmless, but when it comes to pet urine its obviously not good.
Dog or cat urine has a way of seeping in and working its way down into concrete materials its own and anyone who has had cats or dogs knows that an animal urine stain can be difficult to get rid of from your garage floor, basement flooring, patio and under carpet pads.
Whats worse is this potent stuff can lie dormant inside the concrete for years, only to keep releasing its odor when moisture gets back down into the concrete to rehydrate and activate the smell.
The fumes will find their way into anyones nose who is in the area. Yuck!
This is the problem you most likely face, but rest assured, there is a natural and scientific way to put an end to the root cause of this smelly issue.
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Cat Urine Gets Worse With Time
Cat urine thats outside the litter box is usually unnoticed until it becomes a problem.
After a while, the bacterium in the urine decomposes and gives off an ammonia-like odor thats characteristic of stale, old urine.
In the second stage of the decomposition process, the urine emits mercaptans, which are compounds that give skunk spray its characteristic bad smell.
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.
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How Often Should You Clean Your Cats Litter Box
You should clean your cats litter box at least once a week. This is a baseline, and if you have multiple cats then you will need to do it more often. You can also spot clean by removing the litter around where the cat has done its business, which should be done daily. Follow this up with an odor spray to keep the home smelling fresh.
When you clean the box, use dish soap and warm water, or a vinegar and water solution to neutralize the odors.
Not all cats use the litter tray all of the time. If your cat sometimes goes outdoors then the litter tray may not need a lot of maintenance.
Stink Free Deep Clean Cat Urine And Odor Remover
Stink Free is how to get rid of cat pee smell and stains at my house. This oxidation formula, containing five strong cleaning agents, works as well as the enzyme cleaners but has a relatively neutral odor that disappears quickly. Be sure to read the directionsthere are some good tips for increasing effectiveness and recommend cleaning the area with plain water a few days later to remove any excess product.
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How To Remove Cat Urine From Your Home
Once youve detected cat pee in your home, you need to make sure you tackle the root problem. This means cleaning first, and then tackling some of the particles that may still be releasing the smells into the air. You may be looking into how to remove cat urine from carpets, but it is possible that the smell is actually coming from couches or other furniture. Some cats tend to spray a long way.
How to get cat smell out of the house:
Why Is My Cat Peeing In The House
Understanding why your cat might be peeing on undesirable surfaces like your carpet, furniture, or bed linen, is crucial to resolving the problem. Medical problems such as diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract issues, and arthritis, to name a few, can all be causes of inappropriate urination. This is why its always a good idea to book a vet visit if your cat has started peeing inside your home.
Other common reasons for inappropriate urination are behavior issues, such as stress and anxiety, or territorial spraying. Studies have shown that cats in multi-cat households are more likely to develop urinary issues than those that live alone. Cats also prefer to have access to a clean litter box at all times , so being unable to access a clean tray could be another reason for accidents around the home. Remember theres nearly always an underlying reason for your cats behavior theyre not doing this out of spite or to punish you.
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Avoid Products That Contain Ammonia
Most importantly, avoid any cleaning products that contain ammonia. Ammonia is one component of cat urine, and if cats smell that, theyre more likely to go there, Dr. Kornreich says.
In addition, ammonia and other chemical cleaners can often set the stainthe opposite of what youre trying to do.
Heres what you should do to help eliminate the smell of cat pee from a surface.
1. Blot the Spot to Absorb the Urine
Find the stain as soon as possible and blot up as much of the urine as you can with a clean cloth.
2. Rinse and Vacuum the Area
Next, rinse the area with clean water and remove the liquid with a wet/dry vacuum. You dont want to use a steam cleaner, as the heat can set the stain, Roberts said.
3. Soak the Spot in Enzyme Cleaner
While enzyme cleaners come in a spray bottle, spraying a light coat over the stain wont do much. Instead, remove the sprayer and douse the spot liberally.
4. Let It Sit Before Blotting With a Clean Cloth
Let the cleaner sit for 10-15 minutes and blot up as much of it as possible with a clean cloth.
5. Prevent Your Cat From Returning to the Spot
To keep your cat from returning to the spot during the cleaning process, place a piece of aluminum foil or an aluminum baking sheet over the area, or cover it with an upside-down laundry basket.
6. Reapply the Cleaner if Necessary
You may need to reapply the cleaner and let it dry again for older or particularly smelly stains.
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.
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How To Get Cat Pee Out Of Hardwood Floors And Wood Furniture
Figuring out how to get rid of the cat pee smell on wood can be a challenge. If the urine has soaked into the wood for a while, you must use a urine cleaner with a little more muscle. Hydrogen peroxide is safe and is a natural odor and stain remover. But before you get to work, check an inconspicuous area of the wood to make sure the hydrogen peroxide doesnt damage the finish.
Pour the hydrogen peroxide over the stain and then cover it with a cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Cover the cloth with plastic wrap. Place something heavy atop it to hold it all down and let it sit overnight. The hydrogen peroxide will remove stains and eliminate the cat urine odor.
You can also give baking soda and white vinegar a try. These ingredients are a safe way to get cat pee out of floors and furniture because they wont damage most wood but spot-test an out-of-the-way area first to ensure your finish is safe. The acid in the vinegar neutralizes the odor in fresh and dried urine stains, and the baking soda gives you some mild abrasives to work with.
Why Cats Urinate Outside Of The Litter Box
There are a number of reasons why a cat may start peeing outside the litter box. While some owners may think that their cat does it as a way of getting even for something, cats lack the sophisticated cognitive abilities needed to concoct that type of revenge strategy.
Despite popular belief, cats do not urinate outside the box to ‘get back’ at the owner for something, said Dr. Laura George, DVM at Cats Exclusive Veterinary Center in Shoreline, Washington.
If your cats not using the litter box, its likely that he or she is trying to tell you something important.
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The Best Cat Food For Odor Control
An inferior bargain diet is a common culprit behind intense cat box odors. Grocery store brands use corn, soy and other fillers, causing stomach upset and bigger messes in the litter box. Thats especially so if kitty is sensitive to these filler ingredients. Switch to a high-quality brand found at your independent pet supply shop, and youll quickly see a difference. Here are three things youll want to see on the label to make a true difference in cat odors.
Youll want to follow kittys lead when switching. But the good news is a high-quality diet should be pretty gentle on their system. Heres how to switch your cat to a new brand of cat food.
A Few More Tips For Getting Rid Of Cat Pee Smells And Stains
When you find a puddle or damp spot, take action immediatelyeven if you dont have a special enzymatic cleaner on hand. Soak up as much urine as possible with paper towels, then saturate the area with water and blot that up . This PetMD guide has some directions for using baking soda and vinegar for some types of cleanup. My experience with those is that they get rid of odor in the short runbut it reappears. Enzymatic cleaners can often remove odors permanently.
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Why Do My Shoes Smell Like Cat Pee Even If It Doesnt Have A Urine
Have you ever experienced having urine-smelling shoes, even if youre sure that your cat hasnt peed on them? Youre not making it up, though. Shoes can really smell like cat pee when the soles are rotting down. Also, trapped moisture can harbor all kinds of bacteria that can produce a bad odor similar to feline urine. Your moist feet will also aggravate the problem. Worse, the cat pee smell wont just stick to your shoes but also your feet.
Does My Cat Have An Infection
While ear and skin problems are more common in dogs, the unpleasant scents sometimes do arise in cats.
Musty odors wafting from the ear area are a sure sign of an ear infection.
Another cause is skin infections. If your cat was in a recent fight with another cat, keep an eye out for an abscess. These infections are caused when bacteria found in cat saliva enters the bitten cats body, and develop into infections within 24 hours. If your cat flinches or cries out in pain when touched in specific areas, have your cat treated by a vet before the abscess ruptures. The best treatment for an abscess is a course of antibiotics, but in more serious cases, surgery may be needed.
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Guide To Cat Odor Removers
Dealing with cat odors is no easy task. Cats are notorious for leaving behind pungent smells that can be difficult to remove. Simple Solution Cat Stain and Odour Remover is the only formula that contains both Pro bacteria and enzymes which effectively remove stains and odors. Its completely safe for use around pets and children, making it a great choice if youre looking for an odor remover without harsh chemicals. In this blog post, we will review 5 of the best cat odor removers on the market in 2021!
How To Get Rid Of Cat Urine Odor In The House
Even when you follow these proven tips for getting rid of urine odors, that offensive smell can linger throughout your home. You know youve cleaned the cat urine stains right and just changed and cleaned the litter box, but somehow you still smell cat urine! To get rid of the cat pee smell in your home, youre going to have to clear the air and give your home a refresh.
You can spray air fresheners and use plug-ins to mask the odor, but they wont eliminate the cat urine smell. Instead, open the windows, turn on ceiling fans, and run your HVAC blower. Let the air circulate for an hour to help eliminate odors in the air. The next step is to give your home a deep cleaning. That means cleaning the walls, floors, upholstery, and more or finding a residential cleaning service experienced with pet odors.
Now that you know how to get rid of cat urine odors around your home, check out this post to learn how to handle other unpleasant pet messes. If your pets, kids, and busy schedule make housekeeping a full-time job, why not let The Maids lend a hand? Our healthy approach to cleaning is more important than ever, and were probably just around the corner.
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