How to Clean Cat Urine

Anyone who has owned an inside cat has, at one time or another, dealt with cat urine stains and odor. Unfortunately, the Humane Society does not offer “How to Clean Cat Urine 101,” and over the counter products as well as products purchased from a veterinarian’s office, or online, merely mask the odor of cat urine. Since the Ancient Egyptians first domesticated the cat some 4,000 years ago, cat owners have been subjected to the wrinkled noses of guests, and the knowledge that their home (or pyramid as the case may have been) smelled like cat.

Removing Cat Urine is Easier Said than Done…

Cat urine, like all urine, is designed as a means of eliminating waste products. In animals, however, urine pulls double duty. Urine also is used to mark the animal’s territory. Therefore, in order to do its job properly, cat urine requires a strong odor. For an outside cat, that’s not much of a problem, but it’s a whole different ballgame when the cat resides inside your home.

When cat owners do their best to give their cat everything it could possibly want – food, water, inside privileges, top billing, snacks, treats, toys – and is rewarded with urine on the carpet, a natural feeling of disillusionment follows.

Cat urine, like all urine, is made up of three ingredients:

• Urea – the sticky component
   
• Urochrome – this gives the urine it’s amber color
   
• Uric acid – crystals that carry the scent

Desperate cat owners will go to any length to remove the odor of cat urine from their homes. Unfortunately, the expensive products are nothing more than tossing money down the drain. Though most products can remove the first two ingredients in cat urine, the last is almost impossible to remove. Even the products that contain enzymes billed as “urine eaters” do not work as effectively as one might believe.

Uric Acid Crystals Do Not Break Down Easily…

First of all, fresh cat urine is almost odorless. Unless you step in a wet spot you probably will not be aware of your cat’s problem until urine has had a chance to dry, leaving a concentrated level of uric acid behind. Even after cleaning and removing the first two ingredients – to a point where you no longer smell the urine – a cat will easily detect the odor and continue to mark the same spot. Additionally, when it rains or when the sun shines on the spot, the homeowner and guests will be treated to a whiff you had hoped never to smell again.

Often, the smell of cat urine can be detected but not the actual urine. When this happens, resort to a black light. Cat urine will be fluorescent yellow. (Tip: On the surface of a carpet the spot will be about the size of a pea (no pun intended). This is because the cat urinates in one spot, but then the urine filters down into the carpet and spreads out, saturating the bottom fibers of the carpet and the carpet pad...and, unfortunately, also contaminating the floorboards. The bladder of a full grown male cat holds approximately 1/4 to 1/2 cup, so remember when cleaning to clean and area that is at least the size of a dinner plate.)

How to Clean Cat Urine in Carpets:

The best method of cleaning cat odor is a couple liberal doses of white vinegar.

If possible, toss the carpet and clean the floorboards by pouring white vinegar directly on the spot. Blot up the excess. Let the floor thoroughly dry – at least several days – then repeat the process. Let the floor dry for a full week before painting it with KILZ. You may need several coats.

If you cannot remove the carpet, lift the carpet and pad and make sure the floorboards have not been involved. If the floorboards are stained, follow the process outlined below.

If the urine spot is in the middle of the room (unusual as cats normally will go in the corner or along the baseboards) and the carpet cannot be lifted from the floor, repeat the process outlined below. The biggest problem with NOT lifting the carpet is that the carpet cannot dry sufficiently and mildew or mold has the opportunity to grow.

• If the urine is fresh, blot the spot. DO NOT RUB.
   
• Saturate the spot with cold water.
   
• Blot again. DO NOT RUB.
   
• Repeat this process a second time. (This is to ensure you have gotten all of the excess “fresh” urine out of the carpet.)
   
• Test the carpet with white vinegar. If it does not harm the carpet pour a cup of white vinegar directly on the spot.
   
• Blot. DO NOT RUB.
   
• Repeat the process two more times to ensure you have gotten down to the carpet pad and floorboards.

What Not to Do When Cleaning Cat Urine:

• Do not use ammonia.
   
• Do not cover with flowery scents.
   
• Do not assume because you can’t smell it that the urine is gone.
   
• Do not allow the cat in the room until the urine odor has been removed or the cat will reuse the spot.

If possible, the floorboards should be covered with two coats of KILZ or two coats of polyurethane. The best advice for a homeowner with a territory-marking cat is to remove the carpet entirely from the room said cat “marked” and go with a nice floor paint, instead. Additionally, how to clean cat urine from carpets should be the second of two questions. The first should be: why is my cat urinating on the carpet?

For the answer to that question and any other question concerning your cat's health, please consult your veterinarian.

~Helen Kay Polaski

Helen is an author, freelance writer, and book editor. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, websites, and anthology books.