The Best Home Remedies To Get Rid Of Cat Urine Smell

If the cat refuses to go to the toilet, cat owners need to be alert. It can be caused by illness or stress. We will show you which home remedies are best for removing cat urine and how to persuade the cat to use its toilet again.

Uncleanliness is arguably the most common behavioral problem among cats, and in most cases it is stress-related. If you don’t end up with a puddle or a heap in the litter box, many cat owners dismiss it as a mishap. But be careful: the cat has already internalized its new “habit” after the second, third, or fourth time and considers this behavior to be completely normal. As long as the root problem persists, the uncleanliness will continue to worsen. As a first step, you should remove your cat’s legacy without leaving any residue. Here you can read which home remedies work best against the smell of cat urine.

The Best Home Remedies to Get Rid of Cat Urine Smell

The areas soiled with cat urine must be cleaned particularly thoroughly. Any spot that smells of feces or urine will be visited by the cat again. Cat urine in particular is very concentrated and therefore smells very strong. These home remedies are the most effective way to get rid of the smell of cat urine:

Remove the Smell of Cat Urine From Textiles

The following home remedies are suitable for removing the smell of cat urine from textiles. Caution: Some methods can leave colored stains on light-colored textiles! The cat should be locked out of the affected room during cleaning time.

With baking soda, soda, cornstarch, or baking soda:

1. dry the soiled area well with kitchen paper
2. Work baking powder, soda, cornstarch, or baking soda into the stain with a damp brush
3. Leave to dry for 12 hours, then vacuum

With vinegar cleaner:

1. treat the soiled area with neutral soap and water
2. Work the vinegar cleaner into the stain (vinegar cleaner: water in a ratio of 2:1)
3. Leave on for 15 minutes, wipe off with warm water

With mouthwash:

1. treat the soiled area with neutral soap and water
2. Work the mouthwash into the stain (mouthwash: water in a ratio of 1:1)
3. Leave on for 15 minutes, wipe off with warm water

With ground coffee or espresso:

1. treat the soiled area with neutral soap and water
2. Work coffee or espresso powder into the stain
3. Leave on for several hours, then vacuum off

Remove Cat Pee Odor From Tiles, Grout, and Solid Surfaces

The following home remedies are suitable for removing the smell of cat urine from solid surfaces. Caution: Some methods have a bleaching effect depending on the surface!

With alcohol:

• treat the soiled area with neutral soap and water
• Rub with clear alcohol (at least 40% vol.).
• Leave for several hours, wipe off with warm water

With hydrogen peroxide solution 3%:

• Spray hydrogen peroxide solution on the stain and rub in with a cloth
• wipe with clear water
• let dry and vacuum

Remove the Smell of Cat Urine From Wooden Floors and Parquet

Removing the smell of cat urine from wooden floors and parquet is particularly difficult. If home remedies fail, you can treat the floor with enzyme cleaners from pet stores.

Beware of chemical cleaning agents! They can lead to the poisoning of the cat!

Determine the Cause of the Cat’s Uncleanliness

If you have managed to remove the smell of cat urine with household remedies or enzyme cleaners, it is important to find out the cause of the uncleanliness. For these reasons, a particularly large number of cats become unclean:

physical causes:

• Disorders of the bladder and/or the urinary tract
• diarrhea and constipation
• Cats often associate pain when urinating or defecating with the litter box. Once the cause of the pain has been eliminated, you can start to associate the litter box with positive associations again.

Psychological causes:

• new social partner in the area (human, cat, dog, etc.)
• new taboo zone (cats are no longer allowed in a place that was previously freely accessible to them)
• sudden changes in routine and circumstances, separation anxiety
• Bullying and conflicts in multi-cat households
• The litter box is not suitable for the cat.

A cat never urinates or defecates outside of its litter box out of spite. Uncleanliness always has a reason, which must be found in the cat’s living or toilet conditions.

How to Lure the Cat-Back Into the Litter Box

Once the cause of the uncleanliness has been found and eliminated, you can start making the cat’s litter box palatable again.

1. Linking former unclean spots with new associations: cats associate certain places with certain actions. Turn the spot that the cat has unintentionally used as a toilet into a playground and, most importantly, play there with your cat. For cats, emptying at potential hunting or feeding
2. The place is unthinkable.
3. Place litter boxes in exposed areas.
4. Avoid quiet corners with no possibility of escape or the location directly next to the washing machine. Cats want an all-around view rather than discreet protection.
5. Temporarily offer multiple litter boxes. Observe which ones are most likely to be visited.
   Improve your cat’s overall living conditions (vet check-up, measures to prevent boredom, etc.).

Important Distinction: Impurity vs. Urine Marking

Uncleanliness is a behavioral problem and a sign of stress or illness in the cat. When looking for the causes, a clear distinction must be drawn between urine and feces marking. The cat uses urine and feces to mark its territory. Scent marks are left on vertical surfaces.

Reasons for suddenly marking the cat:

• Cat feels threatened in its own core territory
• Mistress or master brings the smell of a strange cat into the house
• boredom

The Seven Golden Rules for the Litter Box

Even if the litter box situation doesn’t suit the cat, uncleanliness can be the result. Here are the basic rules for the litter box:

1. Never place the litter box near feeding or water points.
2. Number of litter boxes needed = number of cats +1
3. Place litter boxes in a quiet, well-ventilated area.
4. The cat must have free access to all litter boxes at all times.
5. There must be enough space above the litter box for the cat to stand upright in it.
6. The base area of ​​a litter box: at least 30×40 cm, preferably more
7. Avoid toilets with hoods and doors.