Removing Cat Odors

Written by Dr. Laurie Green
Reviewed by Heather George

Cat urine odor is very pungent and long-lasting, and can be difficult to remove. However, there are newer products available that are much more effective than remedies of the past. The following procedures are effective against cat urine odor, as well as dog urine, dog and cat feces, blood or vomit. These newer products can be used on clothing, bedding, carpeting, wood, linoleum, or other surfaces. Always make sure of color fastness in clothing or carpets before you proceed to clean a larger area.

First of all, if your cat is urinating or defecating outside the litter box, there could be a medical or behavioral problem that needs to be addressed. Make sure that your cat is thoroughly examined by a veterinarian.

The most effective products available are enzyme-based products available through veterinarians or pet stores. The enzymes chemically break down the urine rather than temporarily masking the smell. Clean any urine spots as soon as you find them with one of the enzymatic cleaners. Be sure to follow the label directions for whichever product you are using. For carpeting, you may have to pull up the carpeting and treat the padding or even the sub-flooring beneath the padding. If the damage is repeated and severe, you may have to replace the padding. You may also have to repeat the enzyme treatment to remove all of the odor. Treat the stained area with an enzymatic cleaner until no more odor remains. If the stain was on carpeting, follow it with a carbon dioxide based spot remover. This will remove any residual stain.

Carbon dioxide-based cleaners are available through carpet cleaning companies that use these products, such as the Chem-Clean Companies, and through some hardware and home improvement stores.

If the stain was on an article of clothing that is washable, routine washing with a standard laundry detergent should remove any residual stain.

To help prevent inappropriate urination and defecation, be sure you have at least one litter box per cat, in different parts of the house, so that no one cat can keep the others away from all the litter boxes. Use a cat box filler that your cats like and keep the boxes very clean.

Heather George is a Veterinary Technician and the Community Relations Specialist at the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine.

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