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 Cat
urine odour 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 odour, as well as dog
urine, dog and cat faeces, blood or vomit. These newer products
can be used on clothing, bedding, carpeting, wood, linoleum, or
other surfaces. Always make sure of colourfastness 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 behavioural 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. 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 the entire odour. Treat the stained area with an
enzymatic cleaner until no more odour 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 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 litter that your cats like and keep the boxes very
clean.
Source: Dr. Laurie Green, Pet Care Information Centre
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