It is quite embarrassing when you have to deal with your cat spraying all over the house but it gets worse when you have to deal with the smell even after a long time. This is because it is not easy to get the cat pee smell out of your furniture. Furthermore, your cat may ruin your furniture, making cat spraying quite destructive.
Cat pee will have a foul smell that will make it impossible to get it out of the house completely. Unfortunately, your cat will tend to spray more than once a day, and target your furniture. However, you really cannot punish your cat as spraying is only natural to them. They are adapted to different environments in the wild and urine is a survival requirement.
For instance, if your cat senses an intruder in her circle, it is likely that she is going to mark her territory. The only way to do this is by spraying urine, hoping that the intruder will get the message. In this article, we are going to look at how to get the cat pee smell out of your furniture. But first, let us look at why you need to eliminate this foul smell as soon as possible.
Why does cat pee smell so much?
Cats are meant to survive in the wild but through domestication, cats are now living in our homes with us. This, however, does not take away the cat’s natural instincts. Instead, we have learned about their natural behavior and we can control the habit. Not all times we are successful at making our cats stop spraying urine all over.
This helps your cat not only protect itself from harm but also look for a mate. And so, your cat’s pee will have that pungent smell. In addition, your cat is meant to survive in different situations and environments. This means that your cat’s body will process fluids and only pass a small amount of pee at a time. Usually, this urine will be more concentrated and even smelly.
Even when your cat is trying to get a mate, the smell of the urine, especially if you keep a male cat, is definitely going to be very strong. Intact cats will also have the worst smelling urine when in heat. This is because it will also contain cat pheromones.
Once you smell the urine from any piece of furniture, you should be able to clean it as soon as possible. Let us proceed and look at the ways to get the cat pee smell out of your house.
Proven ways to get rid of cat pee smell from furniture
Once the stench of cat urine hits you, you will have to find out where she has sprayed immediately. Usually, cats target windows and doors as well as furniture. However, do not despair as we have the ultimate guide to getting the smell out.
It is also important to know why your cat is urinating on your furniture. As much as it is a natural behavior, she might be trying to communicate with you. Cats are very prone to emotional issues such as anxiety and stress. It is your duty to make sure that she is not stressed and that she is a happy kitty. Through understanding why your cat is urinating everywhere, you can then be able to prevent the spraying.
How do you get rid of the stubborn cat pee smell out of your furniture given that the smell does not go away easily? Here is a guide on how to remove the smell and also the stain left when she peed on it;
Clean thoroughly
The first thing you should do upon coming home to a house smelling urine is to find the spot. You will then need to wash the latter thoroughly to get off the smell and stains. Well, as much as water is an important cleaning agent, it is not possible to get the smell off with just water.
Most people will go for enzymatic cleaners that will help you remove the stench. However, you may not need to go all the way in order to clean your furniture. Instead, you can choose can use vinegar in the place of the cleaners. Vinegar not only has cleaning agent properties but also acts as a natural cat repellent. It will definitely help you keep the cat out of the furniture as felines detest the smell of vinegar.
Take equal parts of vinegar and water and mix them in a spray bottle. This should be done after you have soaked up more urine from the furniture with paper towels. Wash off the spot and repeat after every few days.
Use Baking soda
Once again, this is a step that you take after you have already washed up the spot. Baking soda will tend to have odor-absorbing properties. Once you are done washing the spot, sprinkle a relative amount of baking soda on the furniture. Then leave it for a few minutes to do its work.
You can also repeat this process after every wash. This should help you catalyze the process of removing the cat pee smell from your items. Baking soda will also help you deodorize the stains left behind.
Alternatively, you can use this method in combination with the use of vinegar to clean up cat pee stains. Once the baking soda has been sitting on the spot for about five minutes, use water and vinegar to wash it off. Consider using white vinegar at all times in order to remove smells and also repel your cat.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean your furniture
Peroxide will help you remove the cat pee smell because it will initiate the oxidation process. This means that it will assist in breaking down the chemicals in cat urine. This way, you can be able to get rid of the stains and the odor that is left after spraying.
Before you apply peroxide on the sprayed spot, it is important to wash it well with water and vinegar or enzyme cleaners. Soak up all the urine you can from the piece of furniture targeted. Then you can pour a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on the spot. However, be careful as it can decolorize the fabrics targeted. You can test the chemical by using it on a small portion of the said furniture. This should help you get rid of the cat pee smell problem.
Use solar energy to remove the smell
The ability of solar energy to remove cat pee smells may have been underrated. This is because it is one of the most natural ways to dry liquid spills as well as cat pee. This method, however, will depend on whether you can be able to use it. I mean, if you live in a 15 floors apartment, you may not be able to remove a couch or even cushions to sundry them.
However, if you can manage to use the sun to your advantage, then you will be happy with the results. Once again, this will be after you have cleaned the urine from the item. Take it to a place where there is enough sunlight and leave it to dry.
The sun’s ultraviolet rays will help break down the chemicals contained in the cat pee. The fresh air will also play a large role when it comes to removing the cat pee smell from the furniture. In fact, go for this method if you can.
Figure out the reason why your cat is spraying your furniture
The process of removing the cat pee smell out of furniture gets even more difficult when your cat won’t stop engaging in the habit. There is a great chance that your cat will definitely come back to spray urine in a previously targeted place. It is unlikely for your cat to spray randomly. You will need to handle these repeat marking and spraying in order to keep your furniture free of cat pee smell.
However, in order to do this, you will monitor your kitty and discover the reason why she is doing so. I mean you cannot be able to control behavior that you do not understand. There are so many reasons why cats spray but you need to sort them out until you finally get why your cat is.
We are going to briefly try and understand why cats pee out of the litter box below:
Why do cats pee outside the litter box?
Peeing on your furniture is not just an accident. It is usually a deep-rooted problem that you can only be able to solve after understanding it. Some of the reasons why your cat might be engaging in inappropriate urination include the following;
Stress and anxiety – the emotional status of your cat is an important factor to look at when she starts peeing all over. Cats, as said earlier, are quite prone to stress and anxiety. However, these two problems do not just appear from the thin air. You must first of all be able to find the stimulant in order to eliminate this problem. For instance, moving from one residence to another is a possible cause of cat stress and anxiety.
Unruly cats – like human children, it can get really difficult to control some cats. This is because they engage in peeing inappropriately just because they can. You will need to motivate your cat to use the litter box instead. Note that punishing her is only going to cause you more issues. Therefore, you need to encourage her by the use of exciting methods. For instance, you may offer her a treat, praise of a cuddling session once she successfully uses the litter box.
Illnesses – This is another issue that you should not take lightly. peeing on your furniture might indicate that your cat is somehow sick. You will need to keep an eye on her for more symptoms. If she appears unable to hold her bladder or experience difficulties when peeing, take her to the vet.
urine marking – This is also another notorious issue, especially in intact cats. For instance, your cat will spray urine to mark territories in the house in order to attract a mate. This is why you should get her spayed to avoid such incidences.
Prevent cats from spraying your furniture
This is actually the mother of all ways to get cat pee smell out of furniture or any other surface. We have already identified the most common reasons for cat spraying. That is where you start when you are looking to end this habit of peeing inappropriately. By removing the stimuli for spraying, your cat will not have any issues with inappropriate urination.
For you to be able to prevent spraying in cats, you must identify the reason. Here are some of the tips you can use to keep your kitty from spraying;
Remove stress/anxiety stimuli
If at all your cat is not ill, you should check up on her emotional health. Make sure that she is in good shape before taking further steps to stop the spraying habits. A stressed cat will be uneasy and restless and may isolate herself from you or other members of the family. Identify the reason behind it and eliminate it in order to get your cat back to the norm.
Treat any illnesses
Cat spraying on your furniture can be a result of an illness. Felines tend to contract urinary tract issues than any other pets. Therefore, if you observe any signs and symptoms of an illness, you should then rush her to see the vet. Female cats tend to be at a greater risk than young and male cats.
Refrain from change
Well, cats find it very difficult to adapt to new environments or even lifestyles. This means that whenever there is some kind of change in the house, she might react by urinating inappropriately. Therefore, avoid unnecessary changes like rearranging your furniture, changing her diet, or even changing from the usual routine.
Play with your cat
If your kitty seems to be a bit more clingy than usual, you should probably pay attention to her. Sometimes we get caught up in the world as we have much to do. For instance, you may have a job, or school to attend. This means that you cannot be able to spend the entire day with your cat. Therefore, she may develop some type of anxiety and end up peeing on your furniture.
It is, therefore, a requirement for you to create a daily routine that involves playing with your cat. Not only is this supposed to help you stop your cat from spraying in the house but you can also be able to offer the attention and affection she requires.
Engage in play that involves both mental and physical stimulation. This way, your cat will not be vulnerable to stress and anxiety, or even loneliness.
Uphold great hygiene of the litter box
There is a possibility that your cat is engaging in the gross habit of peeing everywhere because she hates the way that her litter box smells. This is the most common reason for a cat that is spraying. Now, if you have observed a cat carefully, you will notice that they are very particular with cleanliness. Your cat needs a clean and fresh litter box every time she has the urge to pee.
If you have not been scooping the soiled litter box, you may actually have an issue with a cat spraying on your items in the house. Therefore, it is important to provide clean litter boxes in the house. As opposed to what many may assume, one litter box is not enough, not even for your single cat.
It is, therefore, a requirement to have multiple litter boxes in the house. This way, your cat will have several options when she has to pee. Make sure that the litter boxes have the appropriate type of cat litter which should be soft and comforting to her paws.
In addition to this, you will have to be very strategic when placing the litter boxes in the house. Consider a quiet place that is easily accessible and put the litter box. This way, your cat can be able to eliminate privacy as well as serenity.
If your cat won’t stop peeing inappropriately, you may consider retraining her. Litter box training should not be as complicated as cats tend to learn things faster. Reinforce the training by always rewarding her with praises and sometimes treats upon good use of the litter box.
Conclusion
In order to get the cat pee smell out of any furniture, you should start by washing the urine off. It is important that you understand why she cannot use the litter box. Inappropriate elimination is not exactly an easy problem to deal with but you have to.
The above-discussed tips will help you identify the cause of this habit. It is not uncommon for a cat to pee on the furniture but it is advisable that you look into the habit. This is because it can be as a result of an underlying behavioral or health issue. It is your job to find out the cause and administer the necessary steps to stop the habit. Encourage your cat to use the litter box at all times through reinforced training.
You may consider repeating the washing process a few times before it all gets to stop. Be patient and you will eventually manage to get the cat pee smell out of your furniture and eventually your house. Good luck!
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