Comments on: How to Remove Cat Urine From Carpet

on 6/11/2007 The washing detergent Bio-zet, is non ammonia based. It was recommended to me by a veterinarian, to prevent cats from peeing in the same spot. I use this to mop my floors and to clean my carpets. I haven't had to worry about little accidents since using Bio-zet. You can buy this at your local supermarket.

on 2/12/2007 I first used a black light to verify the locations of the cat's urine spray. I tried Odor Gun (available at auto parts stores and made by MEDO). It worked pretty good and had no scent of its own. I tried vinegar. This helped quite a bit, but left a strong vinegar odor. Then I found OUT - Cat Spray and Urine Stain and Odor Remover at WalMart. A 24 ounce spray bottle was less than $4.00. It was very effective. It left a nice, light pleasant smell, fast acting, and safe for carpets and fabrics. It was well worth the try. I did not feel like tearing up the carpet.

on 11/22/2005 I have a small female cat among two large males, and apparently she doesn't want to share the many litter boxes we've provided for them. So, she pees in our upstairs hall. Since our house is horribly ventilated to begin with, it stinks to the point of embarrassment. I have poured gallons and gallons of Nature's "not-so-cheap" Miracle, and I have sprayed Woolite's pet deodorizer, Febreze, soap, and carpet foam. You name it, we've tried it. NOTHING works. I love the cat, so I'll keep her, but if I can find a house with an atrium, that will be my recommended solution.

on 9/10/2007 I found a 6 week old stray kitten and was surprised to find that it was already housebroken! For those unfortunate ones who still have to do the housebreaking, nothing works better than rubbing its nose in the spot where it peed. It works best if you can do it straight away. If you wait even a few minutes after it has peed, the cat won't understand why you're doing this. Add a few grains of pepper to the mix if the first method doesn't work.

on 11/22/2005 I tried Nature's Miracle and it helped some, but what really worked was vinegar. There is still a slight smell, but I'm going to rewash.

on 11/22/2005 I put laundry detergent on the stain. Then I boiled water, mixed it with Oxyclean, and poured it over the stain. I vacuumed it with a Bissell wet vac and then poured vinegar over the stain, let it sit, and vacuumed (with the wet vac) again. I put baking soda over it and let it sit overnight, vacuuming the next day.

on 9/10/2007 A tenant of mine could not take care of himself adequately, therefore he could not take care of his two cats. The cats decided that without a litter box they would try to find enticing places to pee. They did so over and over again to such an extent that people in the building were complaining.

In fact, the tenant's clothing was saturated with pee, the mattress was saturated with pee, hiding places like closets were covered in pee, and just about everything was covered with pee. After the tenant was evicted, he came back looking for his cats because he failed to realize he was actually going to get evicted.

I made sure the cats were responsibly dealt with, and if it was legal to do so, I would have kept the nice one. My first step in removing the odor was to remove the cats, as was suggested in a previous message. But this is a story about cat odor and the chemical ramifications of the same.

The second step was to clean.

Thankfully a friend was nearby because when I cleaned a confined space (a built in closet) I was overcome with ammonia asphyxiation. I was also using an ammonia based cleaner. That wrenching feeling you get on breathing concentrated cat pee is the clue that you might be having trouble breathing in the very near future.

The next step was to throw out everything with fiber. I know you want to save that carpet, piece of furniture, or pile of laundry but the only true way I see of getting rid of the chemicals involved is to encourage a chemical reaction to take place.

Ammonia cleaners just won't do it. The idea is to neutralize the nano-particles of ammonia from the cat pee and to capture the particulate matter.

NOTE: Before doing the following, open your windows and turn off all electricity and natural gas pilots in the house.

Bleach is great because it reacts to the ammonia in cat pee. The problem is that you cannot tell what result you will get from the reaction.

You are going to get some amounts or mix of Chlorine Gas, Nitrogen Tetrachloride, or Hydrazine. The result will be a chemical weapon of mass destruction, an explosive and volatile gas, or rocket fuel.

You pour the bleach down and spread it around. The point is to have it sit in a thin puddle then dry. Once you deploy the bleach, run! The chlorine released is in fact a "chemical weapon".

A day later the area will smell nice like a swimming pool.

on 11/22/2005 After much trial and error, the only product that I found works is the Woolite. Not only does it take away the smell, but it deters them from coming back. The only problem I have is that my cats are persistent and find new places to go. But take heart, my fellow cat lovers, they sell more. I have found that for those hard to reach places that you do not feel like misting, Citronella oil works great! I had been distributing it in drops but I was on another site and someone had the excellent idea of putting it on a few cotton balls and placing it in a small dish. It only costs about $5.00 at your local organic retail store or anywhere that sells holistic goods and oils. Much luck and try to hold on to the cat!

on 11/22/2005 I work for a cat-only vet hospital and I have had my share of cats with "inappropriate urination" issues. I tried many products but the only one that worked was Anti-Icky-Poo. Do a Google search and you'll find it. Plus, you won't need to do any scrubbing, mixing, prep, etc. You just spray it on the area and leave it alone. I have not had any more problems, and the stink is completely gone. The only thing is that I think it may not be effective if you've already used other products on the area already.

I also have to remind everybody, don't assume your cat is mad at you and showing it by peeing somewhere he shouldn't. Go to the vet and get him checked out. There are very common (and fixable!) health issues that can make cats do this.

Also, check out Feliway diffusers. They put out synthetic pheromones like the ones your cat leaves when rubbing against things. It is meant to be a calming influence for stressed out kitties, and has made a difference for a lot of people who have cats with behavioral problems, myself included. You can get them at some vet offices, and I've also seen them in most pet stores.

Good Luck!

on 11/22/2005 This odor-removing recipe calls for vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and dish detergent. These are all easily available at your local grocery store.

First, wet the carpet with warm water and blot up with towels several times to dilute and remove as much urine as possible.

Next, wet the area with a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water. Make sure it is nice and wet, penetrating the fibers down the bottom. Allow it to air dry. The acidity of the vinegar will neutralize the ammonia in the cat urine. It will NOT remove all the odor, however.

When it's mostly dry, apply a good deal of baking soda over the affected area and drench it with hydrogen peroxide mixed with a very little bit of dish detergent. Work it with your fingers to dissolve the baking soda and work it down into the carpet. Allow it to air dry.

This worked like a charm for me. There were a couple of small spots that had a little bit of urine odor left, but most of the area treated was quite odor-free, so I reapplied baking soda and peroxide to the recalcitrant spots and the second application worked.

Lastly, to get rid of the white residue of baking soda in the carpet and whatever soap was there, I applied hot water and blotted it up with a towel.

I tried this because I originally had heard it worked to remove skunk odor. I was desperate. I had tried Nature's Miracle (no use) and Zep Odor Control (also not much good). IT WORKED!

I hope this helps someone.

on 11/22/2005 Use LOTS of HOT water. I boil a pot of water and use a wet vacuum. You've got to get to the back of the carpet. Find the spot and pour hot water on it. Vacuum, pour, vacuum, and pour. Then use a product called StinkFree from Petsmart. Let it sit for a while, pour hot water on it, and vacuum. Fan dry, put baking soda on the area, and let it sit. Do the same for the other side and you're done. It sounds like a lot but it definitely works.

on 11/22/2005 I grew up with cats my whole life and the method we've always used was blotting the stain with paper towels and then using a water/vinegar mix to clean. Vinegar neutralizes the odor. It works in the wash, too, if you can launder the item. Hot pepper will keep a pet away from a favorite accident area as they always sniff before going. It won't hurt them in small amounts and they'll remember to stay away.

on 11/22/2005 I have tried everything. The best I have found is Woolite Pet Stain Remover in the spray bottle. Do not use the shaving cream style carpet cleaner, though; it makes it worse. Blot thoroughly, spray and let it set for a few minutes.

on 11/22/2005 Hey, and so does dog pee. I have found a wonderful product, though, that gets up any smell wonderfully. It is called "Petzyme," and it is available at Petsmart for about $11/gallon. Soak up pee, use pet stain remover, let dry. Drench stain with that Petzyme, and watch the smell just disappear!!

on 11/22/2005 After discovering a stray male cat was spraying the outside of our patio door, our female cat proceeded to mark her territory by urinating on carpet by the door when she would see him. I steam cleaned the area with a Bissell and also sprinkled baking soda liberally...I let the soda stand for at least one day before vacumning. I did this probably three times. I also purchased an indoor/outdoor repellent for dogs and cats (from WalMart) and sprayed outside the door and twice where our cat urinated inside. There is no smell in the carpet and our cat has not repeated this since...but I am also spraying outside every night before bed to keep the male cat away! Thanks