Best Way To Remove Cat Urine???

[Kalsima]

@jtaband others. My daughter moved out 6 months ago and her 2 cats started urinating on the couch and plants. She said her whole apartment smells like cat urine. Is there any product that you can recommend to get rid of smell. And is this a vet problem? Should I find a vet downtown for her to see why they are urinating everywhere? Thanks in advance for any help. Hev

 

[Handsley]

Hi, you're going to hate this essay in cat removal odors. However, she needs to take care of the problem right away if she had a deposit down on the apartment. I've had my mom's cats do this and also my current cat that was my husband's. The only cat I've had not do this is an outside cat which is not feasible these days. I just hate it. First, if you have 2 cats, you need 2 boxes AT LEAST. 3 would be optimal. Put them out and see which one they use and then you can take away. I use the more expensive clumping litter, but if you change litter, you have to do that slowly. Slowly move the box every day to wherever they are urinating. Big changes cause more issues in this area so make small changes every day. One of them could be having a urinary issue, especially males. You will know because the cat with howl with pain when using box, plus if you press on his stomach area low, he will howl. Vet immediately if this is the case. I have to use extremely expensive cat food on my current cat for this reason, but it does work. He hasn't had issues in years. If they don't get enough water, it's a problem. I got a little fountain and both cat and dog love it. Keep it very clean. Cats like running water from the faucet or fountain the best. Some problems can be not enough water. Lately I've been trying to give a treat whenever I clean the litter box and he's around to see it. I recommend the Temptations treats. You must clean the boxes every day or every other day. Cats love clean litter boxes. If you can remove any carpet or plants, I would highly recommend doing so. Not only will the carpet be damaged, but the subfloor underneath will have to be replaced, an expensive job that all landlords will probably charge you for. If the cat is getting into something like underneath stairs and urinating there, block that off. I do so in my basement with Christmas decoration boxes and plywood. Upstairs where he urinates on the floor, I use my package delivery cardboard first to cover it. He will urinate on the cardboard and then I can throw it away. Then I clean the wood floor underneath with Nature's Miracle. Get the gallon size. You have to thoroughly wet the area. I spray Febreze on it as well because he doesn't like it when I spray that. If you smell it in carpet and can't find the spot, a blacklight will make it apparent and Nature's Miracle again liberally sprayed there and cover area if you can. If you have dogs that eat the litter, the cats don't like it, plus it's bad for the dog. In this case, put boxes a few feet high or block them off from the dog with a stepstool or some other object like a chair that the cat can get through but the dog can't. You can try a litter box cover. You can try an extra large litter box. Sometimes they overspray the edges and that's smelly. After much experimentation in the concrete in the basement, I recommend Nature's Miracle and peroxide and let it sit overnight then dab up. I doubt your daughter's cats have access to concrete to pee on in an apartment, but just a side note. A cat tree for each cat in separate territories might also help. Cats mark and like their own territory and box. This is key to remember. I hope all my bad experiences help your daughter. I have a love/hate relationship with the cat I have now, but I would never get rid of him or hurt him. This is not uncommon. Every cat I've had has been an issue. The small changes I've made with him have not eradicated the problem but he's made great strides cutting it down.

 

[jtab]

Hey there. I’ve had this problem a few times throughout my cat owning years.

There are a number of ways to get cat urine smell out as I’ve tried everything and researched it a lot as well. You can start out by gently rubbing it down (depending on the fabric or material the couch is made of) with either a water mixture with vinegar or baking soda or even some good soap and water. But this alone will not completely remove the odor but will start off by trying to remove some of the source and neutralize it. VERY IMPORTANT **** Do not use any bleach or anything that has bleach in it as bleach and ammonia ,which is in urine, mixed together will create toxic gases called chloramines that can lead to nausea, coughing and even can be fatal if inhaled. Then to try to remove the odor itself entirely, there is a cleaner specifically for animal urine called Nature’s Miracle which you can find at almost any big box stores like Walmart or pet stores like PetsMart, relatively cheaply, that you can spray or rub with a cloth into the source that will work miracles. It has directions on the bottle that you can also follow. Or if it’s not available or choose not to use it, you can simply use something like Febreze or a disinfectant spray like Lysol or something similar , as Febreze actually traps and removes like 99% of odors without having to rub it in. Just spray a generous amount and you should be set. Or like I mentioned, a disinfectant spray will do the same thing.

On the issue of the cat urinating on the couch and plant, there are a number of reasons. Sometimes it can be because it’s not feeling well. Sometimes when cats are ill, since they cannot actually tell us verbally, they will act out by urinating on and in places that they shouldn’t to kind of tell us in their own way, but don’t worry as this is not always the case, and even if it is, it usually isn’t serious and can be fixed somewhat easily. It could be a uti or something similar as cats are notoriously bad at drinking water. They just don’t drink as much as they should. Most cats will get sick at some point in their life due to this, causing kidney problems, bladder or urinary tract infections. One of my cats, years ago, even got kidney stones. I currently have a cat with a uti that just refuses to drink water, so I am having to syringe water into her mouth carefully and slowly, making sure not to aspirate her but to try to clear it up. They love the sound of running water, so I bought a small kitty fountain that my other 2 cats absolutely love and it has influenced them to drink more water. A cat, by general rule, needs 1 oz per pound of water daily, so a average 8lb cat needs just about 8oz daily. This can also be achieved by using wet food as it is more than 50% water, so it kind of sneaks the water into them .... lol.

Not knowing if the cats are male or female or if they’ve been neutered or spayed, sometimes they also may spray when they go into heat or males when they haven’t been neutered to “mark“ their territory. It’s nothing serious, but it’s sure a mess to deal with. On the subject of urinating on the plants, my cats do this often for the simple fact that they just enjoy using it as their cat box because of the dirt, like they’re outside lol.
If you’re financially able to, it wouldn’t hurt to take them for a vet visit just to make sure everything is ok with their health. Other than all of this, let me know if I can help you with anything else. I basically have a cat Wikipedia built into my head at this point, from vast experience and research lol .

 

[Kalsima]

@Handsley@jtabThank you so much for taking the time to write me. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I just got out of the hospital and supposed to have no stress just bed rest and physical therapy. But my daughter has been calling every morning screaming or crying about her two cats ruining her apartment. I am so glad you responded because I did not realize the dangers. I dissed her and called her a drama queen which I really need to apologize for. 

I can clearly see now how big of a problem it is. One of them is a kitten well about a year and needs a vet exam her friend gave her but they are both females and both are spayed. The other she has had since she was 9 so she's 16 years old.

I hope I have your permission about Natures Miracle to pass on to her. 

Thank you so much for explaining everything to me and I will pass on to her and will make a vet appointment. I did not realize that it could be traumatic for a cat to move from a huge house to a tiny apartment. It makes perfect sense to me now.

Thank you both so much and I owe my daughter an apology I feel horrible I dissed her when it is or can become a bigger problem. You two are the best. Thank you so much again for all of your help.

Poor kitties I was to wound up in my own problems to understand hers. Thank you much love Hev  

 

[jtab]

No problem friend. I’m happy to help. My cat advice is usually unsolicited lol, so to actually be asked is nice, and I’m more than happy to help. @Handsley made some good points too!


I’m sure that it’ll get worked out and shouldn’t be anything too serious hopefully. The things we do for our furry little family members! Mine have me wrapped around their little paws and they KNOW it and sure take advantage of it !

 

[Handsley]

@jtab Uncanny how similar our advice is! JT, you and I could start instruction videos on YouTube. HV, don't beat yourself up. I've noticed that I have a very sensitive nose and some people do not. My son always says it's not bad, but if I catch a whiff of it, I go nuts! My cat's been very, very good lately. Giving the treat when I clean the box and he is watching is helping. Your daughter could also trade in some of those plants for cactuses and sago palms which are very pointy. Hilarious to see him put his paw down very carefully on it and then jerk it away and bat it away. I've also been making a point to give him some attention and snuggling every day. Good luck to your daughter!

 

[Kalsima]

@Handsley and @jtab you two should start a channel. You gave me so much good information. We bought another cat box and they both have their own plus an extra oone  I just wrote @jtab and was about to write you and thank you.  You were dead on! You guys and ladies are so good. I just got back from the Vet and it you were spot on. The kitten has a UTI and the older one she had since 9 is old. They gave them both a prescription for cat calmer. I appreciate your help tremendously. I can't believe your diagnoses was correct and same advice from  my vet. Thanks a ton. Love Hev