Cat Urine Smell In Your Carpet? There IS An Easy Answer!
Cat urine odor is for sure one of the most challenging issues one may face as a cat owner. Getting cat urine out of the carpet is for some as pleasant as going to the dentist. Not only is it upsetting, but it smells bad too! Really Bad!
Cat urine can be a challenge to remove,the key is to use the proper cleaners. When the urine is allowed to dry into the rug it forms strong chemical bonds with the material of the carpet.
The salts in the urine also bonds with the carpet through an ionic charge. These bonds will get stronger the longer the urine is in contact with the carpet. Homemade cleaners will not release these bonds. Steam cleaning will not release the bonds either, sometimes steam cleaning will make it worse.
Some cleaners available at the store are nothing but “odor maskers”. Other products attempt to absorb the foul smell.
This may help for the moment, but does not completely remove the urine, making the smell return eventually. With some urine left on the carpet, your cat will be more likely to urinate on the same spot again.
The first action to take when discovering a wet spot:
1. Mop up as much of the urine as you possibly can. Use absorbent paper towels or old towels. Lay them on the spot and blot until there is no trace of wetness. Recognize that you may only see a small part of the spot as the urine soaks into the padding under the carpet. Be careful adding water to the spot. You don’t want the spot to spread out into the padding underneath.
2. Use a cleaner based on enzymes that will actually consume the urine. Inject it into the padding, and then spray on top of the carpet. Pet the cleaner into the carpet.
3. You are done! That is all that needs to be done when you use the proper tools. Prevent your cat from accessing the spot for a few days until it is completely dry.
Remember, even though it may be easy when you are “in the moment”, do not scold your cat. Cats are fastidious about cleanliness and do not want to eliminate where they eat, sleep or play.
Inappropriate urination is a symptom that something is not OK. You may need to investigate what caused your cat to not use the box along with some enticement to use the box again. Not correcting the reason your cat is not going in the box may keep you cleaning your carpets and furniture over and over again.
Armed with the correct information and the proper products cleaning the urine from your carpet while preventing the behavior to re-occur, you are well on your way to have a happy purring kitty and a clean smelling home.