HEY! ‘EAU DE CAT PEE ISN’T QUITE THE SCENT WE’RE GOING FOR HERE!

Adorable, furry, funny, and expert-level cuddlers, getting adopted by a cat can mark the happiest day ever. Well, except if it turns out that the stink of cat pee assaults your nostrils when you walk in the door. Not all housecats miss the mark when it comes to their bathroom habits. But if the cat that owns you starts doing the do (er, whatever) outside the box, what do you do? How do you make kitty knock this habit off like it’s a half-drunk can of Coke on the countertop? Why is it happening in the first place? After all, aren’t cats supposed to be super-clean?

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CAT PEE. YAY.

Cats are naturally fastidiously clean creatures. So, if you’re dealing with cat pee in your house, 100%, it’s your fault. Don’t argue. Don’t fight the facts. You surely must have done something to displease your furry overlord. All you have to do is figure out what and stop. Even if it turns out that it’s your own breathing that’s upsetting kitty’s delicate sensibilities. Just stop.

WHY DOES MY CAT PEE INSIDE? MEDICAL, MENTAL, AND MOVING CAUSES

But seriously, if you have cats that are peeing everywhere but their litter box, make sure that this isn’t a medical issue. A simple vet trip can be all you need to know why kitty’s choosing to your bed, carpet, a pile of laundry, furniture, or HEAT VENT (oh, the humanity!) rather than the litter box. Cats that constantly spray could have a disease known as Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease or FLUTD. Fortunately, this is a disease that is treatable so you don’t need to be too worried.

WHEN YOU CAN RULE OUT MEDICAL ISSUES, THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER CAUSES FOR CATS DECIDING TO PEE THROUGHOUT THE HOME:

• First, cats tend to be rather fussy and they prefer their belongings to be orderly and neat and therefore they don’t really deal with it well when they experience change and new situations.
• Adding another pet, another feline, a new partner, roommate, baby, etc. can all cause your cat to feel the need to display the fact that kitty is not pleased with the situations by peeing everywhere.
• If you have recently moved, your can may be experiencing a lot of anxiety which kitty also displays by peeing.
• If kitty’s litter box isn’t clean, it’s a no-go zone. This can also happen when you’ve moved it somewhere else, or if you’ve changed the cat litter brand that you use.

YOU CAN STOP YOUR CAT FROM URINATING EVERYWHERE

The most effective way of stopping your cat from urinating all over the place is by observing his behavior to figure out the reason he won’t use the litter box, and you can base any interventions on this.

Have you ever completely removed the pee smell from placed kitty pees on in the house? A cat is very sensitive to scents, so they respond to smells. Therefore, if your cat pees on something, leaves, and then feels the need to pee again, there’s a good chance of a repeat performance. Because of this, it’s really important to completely clean all areas the cat pees on. Be careful you aren’t using any products with ammonia because it smells like pee for cats. Might as well hang a “Pee Here” sign, right?

The most important thing is to have patience and be understanding of the fact that kitty isn’t doing this to piss you off (sorry, couldn’t resist). There’s always some kind of reason for this behavior. If you are a caring and loving cat owner, and of course you are, it’s your job to solve the mystery of why it’s happening.

As maddening as it can be to come home to this kind of stank, don’t get mad. Continue to give kitty plenty of love, attention, and praise for good behaviors.

How to Deal with Cat Pee

WAIT. I DON’T THINK IT’S CAT PEE… KITTY SEEMS TO BE SPRAYING!

Cat spraying takes the stink to a whole new level. Spraying is essentially the cat’s act of urinating by spraying – it’s almost always male cats that do this. Maybe you’ve wondered why they do this – especially if your cat’s been neutered.

MARKING TERRITORY ISN’T THE SOLE CAUSE OF SPRAYING FROM A CAT.
There are several other reasons a cat might want to spray in the house. These causes include:

• Sometimes cats spray out of anxiety. When they get anxious from something, they feel better by spraying.
• Another factor is prolonged stress. Cats who have been experiencing stress for a little while feel rejuvenated and comforted when they spray.
• When a cat is or just feels sort of threatened by somebody or something, it pees by spraying and this is a way that the cat is trying to indicate he or she is angry.
• In cases where you’ve found that the cat will spray at a particular family member, it might be safe to assume the cat has a problem with this person. Therefore, it’s good to monitor the way this family member behaves toward the cat to get an idea of what he or she dislikes.
• When bringing a new feline addition into your family, you might find that older cats start to spray. Cats tend to be rather personal naturally and dislike having to share their things, including their owner, with another animal.
• If you’ve found that the cat sprays around windows and doors, this generally means there’s some other cat hanging out around your house. This is the cat’s warning sign, the feline equivalent of a sign that says “You lousy kids, get off my lawn!”
  If there’s been a new family member staying in the home or if your cat has to adjust to a foreign area, they may spray.
• If you’d like to figure out why your cats are spraying, you should try observing their behavior. Taking a look at the way they behave gives you an idea of the reason they spray. Try to refrain from punishing your cat when he or she sprays in your house. This is a fairly normal behavior among cats. Might want to ask your vet if it becomes habitual.

HOW DO I GET RID OF CAT PEE IN MY HOUSE?

Cat owners understand being fed up about their cats peeing all over the house. If you’re frustrated, totally get that. It stinks. Literally and figuratively. Cat pee can ruin furniture, stain beautiful carpets, and make you contemplate moving just to be rid of the stink. You know the stench. Kind of hits you in the brain when you first walk in, like someone shoved an open bottle of ammonia in your face.

Worse, you can spend a small fortune on cleaning products trying to banish the odor. You break out the black light to find the pee. You scrub and spray and pray, then leave the house for a few hours only to return and discover the smell just won’t die. In fact, it actually smells worse now! How is that possible?

So, let’s talk about that cat pee. Science, yo.

Before discussing how you can clean up cat pee the right way, it’s important to know what you’re dealing with here. Essentially, there are three basic components that make cat urine so “special”:

• Urochrome, which provides the pigmentation
• Urea, the substance that makes it sticky
• Uric acid, which causes the stench

The task of cleaning up cat urine isn’t challenging when you know what to do – other than torching your house. Basically, you’ve got two options: commercial products and DIY solutions.

USING COMMERCIAL CAT PEE SOLUTIONS

The commercial products out there are mostly designed for removing the stains from cat pee. Cleaners with concentrated enzymes can be found as liquid products. They are used for removing cat pee, the stench, and the color from the carpets, fabrics, and floor.

You might not be able to just follow your nose to find the pee, especially if kitty’s gone several places. Now’s a great time to pretend you’re on X-Files or one of those ghost-hunting shows. Turn the lights off, grab some night-vision goggles… okay, that’s nuts. But you might find a UV light helpful. Cat urine will then glow as the UV hits it – it’s kind of cool.

Then, when you’ve found the spot(s), nuke them with an enzyme cleaner. There are several brands out there. It might take some trial and error to find one strong enough to kill the stink.

DIY CAT PEE SOLUTIONS

Those looking for a DIY home remedy to remove the mess from the cat pee can try these tricks:

• Blot the pee with a paper towel (if it’s still wet). Sprinkle… or dump… baking soda over the area. Pour a little bit of vinegar (ACV or regular) over the baking soda. After it’s done foaming, clean up with an absorbent rag.
• Do the same, using a concoction of 5 ounces hydrogen peroxide, a teaspoon of vinegar, a teaspoon of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of Dawn dish liquid.

Obviously, test a hidden spot of the surface to make sure you won’t ruin anything by spraying these solutions. Once you find a solution that works, make or buy it in bulk. That’s the surest way to make sure your kitty stops this behavior entirely. It’s like they know. Even when they don’t know… they know.

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