How do I find and treat cat urine smell effectively, while ensuring the problem doesnt exist later?

[kittyqss]

I got a new cat, the same age as my first cat. Both girls, age around 5-6. I've had her for about a month or a little over, and all is well. They were introduced fast, and were kept separate when I was away / sleeping. I use the modified breeze tidycat litter system () for both cats.

My first cat had some urinary problems where she'd pee on my shower rug, and this was largely fixed with introducing water fountains cleaning them regularly after a week or two, or whenever the water is consumed. I tried to treat it with natures miracle, but nothing really worked. Thats besides the point. I am posting because I cant find the smell of a minor amount of cat pee.

I got a blacklight, I got a large and powerful blacklight flashlight and Nok-out from help!! urine odor...can't find where cat's spraying I made a ~10% solution of nok-out, and saw that any walls and floor had some minor UV-active things but nothing major. I sprayed and it worked in the sense that some UV-active spots became UV-inactive, but the things like my rug and my bedroom area still have a slight smell! Its as if it only works on solid surfaces where the urine cant soak through. I am not sure what to do, because I can't identify if its the bed sheets, rug or something else.


If anyone has any recommendations on what solutions I should try as an air freshener (vs oxidizer like nok-out), fabric cleaner (like nok-out), how to hunt for the smells...let me know. My place isnt in a terrible spot but there are times where I smell some cat pee.

 

[ArtNJ]

The glow does remain after treatment. Also remember a blacklight will highlight old food spills, even certain kinds of dirt you brought in from outside. It over-reports -- it only shows spots to investigate, not proves pee. If there is still a slight smell, you probably aren't using enough Nature's Miracle. You have to drench stuff like rugs. If there is no lingering smell, there shouldn't be an issue even if there is still some blacklight glow.

Shower rug . . . after Nature's Miracle and washing machine, it probably won't smell to the cat. However, its still an attractive target to a cat having issues. So its best to just give up on it for a bit. Hang it up when you aren't showering. Not forever, just until the habit is long gone. Your bed is most definitely another attractive target, but if you sniff any spots highlighted by blacklight and nothing smells like cat pee you are good. If you are having problems with the bed, after cleaning, I would exclude the cat from the bedroom for a few weeks.

Usually rugs/carpet will have a slight visible discoloration even without blacklight if you really get down and look, but of course this depends on the starter color and dark colors may not show anything. If you are really willing to get down and sniff hard, you can probably zero in. Carpet stays wet for a while as well, so touch questionable spots as well. I can do it and my nose is 1/10th as good as my wife's. And if a cat is spraying a wall, that is visible as well. And of course, even if the blacklight over reports, it still shows you the spots to check.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. It is a problem for you because you don't really know where the urine smell is coming from. So, I would start off by removing ALL the bedding. If any of the bedding actually contains the urine smell, after a bit, you shouldn't smell the urine any longer in the bedroom unless it is in the carpeting - or, in the bed mattress. (I would guess you should be able to smell the mattress closely with your nose to determine if that is where the smell is coming from.) You can try cleaning ALL the bedding, using ideas in the article below, as well as ways to remove any odor from the mattress itself.

If it turns out that the urine is in the carpeting, since you don't know specifically where (or, how many places?), I would recommend that you either rent a carpet cleaner and buy one of the recommended products for removing urine smell (see second article below), or hire a professional to clean the carpet and let them know you are looking to remove the urine smell.

How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes And Linens – Cat Articles
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Carpet: Effective, Non-toxic Solutions – Cat Articles

 

[Caspers Human]

For hard, washable surfaces, use hot water and chlorine bleach like "Clorox."
• Mix a cup of bleach in a pail full of hot water.
• Scrub well with a sponge. (Wear protective gloves!)
• Allow to stand for a little while.
• Wash with soap and hot water to remove bleach and other residue.
• Rinse well with clean water.
• Dry well.

For clothing and washable fabrics, use a color-safe bleach like "OxiClean" or a solution of hydrogen peroxide, hot water and detergent.
• Mix "OxiClean" according to package instructions.
• Alternative: 10 fl. oz. of 3% hydrogen peroxide (drug store variety) in equal parts of hot water plus a little detergent.
• Wash and soak in solution. (Wear protective gloves!)
• Allow to stand for a little while.
• Rinse well with clean water.
• Launder normally.

For washable upholstery, use above solution for washable fabric. Surface wash with sponge or cloth. Be careful not to over saturate!

Use caution for colorfastness! Test in a small, inconspicuous area first!

 

[basscat]

Scrub with every type of cleaning stuff you have. Then vinegar, Then baking soda and water, Then a combination of ALL of it. Sooner or later the smell will dissipate after it dries out.
To keep cats away from these areas for MONTHS while the smell dissipates. Double sided tape works great.
I'm not sure you can ever clean it well enough for a "cat" not to smell it again several years from now. BUT, if you can keep them away from that area for long enough that they forget the need to pee there and learn they should pee somewhere else? It's a win.

 

[syzygycat]

If urine is set in, vinegar, baking soda, peroxide, oxiclean will not get rid of it long term.

I very recently went through what your going through, found out my cat peed close enough to the wall, that most of it trickled down without getting on the carpet, then soaked in carpet pad and the floor boards underneath. I only found it with black light after pulling up the carpet.

Like many many cat owner, I used natures miracle, it usually works with enough applications, but its my far the weakest "5 star enzyme cleaner". Other brands worked much better than Regular, Cat Urine destroyer, and advanced formula Natures Miracle. Most don't have that strong fragrance natures miracle has... because they don't need.
The old pee stain under the rug just came back after 4 applications of NM, I was ready to replace the floor boards, Rocco and Roxie got rid of the smell on the first use.

"Rocco and Roxie" costs a lot but the best enzyme cleaner ive used, miles ahead of what natures miracle can do.
"Urine Gone" is what I use regularly now, also much stronger that nature's miracle, not as good as 'rocco and roxie', but its a cost compromise its $9-$10 for 24oz, cat fresh urine stains out with one application, smells like starfruit (smell only lasts an hour, not days-weeks like NM)

With all these products, if you have deep/soft/porous surface it's better to soak the area then cover it with plastic for a few hours, it keeps the surface from drying/wicking up the cleaner, give it a chance to go in deep. Of coarse it also takes longer to dry, but with thick carpets, wood, mattresses its the only way to reach all of the mess.