Most people know that pets can fill the house with joy and warmth, communication with them heals the soul. Being nearby, they become members of the family for whom they worry as much as for people.
Cats are special pets. No wonder there are legends about their independent character. And if there is a problem with the pet, then it can sometimes be difficult to cope with. One of such troubles is the refusal of the animal to go to the tray, which inevitably leads to the appearance of an unpleasant smell in the apartment. In this article, we’ll talk about the reasons for this behavior and how to get rid of the cat smell.
If he is small
Everyone who wants to have a small fluffy lump in their apartment needs to get ready for this event. In addition to bowls, cups, rugs, combs and shampoo, a cat’s toilet is a necessary thing - a tray. It should be noted here that when a large breed kitten appears in the house, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to buy trays of at least three sizes. Otherwise, the appearance of a cat smell cannot be avoided.
The smallest in size and with low sides are prepared for very small kittens. When they grow up, you need a medium-sized tray, already for constant use. Well, for larger breeds, they then buy an even larger tray, with high sides and protection on them, so that the animals do not rake the filler on the floor.
Fillers are different, and you will have to experiment to figure out which one your pet likes. While the kid is not accustomed, you need to remove all the rugs and shoes. How to remove the smell of cat urine, we will consider further in the article.
How to teach a tray
In order to accustom a little kitten to the tray, you have to work hard. After all, he must understand what is required of him.
If the baby was taken away from the mother at the age of one and a half months, then most likely he already knows what the tray is for. Before this age, kittens are not yet able to remember where the toilet is, and are looking for a place where you can smell a cat.
If the kitten was taken earlier, and he is not accustomed to a hygienic place, then the owner will have to work hard. To do this, you need to be very careful and watch the pet. When the animal wants to go to the toilet, it begins to show signs of anxiety, meows, runs from place to place in search of a suitable one. Here the owner’s task is to notice this and put the baby in the tray.
Once is enough for some, while others need several attempts. The main thing here is attentiveness and patience, so that you do not have to think about the question later: "How to neutralize the smell of cat urine?"
If you didn’t keep track of the kitten, and he went in the wrong place, then you need to slightly curse him and put him in a tray.
If an adult pet is brought into the apartment who knows what a toilet is, then it is first planted in a tray. He must first sniff him, and then go to other rooms.
Where does the bad smell come from?
There are several causes of an unpleasant odor, and the solutions to such problems are different.
The reasons may be the following:
- the kitten is still too small and does not know where the toilet is;
- an adult animal, previously impeccable, suddenly for no reason begins to crap;
- the cat marks its territory (the cat's smell makes it clear that only he is the owner);
- perhaps the pet is not happy with something;
- changed the filler to the one you don't like (smell, tactile sensations);
- the animal does not like the place where the tray stands (everyone has it in sight or in the aisle);
- the smell comes from the cat tray;
- the toilet is inconvenient or not suitable in size - in a cramped container it is simply impossible to sit comfortably and position the tail.
The owner must be sensitive to the language of the pet in order to properly respond to his needs.
The problem is that the smell of cat litter is corrosive and spreads very quickly. If not cleaned immediately and systematically, furniture, clothing and floor coverings may soak. In this case, you will have to take only radical measures to change everything that smells bad.
The reason is the tray and the filler
If the owner decided to use a different filler, then you do not need to do it abruptly - you should first check whether the cat will like it. If not, expect puddles of protest in a variety of places. This can happen to an adult animal, if instead of clay, pour wood filler into the tray . The latter has a peculiar, even harsh, coniferous aroma - the pet may not accept it from a habit. Or he won’t like the fact that a new filler, such as silicone, sticks to the paws.
The dirty tray case is the lightest. Cats are clean animals; a dirty toilet doesn't suit them. Some are so demanding in this sense that they will not go into it a second time, but will make a puddle nearby. Therefore, it is necessary to change the filler to fresh on time and once a week to clean and wash the tray itself with a product that discourages cat smell, for example, laundry soap.
Another quite common mistake of the owners is to wash the cat's toilets with smelling chemicals that are completely not intended for this. If the plastic absorbs such a smell, the cat will not like it. You should use funds from pet stores or ordinary laundry soap. If the tray is heavily contaminated and had to be cleaned with its chemical composition, then the container should be rinsed well and dried until the smell disappears.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the size and convenience of the tray, as well as its location - it should be secluded (cats are modest and bashful).
Psychological reasons
Among the reasons for the appearance of an unpleasant aroma from excrement, an important role is played by psychological ones - to solve the question: "How to remove a cat smell?" - in this case it takes much more time and effort.
And they are as follows:
- The most common and common is resentment. The animal may be offended by a lack of attention (when the owner does not have time), sudden movements (if the owner does not have a mood). The way out is careful observation of the pet: if it has become less likely to fondle, does not purr, does not meet, and eats even less - there is an insult. In this case, you need to show more care, play more often, pick up or simply stroke while walking by. The results are not long in coming.
- Another reason is jealousy. This may be a new member of the family (newborn child or adult relative), and another animal. This situation becomes stressful for the pet, as he feels that he is already given less time. This can make him mark the territory in order to attract attention and show another animal who is the boss in the house.
- Also, the cause of disobedience to a pet can be a disease - only a visit to a veterinarian will help here.
We remove the persistent smell immediately
What explains the persistence of the smell of cat feces? The fact is that the crystalline structure of uric acid does not dissolve in water, and conventional means are not able to cope with it. After the urine dries, the urea decomposes with the formation of bacteria and the characteristic smell of ammonia. Then thiols appear, and the aroma becomes even sharper. In addition, the spots become sticky and poorly cleaned from the surface.
This is the problem: eliminating the smell of cats is a difficult task, because it is sharp and corrosive. Therefore, it is best to detect an emergency immediately, then the consequences are eliminated promptly.
If the trouble is detected immediately and the smell does not have time to spread, you need to take a paper towel and absorb moisture without rubbing it on the surface. If it is smooth, then you need to wash the contaminated place with a damp sponge and laundry soap and wipe it dry. After this, the surface should be treated with a flavor.
If the trouble happened on the carpet or sofa, the place should be stained with carpet cleaners or upholstered furniture, then rinsed several times with clean water. Some owners use vinegar as a remedy for cat smell.
If not noticed right away
A more serious problem is when the charred place is not immediately found - moisture is absorbed, dries up and exudes a strong unpleasant odor that spreads around.
Often the owners can not even find such a hidden toilet. Especially for such situations, there are black Wood lamps that can be purchased at a hardware store. In the dark, in the light of this lamp, the old spot will render yellow.
It will be convenient to use the crayon to outline the place of the upcoming cleaning.
Stains with the smell of cat urine on a sofa or carpet will need to be carefully treated.
And then you need to proceed as follows:
- Soak the old stain with water and pat it thoroughly with dry paper towels or sprinkle with the smallest filler. After completely absorbing, remove garbage in any convenient way.
- Moisten a dirty place with a mixture of water and table vinegar in a ratio of three to one and wait until it dries completely.
- Then sprinkle the surface with table soda.
- On top of the soda, apply foam from the spray bottle (after shaking) - a solution of three percent hydrogen peroxide and water (one hundred milliliters) with the addition of one teaspoon of laundry soap or detergent.
- After complete drying, the floor should be washed, and the carpet or upholstered furniture should be cleaned.
The chemical process as a result of such cleaning occurs as follows. The result of the interaction of soda and hydrogen peroxide is the formation of a large amount of oxygen, which binds to thiols. This oxidative reaction decomposes them into carbon dioxide and ammonium, which quickly evaporate. Unpleasant aroma and traces of the reaction disappear.
But this is only one of the options for answering the question of how to remove the smell of cat urine. Go ahead!
Remove the smell from the marks
Cat tags are a much more serious problem, as they have a harsher and more persistent bad smell. Cats mark territory to indicate its borders and cats during estrus.
In order not to rack one's brains over the question "how to remove a cat smell", at the very beginning it should be decided whether the owner is going to receive offspring from his pet. If not, it is worth castrating or sterilizing it, then peaceful coexistence and peace of the whole family will be ensured.
If the situation is the opposite, you have to fight. The simplest method is the following: in a favorite cat's place on the floor you need to glue double-sided tape - the pet will not like to stick on its paws. In addition, the contaminated surface still needs to be treated with antiseptics, and then with odor control agents. Also, next to a favorite place, you should put half a bulb or a slice of citrus. You can still lay it on the floor and fix the foil on the wall - its rustling can scare away the cat.
Only you need to remember: if the smell is not completely removed, it is better not to use flavorings - the mixture of flavors will turn out terrible.
Cleaning upholstered furniture
Consider how to remove the smell of cat urine from the upholstery of upholstered furniture. This method also applies to carpets and clothing. The main thing is to do everything quickly, preventing urine from completely absorbing into the tissue.
To do this, take note of the following helpful tips:
- After thoroughly processing the sofa or other soft surface with vinegar and soda solutions, the surface is cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. Then carry out additional processing with deodorizing agents. This will make it possible to discourage the animal, and it will no longer mark upholstered furniture. A mandatory tool for this is an aerosol with an imitation of a strong tobacco smell (which cats really do not like) or a specially designed “for the smell of domestic animals” specially created for this purpose.
- Another remedy is glycerin. How to remove the smell of cat urine with it? It is necessary to moisten a foul-smelling surface with this drug and allow it to soak. After that, the upholstery is vacuumed. This method is good for processing not only textile surfaces, but also leather and suede.
- Potassium permanganate can serve as an effective remedy for unpleasant odors. The only advice is that its effect must first be tested on a small, inconspicuous area to be sure that after processing there will be no whitish spots and the color of the upholstery will not change.
- If this is the urine of a small kitten, and it does not yet have a pungent odor, you can rub soap into a damp place, wait for it to dry completely and vacuum the surface.
- A solution of liquid (one teaspoon) soap and hydrogen peroxide (one hundred milliliters) will help to save upholstered furniture and carpet. It is carefully rubbed into the upholstery and, after complete drying, is treated with a vacuum cleaner.
Folk methods
How to remove cat smell using folk methods? Consider a few tips:
- A weak solution of potassium permanganate is useful for harvesting fresh urine - it wipes the surface previously dried with napkins.
- Hydrogen peroxide will help remove persistent odor (this effect is due to the decomposition of animal protein in the urine).
- After thoroughly treating the caked surface, it can be covered with mouthwash - cats do not like the mint smell, and the air freshens.
- If the animal continues to crap in the same place, after the next treatment you can put a cotton pad with a few drops of camphor or any citrus essential oil there.
- The smell of cat urine on linoleum or uncoated floor is removed using products containing bleach, but only in the absence of the animal to avoid poisoning.
- A solution of fifteen drops of iodine and a liter of water, which treat a contaminated area, can also help.
- You can wipe the cleaned surface with vodka or alcohol.
Special or household chemicals
Today, pet stores offer a wide range of diverse products that will not only facilitate the training of the animal in the tray (“DesoSan”), but also help with the solution of the question “how to neutralize the smell of cat urine”.
You can use such preparations for cleaning (their effect is based on the complete neutralization of uric acid, giving an odor, under the action of enzymes):
- "Dufta Fresh" (DuftaFresh).
- "Dufta Car" (DuftaCar).
- "Dufta Pet" (DuftaPet).
- "Dufta Smoke" (DuftaSmoke).
- "Bio-J".
- "Odorgon."
- "Antigadin".
- "Zoovorsin" (just for decoration).
These funds are analogues of the well-known "Vanisha", only they can be purchased at a more affordable cost. They not only cleanse the place of pollution and odors, but also kill germs. It is only necessary after them to wash the surface well with water.
Also, Formidron (anti-sweat) and Anti-odor sprayers are suitable as a cat odor eliminator. Last can handle shoes.
After thoroughly cleaning contaminated areas, you can use flavorings. They can serve as absorbents, essential oils, pads with herbs. But you need to be extremely careful with them so as not to harm the animal.
There are funds that are undesirable to use - this is bleach and ammonia. They can not only not help in cleaning, but also make the situation worse, reminding the cat its smell.
Ozonizer will help
Recently, to solve the problem of the presence of an unpleasant cat smell in the house, an electronic device - an ozonizer - has been used. When working, it releases ozone, which is the strongest oxidizing agent. The treatment results in air purification and odor elimination.
The actions are as follows:
- to clean the carpet or upholstery of upholstered furniture, the ozone stream from the device is directed to the treated spot and left for a couple of hours;
- some animals like to go to the toilet in flower pots - in this case, the earth should be watered several times with water treated with ozone;
- the same water can be washed after treatment shoes, then dried with an ozonizer;
- if the place where the animal was shitting is not found, and it is not possible to process it, try using a photocatalytic filter in the ozonizer to clean the air in the room.
As can be seen from the above, cleaning and getting rid of the smell of cat excrement at home is not particularly difficult. The main thing is to do everything quickly and carefully.