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...remove the smell of cat urine out of my rug, it...

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Answer by Steve
Submitted on 2/14/2004
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When you are dealing with cat urine or any urine for that matter. The 3 major parts of urine is urea- which the sticky tacky part, the urochrome- which is the pigment or color part and the uric acid cyrstals and salts. Alot of products will work on the 1st two parts listed above which removes the stain and odor, the odor part is not gone the cyrstals just dry and become dormat, Isn't interesting that when it rains, or gets humid the ordor comes back or the carpet gets wet from steam cleaning or more urine from a pet the odor comes back, it always comes back.... It takes an very special product to get rid of urine competely, look at the following site www.urine-off.com this company makes bacteria and enzymes to eat Fats, Oils, Grease, strach, and Sugar. They spent alot of time feeding very specfic bacteria all the components of urine until they had a product that eat it all the way to Black Light Clean- that means that all the residue of the urine is gone.. Give them a try they truly have something very good. Good Luck with the Cat Pee

Answer by Dan Whelan
Submitted on 5/8/2004
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Here's something that works but you have to be very careful where you use it. Varsol will get rid of the odour BUT it will leave behind it's own varsolly odour for about a week or two...but after that, there's no smell at all. Depending on your carpet, it may very well fade the colours (it hasn't on my carpet)...also it's probably not very good for you to smell varsol for about a week...and guests may prefer cat urine odour to varsol. Again, the Varsol smell WILL go away in about a week. But when you're so frustrated with the problem, and you love your cats despite that no matter what you do, they will think like cats, and not like people, you might want to try this. It works. You don't need to use very much of it. It tends to soak into everything very easily. Also, cats will not go near the area when doused with solvents. Just think of how dry cleaning works. They use solvents to clean the stains instead of anything water based. I hope this helps someone. Dan

Answer by Erik
Submitted on 6/12/2004
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I agreed to take in a stray "boy kitten" for my son and a few weeks later "he" had four kittens... we ended up keeping them in my son's carpeted room with a litter box and a plastic drop cloth to take care of accidents... and started looking for homes. After about nine weeks of kittens running wild (and providing lots of fun!) we had placed all four with good homes... After cleaning up the room, there was a fairly strong urine smell that was driving me nuts... I came across this board and thought I'd see what worked. The dump idea posted by Fool did mask the urine odor, but created a mess of its own... so I'd suggest not trying that! Seriously though, here's what did work. I rented a steam cleaner for $20 and pumped a bunch of water through the carpet... I used hot water as per the directions, but later read that cold water would have been better. Then I purchased a bottle of Nature's Miracle for about $8 and a spray bottle and covered the damp carpet with a good spraying of the enzyme... I also took a black light and located a few "spots" that looked like they might have been caused by kitten pee... these got a heavy soaking with the Nature's Miracle. A few days later the urine smell was STILL there and I thought I'd have to rip out the carpet... although it didn't bother my son, I have a fairly sensitive nose for such smells and couldn't stand it. However, I read the fine print on the Nature's Miracle and noted it said the enzyme might take a couple weeks to totally dry inside the carpet, so I thought I'd give it a chance to really do its thing (which I understand is eating away the bacteria that causes the odors)... That was a few weeks ago and this week has been one of those humid, rainy summer times... and I'm glad to report there is NO SMELL at all! Hopefully this helps some of you who might have the same problem... despite being scared by all the posters who say you have to totally rip out and rebuild your floors. Also, it's worth remembering that many of the people who post on-line are those who never solve their problems and therefore are ticked off... most people who get it taken care of don't bother to go back to a board... so I figured I should do a good deed and post a happy ending. Cheers! P.S. Yes, the mother cat just got back from the vet and won't be having any more kittens!

Answer by bayla
Submitted on 6/21/2004
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Cat pee is a horrible thing. My cat peed on my really expensive rug. Nothing worked to take out the smell. I tried everything. Vinegar worked for a while but then everything smells like vinegar. Not very pleasant. I even had the rug professionally cleaned and it still smelled a little. Other people are correct in saying that febreeze just makes it smell worse. What did help was spraying windex on the backing of the rug. Some say it will may the cat use the bathroom there because it has ammonia in it but my cat hasn't gone again. Now my rug only smell occasionally but at least I didn't have to throw it out. Good luck with everything. Sorry, cat pee seems to ruin everything, it's the worst.

Answer by ivana
Submitted on 6/23/2004
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Mix 1 part water to 3 parts vinegar. Then dampen the area that was urinated on, with the vinegar-water solution. DON'T BLOT. Here is where most people go wrong. Place something semi-heavy that won't absorb the solution, like a large laminated book, on top of the area you are treating. Let the spot dry. Most people don't put anything over it and then the vinegar just evaporates without taking away the urine smell. But if you do place something on top of it the vinegar will have time to neutralize and evaporate the urine. It will take some time for it to dry, several hours. When it is all dry treat the area again, but with 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar. Don't forget to put something over it. After it has dried for the second time, the urine smell should be gone. It may take a couple of days for the vinegar smell to go away. This really does work though.

Answer by cigi
Submitted on 6/30/2004
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My ex roommate had a kitten that pee'd consistenly in one area of the hall carpet. I saw an Arm n Hammer commercial and remembered I had an old box in the freezer. I sprinkled the whole box in the area and left it there for a couple weeks, and there's been no smell since. I finally vaccumed it cause I was having company. Every time I walk by I sniff, and no odor, and we've had some pretty warm weather. But I put more down anyway, to give it a chance to absorb more and neutralize further. (I'm worried about the hardwood floor underneath.) Now after reading this board, I'm concerned about shampooing the area when I do the carpets in a few weeks - that it'll come back. Any specific experience with that - shampooing after having sucessfully removed the odor? Does it come back?

Answer by AV
Submitted on 8/4/2004
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The answer to all this is simple. there is a new Canadian company by the name of Earth Alive Resources. They have an all in one cleaning product that will do the same and more than the UrineOff product, and at least 50% less the cost!!! I found out the hard way to reach them by email as they do not have a web site. they can be reached at: info@earthalive.ca They charged me $25.00 for a 1.5lb powered container, that would give me at least "8 gallons"... considering I was paying $19.95 for Urine all for a 500ml spray bottle... this is a joke!! And this product is all natural, EPA-Dfe, Clean Air Act, pH neutral (not alkaline or acid).. Plus, you will be amazed at to what other things this revolutionary product can do... stainless steel cleaner, glass, chrome, wood, leather, floors, tile and grout, wash your car, and all the while your hands will never become irritated!!! The best thing is that the shelf life is at least 2 years!!! All I have to say is WOW!!! This should be on Ripley's Believe it or Not show.. Oh, the thing can also unclog a toilet (assuming it is not overflowing) without the need of a plunger, chemical, or plumber --- or a man!!! And this is NOT an MLM company or product.. but a great legit BioTech company... hope this helps you all.

Answer by Adrian
Submitted on 8/9/2004
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Hey everyone. I came to this forum in search of a remedy to remove the smell of cat urine. My cat is very territorial over me, and any other cats that come in contact with an item I touch, he'll spray. Not willing to pay $20 some odd bucks for Urine-off plus shipping and tax mind you I decided to browse at my local stores. At my local Safeway (of all places....) I found a product called "OUT! Cat Spray & Urine Stain & Odor Remover". Spraying this product on my couch, and travel bag (both of which were heavily urinated on) the odor was completely removed. This product is identical to Urine-off (I checked the ingredients and everything, it checks out) and it cost only $5.49. Plus, it removed old vomit stains from when my cat was horribly sick a few months ago. This product is great! Check your local Pet store or Safeway for it.

Answer by Chauncy
Submitted on 8/22/2004
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Don't worry! Your problem is not as hard to remedy as you might think. The biggest problem is when you add any moisture to dry urine or dirt in wool area rugs, it only spreads out the urine and dirt! Fortunately, if you have done that, it can STILL be easily cleaned. You will need to clean the rug WITHOUT adding too much moisture. You need to get all that old urine and dirt that's deep down in the rug, and on the backside of the rug, otherwise the stains and odors will keep coming back. We use the PlanetUrine.com UrineOut Powder System EVERYDAY to clean entire traffic areas in homes and to remove very old stains and odors from carpet and upholstery, and it works great! I personally do very expensive wool carpets and rugs using our DRY POWDER cleaning process, with spectacular results. It's at www.PlanetUrine.com Chauncy

Answer by James
Submitted on 8/22/2004
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There's a research company in Columbus, Ohio. I forget the name, but they've figured out how to remove the third, most insidious component of animal urine, which are the acidic chrystals. As it turns out, this is a common component to all urine, including human's but the chrystalline structure varies between species. The chrystals found in human urine actually break down those found in feline urine, destroying them completely and removing not just the currenty smell but all future possibilities (because the crystals are completely gone, not just 'dormant' as pointed out in a prior posting). I can't remember the name of this company but I read some of their research while still in school. Basically, they're trying to simulate the chrystalline structures found in human urine. One could, however, liberally soak the area in human urine after applying various home remedies to remove the other components of the feline urine. Since human urine typically lacks certain other components of feline urine, it is considerably easier to clean up than feline urine. Of course, you would want to give it 1/2 to 1 hour to break down the feline urine or you'll simply have repeat problems. The suggestions of applying feces to the affected areas are simply ludicrous - it's well known that you apply urine to urine stains, not feces.

Answer by nathan
Submitted on 8/26/2004
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8/26/04 I'm tempted to write something completely irrelevant... like a statement about people's grammar... but I just can't bring myself to do it. Sorry I've tried Nature's Miracle on a couple spots, and had mild success. I dumped 1 gallon on each spot, just to make sure I got all the way down there to the pad. I'm pretty sure that was enough. I've now waited 1 month, and had fan's blowing 24/7 on the spots to keep the cats off. If those spots aren't dry by now, they never will be. two possible reasons for the lack of success: 1) I used the regular natures miracle, instead of the cat stuff (never have used it) 2) I shampooed the carpet a few weeks before the cats started marking, and someone above said that the detergents can make it harder to get the job done. Hope this helps.

Answer by honda guy
Submitted on 9/9/2004
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Odo Ban is it. Don't waste your time with any of the enzyme stuff. It will waste your cash. Anyone who says it works is selling it. Here is what I did. 1. Get down on your hands and knees and sniff out exactly where the urine spot is. 2.Pull up your carpet and remove the pad underneth and trash it. Nothing can save it. 3.Get as much of the urine out as possible. I used a dirt devil carpet cleaner. Whatever you do don't dump water on it. You will just cause the smell to spread to the surrounding carpet. Don't dose it with cleaners or enzymes either. The urine will spread out and eventually get into the good pad. You will have to sacrifice more pad. 4.Go to Sams Club, and get the OdoBan. It is about $10 for a gallon. It should come with a spray bottle. If it doesn't get one. 5.Spray on carpet according to the instructions on the bottle. I only had to spray it twice, and the odor gone. It was replaced with a cleaner smell, but that fades with a few days. I don't know if it will keep your cat from soiling that spot again or not, but by the time I reached that point my cat had become an outside resident. I put her out at night and when I go to work. I just wanted the stench to be gone and it is. This will work for you I promise.

Answer by carole
Submitted on 9/18/2004
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The answer by doitherself, is exactly what the site www.stinkypets.com is selling, and it doesn't work (sorry, doitherself). Neither does Natures Miracle. I like the idea of the peroxide breaking down the crystals, and the baking soda to "cleanse" the odor, but mixing them together with laundry detergent did not work. At this point, other than taking up the carpet, and keeping the cat out of the room, maybe the only solution. I'd like to know about the SOX, but could not find it on google. Thanks to those who mentioned sites to locate products. I'm going to rent a carpet shampooer/extractor after trying the peroxide and hope for the best. Plus, keep the cat out of the room until I can remove the carpet.

Answer by Stainhelper
Submitted on 9/21/2004
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Putting odor removers on carpets that don't do much for the "removal of urine odor" is useless. Many over the counter products or home rememedy's try to accomplish to much. The reason why some of these seem to work is, what's being treated is "top surface urine" If someone was willing to tell you who knows and study the subject. You'd find out that for "topicle treatment" you can do a lot with absorbing with a towel and using dish washing liquid diluted to take out that simple concern. Yes I said simple. When it's topical. It's easy. With a little know how you can do it yourself and save. But when it comes to deposited cat urine, you need something all together different, you need a product that will completely kill the urine salts and fats etc. Enzymes. But not just any, you must have "hybrid" that are not 2 or 3 strands of cultures, rather hundreds of strands of the right enzymes with certain types of bacertias. They should be designed for that purpose alone. Not a multiuse product that trys to accomplish everything. Look for one that it's soul existence is the removal of urine. That is were success lyes for you. You can get more info with this free report @ http://www.petstainremoval.com/PetStainRemoval.zip Hope that helps Stainhelper

Answer by grandmasieg
Submitted on 9/28/2004
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Here is my suggestion. I soaked the pad and carpet with a product I got at WalMart called Kids N Pets. You have to pull up the carpet and soak the pad and then the carpet. I let it soak for a day and then ran the carpet cleaner over to pull up all the moisture. I repeated this twice. When the pad and carpet were totally dry I then soaked the pad and carpet with a mixture of Hydrogen Peroxide and baking soda and let that soak. I used the carpet cleaner to pull up all the moisture and when carpet was dry I sprinkled Baking Soda over and let sit for a day. I vacuumed up the Baking Soda and the smell was gone! I hope this works for you! I paid $4.95 for Kids N Pets at WalMart and it had a $4.00 rebate!!!

Answer by JLS
Submitted on 10/14/2004
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I got vinegar to do the job completely because i sniffed every inch and didnt find any trace of stink,but it was a long time ago but i cant remember exactly how i did it except i know i covered it w/ a towel, ive tried it after thinking it would work but it didnt work as well so i think theres a certain way you have to do it (covering it perhaps), also ive heard good things about natures miracle not only from Erik buts its one of the top 6 products @ http://cats.about.com/cs/cleaningmesses/tp/odorout.htm(which theres also helpful info as to how to clean and why they do it and how to retrain them), theres also products that contain phermones that might help keep them from going to that spot again, but the most important thing is to get your cats checked out to see if theres any medical reasons theyre turning your house into a giant litterbox, i will try the natures miracle and let all you know how it works for me

Answer by drbob
Submitted on 10/20/2004
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Ooops-away! Pet odour and stain remover from Enzyme Solutions is a good product which we have found to work well on dog urine, it claims to work on cat urine too: http://www.enzymesolutions.com/retail_products.html It is sold in the UK as Smelleeze, you can get the spray bottles from trycare (bizarrely a chiropody supplies company): http://www.trycare.cfdeveloper.co.uk/html/Chiropody/Products/ShoppingFrameSet.htm go to "Hygiene, Infection Control and Sundries" then "Odour and Stain Remover" to find it. Their number is 01274 885523 I suspect that companies which focus specifically on removing cat urine such as http://www.urine-off.com or http://www.petfresh.co.uk/ are selling the same stuff at inflated prices.

Answer by AngelPuffKitten
Submitted on 11/29/2004
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The only thing I have had some success with is Woolite pet odor and stain remover. After you use this which may take several treatments try Heckles suggestion , the citronella works best . it costs about $5.00 at your local organic food store or any other place that carries oils for that matter. My cats were tagging my front door like crazy a couple of drops did the trick but you'll have to keep on it about once a day. Also in areas that you do not wish to do this place a small amount of food, wet works best but dry smells less. You only need a small amount to distract them from the deed until the habit is broken. Plus cats rarely pee in their food dish. Your house may smell a bit like cat food until the two of you reach an understanding but the smell of catfood is better then pee any day of the week and the bowls rinse out much easier than the capeting. Best wishes and Good Luck, Angel Puff Kitten

Answer by JillyBee
Submitted on 12/26/2004
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Hi every one! I think I've found a great solution--cheap and easy too! I was desperate to get my cat's stains out--it was getting bad. After searching the web and seeing that bacteria and/or enzymes were the only thing that would work permanently on stains and odors I shifted into "science experiment" mode and tried milk--didn't work, orange juice--kinda worked, then LEMON JUICE!!!! worked great! I even black light checked the stains and they had reduced to almost completely gone to totally gone! (I plan on buying more lemon juice to get out the rest of the stains--I only had a small bottle) It didn't change the color of the carpet, but to be safe try it in an inconspicuous place. Good luck!

Answer by AmyJanel
Submitted on 4/16/2005
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I wanna tell you all that I understand your feelings about your cats! I have five inside cats and had the same problem when we moved into a new house! I was ready to toss their fuzzy butts outside. I know you all have your differences so I don't wanna step on any toes, sorry if this didn't work for you. THIS REALLY WORKED WELL FOR ME!! I first shampooed my carpets with odor killer carpet shampoo(any brand will work). I then mixed beach in with the shampoo and water. NOT to much remember you can mess up your carpet on harm you animals. You need to find a hidden spot on your carpet to check for any sign of color change watch for about five to ten minutes to be sure your safe to start. If you need to, add more water. NEVER USE AMMONIA!! Cat pee has Ammonia in it and that will only make the smell worse!! The beach will work if you really soak it in to the carpet and then go over it with plain water to make sure you got it all out of the carpet. You should then call your local Vet. and ask about a spray that will help. I bought this at my vets office. Its around $13.00. Its a small bottle. You just spray a little every morning in the spots that you know your cat pees in! NOT to close to the litter box. I don't remember the name of the spray, I am sure your vet will know just what it is. I have also noticed that if your cat has a favorite spot to go they will return there when you stop spraying. This might happen. If this does happen to you then the only way to save you carpet and you house from the smell is to put a litterbox over the spot. I had to do this for one of my cats. And of all the places it was in the living room in a corner. I just put the litterbox inside a pet-carer and you cant even tell that its in there. I hope this will work for you like it did me. REMEMBER THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CAN USE TO STOP IT FOREVER! YOUR CATS WILL REMEMBER WHERE THEY WENT PEE EVEN IF THEY CAN'T SMELL IT. THE SPRAY REALLY ONLY WORK BY TELLING YOUR CANT THAT THEY DON'T BELONG THERE, WHEN THEY SMELL IT. ONE DAY THE SMELL OF THE SPRAY WILL WARE OFF AND THEY MAY RETURN. THEN TRY THE LITTERBOX. GOOD LUCK!

Answer by den
Submitted on 4/22/2005
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I have a leather couch with a tough fabric on the undersides of the cushions and thick foam inside the cushions. We rarely sit on it and it's in another part of the house. By the time I found out that the cat was using it for his litter box, he'd gone SEVERAL times and there were lots of new and old spots. It reeked and I thought I'd have to discard the couch. But instead, I tried to clean it... I got the "ALL" FREE AND CLEAR laundry detergent, mixed it with a little water and scrubbed the fabric with a hard scrub brush. Then I mixed equal parts water with SIMPLE GREEN (this will discolor some stuff, so colorfast test is necessary). Sprayed that on and scrubbed like a mad woman again. Got the rug cleaner out and loaded it up with regular carpet cleaner soap and water. Did regular upholstery cleaning on the cushions. After sucking out most of the water with the rug vac, I took a huge box of baking soda and covered the backs of the cushion and dumped it inside the cushions. Made a wet sticky mess and so I let the cushions air dry for about a week. Finally went and scrubbed the dried baking soda spots with a brush to loosen them and vacuumed up that mess. It was a lot of work and a lot of time, but I am happy to say that the sofa is still in house, doesn't smell at all, and the cat has never peed on it again! Now he's going on my carpet...a whole nuther problem. Anyway, good luck if you try my way.

Answer by FatBlackCat
Submitted on 4/28/2005
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I have read some people suggesting bleach and I thought it would be a good thing to point out that mixing bleach and ammonia (found in pee) is a bad thing. The mixture can cause a chemical reaction producing such things as chlorine gas which is to say the least not pleasent and very dangerous. I found this out the hard way when I was cleaning some pee on tile. I thought well what better to use then bleach. When I poured it on the pee it fizzed up and I thought that was a confirmation it was working. A minute later my eyes were watering, nose was running and I was reaching for the door. Later on I found this out from my sister (a chemistry teacher) and confirmed it on the web. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A795611 Now have used it before on pee spots with no noticable problem, but this time I poured it directly on a puddle and probably cost me a couple year of my lungs. Just an FYI. Oh and I am currently battling the carpet pee issue. I am going to give the urine-off stuff a try. Crossing my fingers!

Answer by srd
Submitted on 5/5/2005
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Steve - thanks for the chemistry. I knew most of it, and now can decide how to deal with my own problems. I am not one to shell out big$ for products that (mostly) I can make. The chem is what I needed to do this. I have read a lot here and some of it is nonsense and some is actually pretty good. 1st - ammonia is a bad idea. Animal urine is either high in ammonia or high in urea and these chemicals are connected. Putting ammonia down is not much different from adding more urine. It might help dissolve the crystals a little - that is about it. 2nd - earth lovers - solvents are the only chemical I have read here that I know to not be earth-friendly. Varsol'sodor comes from a chemical reaction with the air and that smell is a toxin to your pets - of course they don't like it. It lasts as long as it takes all of the chemical to completely oxidize into the atmosphere. However, any good solvent such as acetone, gasoline.... will remove the cat urine. I strongly recommend against them!!!! They will dissolve many types of carpet fibers and dies used to color them - not to mention they make your house a little more flammable. 3- you will need a good bacterial remover. These removers contain small amounts of bacterial spores that become a harmless bacteria that eat the crystals. Many industrial cleaners employ this type of cleanser as it is one of the least toxic and most effective methods of cleaning. Just because it has a "bacteria" doesn't mean its bad - you wouldn't be alive if your intestines weren't full of them. 4th - vinegar is not a bad idea for small problems. It is also good at cleaning litter boxes. Baking soda (which is almost the same thing as oxyclean - but not quite) would be equally effective. 5- Any good diaper purifier should work. However, cat urine is a bit more concentrated and has much higher amounts of crystals than humans so that the scent can be used for territorial marking. Bacteria can be used on detergents cleaned areas so long as the detergents are not anti-bacterial. These detergents are broken down in water treatment facilities by bacterial digestion. They are just equipped with the ones that are not harmed by the anti-bacterials. 6 - I can't help myself but to respond to this. Poop/feces - it is neutral in chemistry and relatively anhydrous (or should be) so it could just add an extra ugly color and smell to your problem more than anything. The bile in it is probably not very helpful for the urine as bile is a descendant of the same chemical that gives urine its yellow color (uroBILin). Therefore, it is probably just going to make your situation much, much worse. However, if you feel the need to defecate on your carpet, I am assuming you aren't concerned about the cat urine in your carpet. I would even say that it is likely that your cat moved out. They are clean animals by nature and generally don't defecate just anywhere unless something is wrong.

Answer by soukie
Submitted on 5/11/2005
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Thank you for your help. The most helpful advice was the black light. We actually bought a 6" one first, and thought it was great, but because our problem is so large, I went and bought a 12" one at Petsmart (29.99CAN) and it was 5x's as good. So good in fact, we bought another one (that my friend will take of my hands later). The urine def. has a gold/green crystal glow. We thought we had cleaned really well, but the light showed that in some cases it had just been smeared around. Be prepared to be shocked by what you see with the light! The enzyme remover from the pet store worked well (Stinky something), and I am going to go to the baby store to see if Diaper Pure is any cheaper (I used it on my kid's diapers years ago).

Answer by Jackie
Submitted on 5/13/2005
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I believe I may have found the best product yet. I had already used a variety of methods and products to remove cat urine odor from my carpet, including straight alcohol. Absolutely, NOTHING worked permanently. If this proves to keep working without multiple applications, I may go broke on this product since I can find EVERY spot with the black light it comes with. This product is called "Stink Free Instantly!" So far, so good! I don't know yet if the spot still appears with the black light after it dries (I forgot to keep track of some of the areas I used it on). However, it's been 2 days and I must say, it seems to work very well. Some of these spots are years old. I like the fresh scent of the product. I only had a sample size.

Answer by Catfood Recipe
Submitted on 6/2/2005
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You know everyone has provided every option under the sun. Here's one that's a bit out of the box: Cat food recipe Ingredients: 1 stick of celery 1 carrot 1 onion 1 cube chicken stock 2 cups noodles salt & pepper to taste 2 quarts water 1 cat Cooking tools: 1 Pot 1 Electric shaver Instructions: Add water to pot and bring to a boil. Add stock. Chop vegetables and add to water. While water is being brought to a boil, find the cat and skin using the electric shaver. Add the cat to the water. Be certain to place the top on the pot or the cat may jump out. Bring to slow boil. Add noodles after two hours. Boil for another 20 minutes. Serves 4. Makes great cat food. No more pee.

Answer by bassnympho
Submitted on 6/20/2005
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omigod! people who understand what i have to deal with!... i love my cats very much! but codeine (my first born), shes always had a problem with peeing by the front door, except this 1 place i lived for a yr, there she would sometimes pee on the bathroom mat, but not the front door( the house had just been renovated and had brand new carpets.... but my new apartment, my landlord threatened 2 evict me, and made me pay to rip out carpet and have linoleum put in front hallway. but then my cat started peeing on my bathroom mat. so i got rid of that, but then my boyfriend moved in, and shes been peeing on a carpet at the foot of my bed., its gone, i steamed clean several times i have both felaway spray and diffuser, i took her 2 the vet and everything, now my room reeks like pee. i have been out of natures miracle though, I'llpick some up 2morrow , and hopefully it works! but i don't know what 2 do.... i would never give up my cats, but this urine thing is getting so frustrating!!!

Answer by Loa
Submitted on 6/22/2005
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I need help...I have 3 cats in the house, all male and all nuetured (sp). All of a sudden someone started peeing and pooping behind my brother's TV in the basement. I have used 3 huge bottles of Nature's Miracle on the spots. It did get rid of the smell but the cat(s) are still peeing there. Finally my brother just ripped up the carpet and I used another huge bottle. (meanwhile they are $22 a bottle) I also bought 2 Feliway products which are suppossed to deter peeing and plugged them into the socket next to the pee area. A couple of days ago the awful smell came back. I bought a black light and found out where there were more spots next to the edge of the ripped up carpet. AND I put aluminum foil down to scare them or deter from the area. They are still peeing....help!! please post help here or email at loaharris1002@yahoo.com

Answer by Cat lover
Submitted on 6/28/2005
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We had tried EVERYTHING. We started with our steam cleaner and carpet cleaner, then tried Nature's Miracle, professional cleaners (cleaning both sides of the carpet), replaced the pad, painted the floor, etc. Still stunk. Sometimes whatever we'd tried would seem to work for a short period of time but the smell would always come back when it was humid. It turns out that Nature's Miracle and other enzyme treatments only work if you haven't applied detergent (or at least that's what we heard after the fact). Then we heard about another treatment. We soaked up as much urine and chemicals as we could using our steam cleaner, then mixed 1 qt hydrogen peroxide, 1 cup baking soda, and 1 tsp anti-bacterial hand soap. We applied it immediately to the carpet, blotted it, let it air dry, then vacuumed. Steam cleaned to remove baking soda residue. The smell never came back.

Answer by Cindy
Submitted on 6/29/2005
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Just wanted to tell you all, thank you sooo much for your suggestions..I took a combo of them all and it worked beautifully..:-) First, I used spray and wash (panic mode) then oxiclean ...then I poured vinegar on top because I knew she would hate the smell..then I used Hydrogen Proxide on top of that..I wish I had skipped all of it and went straight to the hydrogen proxide..could have saved myself tons of vinegar smell..LOL Anyway, she didn't go anywhere near it after all that (I caught the stain immediately, I think that helped..) Anyway, my final step (and this was just to be sure she wouldn't go back) was to get the urine-off product. I'm not sure that I needed it, but it was worth having it just to be sure. For those of you in Canada, go to the urine-off site and look under the Quebec link..he is the only one that will ship it out (I guess he is the rep for all of Canada) I tried having one of the animal hospitals ship but they just gave me his name and number and I went from there..It's $20.00 Canadian and $10.00 to ship. It's been a month and my cat seems to have no interest in returning to the spot. One little side note...This may sound silly but I made a point of not cleaning the spot when she was around...I put her out of the room (after making sure she used the litter box:-)) Just so she wouldn't see me cleaning it and be curious all over again..by the time I let her out, everything was back to normal save the vinegar smell:-)

Answer by Cindy
Submitted on 6/29/2005
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Ok, I don't think this answer went up the first time I posted it so I will try again... Thanks so much to all of you for helping me with this problem. I took all of your suggestions and did a bit of a combo platter that has worked beautifully:-) First I put spray and wash on the stain (desperation move) Then oxiclean, then vinegar (I figured the smell would keep her away) Then Hydrogen Proxide..(I wish I had done this first) After all that was done she had no interest in returning to the spot..but wanting to be sure I went to the urine-off site and ordered their product. For those of you in Canada it's $20.00 with $10.00 for shipping and the animal hospitals won't ship it out..you need to look under the Quebec link and get the name of the distributor for all of Canada...or you can call the listed animal hospital in your province and they will give you his name. It's been a month now and she shows no interest in returning to the spot. I caught it early, but I also made sure she wasn't around when I cleaned it because I didn't want any renewed interest in the spot...so when in doubt, try a combo..it worked for me:-) Thanks so much

Answer by Taryn
Submitted on 7/15/2005
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I have a year old male cat that seems to be territorial when it comes to my 2 year old female cat. They're both fixed, yet he still seems to see the need to urinate on things (our bed specifically). We lived in terror for the last 8 months putting plastic drop sheets on our bed when we wake up in the morning. We would constantly be sniffing for cat urine and once in a while would find it in our couch as well. There was no stopping him. Our vet tipped us off to Nature's Miracle. We recently bought a very expensive couch set, and the cat gave us a nice hearty slap in the face by urinating on it within the first month. And the icing on the cake was the droppings right next to the couch. Last straw buddy! I hate to say it but I can't live in fear of his bladder anymore, he's going to the pound. As for the Nature's Miracle, we've soaked it into the affected parts of the couch and rug, but the smell is still faintly there. We're going to wait a few days like the bottle said and hope that our new couch isn't ruined. Could care less about the rug. Just thought I'd share my horror story. I know what you're going through guys.

Answer by %NaturalICE%
Submitted on 7/17/2005
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Here is a suggestion to clean your urine out replace whatever it peed on and then get rid of the cat. You're never gonna get the smell out, sorry if it doesn't sound very nice but it is the truth. I don't understand how you people can sit and let a cat pee on your belongings especially since some of the stuff you have mentioned is pretty expensive, i.e. couches, lazy boys, rugs. Whether you like it or not it isn't very economical or sensible to keep an animal that is destroying your property, in many cases over and over again as many of you said they pee in the same spot. I also think I speak for everyone when I say that no one likes to visit or stay in a house that smells like cat pee, cause its smells awful and makes the owner seem like a dirtball.

Answer by Jman
Submitted on 8/5/2005
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I am having the same problem lately, and this is a female cat of only 10 months. I bought new bathroom rugs because of it, and she still urinated on them. I even bought cat repellent stuff to put on the rugs before I laid them down-"no mark","four paws", and "citrus". Nothing worked. I always know when she does it because she musses the rugs up trying to cover her urine-thats how I always know to look before I smell it. I think I must be used to the smell :-(. When I got her, I made her a strictly indoor cat. But now it looks like I'll have to make her outside only :-( I wish I could figure out how to stop the habit, as it has just started the last couple of weeks...........as far as I know-like I said, I'm probably just used to the odor.

Answer by catterson
Submitted on 8/7/2005
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I made some catnip tea because I happened to notice my cats don't seem to urinate where I sprinkle catnip. I added a few teaspoons of alcohol to the solution and I use this as as a deterrent. Since catnip is quite expensive I ordered it bulk from the Internet. I simply boil the catnip in water, cool and strain it. I add alcohol to help with drying time. I spray it all over the house. I use simple-green, available at Costco for my cleaning as it doesn't contain ammonia. It also works well for cleaning windows. I have some areas that I am still working on getting previous stains out of. I think I am going to try either water/vinegar or bleach/vinegar before spending anymore money on commercial products. Thanks for all the information this site has provided. Also, I am slowly going to replace all carpeted areas with tile. Since I am doing it myself, it is quite affordable. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.

Answer by Lynn
Submitted on 8/8/2005
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Hey guys, I've been battling my two cats for years trying to get them to stop peeing on my carpet. Doesn't matter where I move or what I do, they find a spot and make it their new pee place. They still use the litter, but mark this one particular spot on a regular basis. I was ready to lose my mind and on the verge of taking them to the pound. But, I finally found something that takes the odor out. It's called Odor Secret and can be bought at http://www.selmedica.com/odorsecret/ It's a two part system that you have to mix together and must use within 15 minutes of mixing, but it works. The smell is gone completely. I still can't seem to get the cats to stop peeing on the carpet, but when they do it, I can get rid of the smell. Good luck to all, I feel for you. Hope this helps.

Answer by Nature_luver
Submitted on 8/10/2005
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Hi All, I'm new here. So last night I did the routine, and took the litter box to the bathroom to clean it out. During that one minute time frame, one of my 6 year old cats peed where the box would be, on the carpet. I was horrified, because she's never done this, except one time when we placed her food too close to the box, and that was at least on cement. I'm thinking that maybe she really, really had to go. I know it's not an infection because she's prone to them, and I know what to look for. I cleaned it with Nature's Miracle last night, and after reading your site, I think I'm going to take the carpet cleaner out and put oxiclean in it. Do you think it's ok to mix the two? Should I spray the area with vinegar when I'M done, or will this be too close to the litter box, and deter her from going in the box? I just don't know what to do....Thanks. ~Keri

Answer by J3nnyLu
Submitted on 8/21/2005
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My 1 yr. old male cat has been peeing right outside the closet door in my office!Because of the carpet color I couldnt see exactly where or how much... I poured some baking soda down, and within minutes the whole stain was outlined! I vaccumed it up, but I know there is still more down deeper... I have also POURED the Nature's Miracle over the spot many times, but I still smell it. Im not sure if I am not pouring enough or what? Right now I just poured some kitty litter over the area, to soak up as much as i can... then Ill vaccum that... I thought about the vinegar, but wont that leave a vinegar ish smell? yuck! let me know!Im looking into the other products mentioned on here... Good luck all!

Answer by Suzi
Submitted on 8/30/2005
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I am so with all you guys with cats pee. I have been clearing up for 7 hours straight now - each time I think I've nailed it, that unmistakable bouquet hits my nose again. My 2 female kittens (now 7 weeks) have managed to 'decorate' an entire L shape around a carpeted room - as I cleaned one area I'd put something in their way so they would find it harder next time, so the little so and sos went and just moved on a step. I am SO SO SO SICK OF THE SMELL OF CAT PEE I COULD SCREAM. I have singlehandedly taken all furniture out of the room, pulled up the edges of all carpet and scrubbed with a strong biological washing powder solution front and back of carpet and floorboards, then sprinkled dry powder on top - figure I'll deal with chalky mess with vacuum later. Fingers crossed the enzymes in the powder do the trick (figured if kids pee the bed you wash it with that so may help me now) :)

Answer by Anonymous
Submitted on 10/2/2005
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Sometimes, though not always, urinating outside of the litter can be an indication that your cat is sick. If your cat is sick, with a urinary tract infection for example, they will usually not urinate in their cat box. They will urinate somewhere else outside of the box. Likewise, if a sick cat does use the litter box, and you have more than one cat, the healthy cats will not use the 'contaminated' litterbox. Sometimes the animal's apparent bad behavior is for a very good reason. This is just a reminder since I know some frustrated pet owners beat their pets, road-side dump them, or have them put down, for their non-human, natural animal behavior. This doesn't account for all unwanted spraying and urinating, but it can be an indication of a health problem. So please be patient with, and kind to, our fury friends. Also take them for regular vet visits if you can afford it.

Answer by Crystal
Submitted on 10/10/2005
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If your cat begins peeing on furniture, rugs, clean laundry, etc. after using the litter box consistently before, bring her to the vet so they can check for a urinary tract infection. This has happened to my cat twice.... ruining two couches and two loveseats in the process (1 pair was leather so I could not find anybody to clean it). The vet explained that with a urinary tract infection the cat basically thinks the litter box is trying to kill it...so it pees in other places to avoid impending doom. Nature's Miracle worked well for me. Just follow the directions closely and wait 2 weeks before deciding if it has worked or not. The odor elimination happens during the drying process, so the smell may remain until it is dried thoroughly.

Answer by CANDIBEAR
Submitted on 10/20/2005
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I have found 3 things that worked! One is coffee, diluted so that it does not stain your rug. Cats hate the smell of coffee. Just put the coffee grounds where the smell is and keep adding distilled water. Distilled water is the key as tap water and other water is cleaned with different chemicals. Another is lemon juice you by from the store. Spray on the carpet and leave sit. It takes the smell away and leaves your room with a lemon scent instead. It may take a few applications but it does do the trick. Another is rubbing alcohol. test an area first to make sure that it does not take the color out of the carpet. If color is good after it completely dries use on the stained area. Cats REALLY hate rubbing alcohol. I tried each one in a different room and all worked great. I noticed my cats did not like the smell of coffee and I came up with the idea myself. And a good way to keep cats away from the same area is to sprinkle coffee grounds all over the carpet and vacuum a few days later. Please let me know how it goes!

Answer by willowcat
Submitted on 11/13/2005
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I have four cats, and three of my four cats were peeing everywhere all over the house for territorial reasons (they are all spayed, by the way)I tried Feliway diffuser and spray and spent a fortune on the stuff but didn't work. But I found a miracle! This is a fairly unknown remedy that my vet prescribed as a last resort to make cats stop peeing all over the house. Prozac! Yes, the same Prozac prescribed to humans for depression works wonders on cats. I give them 1.5 ml of liquid Prozac per cat per day. They need to take it for 2 months, but the effect is almost immediate. They absolutely HATE taking it, and it's a fight to give it to them, but it's worth the trouble.

Answer by Jane
Submitted on 11/28/2005
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Use Nature's Miracle. If you have used another product before hand, you need to wait at least 2 weeks - per Nature's Miracle Customer Service Rep. After that, SOAK the area with Nature's Miracle and allow to dry. This stuff is not cheap and you cannot skimp or it will not do the trick. But if you are willing to spend the money and buy lots of it, drench the area and wait, it will remove the odor. I have tried many products on car urine and this is the only one that has worked for me. If you cats will be in the room while the area is drying, cover the area in a plastic sheet or foil with holes in it for ventilation. The product will cause the odor to be stronger while it is wet, and if you don't cover the area it might attrack the cat to wet on the rug once again. The key is to soak the area! You can get this product cheaper at Petsmart.com than in the store, just wait for a free shipping offer before you order!