As much as people love their cats, and we know that love is boundless, there are certain aspects of life with pets that can be a challenge — odors being top of the "arrgh" list for many. We dug through our archives for some reader intelligence on the issue and according to our commenters, here are three top tips to try&hellip
ENZYME CLEANERS:
• From Jennifer
I have a cat and the things that have worked the best are Nature's miracle (white bottle with red printing) or a deodorizer called XO odor eliminator. I had a closet in an apartment that I just couldn't find the source of the smell and the XO stuff knocked it out and left a fresh, but light scent.
• From Susan
PetZyme (try PetSmart) is an enzyme cleaner that can work for small problems. If it is an item like a throw pillow, bag, etc, saturate it and throw it in a large plastic bag and seal it so things stay damp for a few days, allowing the enzymes to work rather than dry out. Anything that doesn't take care or for larger places try Simple Solution's Oxy Odor Destroyer-- buy the powder so you can mix your own solutions. Allows you to vary the strength plus goes farther. That works extremely well, even on old stains and odors. I have an extremely sensitve sense of smell and can no longer pick up any cat urine scent. Works well in the laundry too. Best wishes!
• From Rob
I've had some good luck in my own apartment with using some of the enzyme based pet cleaners that were recommended by my local pet shop. Not all of them are the same, so you mught want to start with the small bottles to see which ones offer you the most improvement. I've taken to keeping a big bottle of Nature's Miracle (tm) around.
LAMPE BERGER:
• From Stacey
I have a "Lampe Berger." It's a kind of oil lamp with a catalytic converter. It clears rooms of odor - you can use a scented oil or non-scented. I've found it good for getting rid of lingering smells (cigarette smoke, cooking) though never had to deal w/cat pee. Anyway, they're a bit pricey ($30 and up) and you have to buy the oil, but they do work.
• From Edmond
I have a cat and it pretty much lives in my room. Cat urine is not the big problem, it is cat poo as the litterbox is in my room. Ok, besides replacing the litter every so often, I used Lampe Berger and gosh did it work. It was a miracle. My family wanted to throw the cat out, but now that the smell is gone the cat's here to stay
• From Jwo Yee
Over from where I come from, Lampe Berger is the ultimate way of killing odor. I had a cupboard used to store food that stinked like cockroaches. Decided to pop the Lampe into the cupboard one day, closed it for 10 minutes, and not only did the roaches pour out of the cupboard like rats running from a flood, the cupboard smells like cinnamon now..
VINEGAR:
• From Carol
I clean the soiled areas with clear vinegar and water (2:1 ratio). Works real well.
• From AJ
The secret is to clean the spot with vinegar and water before you use anything on it. Other cleaners can destroy the enzyme, so make sure to clean it with a solution of vinegar and water several times, then use Nature's Miracle. Use it on the area around the trouble spot also, sometimes several times as big as the problematic spot. Make sure to soak it with the product. If you use it just on part of the spot, it's not going to do any good. Some people say extend the area by 5 times of what you see with the black light if you have thick carpet padding. You can also buy a syringe (as large as a turkey baster) and use it from "inside out" by poking through the carpet and soaking it from underneath.
• From Alex
My cat has peed twice (large puddles) in the same spot on my carpet. I usually sprinkle baking soda then dump white vinegar down and scrub as it foams.
What works for you? Please share your tips on removing cat odors in the comments below …
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My ex kept the cats. After 10 years living with cats and having to deal with litter-box and cat spraying (they're neutered, apparently from stress), and cat hair everywhere, I am now pet-free in my place. Yeah! I occasionally go over to play with them and leave when I had enough.
Litterbox stank used to permeate my whole studio apartment no matter how often I cleaned the thing. But then I bought Scoop Away multi-cat litter, and the smell stays contained--I'd say you can only smell something odd within a couple feet of the litterbox now.
Open the windows.
That said - AT REALLY needs a pet-specific forum...
I regularly run an air purifier in my apartment and it does wonders in keeping the air fresh.
My boyfriend is allergic to cats. Our friends that live together have two long haired cats. He is able to go over to their apartment and not even get itchy eyes or sneeze at all because they use a lampe berger. I know for a fact it helps with cleaning the air.
I clean my litterbox every other day, brush my cat once a week, and bathe him once a month and have zero problems with pet odors.
I've used hydrogen peroxide on wood floors. It helps to bleach out the stain as well as get rid of the odor...but be aware, it takes time. You have to pour on the hydrogen peroxide, let it bubble up...use a scrub brush on it and let it dry, don't wipe it up. It may smell for a bit, so it is best to do it before you go to bed. When it dries the stain should be lighter and the smell will be gone. To fully get rid of stains, you may need to do several applications.
@sarahisaghost - Same here!
I only have the one cat, but that Scoop Away Multi-Cat is the best!
@heatherdazy - I also brush my cat and give her the occasional bath when she's more scratchy or oily. That definitely works, too.
in a pinch I've rubbed cut lemons, baking soda and salt on a wood floor to get out pee -- the cats are getting old and sometimes get i nte box and pee oput the door. At least I think it is unintentinal. And I scoop the litter box every night -- it only takes a minute and I am sure the cats like it. I have spent a fair amount of time in latrines so I presume the cats, like me, appreciate a clean one. No one has ever complained of a cat smell.
One thing I feel should be said:
DO NOT USE BLEACH!
The chlorine in bleach will react with the ammonia in cat urine and the chemical reaction releases chlorine gas - which can actually kill you.
There's a good article about the chemical reaction here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A795611
Doesn't take more than high school level chemistry to understand - very well-written.
We have 3 boy cats and 1 girl. The Tidy Cat Breeze litter box is great for many cats & for vacations. It's leaves no odor because it has a big diaper in the bottom. (except for #2, which sits on top. Since it's in the bathroom it gets scooped up immediately.) We have 2 of these boxes. Instead of using the clay pellets for letter, I use the newspaper based pellets, it's less costly and disposable.
I keep a spray bottle of Natures Miracle Urine Destroyer to lightly spray post-pee.
The best purchase I made was to buy a small FloMaster pump sprayer from the garden section. It's good for everything; I clean my floors, showers, litterboxes and sofa with it. Renting a Rug Doctor + Upholstery kit every other month ($35 at Home Depot) is also essential. I FlowMaster everything before hand then use really hot water to vacuum everything up. The Anti-foam is a must if you are vacuuming enzyme cleaner.
Urine Destroyer smells the best & cost the most. The Simple Solution smells like a hospital but it is the cheapest and gets the job done. Good luck!
We have no issues with odors from our kitty, but unfortunately she likes to gobble up her food rather quickly and will sometimes throw it back up. This is fine if we are home and hear her gagging but if we aren't we come home to a big mess and stained carpet. Any tips for getting pet stains out of carpet?
a miracle cat litter: fresh step for multiple cats. i recently made the switch because the store was out of my normal tidy cat and will never go back. there's no "cat litter odor" right out of the box (that ultimately turns in the "funky cat litter odor" once used). i'm in love.
now if i could just teach the cats to vacuum their fur off the floor/ everything in the apartment.
Nature's Miracle is my go-to for getting the smell out of carpet. Often, it will take more than one application (and a saturated one at that) for it to fully eradicate the smell. Even so, you have to wait two full weeks to let the enzymes work. I was starting to lose hope, but patience proved that my new bedroom won't forever smell like cat pee (they were stressed with the move and took the opportunity to eliminate inappropriately for the first time ever).
In the basement of my new home, Nature's Miracle didn't work quite as well on the threshold between the dining room and a closet. I fear it had gotten into the wood and subfloor because it just wouldn't go away after a month of trying. My contractor told me to put full strength bleach on it, which if not for being the last resort, I would not have done. Note to everyone: it reacted similarly to mixing multiple cleaning products, so I had to leave the windows open and not go downstairs for a day. The upside...2 months later and no pee-pee smell.
For the traditional litterbox, I dump out all the litter and give it a good scrubbing with a diluted bleach solution and let it dry in the sun. The plastic holds the ammonia smell over time, making it seem like the litter itself is dirty.
I also have a Cat Genie litterbox which washes the plastic granules twice a day and keeps things from getting too funky.
@michelou - my friend's cat does the same thing; he will eat his food too fast and then throw up. my friend put a small size rock in the cat's food bowl and she said it's been working well.
For stained carpet from cats throwing up, we've found Resolve for pet stains to be the best--it works even on set in stains.
I have 6 cats and am often complimented on how much my home doesn't smell like it. I do clean often and found it helps immensely to open the windows to let things air out. I also strongly prefer the Scoopaway mulitple cats cat litter. I highly recommend feeding your cat a decent quality cat food; it does make a difference in the amount of odor of what comes out the other end and cuts back on how often they vomit/have hairballs. I also brush and bath my cats on a regular basis. And natures miracle, vinegar, and baking soda are my go-to's for when there is a stain/odor to remove.
Cat is 16 years old so she gets brushed everyday and the litter box get scooped twice a day.
I second the Resolve for pet stains, that gets anything out from a beige carpet, odor included. My roommate used to sneak more food to my cat behind by back until my cat went into her room (the only room with carpet) and upchucked the entire dinner. Lesson learned.
Neat about the rock trick, have to remember that one.
I second (or third) the Fresh Step for Multiple Cats. Also any or all of the following: run an air purifier 24/7 in the litter box room (Honeywell makes a decent one that costs about $45); use about an inch and a half of litter in the box & just dump & refill the litter every day; comb/brush the critters daily & regularly vacuum carpets, floors & furniture. Also, as bepsf said, you could just open the window ....
If you scoop the litter every day and change it regularly, there shouldn't be any smell. It's minimal effort and I'm sure the cats appreciate it.
Kids-n-Pets enzymatic cleaner is my favorite, but Nature's Miracle is a close second.
That said, if you REALLY want to nip odors in the bud, feed your cats raw chicken (along with taurine-rich cat vitamins). Their coats will be silky soft, and there will be absolutely no litterbox odor. I mean NONE. I have 5 cats in 850 square feet, two litterboxes, and no odor at all.
The only downside is they drag the chicken legs all around, which means my kitchen usually looks like a charnel house. Cats love the chicken...they'll reduce a drumstick to a half-inch of dry bone in no time flat.
Plus, chicken feeding is cheap! $1 per day per cat. Much better than most canned foods, and once again...
NO STINK AT ALL! :)
Echoing trackbike: scoop the litter regularly. We scoop every time our cat uses her box (as soon as we notice, anyway), and we rarely have lingering odour. We also use 'Yesterday's News' litter (made from recycled newspaper) and it absorbs the smell really well.
For Freshening the litter box between scoops: Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer.
For Messes on the Carpet: Arm & Hammer Pet Stain & Odor Remover Plus Oxy Clean
Wow, am I a walking ad for Arm & Hammer or what? That stuff just works.
There is the smell in textiles, smell from wood or other hard surface, mess from hairball or gastric regurgitation, and smell directly from litter box.
But for a kind of lingering odor, I use a Smell Killer Classics in 2 rooms. It actually works well in my house. It's just a shallow, square rubber dish with a stainless steel disc. Fill with water so that it does not cover disc completely. Refill often if you live in a dry climate (Phoenix, AZ) and clean dish periodically (it does get a bit slimy). I'm dying to try the new version, Smell Killer XL, which is even pricier than the original.
You all have otherwise dealt with the subject of stinky and messy very well.
looks like im getting a lampe berger!!
natures miracle really works, and as for litterbox... one of my kats took a nasty poop one day and it was so disgusting i threw the box away, intending to buy a new one right then. forgot to, and voila, now they poop outside.
For all who use the clay cat litter, you need to be wary... My mom used it with her cats and they developed lung cancer. If you think about it all that dust is ingested by your cat or it gets on their paws and they lick it off. They crystal litters have silica in it which is a carcinogen (also causes cancer). There is much research to back up my comment, just google it. There are many organic litters out there that will do the trick and they are made with corn and other food bi-products. My preference is Nature's miracle corn husk litter. My cats love it and it keeps down the smell and it actually clumps well enough. The only thing is it tracks places, but I just put down a rug in front of the litter that collects most of it.
I have a Lampe Berger and I love it! Pricey, but beautiful, and it works.
I recommend Ex-Stink for cat urine odors. It works well on carpet; put it below the carpet on the carpet pad if you can.
Last time I went apartment hunting, I found a great place except for one thing: it had been repeatedly sprayed by an intact male cat. The landlord had replaced the carpet, carpet pad, and re-painted, but the smell remained. I treated the place with Ex-Stink, sprinkling it on all the bad areas and leaving it in place for about two weeks. In one bad area of a closet, I had to leave the Ex-Stink on for two months. But the smell was completely gone. I lived there for five years.
Ex-Stink is also great for upholstered furniture and mattresses that have been cat-ified.
For cat barf on carpet, Woolite Oxy Deep spray for carpet is great.
I have six cats. Litter I prefer is Tidy Cat Small Spaces (even though our house if 2000 sf+. Litter is scooped EVERY day. Cats eat Blue Buffalo Wilderness dry food and get DentaBite treats once a week. If cats are peeing outside the box, see your vet. It's usually a sign of a health problem. I also used a lavender scented room deodorizer plug-in and a Feliway plug-in.
We sooooo need a pet forum!
My cat has only had a protest peeing issue when I left town for work regularly. I used Nature's Miracle, like everyone else.
He's a puker, though, and if I use a brush with Resolve. That helps. Our current apartment has almost white rugs, and I swear by Resolve now. I spray it on, and use a brush to work the stain out. I shudder to think what the floors would look like if I hadn't found this.
I haven't used it personally but my cat vet recommends a product called Anti-Icky-Poo. Seriously. That is the real name of this product. http://www.antiickypoo.com/
When I moved into my new house, one of my cats wasn't adjusting very well and soiled the couch. I cleaned the upholstery with detergent, and replaced the cushion foam. I quickly learned that although I could not smell the odor, cats have a keen sense and can smell where they've gone before. He did it again! I discovered an enzyme product called Anti-Icky Poo (funny), and it worked beautifully. It's very easy to use and leaves a fresh scent, but not a masking one. Additionally, I used a room diffuser called Feliway - it's a "friendly pheromone" that calmed all of my cats down and helped them adjust to their new space!
Believe it or not, I found Trader Zen's Multi-purpose cleaner (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3589/3568611680_ee337558cd.jpg) to work very well on removing smells from furniture. My kitty peed on a cushion, and as well as I could wash it and dry it out, the distinct scent lingered. This stuff is grain-alcohol based and scented with essential oils of sage and cedar. Knowing the old theatre-trick of keeping costumes "fresh" during the run of a play without time to launder by spraying them with diluted rubbing alcohol, I thought I'd just spray this stuff on the cushion to see if it worked the same way. Voilá, the next day, no cat scent remained.
If you scoop the litter every day and change it regularly, there shouldn't be any smell. It's minimal effort and I'm sure the cats appreciate it.
I'm totally intrigued by Lampe Berger now! Can anyone who has one recommend where to get one, and how you use it?
@nicolson amazon.com has them.
@nicolson and try YouTube for advice on how to use them. I think this one explains most clearly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzdXazq-mX8
I have an 80 lbs indoor Rottweiler. I have tried EVERYTHING and the only thing that has actually worked is baking soda. I bought a huge box of the stuff for like 2 bucks, I put it in my martini shaker and put it on the carpets and rugs and let it sit for an hour or so and then I vacuum it up. It absorbs the odors without leaving a flowery scent. Good luck!
@nicolson
You can also go to the Lampe Berger website, and put in your zip and it shows stores in your area that carry them.
@jeannemarie - How much do you dilute the alcohol??
I think the key is getting the best litter and for us that's hands down, Fresh Step! We used to use Tidy Cat or Arm & Hammer and our old apartment was really stanky. We're in a smaller place now and the only time we can smell the box is if we forgot to clean before vacation or something.
Oceandreamer, I believe the ratio was 50/50 alcohol to water. For the Trader Joe's stuff though I just used it straight. None of my upholstery is precious though, so I don't know if I'd try it on finer things that may discolor. Hmm.
@hygebeorht - Interesting! My guy eats raw ground beef (in addition to high quality kibble) every day. I wonder if that's partially to thank for his non-smelliness.
We recently bought a house that was previously inhabited by 8 cats (and one irresponsible pet owner). While Nature's Miracle worked in most problem areas, we also had to remove some trim and cabinetry that was soaked with cat urine. There's one spot that Nature Miracle (after many weeks of treatments) is not working on; it's a visible dark area on a hardwood floor. I'd like to try the peroxide (or even just lots of vinegar, soaked in) treatment, but I'm worried that it will remove the finish or discolor the floor. Does anyone have experience with some of the more aggressive treatments on hw floors?
I was also intrigued by the lampe berger. On their web site, I kept seeing *Not for sale in California* which 1) disappointed me and 2) made me want to know why.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/enf/casesett/lampe.htm
"On June 2, 2008, a case was settled with Lampe Berger USA, Inc. for selling non-compliant air fresheners known as Fragrance Fuel. The Consumer Products Regulation specifies that no person shall sell, supply, offer for sale or manufacture for sale in California any air fresheners or liquid/pump sprays that exceed the 18 percent-by-weight VOC limit (effective January 1, 1993). Lampe Berger USA, Inc. paid $29,000 to settle the case."
Maybe something to consider if we're interested in greening our homes.
I agree... AT Pets!
I use UNIQUE! its another great enzyme solution...
I have an 18 year old cat and while I clean the litter daily, sometimes you need a little extra help. I use Fresh Wave Odor Neutralizing Crystals and set a small air filter in the litter room to run on a timer an hour a day.
http://www.litter-robot.com/
Hands down the best automatic cleanest, least stinky, cat litter device available. Worth the investment!
We have three old cats and I recently discovered that the odor coming from our four cat boxes was actually coming from the floor underneath it. One of the cats has been spraying. I doused it with vinegar and hot water several times and then mopped with Mr. Clean with Febreze. I still see some dried urine crystals so I'll have to go back over it, but that combination really helped remove the smell.
When we moved into our newly purchased (first) home two years ago my male cat of 14 years (RIP) took a turn for the worse and peed all over the concrete basement floors & walls..daily..for a year. We've been trying to eradicate the smell since with various enzyme cleaners and then the ole peroxide & baking soda solution. Because it's such a large area we haven't done multiple dosings yet (it's extremely daunting, to say the least, esp with no results) & we're starting to lose hope that we will ever get rid of the smell. It's especially bad when it rains or is humid. My husband just wants to paint over it with a sealer but I think we should try the baking soda/peroxide solution again first-otherwise I'm worried it will just cover it for a bit and then return. Have any of you had a similar experience that you could share? We'll take any suggestions at this point..thanks!
Simple Green! I used to manage apartments and I swear by it!
EllenKim - Lampe Berger- I live in San Diego and www.cherrylanecollection.com will mail to CA. I love mine! I bought several fragrances. I rec buying the neutral oil to dilute. They can be strong.
Nature's Miracle helped with the pee smell when my cat went through a stressful period that had her peeing next to the litter box, and a couple of other places. (More so than other enzymatic cleansers I've tried.)
It's worth noting that if your cat is peeing inappropriately, they'll likely continue doing so until you figure out what's making them freak out so much.
One of the reasons my cat would pee outside the box (whilst still defecating IN the box) was due to using the Arm & Hammer litter deodorizer. I realized one time when cleaning it (a covered box with a door) that when you opened it up, the deodorizer was so strong that it would almost punch you in the face with a noxious gas cloud. I stopped using the deodorizer, and it's just the World's Best Cat Litter on its own-unscented and all natural. The cat is MUCH happier, and besides one accident after we introduced a new kitten, we've had no more issues.
The natural litter sans deodorizer works fine, and the only time we now have cat smell is if one of the horde does a ferocious #2, but then the deodorized litter never stopped that permeating the room either.
Using the best litter is the #1 way to stop odors. After years of experimenting, I've found Ever Clean by far the best. We had 5 cats in the house at 1 time and NEVER had an odor problem. Of course you have to clean the litter daily, but that should be a no brainer.
I live with one female cat who never EVER, covers her pooh properly. I use a natural, flushable kitty litter called Sweat Scoop but I do think nothing will cover the smell of cat pooh if its not covered to begin with. My cat is lazy and a bad aim when she scratches around in the box.
The only thing that takes out the smell completely and I mean COMPLETELY, is by putting a bowl of vinegar near the opening of the box. I did this about a month ago and I have not smelt anything anywhere in the apartment since. I read about this on a blog for natural remedies for things going on in the home. I love this, its simple and cheap!
I've got a leather chair that my cat has a fondness for peeing on. I can't find anything that is able to get the smell out of the leather without ruining it. Any suggestions?
Re cat pee in the concrete, you can try enzyme cleaners - pour them on and let them sit for a couple of weeks before sweeping them up; and you still may need to seal the concrete with something like shellac or specialized concrete sealers. That's what they are for. The odor will not creep through the sealer. If you have pissy walls, you may have to resort to shellac. It covers water stains, too; and then just paint over it.
For washable things, I soak everything in cold water and 20-Mule-Team Borax for 24-hours; then add detergent, put it though the normal wash cycle, and the stain and odor will be gone.
I am also fond of CitraSolv - a citrus oil based cleaner that neutralizes odors and does not encourage revisiting the site. It's expensive, but it is incredible stuff. It takes sticky labels off soft plastics without melting the plastic.
Zeolite--not a brand name but a mineral of some kind--is the miracle deodorizer for cat boxes and you can buy it really cheap at feed stores and the like. I buy a huge bag of the pellets--I think 40 lbs--for what you'd pay at a pet store for a couple small boxes (look for zeolite on the label and you'll see). It is used to deodorize horse barns etc and is absolutely amazing. Wish I'd discovered it 40 years ago!
Our investor group is involved in buying and rejuvenating foreclosure homes; most of the properties have been unoccupied for a year or more. Smoking and pet odors can get quite bad. Selling a house with odor problems takes longer and affects the resale value. Painting the interior does not remove all odors as the odors are embedded in the walls, carpets, carpet pads and duct work. A painting contractor mentioned a product called, Air-ReNu a paint additive, turns any painted wall surface, into a permanent air, purification system no electricity or filters required. We now use, Air-ReNu on every interior paint job. Has anyone else used this product?