Any tips on eliminating the odour of cat spray?

Question

I have a visiting old stray cat and most of the times he visits he sprays. He's too old to train not to- he's on his last legs I think. Have you any practical tips to try and kill the smell because I find it still lingers even after lots of scrubbing at the spot.

Answer 1

Cat spray is horrible stuff because it's oil based so it sticks to stuff.
I have found one of the best odor-cutting products is white vinegar. It has a clean smell and helps to cut the adhesives of the oils in cat urine.
If it's on a fabric surface, such as carpet, wear rubber gloves and sprinkle baking soda on the affected areas and then rub it in with your fingers. If the soda gets saturated, add more soda. Then rinse it off with vinegar. It will bubble up and push a lot of the urine above the surface of the carpet. Place a towel over the area and blot it as dry as you can.

Once a place has been sprayed, it is very hard, and often impossible to remove the smell completely. Usually, the best you can do is reduce the smell.

Answer 2

A cat will still spray after being neutered, but usually only when it is stressed (ie. if you leave for a week and have someone else look after it, etc) to show that it is upset about something. The only thing to get rid of the odor is natural enzyme cleaner, so visit your local pet-supply store and pick up a spray bottle. It is a little pricey (around $12 for a Windex-sized bottle in my area), but it is definitely worth the money and time searching. Please avoid all comments on baking soda, vinegar, perfume, etc., as the cat - with a much superior sense of smell to us humans - will uncover the scent and most likely spray there again, and anything containing ammonia will definitely bring it back to the same spot. When getting the enzyme-cleaner, read the label and ensure that it acts on cat-spray/urine, as some types are made just for other pet-odors. It's best to use the cleaner when the spot is still fresh, but it'll work on older spray as well. (And in the meantime, cover the area in a plastic sheet/large plastic bag with at least ten inches covering the floor if it sprayed a wall or furniture etc. The cat may spray there again while you're out buying the stuff) Liberally spray the cleaner over the area in a wide parameter and let it soak. Do NOT wipe up. Just let it sit there, dry up, and eat away at the bacteria. You may want to repeat over the next day or so to be safe. If the cat-spray is a little old, re-treat the area a few more times over the next few days, hitting it at least twice a day. In fabric, hardwood floors, carpet or paper (including magazines and books), the enzymes will take everything out. Remember, spray is not urine - it is a higher-concentrated form of urine located in a different sac in the kitty's body, and it's designed to be more or less permanent; smelly and very sticky. The cleaners usually have something in them to keep the cat away from the area, but just to make sure, you can also pick up a small can of indoor cat-repellant to squirt around the area. The indoor stuff makes the cats steer clear of the area but doesn't harm them in any way and smells to us humans like any other cleaning product. PS - Oh yeah - and definitely get him neutered anyway, especially if he's an outdoors cat!

Answer 3

After buying an odour eliminator from a pet shop try spraying the area with some lemon juice in water, also use some pepper on the area, cats dont like the smell of citrus or pepper, a lot of the trouble is that if you wash the area cats tend to re mark it. We had a neighbours cat who used to wee in our porch, i scrubbed it with hot water and lemon juice, then looked a complete idiot whilst I used my pepper mill to put pepper on the area, and it worked!

Answer 4

Get him fixed. It really helps, I used to have a male cat who sprayed all the time and I know it smells horrible. Once you get him fixed he will still have that spray smell in his urine but it will go away after two or three days

Answer 5

Best thing on the market and it's new 'Thiotrol'. It is probably still only available at the vets but it is fantastic. I use it in the groom shop for skunk odor and cat spray. I've never found anything to beat it. Just spritz and sniff, the odor's gone.

Answer 6

you can buy quite a few enzyme anti Urine sprays out there, I use a spray called Urinate an Industrial strength spray. Brilliant. then cover with a strong citrus smelling blocker and lay some orange or lemon peel down to deter repreat action.

Answer 7

You can purchase from pet shops a product that neutralises the odour of urine. Using household disinfectants doesn't usually do the trick and can even encourage them to remark in the same spot.

Answer 8

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Answer 9

Hi,
The best and cheapest way to eliminate the smell is a mixture of biological washing powder and water.

Answer 10

I have 14 cats and find the best method is lemon juice Jiff or similar it also discourages them