Urine Smell removal

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I have 2 cats and 2 litter boxes which I dump out every week. One (or both of my cats) have started urinating in the basement. Since the cold weather has started and I have the furnace on, you can smell urine throughout the house. Any tips on how to remove the smell? I can keep the basement door closed so keeping them out isn't a problem. I just hope they don't start going somewhere else. Also, I've been using the same brand of litter for years. They are both 8 years old and will be 9 next month. I thank you in advance for your response.

ANSWER: Elayne,

Use clumping litter instead of clay (if you aren't already). It's much easier to use and clean and there isn't any smell. Just pick up the clumps when you see them, or once a day, whichever. Using a bigger litterbox and deeper litter sometimes will help too.

It is also possible that one or both cats have a urinary tract infection or urinary crystals. Both are painful when they pee and the cats will associate that pain with the litterbox and go elsewhere. If not caught in time, it can cause a complete blockage which is usually fatal to male cats.

You may want to get them checked to make sure it is not a medical issue causing their improper elimination instead of a behavioral problem.

Hopefully this will help your basement problem:

'Recipe' for cat urine odor removal:

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon of liquid soap

(3% hydrogen peroxide can be bought at most grocery and drug stores in pint and quart bottles).

Gently mix all ingredients in a non-metal container. Do not mix or shake vigorously!

The mixture is best used when fresh but can be stored. Do not keep mixture in an airtight container.  Have a VERY loose lid as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide when mixed together will release oxygen and an airtight container will explode. You can mix and keep it in large spray bottle (Home Depot, etc.) but a plastic liter or 2-liter soda bottle works just a well.

Always test for color-fastness. Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent in stronger concentrations and can lighten materials that are not color-fast.

REMOVING URINE ODOR FROM CONCRETE/CEMENT

Spray or mop the area soiled with the cat urine. Saturate it completely and let the area dry for 2-3 days. Concrete and cement are very porous and take a long time to dry. You must let the concrete or cement dry completely before you reapply the recipe. This usually has to done at least 3 or more times before the urine odor is gone.

HOW TO REMOVE CAT URINE ODOR FROM CARPETS

FOR INDIVIDUAL URINE SPOTS ON CARPET:
If fresh, sop up as much cat urine as you can with a paper towel first. Use a spray bottle to saturate the spot completely with the recipe - do not blot. The recipe must penetrate the padding and possibly the floor boards underneath, where the urine has penetrated for it to work.

Wait 24-48 hours until dry then vacuum. If the urine odor is still present - repeat the procedure. It usually takes 2-3 applications to completely neutralize the cat urine odor.

FOR LARGE AREAS OF CARPET:

You can use a carpet cleaning machine - one of your own or a rental and use the recipe instead of the shampoo. You will have to make several gallons of the recipe depending on the size of the carpet. Don't use the vacuum part of the machine - you will want to let the solution soak and dry for 24-48 hours before vacuuming.

Most carpet cleaning machines are not made for this use, and baking soda can clog the nozzles of the machine so use caution. Instead, you can use a 1 gallon garden bug sprayer (Home Depot, etc.). Rinse the nozzle out frequently by filling the tank with hot water and spraying it in the bathtub until the nozzle is clear.

If using the sprayer saturate the entire carpet with the recipe, let dry for about 24-48 hours and vacuum. You will have to probably repeat the procedure again. Where heavily saturated with old urine it may take 3 applications over a week.

Also, if the cat urine is old and dried, the smell will probably be worse a day or two later. This is because you are rehydrating the uric acid crystals in the urine to neutralize them. The smell will get better with each application.

I hope this helps.

Tabbi




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, They are both females and they went to the vets in September and were 100% okay. I also use Yesterday News which is non clumping. Also, the basement is concrete (or cement) flooring and I just got a lot of rain and I think that's what brought the smell out. I will try your recipe.

Answer
Elayne,

I hope the 'receipe' works for you. Just follow the instruction for concrete that I included.

If the peeing behavior started recently they could have just developed an urinary tract infection, or the vet possibly did not check for one. I would keep my eye on them.

I would give the clumping litter a try, and maybe put a litterbox in the basement also if that is where they are preferring to go.

Happy Holidays and/or Merry Christmas,
(these days, you aren't sure what is 'politically correct') (smile)

Tabbi