You will never forget the strong smell of cat urine after you’ve experienced it. Any cat owner who has ever had an accident-prone cat will attest to how powerful the smell of cat urine can be. If a cat has a favourite spot on the carpet or floor, it will be more likely to return there again. If there are more cat pee accidents, the entire house will smell like cat urine as soon as you enter the room.

This is not a common problem for felines. Some kitties struggle with training, and not all cats follow the litter box rule. What can a conscientious cat lover do for their cat?

Why do certain cats pee outside the litter box?

It is important to understand why your cat is having accidents before discussing how to prevent them from happening again. Cats tend to be clean and won’t stray far from their regular litter box routine unless irritated.

1. Talk to your vet about your cat’s health. How many times have they been examined since the last time? Sometimes, cats with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, bladder infection, or kidney disease may need to be removed from the box.
2. It would help if you had plenty of litter boxes. Each cat should have at least one litter box. One litter box per cat plus an additional box is a good idea. You can even have two litter boxes per cat.
3. Make sure your litter box is clean. This means that you need to scoop your litter box every day. Depending on how often you use it, you can clean the box and refill it every 1-4 weeks.
4. You can place litter boxes in places that are more private but still easy to reach for your cat. Keep them there until your cat becomes used to these areas.
5. Do not place litter boxes near food or water dishes. Cats won’t like litter boxes near their food.
6. It would help to place litter boxes in areas where one dominant cat cannot easily stop or discourage another cat from using them all.
7. What does your cat litter smell like? Cats have sensitive noses and don’t like strongly-scented litter. Cats prefer unscented, clumping clay litter with activated charcoal. Instead of switching overnight, give them two boxes with each litter.
8. Sometimes, a cat won’t like the litter box you have chosen. Dark and smelly litter boxes are a common choice. It is preferable to have a large open box with low sides that allow easy access.
9. You need to determine if your cat is peeing (squatting on a horizontal surface to pee) or spraying to mark its territory (standing on a vertical surface to spray small amounts of urine). It could be a matter of scent marketing.
10. Are there any significant changes? Stress can have a significant impact on litter box habits. A move, the birth of a baby, or the addition of a pet can all impact litter box habits. These and other disturbances can affect your cat’s security and behaviour.
11. Stress can also arise from multi-cat households. If they are not getting along, cats need to avoid one another.

Urine accidents can happen for many reasons, so it is important to get a clean bill from your vet before considering other options.

Cat pee accidents cleaned up.

After examining the causes, it is important to fix them and prevent any future problems. You may be wondering how to get rid of cat pee and keep your cat from returning to the same spot as in previous accidents. Here are some tips from the professionals:

• To avoid any further saturation, get as much urine as possible and take it out to the trash as soon as possible.
• To eliminate the smell, use an enzyme cleaner. The enzyme-based products dissolve the urine. To maximize your effectiveness, follow the manufacturer’s directions.
• To eliminate the smell, you can use Surgical Spirit.
• Avoid using bleach and ammonia-based cleaners. These can cause your cat’s return to the same spot.
• Use hot water to wash bedding, towels, and other fabrics if possible.
• If you have one, use it to check the area for urine.
• After applying the cleaners, a wet vacuum can extract the waste. Since heat can cause the odour to intensify, cold water is preferred.
• Consider having your carpet professionally cleaned if your cat is persistently peeing on it.
• You can move the litter box to another location if your cat continues to pee in one spot. After your cat has used the litter box for several weeks, slowly shift it in small increments.
• To absorb the odour, you can use baking soda, herbs, or citrus fruits like lemons, cloves, peppermint and rosemary.

Keep the boxes clean and have enough to go around, so each cat doesn’t get stressed if too many cats use the box. It is important to clean the litter quickly and thoroughly to prevent future accidents.

A word of wisdom: Unaltered cats are more likely to mark their territory, especially males. This is yet another reason to have your cat spayed/neutered. It is for their health and keeps your home smelling fresh!