How do I clean cat urine when I can’t locate it? I have a general idea of the area, but my UV light isn’t revealing anything damp. My male cat was left alone for a day and seemed to get upset, leaving a section of my living room with a strong urine odor when I smell the carpet closely. Despite thorough cleaning attempts, the smell persists.
How can I effectively clean this? I’ve heard that urine spray can smell worse than liquid urine and that even small amounts can be very odorous. I’m concerned about it seeping into the carpet fibers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Yes, in my experience, spray is more potent than regular urine. As Kittybloomers mentioned, using an enzyme-based cleaner like Nature’s Miracle or a similar product is your best option. Personally, I buy gallon jugs of the Petsmart house brand cleaner, which has worked well not only for hairball stains but even for red wine spills on carpet.
Here’s what I’ve found effective: thoroughly saturate the affected area with the cleaner, scrub it in using a bristly brush, blot the surface dry, and then allow a fan to blow over it overnight or until completely dry. It’s crucial to use enough cleaner, and you may need to repeat the process once or more, but it does work.
Years ago, our sofa was a frequent target for my male kitten before he was neutered (he had to be on heart medication for a year before undergoing anesthesia). Also, my older cat, who was in kidney failure at the time, emptied her bladder all over the sofa where she was lying. Through diligent use of the enzyme cleaner, we successfully eliminated any trace of odor or stain.
As a side note, I used to work at a pet boarding facility, and my male kitten would spray me every time I came home from work. Thankfully, I was able to remove the odor and stains from my clothes using the same cleaning method. Good luck.
I used Nature’s Miracle “Advanced Stain and Odor” remover, but later switched to the generic Petsmart brand labeled “cat stain and odor removal,” which seems to have nearly identical ingredients. That’s what has been effective for me. I haven’t tried the Oxy version or “Urine Destroyer,” but I assume they offer similar results.
Use a blacklight to look closely at the carpet, but also check the walls, bookshelves, and furniture. As others have already said, use an enzymatic cleaner when you find it, such as Nature’s Miracle, Pet Force, Pure Ayre, Urine Destroyer, etc.
I have found that spray smells worse than urine with my particular cats, and spray spots can be anywhere: on carpet, waist-high on walls, low on furniture, even above kitchen counters. Remember that cats are very agile creatures.