Nothing gets rid of this terrible odor... help?

My boyfriend and I have two kittens, and we’ve been struggling with this awful odor that started after we got them. The smell has gotten so bad that we literally can’t breathe in our apartment. We’re experiencing nausea, headaches, and even chest wheezing from being in the place. The scent is sour, almost like old people and ammonia. One of the cats peed outside the litter box a couple of months ago, which is when the smell became really noticeable. We cleaned it thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner, and we’ve checked the place with a blacklight, but no spots show up anywhere. We’ve tried so many things to get rid of the smell (except a dehumidifier), and nothing has worked. Here’s what we’ve done so far: we’ve set up two really good air purifiers near the litter boxes, have multiple litter boxes with deodorizers and baking soda, and we clean them multiple times a day. We’ve tried several kinds of litter, and right now we’re using World’s Best. We shampooed the carpets and upholstery, used a candle warmer, and employed a blacklight with enzymatic cleaner. We’ve also used cat-friendly Febreze, wipe them down daily, brush them often, and bathe them once a month, even though I know we shouldn’t. We’ve switched them to higher quality cat food, and I sweep and mop daily, scrubbing the walls too. We air out the place every day with the windows open. The cats are temporarily staying at a family member’s place for about a week, but the smell persists in our apartment. How can we find and eliminate this smell? We don’t have a lot of money to spend.

It sounds like they might be rescenting areas where they’ve peed. Have you tried using a product called ‘Killz’? It’s a paint that helps eliminate odors and might be useful if they’ve peed on walls.

Dru said:
It sounds like they might be rescenting areas where they’ve peed. Have you tried using a product called ‘Killz’? It’s a paint that helps eliminate odors and might be useful if they’ve peed on walls.

I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll look into it and see if it helps.

It could be that they’ve peed in multiple places on the carpet. How old are the kittens, and are they spayed or neutered?

Roan said:
It could be that they’ve peed in multiple places on the carpet. How old are the kittens, and are they spayed or neutered?

They’re about six months old now, and yes, they’ve both been spayed.

Roan said:
It could be that they’ve peed in multiple places on the carpet. How old are the kittens, and are they spayed or neutered?

That’s good. Sometimes unaltered cats can mark more. Have you thought about a pet odor neutralizer for carpets?

You might want to try a stronger enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for pet odors. Some of them are really effective at breaking down the source of the smell.

Jordan said:
You might want to try a stronger enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for pet odors. Some of them are really effective at breaking down the source of the smell.

I’ll definitely check those out. I just hope it’s something we can afford.

Jordan said:
You might want to try a stronger enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for pet odors. Some of them are really effective at breaking down the source of the smell.

Many of them are reasonably priced, so hopefully you can find one that fits your budget.

Have you tried putting the litter boxes in a different location? Sometimes a change in their environment can help reduce accidents.

Briar said:
Have you tried putting the litter boxes in a different location? Sometimes a change in their environment can help reduce accidents.

We haven’t moved them yet. That might be worth trying since they’re in the same spot all the time.

If the smell is still there after all this, it might be in the walls or baseboards. You could try wiping those down with vinegar or baking soda mixed with water. It can help neutralize odors.

Leo said:
If the smell is still there after all this, it might be in the walls or baseboards. You could try wiping those down with vinegar or baking soda mixed with water. It can help neutralize odors.

That sounds like a good idea. I’ll give that a shot too.