Enzyme Cleaners for Cat Urine Odor

Want to get cat urine odor out of your carpet? Enzyme cleaners are the way to do it. You can also find more general advice about urine stains (human and animal) on the following page: How to Get a Urine Stain Out of Carpet.

If you have had cat urine in your carpet before, you know how hard it can be to get rid of it. You may have even thought you had eliminated it more than once, only to have the odor return again and again. In worst-case scenarios, the carpet, the pad, and even a section of the wood floor beneath may have to be removed to finally be rid of the smell.

Fortunately, there is another way that sometimes works: Enzyme cleaners.

Cat urine is full of several different types of bacteria, the specific types depending on whether the cat was simply urinating or marking its territory. These, in addition to the uric acid, make for the awful odor that just keeps coming back. Cat's also don't drink much, making the urine especially concentrated. Regular cleaners are not designed to get at these highly concentrated bacteria, and so just can't do the job.

Good enzyme cleaner, on the other hand, are meant to attack and feed on the bacteria left behind. The enzymes immediately start to react with the urine, and eventually destroy the odor at its source. Depending on how deep the urine has soaked in, you may to treat the area two or more times.

More good news! Once the odor in an area is removed, the cat is not prompted to urinate there again.

You can find these cleaners at most pet stores. Make sure you specify that you want a cleaner with enzymes for urine (some have blood-enzymes, for example, which won't work). After soaking up any standing urine, spray the cleaner onto the area and let it dry. Let it do its work overnight before washing the area.

You can use enzyme cleaners on furniture as well, or as a pre-soak for any clothing that may have been peed on.