Someone who loves cats, I have my beloved cat, Chingu who is very decent and well-mannered. But, all of a sudden, she began peeing on the couch for some unexplained reasons. Her favorite napping spot became her new litter box! I had to struggle a lot to get rid of this behavior and make her mend her ways. Having stopped her from peeing on the couch and finding several ways to remove the cat pee smell from the couch, I thought sharing what I did for those among you who may be facing these issues.
Cats are the cleanest animals on earth, and that is perhaps why we love them snuggling beside us. They are naturally litter-trained, but that does not mean there are no accidents. it is quite likely that you would find your cat peeing on couch or a furniture. Ever wondered how to remove the cat pee smell from the couch? Want to get rid of a couch that smells like cat pee? We help you fix the smell of cat urine on the couch.
Quick Answer
So, can you get cat pee out of a couch? The best way to get the cat pee smell out of your couch is to use an enzymatic cleaner. You can also use baking soda or vinegar to remove the stubborn smell and stains of cat urine. It is always advisable to keep special cat urine cleaners that have enzymes to neutralize the odour.
Why does Cat Urine smell so Bad?
The prime reason for the smelly nature of cat urine is the presence of “pheromones”. Male cats in particular and all cats in general, have a a chemical called feminine in their urine. Even when this element has a scent to it initially, it gets stinky when it dries out. However, a fishy smell can indicate some sort of disease such as urinary infection.
As the cat urine begins to dry, the bacteria inside it start breaking down the urea found in the urine(and that is why it is called urine, just for your extra knowledge). This chemical and biological phenomenon releases some sort of a smell that resembles that of ammonia. As the urine continues to decompose, the biological releases a sulfur compound called mercaptans. This further causes the foul smell in cat pee.
The smell can be even more worse in the older cats than in the case of a younger ones. The kidneys in the older felines begin to get less efficient, and the urine smells much stinkier. If you have a male cat that has not been neutered, the smell can be even more pungent.
Why do Cats Pee Outside the Litter Box?
The primary reason that a cat pees outside the litter box is to establish its territory. A few other reasons can be any sort of frustration, or insufficient food. Health conditions such as urinary tract infection, kidney disease or diabetes can be a few causes that can make your cat urinate outside the litter box.
Cats are generally known to stick to their litter habits. They do not generally have the accidents such as peeing on the couch or elsewhere. Before you can find the ways to remove cat urine smell from couch, it may be essential to find the reasons why it it does so.
Some cat owners seem to think that cats pee out of the litter box to take revenge on something that did not please them. But it isn’t true. By peeing outside the litter box, your cat is simply trying to tell you something.
Some possible reasons that your cat is peeing outside the litter box can include following –
1. Your cat may have arthritis
Arthritis can be an issue that can make it a little hard for the cat to use the litter box. The side of the litter box may be too tall or even the place at which the box is is kept may be a little inaccessible. As the cats get older, they are likely to get arthritis, and this will make them hard to use the litter box, or even get into it.
2. Diseases that an make it hard to pee
When you notice your cat peeing out of the litter box, the first thing that you need to check is to find if it is suffering from any disease. Health conditions such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract diseases, and kidney disease can be a few instances that can cause it to pee out of the litter box.
3. Behavioural issues
If you have ruled out the health conditions and the situations such as stress, the next reason would be to check for the behavioural issues that the cat may be going through. The cat may be stressed out, it can begin peeing out of the litter box.
I was fortunate enough to remove the cat pee smell from the couch using a combination of these methods. I don’t exactly know which of these tricks really worked for me, but I am sure you can try a few of them based on the availability of ingredients. In my view, enzymatic cleaners are observed to work better.
How to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell from Different Types of Couches?
Each couch has its own different properties. That would mean you need to use different cleaning strategies to help you remove cat peee smell from couch.
1. Get rid of cat pee smell from a fabric couch
Couches can be of different fabrics. It can either be a microfiber cloth or velvet couch. Here we go with the best methods to get rid of the cat pee smell from each of those couches.
Microfiber couch
Microfiber couches are easy to clean and do not get damaged. If your cat peed on your microfiber couch, you are lucky as it can be easily cleaned. You can use multiple methods sich as steam. baking soda, vinegar etc. For me, these methods really worked well, after checking out several methods.
Step 1. Blot it off with a towel
you will need this initial step only if the couch is still wet with the cat pee. Soak up as much of wetness as possible.
Step 2. Sprinkle baking soda
Sprinkle as much baking soda s you would need across the affected area. Let the soda sit for an hour or so. Beter if you allow it to sit overnight. Once you are done, vacuum it off.
You may also use vinegar. Let it sit for a few minutes and wipe it off. Repat if needed.
Step 3. Steam clean your cloth
Wsshing wiht a regular method or steam cleaning is the last step to help remove cat pee smell. Followw the washing directions that came with your couch.
Velvet Couch
Velvet couches are likely to get damaged easily if you fail to handle it properly. With the velvet cloths, I had a really harrowing experience. As they are likely to get damaged easily, I had to be extremely careful with my cleaning methods.
Step 1. Wipe it with a cloth
Soak up as much ccat pee as possible from the couch. Wipe the affected area with a cloth. Do not scub, but dab the cloth as scrubbing may damage your couch.
Step 2. Use White vinegar and water
Prepare a mixture of white vinegar and water in a 50:50 proportions in a bottle. Spray the affected area on the couch and let it get absorbed. Leave it for several areas and let it dry naturally.
Step 3. Sprinkle salt
Sprinkle a generous amount of salt after the treatment wiht white vinegar. The salt should absorb as much odor as possible.
2. How to Remove Cat Pee smell from Leather Couch?
Leather couch is quite difficult to handle. Before moving on to clean the couch, make sure to check out the cleaning instructions that came with your leather couch.
Regular leather
Step 1. Blot with a paper towel
If the pee is new and fresh, blot it off with a paper towel. Make sure that all the urine has been absorbed. Do not scrub the material.
Step 2. Use a vinegar solution
Vinegar is the best option for helping you clean leather couch. Add up one part vinegar and two parts water in a bottle. Spray it on the couch and let it dry. Wipe it off with a damp soft cloth.
Step 3. Use a leather conditioner
A leather conditioner can help you keep the leather hydrated and supple. Use a soft, lint-free rag for applying the commercial leather conditioner. Buff off the affected area.
Suede leather
Suede is a little different leather. You can use a different method than that used for regular leather.
Step 1. Blot the affected area
Blot the affected area with a paper towel or microfiber towel. This can help you in absorbing any residual urine stains.
Step 2. Sprinkle with soda
Suede cloth is known to absorb the pee quickly. You can sprinkle the area with baking soda and leave it on for 10 to 20 minutes. Vacuum it off once done.
Step 3. Use pet odor remover
Use an enzymatic pet odor removal liquid. This can help you in removing the pee odor and stain.
How can Cat Pee Smell Affect Your Health?
Inhaling cat urine smell can be quite dangerous over a long period of time. Cat pee has a high concentration of ammonia. Ammonia is a toxic gas and cause issues such as headaches and even trigger respiratory diseases like Pneumonia. It can also result in asthma attacks in sensitive individuals. Overexposure to ammonia can cause severe health issues in older people, children and those with weak immune system.
Cat urine on couch is known to be an allergen and can make you severely sick. Even when you are not allergic to cats, the cat urine on your couch can cause allergic reactions. Higher exposure to ammonia can result in health conditions such as runny noses, itchy skin, red eyes, and rashes. That is perhaps why it is important to remove cat pee from couch.
Cats are known to harbour toxoplasma gondii parasite and cat urine contains a higher percentage of these parasites. These parasites can cause the risk of Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women if they sleep ignoring the cat pee on couch. The disease is likely to result in miscarriage or stillbirth.
Recommended reading
How to Remove Cat Pee Smell from Couch – Best DIY Techniques
Still wondering how to get cat pee smell out of couch? Instead of calling up professionals for get rid of cat pee smell from your couch, it is advisable to follow a few DIY techniques to remove cat pee smell from couch. Let us explore a few great techniques that help you to get rid of cat urine smell easily.
If you want to learn from my experience, I would suggest using vinegar or baking soda as the best option to remove cat pee sell from your couch. I have had a better rate of success with almost all my fabrics with one or the other method that I have shared heere below-
1. Use vinegar solution to remove cat pee smell from couch
Vinegar is the best choice for get rid of cat pee smell from couch or mattress. Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water and spray it on the affected area. Let it sit for a couple of hours. Scub it off with the sponge in a circular movement. Blot off the the dampness with the cloth or tissue paper.
Vinegar helps naturally neutralise the urine smell and remove cat pee from couch. You can use either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar for getting the best results. The method works wonders on the leather couches. usine hard cleansing agents on them damages these couches.
Vinegar cn get rid of smell completely. You can even add orange peels to vinegar to make akin to an industrial cleaner. It can be the best combination for getting rid of cat pee smell from the couch.
2. Using baking soda to remove cat pee smell from couch
Sprinkle a light layer of baking soda on the stained couch. Leave it for a while until it absorbs the stink. You can leave it for 15 minutes of even for the entire night. Once you are sure that the stink has been removed, simply vacuum the baking soda.
Baking Soda is a natural remedy that can handle practically any sort of smell. But remember that baking soda can be dangerous for your cat if inhaled. Keep your cat out of the site when the cleaning process is on.
3. Essential oils and their role in removing cat pee smell from couch
Fill a spray bottle with 500 ml of warm water and around 10 drops of essential oil. Spray all the areas that you suspect to have been affected by cat pee. The smell should be gone in just under a couple of hours.
Essential oils are known to neutralise the odor rather than just hiding it. The right use of essential oil for cat urine can help you get rid of the odor effectively. Lavender and peppermint essential oils have been found to be much effective in getting rid of the cat pee smell from couch or floor.
4. How to use enzymatic cleaners safely to get rid of pee smell from couch?
An enzymatic cleaner is known to effectively and efficiently remove the smell by breaking down the uric acid. Soak the area that you suspect to have cat urine with the enzymatic cleaner. Let the cleaner sit for around 10 minutes.
However, the enzymatic cleaners come with a con. They tend to lighten the colors on the couch or even on furniture. The enzymatic cleaners come with the specially created enzymes that beak down the bacteria and ammonia in the cat pee.
5. Use activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal, vinegar and baking soda are the right options to help you mask the smell from cat urine. It can double up as the best means to get rid of cat smell on couch. it aborbs the smell of cat pee on couch. Absorbing the smell is the first step in removing the odor. Use a few charcoal bags near your couch. Even when the cat may pee on your couch, you will not feel the stinky smell.
The best part with the activated charcoal lies in the fact that they can be easily recharged through the sunlight and can last a long time. if you are wondering how to get rid of pee smell from couch, charcoal can be the best solution.
Recommended Reading- How to remove cat pee from furniture?
The best method to remove cat pee from furniture is to use a spray bottle with equal parts of white vinegar and water and spray the affected area generously. Let the mixture sit on the furniture for a while. You can then rub it off with a damp cloth to avoid the possibility of stains. You can also try baking soda and white vinegar to help remove the cat pee smell from the furniture.
These methods can be the right ones to use to remove cat pee from furniture. They do not damage the wood or the cushion on your furniture. However, it may be a good idea to spot test an area to be on the safer side.
How to Prevent Cats from Peeing on the Couch Again?
The best way to prevent cats from peeing is to use enzymatic cleaner. That way, your cat will no longer mark the places. If you feel your cat is peeing at the places that it is not supposed to do so, keep its food or treats there.
If your cat pees at a particular corner in your room, place the treats in the exact location. Cats are cleaner animals and they will never pee in an area that they eat from.
One of the reasons that your cat pees on the couch can be due to the stress. Make your home a happy place for the cat to live and thrive. Do not keep scolding it or treat it in any abuse manner. They are very sensitive and can easily get stressed out.
You may also check out
The Pros and Cons – Can You Turn Off Aquarium Filter at Night?
It should be noticed that not every household cleaning product may be ideal for cleaning cat pee. Always avoid the following cleaners to be on the safer side –
Ammonia
The primary reason your cat urine stinks is the ammonia in it. Using a cleaner with ammonia would further increase the odor. Moreover. the cat may take the odor of ammonia as its own pee smell and decide to make it the permanent pee area.
Bleach
Bleach is the most commonly used cleaning solution. But, in the case of cat urine, it may not be the right one to choose. It can simply “bleach away” your couch along. That apart, the beach can be bad for you and your cat.
The Final Thoughts
We all love our cats. But, the stink that cat pee can cause is indeed unbearable. But, fortunately, there are several cat urine odor removal options available. Make sure that you choose the right options to help you get rid of the cat urine smell from your couch in particular and home in general.
So, still wondering – can you get cat pee out of a couch? We guess not, you have got your answer. If not, get in touch with us to find more.
FAQs
What are some effective methods for removing cat pee smell from a couch?
Some great options that work wonders in removing cat pee smell can include
- Use an enzymatic cleaner
- Use vinegar and water combination
- Use baking soda for masking the cat pee odor
- Use activated charcoal
Can I use baking soda to get rid of cat pee smell?
The natural power of baking soda can be the best pick to help you neutralise the smell of cat urine. Sprinkle baking soda on the couch and leave it for 15 minutes. Vacuum it after 15 minutes. The smell should be gone!
Should I hire a professional cleaner to remove the smell from my couch?
If it just an occasional peeing and does not cause any damage to the furniture or other accessories, it may not be necessary to hire a professional. The cost of cleaning with the DIY techniques would be better manifold than hiring a cleaner specifically.
Add Comment