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We have a stray cat that has adopted us. He has been here for nearly a year now but he is still spraying in the house. My house now stinks so much I can't go into my loungeroom because of the stench. What is a good remedy or product to get rid of the smell. He is about 18 months old if that helps.
Is he desexed? That would be the first point if he isn't. He definitely is spraying (e.g. he doesn't squat but backs up to a surface). You need to clean it with a suitable product that doesn't contain ammonia as that mimics the smell. I think you may be able to get something from the vet - we used to stock it but I cant remember the product name. Then you can try a product like feliway which has a pheromone smell similar to what comes off when they rub their neck. You cant smell it but they can and it can help reduce spraying. There are also behavioural thing you can try. He is marking so if you reduce his vision to where other cats may roam (e.g. windows) that can help. If it is a particular spot you can place alfoil where he would stand, or citronella on the item as a deterrent.
Thanks krys. I have been putting off desexing him as he was a stray and we have since found out he is microchipped but the owners haven't contacted either the vets or myself (we left a message when he needed treatment). The vets seem to think that I can transfer ownership by going through the council but I'll have to phone them and see. I do have some citronella oil but I'm going to have to spray it all over my lounge room lol. He doesn't do it just in the one spot :( The vet did say though that even desexing him might not stop the spraying. Damn it - why adopt me lol
There is a product called 'Urine Off' created specifically for these situations and omg it's the best! The only thing that got the smell out when my stressed kitty peed on our lounge. We tried everything and nothing got the smell out except this stuff. We bought it online, not cheap but not overly expensive either, don't quote me but from memory I think it was about $30 for 500mls??
I'd also definitely get him desexed asap.
Good luck!
Posted from my tool of mass procrastination - My iPhone.
"Urine Off" definitely works wonders (we sell it at the clinic I worked at before I had kidlets), BUT there is a much cheaper alternative :) The way Urine Off works is that it breaks down the proteins in the urine that make the smell. Something else that does EXACTLY the same thing is an enzyme-based laundry powder like BioZet. If you are trying to get urine smell out of carpet you can mix the BioZet powder with a little water to make a sort of slurry, and work it into the carpet, then rinse it out. If you are cleaning walls, then you can mix it into water in a bucket and just wipe the walls clean. You can also use it easily on outdoor areas by making it up in a spray bottle and spraying it on anything the cat urinates on.
Obviously desexing would be tricky in your situation because the cat is probably "technically" still owned by someone else. If you find out you can take legal ownership of the cat, then I'd get him desexed ASAP. Your vet is right that it may not stop the spraying though. It depends on if the cat is doing it for hormonal reasons, or if it's now behavioural. If it's hormonal, then desexing will help dramatically. If it's behavioural then things might be a little trickier.
I'd also agree with krysalyss that getting some Feliway is a great idea. It's like one of those room aroma things that you plug into a wall socket. The pheromones that are released are "happy kitty" hormones, lol!
Good luck! Tom cat urine smell is one of the worst smells ever!