Eliminating Stains and Controlling Odors Your Cat Leaves Behind

It's not a very pleasant topic of conversation, but we all will encounter the need for a stain and odor product sometime in our pet's life.

Cats have a keen sense of smell. That's why they often go back to the same spot, because they can smell the ammonia from the last time there was an "accident" and they're looking to mark the spot. Even though you think you've cleaned the area well and the stain is removed, it is still necessary to treat the spot with an odor neutralizer. These products break down the chemical nature of the ammonia, which in turn eliminates the smell of ammonia that triggers a pet to "mark" the spot again.

Pet odor is protein-based and cannot be removed simply by washing the area. An enzyme product must be used to digest the odor-causing protein. It's important to follow the instructions for these products in order for them to be successful.

First of all, be generous with the product and saturate the carpet. The urine most likely has soaked all the way down into the carpet pad and this must be treated as well. The product must have at least 24 hours, preferably 48 hours, to digest the protein in the urine. The area must stay moist and not be allowed to dry out for this time period. You can do this by covering the area with a piece of plastic or garbage bag. Avoid plastic with print as the ink could tattoo the carpet. A phone book or some other heavy object over the bag will help secure it. After 24 hours, uncover the area and allow it to dry thoroughly. Resist the temptation to shampoo this area. The product should not be removed from the carpet.

If you want to make sure you've neutralized the spot, try this technique: turn off the lights at night and turn on a blacklight. There may be spots there that you never knew about. Those spots that have been neutralized will have a dull glow rather than the vibrant, almost neon colored spots that those that have not been neutralized have.