Why Cat Urine Odor Comes Back & How to Stop It

Has your cat ever sprayed or had an “accident” on the carpet, sofa or bedding leaving a terrible smell that you couldn’t get rid of?

It’s a common problem for cat owners – one that is not easily solved.

Cat urine contains higher levels of uric acid and urea than other mammal urine. Cats eat a lot of protein and they don’t drink much water, which makes cat urine odor even stronger. It is one of the toughest odors to remove. Even when you think it’s finally gone, the smell can come back again.

Here’s what happens. You clean the spot, assuming the problem is solved. But then – days, weeks or months later – the disgusting smell of cat urine mysteriously returns … and this time, it’s even stronger than before!

Urine odors resurface for two reasons:

• There is a component to urine that cleaning can’t remove. No matter what you do, these deposits don’t go away.
• At certain times, “something” in your home reactivates these deposits, and the urine smell comes back. That “something” is humidity.

Humidity increases the sensitivity of odor sensors. So the more humid your house is, the stronger the odors become.

Indoor humidity levels increase during the summer. Everyday activities like cooking, showering and drying clothes also cause humidity. And when indoor humidity levels rise, they reactivate the latent urine deposits and the terrible odor returns.

Let’s talk a little more about those deposits.

Urine is made up of three different parts. Many cleaning products remove the first component – the sticky liquid content. Some can even remove the second component – the stain-causing pigmentation. But nothing removes the third component – the uric acid crystals or “urine salts” that cause odor.

When you clean or treat the spot, it may seem like the urine is gone because the stain and odor disappear. But the urine salts are still there.

In their dry state, urine salts have no odor. But when it gets damp or humid, moisture reactivates the crystals and urine odor comes back – with a vengeance.

I’ve heard from cat owners who wound up replacing their furniture or carpeting. That’s something we’d rather not do, especially in today’s economy.

The good news is, there is a better less expensive solution that we have found and used over and over. You need to use a product that neutralizes urine odor so it can’t come back to haunt you. Our favorite product is called Zero Odor, and it doesn’t just “mask” odors – it eliminates them.

Zero Odor works where other products fail because it attacks odor in a different way. It chemically changes the molecular structure of odor molecules. And in this new form, these molecules are no longer capable of causing odor.

I hope this information helps you deal with cat urine odor.