Cats are very clean animals. They know how to groom themselves and they don't release a strong distinct odor like dogs; however, their poop and pee smell bad. You don't have to worry about that if you regularly clean your litter box. Cats cover up their mess so they won't stink; however, cats also have a natural process of non-verbal communication and it is called spraying.

 

Spraying? Spraying is a cat's way of communicating with other cats to set their boundaries. Cats are territorial animals and it is in their nature to tell other cats which areas belong to them. Cats spray a small yet heavily concentrated mixture of urine and pheromones on areas that belong to them. When another cat passes by, it will smell the urine and avoid it because it belongs to someone else. It is also used to attract cats of the opposite sex for mating purposes.

 

Cat spray is just cat pee on your carpet (For more information on carpets, see The guide to carpet). Spray is more difficult to remove because it is more concentrated, and it is meant to last for a very long time.

 

The Process Both male and female cats are capable of spraying, though males are often observed to do it the most. If you have a cat, you probably have seen it walking around sniffing some spots around your home. Later on, you see it stop and turn it's back against a surface with its tail raised and slightly curved. From behind, you'll see a jet of liquid spray land on your furniture, shoes, bag, or any other unlucky object your cat has chosen to mark as its territory.

 

Cats will aggressively mark their territory when they are either in a new place or when another cat is introduced into your home. Stray cats may also spray outside your home, especially if you have a female cat.

 

Male cats can smell a female cat from far away and will actively seek it. They will mark your home in hopes that your female cat will smell their odor and be attracted to it.

 

Cat Spraying: A Huge Problem Cat spraying is a huge problem because the odor left behind is extremely bad and is very hard to remove. If you do manage to remove the smell, there is a big chance that you haven't completely removed all the scent. Your cat will continue to be attracted to that place, regularly marking it.

 

When a cat urinates or worse, sprays, the smell will not manifest right away. It will take a couple of hours to one whole day before the stink bomb activates. The chemicals in a cat's urine take some time to react and form ammonia and other compounds that are detected by humans. If left alone, the smell will stick and even stink more when the weather gets warm and humid. People with sensitive noses may want to puke when they get a whiff of this scent.

 

Getting Rid of Cat Spray Cat spraying is not a toilet training issue. (But if you want to train your kitten, Learn how to litter train a kitten) If you have had your cat since it was a kitten, you may wonder why it never sprayed before. Cats will only start spraying once they reach their adult stage. Having your kitten spayed or neutered before it becomes an adult cat will completely eliminate spraying problems.

 

Not everybody wants to have their cats spayed or neutered. If you have a pedigree cat and want to have it bred, or simply want to have a home with a family of several cats and kittens, you certainly would not want to do that. You will have to deal with spraying, especially with adult male cats.

 

If you don't prefer having your cat neutered, then you will have to deal with spraying for the rest of its life. Cleaning up spray is something you have to master. Here are the things you have to do when dealing with cat spray:

Identify the areas where your cat sprays. A good place to start is the area where your cat often hangs out. As much as possible, you have to clean those spots before it starts to smell. If you have a black light, then use it for it will guide you in spotting your cat's territorial markings.

If the spray has only been there for a few minutes, immediately clean it up using warm water and a mild detergent. Brush the spot to make sure you remove the remnants.

In most cases, you will only find those spots after the spray begins to stink. When that happens, soap and water will not be enough. You will have to use chemicals that will break down the enzymes present in the cat urine.

Read the instructions properly for it to work well. In most cases, you will have to let the cleaning agent soak in the spot for several hours up to a day to effectively remove the smell. If your cat sprayed into your couch, carpet, or any similar material, make sure the cleaner soaks and reaches the bottom part.

Make sure your cat does not get access to the areas you are cleaning until the process is complete. You may put kitty in your garage or in a cage until you are done cleaning the spot. If you don't, your cat may spray again on those areas, making your efforts useless.

Dry the area and if you still notice that there is still some smell left, do the process again. The reason why there is still some smell is because you probably didn't clean up the spray entirely.

If your cat happens to spray on your bag, clothes, shoes, or anything washable, you may have noticed that even after washing it, the scent still remains. To completely remove the scent, isolate the items and dump them into your washing machine. Add ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to your laundry along with your regular detergent.

 

* If your cats become troublesome why don't you learn How To Keep Cats Out Of Your Garden