Cat Owner's Manual › Chapter 3: Daily Interaction With Your Cat › Cat Litter Box Training ›

Cat Litter Box Mishaps

Well-trained felines have few, if any, accidents, but the ones they do have can be extremely distasteful. Cat urine contains high concentrations of ammonia, which makes its smell particularly annoying to humans—and particularly difficult to expunge from furnishings. Yet the odor must be removed, or the cat will be strongly tempted to use the spot again. First, wash the area with carbonated water or soapy water, and then rinse. Further usage may be deterred by applying a misting of vinegar or mouthwash to the spot, both of which cats find distasteful. A citrus-based cleaning product is also helpful, because cats hate citrus smells. Also, placing the cat's food dish on the spot will prevent further visits. Another alternative is to use a commercially prepared pet-odor-removing product, or a pheromone spray that dissuades a cat from repeatedly marking the same location.

cautionCAUTION: Never use an ammonia-based cleaning product. The scent is similar to cat urine and will only exacerbate the problem.

expert tipEXPERT TIP: During cleanup, shine an ultraviolet (black) light on the spot in question. Deposits of cat urine will fluoresce, making them easier to detect.

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Chapter 3: Daily Interaction With Your Cat

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Quirk BooksThe Cat Owner's Manual is a basic guide to cat care.
The book was written by a celebrated veterinarian and an acclaimed author. It provides cat owners with well-researched and helpful information presented in a lighthearted manner. The creators chose to write the book in a style similar to what you'd find in "operating instructions" for a car or computer. Of course they--and we--respect the fact that our beloved pets are not products or machines!