Cat spray isn’t the same as a cat peeing outside the litter box. When a cat sprays, it’s marking territory. It backs up to a vertical surface, like a wall, door frame, curtain or the back of a couch, and leaves a small amount of urine mixed with scent. The smell is stronger and muskier than regular cat urine, and because it’s on walls and furniture instead of the floor, people often clean the wrong places. Here’s how to find it, clean it, and keep it from happening again.
Spray vs. Regular Cat Urine
- Spray is usually on vertical surfaces, about cat height, in small amounts, with a sharp musky smell.
- Urine accidents are usually puddles on floors, carpet, beds or laundry. For those, see how to get rid of dog and cat urine smell.
- Unneutered males spray the most, but neutered males and females can spray too, especially when stressed.
Step 1: Find Every Spot
Turn the lights off at night and use a UV (black light) flashlight. Dried urine usually glows. Check at cat height, roughly the bottom two feet:
- Door frames, especially the front door and bedroom doors
- Walls and baseboards near windows (where cats see outdoor cats)
- The backs and sides of couches, chairs and mattresses
- Curtains, speakers, bags, shoes and anything new that came into the house
Mark each spot with painter’s tape so you don’t miss any when cleaning.
Step 2: Clean It the Right Way
- Blot fresh spray with paper towels. Don’t scrub, which spreads it.
- Use an enzyme cleaner made for pet urine. Soak the area (test fabrics first), let it sit as long as the label says, and let it air dry. Bad spots often need two or three rounds.
- Don’t use ammonia-based cleaners. Ammonia smells like urine to a cat and can bring it back to the same spot.
- Skip steam and heat on urine spots until they’re fully treated. Heat can set the smell in.
- Wash what you can. Curtains, cushion covers and throws go in the wash with an enzyme laundry booster.
- Check under the surface. Spray can run down behind baseboards or into carpet pad. If the smell is still strong after cleaning, it may have soaked deeper than you can reach. See how to get a smell out of carpet and how to get a smell out of a couch.
Step 3: Stop the Spraying
Cleaning only works if the cat stops marking. A few things that commonly help:
- See your vet first. A medical issue can cause marking, and your vet can talk with you about spaying or neutering and behavior options.
- Lower stress. New pets, moving, construction, or outdoor cats at the window are common triggers. Blocking the view of outdoor cats can help.
- Get the litter boxes right. A common rule is one box per cat plus one, kept clean. See litter box smell.
- Change how the spot is used. Once it’s clean, putting a food bowl, bed or toys where the cat sprayed can make it less likely to mark there again.
When the Whole House Smells Like Cat
If you bought or rented a home where cats sprayed for years, or you’ve cleaned every spot and the house still smells like cat, the odor may be in the air, the AC system and soft surfaces throughout the home. Our whole-home odor removal treatment treats the air throughout the entire home, including one AC system and an attached garage. You’ll be out for about 8 hours. It’s an odor treatment only: spots where urine soaked in still need to be cleaned first, or the smell will come back from them. See also the house smells after moving in and odors between tenants. Smell something different? See our smell-by-smell guide.
Whole-Home Odor Removal in South Florida: $997
Our Whole-Home Odor Removal Treatment is $997 and includes one AC system ($550 for each additional AC unit). You can buy and schedule it online, or call 877-224-2532 to request a free visual inspection. We answer 24/7; when you call, we’ll tell you honestly when a technician can be there based on that day’s schedule. Hablamos español.
About the author: James Rice-Peña is the owner of FL Cleanup and a Florida-licensed Mold Assessor (MRSA4035) and Mold Remediator (MRSR4158). He has worked in property restoration in South Florida since 2012, and FL Cleanup has earned 200+ five-star Google reviews.
