Folks here will tell you about enzyme cleaners, wintergreen alcohol, and a host of other things, but in all honesty, if you have a sensitive nose, the smell will always return unless you rip up and replace both padding and carpet. If the subfloor is unfinished wood that has absorbed the urine, you'll have to replace part of that, too, or at least sand and seal it. Sorry, but that's the bad news.

I, and others on this forum, are convinced that folks who say that "Nature's Miracle" or other cleaners do the job have simply been around the odor so long that they no longer notice it. I've faced this problem in my own house, and have decided that cat urine is indeed forever.

Sorry Dean, but I agree with MaryMary. I bought my brother's house from him, and one of his cats had peed on one corner of the family room carpet (don't know if it was once or multiple times). He had used Nature's Miracle, he'd used a white vinegar and lemon juice solution, and all sorts of concoctions that had been recommended.

All that happened was that the smell from those things mixed with the urine odor. Well, it did lessen it, but didn't remove it.

My cats, who are normally very clean, naturally went to that corner and, smelling the other cats, started "scenting" it themselves.

I ripped the carpet and pad up, sanded that portion of the floor, and put down new carpet. Problem solved. Fortunately in my case, the carpet my brother had had was 1970s style burnt orange shag, so it needed to be replaced anyway!!!

My cat was doing the same; I thought it smelled like dirty diapers (from my 15mo), but someone else said they smelled cat urine. Strange, since I've had cats my whole life, I thought I had that odor down pat. Regardless, I steam vacuumed the area 4 times, burned countless candles, and the smell still remained. Tried Resolve Pet Foam spray a few times as well; no dice. I finally bought Petzyme and mixed in with my steam vac cleaning solution. Still didn't do the trick. Lastly, I steam vac'd AGAIN with hot water and Petzyme, and it seems to have done the trick. I do have a very sensitive nose, so since I no longer smell it, and neither does anyone else, I think I may have finally succeeded.

Enzyme cleaners must be given time to settle in to "digest" organic stains like urine. The urine not only settles downward but outward in carpet, so the cleaner will have to be applied to an area 2-3 times larger than the actual stain and given to to work. Excess moisture from carpet can be removed with wet/dry vacuum. Fans can expedite drying. Carpet that remains wet for 48 hours or more is prone to mold/mildew. Forum members tend to recommend Nature's Miracle and Odor Ban from Sam's Club.

Equalizer works!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Available from the vet. Not all carry it though, may have to call around.

I think that if your cat's marking is confined to one spot, you might have a chance of getting it. I have used Simple Solution with great success. The key is to saturate the area keep the area wet with a damp towel for at least 24 hours and retreat.I have also used vinegar scented with peppermint oil (test before using).
Here's the bad news:if your cat is prone to spraying indoors, chances are he will remark that spot or somewhere else again and that is a whole other problem.

An act of despairation--
My dog used the carpeted hallway as a comode several times- I tried enzymes I tried enzymes in the carpet cleaner I poured a gallon of the stuff down the hall. Finally, I decided to take a risk. I mixed a solution of bleach and water and dumped in in every spot making sure I soaked the pad and everything. I waited a few minutes then sucked up as much as possible with the carpet cleaner. (I found the spots with a UV light from the pet store.) After getting up ad much of the water as possible, I ran the AC to get the air moving and dry.

I would not call this a recomendation, but it worked for me (a light tan carpet.) I ended up treating the area 2 times ( about 1 week apart), but it seams to have done the trick. No discoloration of the carpet.

All those enzyme products only work best on fresh stains, not existing stains/odors. We have 2 cats that peed in our brand new house, right in the dining room. I've tried everything on the market...even pulled up the carpet & padding and soaked them both with enzyme products...they worked for about 1 week, then the smell returned. Steam cleaned a few times, same problem. Dumped a ton og baking soda on/in/below the carpet & padding, and after 1 month the smell returned. The only way to rid the smell is to remove the carpet & padding and replace with new. Don't forget to sand down the sub-flooring in case the urine soaked into the wood.

HI. I worked in property management for years. Got some great tips from the professional carpet cleaners.

Do NOT use hot water. Once it hits the urine, it does set it. If your dog or cat has been on antibiotics, it will not come out.

If none of the above applies, they said you have to pull up the carpet, shampoo both sides, replace the padding and seal the floor. You can seal the floor with KILZ. If you dont seal it, it will come back through the new padding and carpet. The used a product called Happy Malodor that they sprayed on the carpet front and back and then shampooed. I used Odoban and like it better. I use Nature's miracle, but it seems like it works better on fresh urine. It does work great on stains though.

If your carpet is made of P.E.T. (recycled plastic bottles) you can use Bleach. Otherwise, hydrogen peroxide works really well (test for colorfast) but i never had a problem with it taking the color out.

Have you tried any Rug Doctor products? Might be a long shot, but then again... worth it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rug Doctor

I own rental houses and one of the great inventions of all times is a product called Odorxit. You can order it from Amazon. Buy plenty but it works

Aside from the obvious problems with your carpet, you should also be concerned that the cat might have a urinary tract infection or some other problem and therefore needs a visit to the vet for a check up.

The original question was asked over six years ago.

I agree with haus proud, though, if people have this problem the first thing to do is make sure the cat is not sick. Also, if a cat is not neutered or spayed they have more of a tendency to mark areas with urine.

We have three cats and two dogs. What has worked best for us is wood floors in most of the house, with vinyl in the kitchen and tile in the bathroom. All is moppable, sweepable and easy to keep clean. We have washable throw rugs in some areas as needed.

What about a concrete slab? If you rip out the carpet and pad....do you have to treat concrete?

mary,

Yes, you should treat the concrete. Clean with an enzyme, then when it's dry use a quality concrete sealer.