How to remove the smell of cat urine from shoes: what to do if the cat has marked your shoes

Cats are wonderful pets that are full members of almost every family. Along with positive emotions, they can also bring moral discomfort, for example, when putting on your favorite shoes, when the foot feels suspiciously damp inside. Sometimes pets confuse their own litter box with their owner's shoes. There are several proven ways to remove the smell of urine from shoes.

Reasons for the appearance of a specific odor

Eliminating the odor of cat urine is especially difficult due to its composition. It includes urea, uric acid and urochrome. The most persistent part of cat urine is uric acid. It is not able to dissolve in water and alcohol, unlike other parts that are easily washed off with conventional means. Acid crystals remain in the fabric even after cleaning, causing the unpleasant odor to reappear. The most unpleasant fact in this case is that the surface that has absorbed the urine attracts the pet to itself again and again in order to relieve itself.

Attention! The cat will not encroach on shoes if its tray is always clean and contains high-quality filler. To scare your pet away from certain things, you can use perfume or special liquids.

What not to do

Whatever material your shoes are made of, they should never be treated with perfume or cologne. Yes, at first the smell will seem to disappear, but after a few hours it will return in a more unpleasant and intensified form.

Under no circumstances should you treat your shoes with perfumes or colognes - the smell will become even more unpleasant.

The ban also applies to scented wipes for primary treatment. These should be the most ordinary dry paper handkerchiefs that absorb moisture well.

Please note: products to eliminate unpleasant odors should not contain ammonia - it will only worsen an already sad situation.

Why is it important to quickly remove the smell of cat urine from shoes?

If your cat has marked your shoes, you should get rid of the smell as quickly as possible. Urine can be absorbed into the surface, after which it will be very difficult to eliminate the unpleasant odor. It is also important to demonstrate to the cat that he made a mistake that the owner is correcting. By delaying the process of removing urine, you may miss the moment when the cat compares its action with something bad. As a result, the pet will make the shoe its favorite place to relieve itself.

Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate)

Suitable for any dark shoes, but for light ones you should look for other products. The procedure in this case is as follows:

The urine is blotted with a dry cloth, removing the moisture to dryness.
Moisten the swab generously with a strong solution of potassium permanganate (dark purple) and thoroughly wipe all areas, including unstained ones. The odor molecules still managed to penetrate and spread over the entire surface.
The item is wiped again, rinsing the tampon in potassium permanganate.
After making sure that the work has been done conscientiously, the shoes are dried with a soft, dry rag, and then set out to dry on the balcony or near an open window.

Sometimes potassium permanganate is replaced with iodine if the color of the shoes is very dark. In this case, iodine is used undiluted: it is applied to a tampon and wiped on shoes. Next, the shoes are placed to dry in a ventilated place.

How to remove urine smell from shoes

There are several methods for removing the smell of cat urine from shoes. You can resort to home, chemical or specialized remedies. These methods will help to significantly reduce the intensity of the unpleasant odor, but in the case of dried stains you will have to put in more effort.

Traditional methods

People who have recently adopted a kitten need to know how to rid their shoes of the smell of cat urine. A kitten, like any child, does not yet know where to relieve itself. And the owner’s task, in this case, is similar to the parent’s task, namely, to teach the baby to go to the tray. During the learning process, a kitten may make the wrong conclusions, which is why you should stock up on special equipment in advance and be fully armed.

If you find a fresh stain in your own sneakers or boots made of fur, you need to:

Wear gloves and wipe damaged shoes with a napkin. If urine gets inside, you should stuff the shoe with napkins: this will reduce the effort that will need to be made in the process of getting rid of the unpleasant odor.
Wash shoes with laundry soap and water to remove stickiness. This point is relevant if the stain is fresh.
Mix vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:4. If you don't have vinegar, you can rub lemon on your skin. However, it is important not to overdo it: otherwise the shoes will deteriorate.
Wet soda will help get rid of uric acid crystals, which intensively eat into the surface. This method can even be applied to leather shoes.
After removing the soda, the shoes should be washed under running water, preferably with soap. Next, the shoes should be dried thoroughly.

Attention! When using special liquids to neutralize the smell of cat urine, you must follow the instructions on the package.

Pharmacy products

Pharmacy products help both remove the smell of cat urine from shoes and repel pets with their medicinal aroma:

Hydrogen peroxide - mix 15 grams of the product with 2 tablespoons of soda and liquid soap. Rub the substance into the stain and rinse under running water.
Concentrated potassium permanganate - apply the solution to an area of leather or suede and then rinse.
Iodine - dissolve 10 drops in 1 liter of water and rinse the shoes in the solution.

Specialized means

When choosing special products to remove urine stains, it is important to purchase a liquid that contains enzymes. These substances help get rid of uric acid crystals and effectively remove the stain. These products include Urine-off Cat & Kitten and OdorGone.

Pet stores also sell liquids that repel pets from interior elements.

Attention! Special aromatic oils provide a temporary effect: after a few days, the marked shoes will stink again.

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Sneakers, moccasins and fabric slippers

Boots and moccasins that smell like urine will attract other cats, who will mark the entrance.
Fabric shoes are easier to clean from cat urine.

The cleaning process is carried out as follows:

Blot the stain with a towel, waste rag, or other material.
Wipe the wet part with laundry soap or a professional odor remover and rinse with water.
Pull out the laces and insole. If urine gets on them, replace them with new ones.
Wash the shoes in the washing machine with the addition of washing powder, using the “Cotton” or “Shoe” mode.
Dry the items on the balcony in the fresh air.

Advice! To prevent damage to shoes in the future, for the first few days after treatment, put a citrus peel (orange, tangerine) inside or moisten the insoles with lemon juice. Cats cannot stand the smell of citrus fruits.

How to remove the smell of an old cat urine stain from shoes

Removing an old urine stain is much more difficult than removing a new one, but you can always find a way out.
Method number 1. Laundry soap will help to remove urine from rag sneakers, which must first be thoroughly rubbed into the stain and then washed off with plenty of water. And in the case of leather shoes, a soap solution will help get rid of the stain.

Method number 2. Glycerin will help get rid of urine stains and odors. It destroys crystals that are formed with uric acid. You can also use any detergent that contains glycerin.

A few drops of citrus essential oil dissolved in water will help repel the cat from its favorite place.

Industrial products

Many housewives trust industrial anti-cat odor products, as they are safe for most shoe materials and act quickly. Our rating of good disinfectants against cat odor:

ZooSan is a good spray against fresh stains, it has almost no smell.
OdorGone is a powerful tool for all types of shoes and other items; it is more expensive than its analogues.
Odor-Kill is an effective product that leaves behind a pleasant vanilla aroma.
Urine-off Multi-Pet – used on both fresh and old stains.
Himola Antigadin is an inexpensive spray that will be a faithful companion when training a kitten to use the litter box. It is better to use in conjunction with other techniques.

Chemicals help get rid of old stains and odors the first time, but require care. Do not forget about the basic rules for working with such sprays: ventilate the room, do not inhale them, spray strictly in the direction of the stain on the shoes.

Tip Before using any product, first remove as much urine as possible from your shoes. Use toilet paper and dry wipes.

How to prevent the situation from happening again

First of all, it is important to periodically change the filler in your cat’s litter box. Sometimes pets choose a place to satisfy their natural needs because they don't like it. It is important to choose the type of litter that is best for your cat.

Cats are wayward animals. If the owner has offended the pet, he can take revenge on him by marking his shoes. You can't scold or hit a cat!

Sometimes this problem occurs due to the warming up of the cat’s feelings in the spring. Then you need to take care of his castration or selection of a mate. Marked items must be washed or put away in a timely manner so that they do not attract the cat like a magnet.

Mistakes: what not to do

Cat urine has a special corrosive composition. It is not always possible to get it out. Some try to mask the unpleasant aroma with cologne, perfume, deodorants, and air fresheners. The methods do not eliminate, and sometimes increase the stench.

Attention! There is no need to cruelly punish the cat - excessively poking it with its muzzle, hitting it. The animal will remember the insult and continue to pee in the shoes. The problem will not go away.

Chlorine is an effective, fast-acting remedy. But it has a number of disadvantages: it is harmful to humans and animals (especially small children), it lingers on the surface and in the air for a long time.

What to do with fresh puddles on the floor and carpets

Step 1. As soon as the house smells of cat urine, you need to put aside all your business and find the “crime scene” as quickly as possible.
It is important to detect a wet spot on the rug as quickly as possible

It is advisable to blot the moisture as best as possible. Use gloves

It is advisable to put the used paper/rag in a bag and immediately take it to the trash can, otherwise the bin will also stink.

It is also advisable to immediately open the window and thoroughly ventilate the room.

Step 2. To remove residual moisture, you can cover the stain with a layer of baking soda or salt. Powders will absorb urine as an absorbent, making it much easier to get rid of the smell. Baking soda and salt can be mixed with washing powder in equal proportions to achieve a better effect.

Baking soda and salt will absorb remaining moisture

Step 3. After half an hour, the powder can be removed with a rag or vacuum cleaner (if the dust collector is not a fabric bag, but a plastic container).

The main part can be collected with a rag or sponge

Carpet cleaning products

“Whiteness” is only suitable for washing floors; it is better not to wash carpets and rugs with chlorine-containing products

You shouldn't spray a wet spot with perfume either. Firstly, it will not help hide the pungent, persistent unpleasant odor. Secondly, the combination of the scent of urine and the scent of perfume is not the best.

Identifying and eliminating the causes of cat behavior

Behavior that is unusual for a pet, in which it poops in various places, is often associated with a specific reason.

Disease

If your pet poops in the wrong place for no apparent reason, the cause may be illness. As a rule, this problem affects older cats. However, in young cats, such a signal may indicate a serious illness. In this case, it would not hurt to contact a veterinarian.

Dissatisfaction with the tray

Failure to keep the tray hygienic is one of the main reasons why a pet goes in the wrong place. To prevent this from happening, you should change the tray filler on time.

Otherwise, the cat will react to strong odors and refuse to relieve itself in the right place.

Territory marker

If the cat went to the wrong place, it may have marked its territory in the apartment or house. To prevent this behavior of the animal, it will need to be castrated.

Response to changing conditions

A new place of residence, new furniture or wardrobe items may be regarded by a pet as a direct threat. And then the animal will begin to mark the situation. Also, changes in the environment often cause stress in cats, which causes them to go to the wrong place to relieve themselves.

What to do if a cat shits in flowers

If a cat takes a fancy to a flowerpot and decides that it is convenient and pleasant to relieve itself in the ground, you will have to save the flower.

The kitten may decide that relieving itself in a flower pot is natural and pleasant.

The soil from the plant must be removed as soon as possible so that the plant does not die.
Pour new substrate into the pots and pour plenty of water. If a cat shits in a flower, you should change the soil
The pot must either be put on a shelf so that the cat cannot jump into it, or protected from the encroachments of a furry friend with sharp objects.
For example, you can stick toothpicks, plastic forks with the teeth up, or pieces of wire into the soil. Or cover the pot with a net to make it uncomfortable for the cat to sit there. Your pet is unlikely to want to climb into a pot with sharp toothpicks sticking out of it.
Another option is to attach a decorative fence to the window sill with self-tapping screws.
The fence will block access to the window for the cat, which means the plants will be reliably protected. Decorative fencing

Vinegar

If the shoes are light-colored and you cannot use iodine or potassium permanganate, ordinary table vinegar will help. You can also take vinegar essence. To do this, perform the following manipulations:

Vinegar is poured into a cup and diluted by a third with water.
This mixture moistens a sponge and wipes the shoes. In a very dire situation, boots can be soaked in this water for several hours.
After this, the shoes are sent to air dry.

If the stain is old and the smell is already ingrained, add salt. In this case, the shoes are soaked in vinegar and then sprinkled generously with salt. Leave everything like this for 15 minutes, after which the salt is cleaned off and the shoes are wiped with a dry cloth. Shoes must be dried in the open air for several hours.

Features of cleaning different materials

How effective the process of removing unpleasant odors will be directly depends on the material from which the “affected” shoes are made.

Suede

Suede shoes are cleaned with special care. You need to use glycerin and treat the inside of the shoe with it. The same should be done with lemon juice. After half an hour, the area should be wiped with a sponge and wet wipes.

Leather and leatherette

Boots or other leather footwear should not be wiped with wet products. Household chemicals are suitable for cleaning, but do not use aggressive or abrasive substances. You can use a solution of iodine, vinegar, and also muffle the smell with coffee or tea.

Rag shoes

Fabric sneakers or sneakers should be immediately wiped clean and all liquid removed. Then special odor neutralizing agents are used and the shoes are placed in the washing machine. When washing, the delicate cycle and low temperature are set.

Fur

It is extremely difficult to remove the smell from fur. In any case, the insoles will have to be thrown away. The inside of the shoe is treated with vinegar or citric acid solution. Then the product needs to be ventilated for 2-3 hours.

Nubuck

The stain is treated with glycerin or a liquid product that contains it. Next, you need to sprinkle the area with lemon juice and wait half an hour. Excess detergent is removed with a moistened sponge, and the shoes are left to air.

Camphor alcohol

If your sneakers are dirty, the above remedies will not be as effective. The multi-layer absorbent material of sports shoes instantly absorbs liquid and odor, preventing it from evaporating for a very long time. Camphor alcohol will help here - the strong-smelling substance will penetrate into loose tissue and neutralize urine. To do this you need to do the following:

Apply camphor to cotton wool.
Wipe problem areas.
Leave a fresh cotton pad soaked in camphor alcohol overnight inside the sneakers.
The next morning, remove the disc and air dry the shoes.

Preventive measures

Cats are smart animals. They will not harm their owner without reason. If you once encountered a situation where a pet peed in your shoes, you should immediately understand the motives for its behavior and take measures to prevent trouble in the future:

Check if the cat's litter box is in order. If it is in an uncomfortable, restless place or is rarely cleaned, the animal begins to look for a new, more suitable corner. Remove dirty litter promptly.
Exercise with your pet. Cats often play pranks if they feel they are not getting enough attention.
It is better to neuter cats that have reached reproductive age so that they are not tempted to mark their territory.
Take your pet to the vet regularly - erratic urination can be caused by kidney disease.
Store your shoes in a locked closet or place them in citrus-scented sachets.
If things have already been marked, treat them with Antigadin. This product can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy.

It should be remembered that cats have a delicate sense of smell. They tend to go to the toilet in a place where they smell their own or someone else's urine. This means that shoes that are not completely cleaned will become an attractive object for other animals, in the houses you visit or on the street. Therefore, it is important to completely remove traces of cat urine, even if you have to use several products to do this.

Soda

Baking soda neutralizes odors well. To do this you need:

Sprinkle generous amounts of baking soda on the stains.
Wait for complete absorption.
The swollen pulp is removed, the procedure is repeated again if necessary.
Clean the shoes with a dry cloth and leave them in the air for several hours.

If the contamination is old, then they act a little differently:

The boots are sprinkled with a mixture of baking soda and water.
Rub thoroughly to eliminate the corrosive odor.
Leave it like this for half an hour.
The pulp is removed with a rag and wiped dry.
The shoes are taken out into the air for final drying.