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If you have a cat, you know that sometimes accidents can happen. Occasionally, you may end up with cat poop on your couch, floor, chair, or bed. If this has happened to you, and you want to get the smell out, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading while we provide a step-by-step guide for eliminating the cat poop smell from your couch and any other surfaces in your home.
How to Effectively Clean Up Cat Messes, Odors & Stains
The first part of cat mess prevention is ensuring you are taking the time to properly clean any accidents - and that starts with investing in the right products! Of course, you'll want to opt for something safe first and foremost, to protect your feline's health, but secondly, you'll need a solution powerful enough to lift the toughest, stinkiest, most set-in stains. After careful consideration, we fell in love with one product and highly recommend it to all pet owners!
Our Favorite Enzyme Cleaner
| Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Enzyme Spray
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Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray |
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Check Price |
There are several reasons we can't get enough of the Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray. It permanently removes the very worst smells and stains, it can be used on a multitude of surfaces and its neutral scented, meaning no odor masking! It comes in a generous 32-oz bottle and comes with 100% satisfaction guarantee. Learn more about this holy grail of a cleaner here!
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company!
The 6 Tips on How to Get Rid Of Poop Smells
Here’s a quick guide on how to get rid of the odor your cat has left behind.
1. Remove the Poop
The first thing you will need to do is remove the poop as quickly as possible. The longer it sits, the harder it will become to eliminate the smell. Use a plastic bag to pick up the poop and discard it properly.
2. Vacuum
If the incident happened several days ago, but you still smell it, it could be that a piece fell into the cushions or there is still some in the fabric. Vacuuming can help eliminate stray pieces, and it can also help pull dried particles from the fabric.
3. Wipe it Down
If you caught the poop early and were able to pick it up, clean the area with a damp cloth to pick up as much as you can before it dries, but remember not to press too hard because you don’t want to rub it into the fabric where it might become trapped.
4. Use Enzyme Cleaner
Enzyme cleaners are fantastic products that work exceptionally well on organic stains like cat poop and urine. They use good bacteria to eat away at organic material, eliminating the stains and the odor. Enzyme cleaners are safe for the environment and safe to use around your pets.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide & Dawn Dish Detergent
If you don’t want to use an enzyme cleaner, another effective and DIY way to destroy organic material is to use hydrogen peroxide. Create a solution and gently rub it into the stain. The dawn will help release particles trapped in the fabric, while the fizzing you see is the hydrogen peroxide destroying the organic material.
- ¾ cup hydrogen peroxide
- 1 tbsp Dawn dishwashing liquid
6. Baking Soda
Once you use the hydrogen peroxide solution or the enzyme cleaner, the fabric will be damp, and it’s the perfect time to cover the area with baking soda. Apply a liberal amount to the wet area and allow it to dry for several hours.
You can cover the whole couch for even better results. Once the spot dries, use a vacuum to remove the powder. Baking soda does a great job of removing odors, and people have been putting it in their refrigerators and shoes for years.
7. Freshen the Couch
Once you have followed these steps to remove the odor, you need to freshen the couch with a fragrance or essential oil. While this will help your couch smell better, many popular essential oils are bad for cats. Unfortunately, the list of essential oils you can use around cats is not very long, so do your homework. If you need to use fragrance, only use a small amount in a limited area.
8. Cover the Couch
If you know that your cat is pooping on the couch to show you they are angry about something, a great way to keep it clean is to cover it with an inexpensive sheet that will help protect the couch and is easy to throw in the washer. It may sound like a hassle, but these steps will only be effective so many times, and they are more effective when you contain most of the waste in a protective sheet.
Reasons Why Your Cat May Have Pooped On The Couch
- They might be upset/angry. In our experience, a cat poops on the couch or in your bed mainly because they are mad or upset. If it is in a spot where you spend a lot of time, you are likely the one the cat is scolding. We’ve had this happen most frequently when we’ve left the cat alone too long, but it can also happen if you bring strangers over or yell at your cat for misbehaving.
- The litter box is dirty: This is similar to the last one and has to do with your cat being frustrated about a dirty litter box. We’ve had quite a few cats vent their frustrations by pooping on the couch. Use an enzyme cleaner to wash the box between litter changes.
- Your cat may be sick: Changing food can often lead to diarrhea, and if you have recently given your cat something new, it’s possible diarrhea came on suddenly before the cat could react. If it happens more than once, we recommend taking your cat to the vet to make sure it’s not something more serious.
- Age: If your cat is getting old, arthritis may be setting in, and it might be too difficult or painful for your cat to get down to use the litter box. If you suspect this is the case, we recommend taking the cat to the vet to see if there is a way to help ease their pain.
If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your pet, seek veterinary advice for the best course of action.
If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price!
Summary
We’ve had several temperamental cats over the years that would get mad that we had to work and would poop on the couch chair or bed so we could see it when we got home. If they only do it once, the smell is not too bad, but you will start to notice a lingering odor after a few times. If you have the type of cat that does this, we recommend throwing a sheet over the popular spots before leaving for work. It’s a bit tedious but well worth it.
We hope you have enjoyed reading over this short guide and were able to get your home smelling better without needing to call the professionals or spend a fortune renting a shampooer. If you know other families with cats, please share this guide to getting cat poop smells out of a couch on Facebook and Twitter.
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company!
See also:
- Why Do Cats Bury Their Poop? Reasons for This Behavior
- How Long Can a Cat Go Without Pooping? Vet-Approved Causes & Solutions
Featured Image Credit: FotoMirta, Shutterstock
