Home Remedies For Removing Cat Urine From Shoes

The smell of cat urine is just about as unpleasant of an odor as it gets, and it's especially undesirable when it's found around the home. While cats will often relieve themselves inside of a litter box, or outdoors when allowed, sometimes felines may spray on our personal belongings, like couches, bed spreads, and shoes. If you find your cat peeing on shoes or other items around the house, you can get the smell out but it is best done as soon as possible.

While removing most messes can be done using a towel, soap, and water, cat urine will need one extra consideration if you wish to fully eliminate the odor. Cat pee often smells so bad because a feline processes bodily waste through the kidneys so that it's highly concentrated and not diluted, according to I Heart Cats. The urea found in this byproduct eventually converts to ammonia, which is made to smell even worse over time when bacteria develops. Enzyme cleaners are often a cat guardian's best bet at eliminating odors left by cat urine by breaking down the uric acid found in urine.

Enzyme cleaners can be found in most pet stores and online. Vinegar is a natural enzymatic cleaner that can also be used to remove the smell of a cat peeing on shoes or other items. Either way, an odorless home is best accomplished by tackling the urine stain immediately.

If you find your cat peeing on shoes, they should be cleaned and deodorized. Common cleansers include Nature's Miracle and BioKleen, as well as white vinegar. Start by soaking up as much of the urine as possible with a towel, then fully soak the affected area with the cleanser of your choice and allow it to sit for several minutes before blotting it with a clean rag. This process will likely need to be repeated a few times, especially for stubborn or older stains.

In addition to store-bought enzyme cleaners and vinegar you can scrub shoes clean with other household items. Baking soda is often used to lighten stains and deodorize materials, and can be used either by sprinkling dry powder onto the affected area, or creating a paste by adding water, then scrubbing the area with it. Hydrogen peroxide is used for the same reason, and is a popular option for soaking stained fabric shoes in to lift stains and some odors.

If your cat is urinating in the house suddenly, she is likely marking her territory – you may even notice this if your cat is peeing on the wall of a litter box rather than in the pan. This is often done as a response to stress which can come about with any change in a cat's environment, like the addition of new pets or people, or the absence of their guardian, according to The Humane Society.

Sometimes, cats may spray outside of their litter box as part of a mating behavior, which can be resolved by spaying or neutering your feline. Additionally, some cats may pee on things as the result of a medical issue like a urinary tract infection, which is highly common in older cats and should be addressed by a veterinarian for your cats health, safety, and comfort.