How to Get Cat Pee Smell Out of a Couch (Even When It Keeps Coming Back)

Guests are coming on Saturday. Every time the room warms up, the couch smells like the litter box again. You have scrubbed that cushion three times. It smelled fine for a day, and then it didn't.

Here is how to get cat pee smell out of a couch. Find the whole spot. Check the cleaning code. Then soak an enzyme cleaner as deep as the pee went. Wait 10 to 15 minutes, blot, and let it dry all the way. Old spots need a second round.

Why does it keep coming back? The pee went deeper than the cleaning did.

One thing first. Has your cat suddenly started peeing outside the litter box? Call your vet before you do anything else. Cleaning can fix the couch. It can't fix the reason she went there.

Know Why the Smell Comes Back

Most of the pee is not on the surface anymore. It ran through the cloth and into the foam. A wipe or a quick spray never gets down there. Three things keep the smell alive.

• It gets worse with age. PetMD says cat pee smells like ammonia. Over time, it gives off mercaptans. Those are the same compounds that make skunk spray smell.
• Water alone won't wash it out. Uric acid is part of cat pee. It does not dissolve well in water, says CatWatch. That is the cat newsletter made with the Cornell Feline Health Center. As pee dries, it can turn to crystals. CatWatch adds that you may need to repeat the enzyme step if the smell shows up on a humid day.
• Your cat can still smell it. Dr. Bruce Kornreich, DVM, Ph.D., is with the Cornell Feline Health Center. He told PetMD: "Ammonia is one component of cat urine, and if cats smell that, they're more likely to pee there again."

So an air freshener only hides the smell for a day. The Cornell Feline Health Center says it plainly on its house soiling page. Odors must be neutralized, not just deodorized.

You are not the only one. One cat owner on a UK money-saving forum had the classic case. The covers did not come off. The pee "soaked right through into the cushion." After laundry detergent, warm water and a pet stain spray, "it still smells!"

Find Every Spot First

You can't clean a spot you can't see. Dried pee is often hard to spot by eye. The Feline Veterinary Medical Association has a good fix. This vet group, once called the AAFP, says to use a black light. That is a UV flashlight.

Wait until dark and turn off the lights. Sweep the light slowly over the whole couch. Look for patches that glow. Check more than the seat:

• Under the cushions: lift each one and check the base below.
• The gaps: shine the light down the cracks by the arms.
• The back and sides: Cornell notes that cats that spray usually hit upright spots, like the backs of chairs.

Mark the edge of each spot with painter's tape. Then go wider than the tape. The same vet guide says to clean a large enough area to remove the smell. That may be up to three times the size of the stain.

Is the spot still wet? Blot it with paper towels or an old towel. Press down. Don't rub. Rubbing pushes the pee out sideways and down deeper.

Check the Tag Before You Clean

Your couch should have a cleaning code on a tag. Look under the seat cushions or on the frame. The code tells you what the cloth can take. Sailrite, a supplier for people who cover furniture, lists four codes.

A leather couch is a job for a pro, too.

Whatever the code, spot-test first. Dab a little cleaner on a hidden spot, like the back of the skirt. Let it dry before you judge the color. Do the covers zip off? Wash them as the care label says. The foam inside still needs the soak below.

What Not to Use

Soak It as Deep as It Went

Most cleanings skip this step. If the pee reached the foam, the cleaner has to reach it too. A light mist only cleans the cloth on top. Here are the steps.

1. 1

   Blot

   Soak up anything that is still wet.

2. 2

   Soak

   Pour or spray the cleaner until the taped area is fully wet. Go past the tape a little. Press it in with a gloved hand so it goes as deep as the pee.

   Why: a cleaner only works where it reaches.

3. 3

   Wait 10 to 15 minutes

   Leave it alone. PetMD's cushion method also gives the cleaner about 15 minutes.

4. 4

   Blot again

   Press a dry towel into the spot, hard. Stand on it if you need to.

5. 5

   Air-dry

   Let it dry on its own, with no heat.

An enzyme cleaner for cat urine does not work like soap. PetMD explains that the enzymes break down the acid in cat urine. That is how they get rid of the smell.

LitterBond's Urine Odor Eliminator is made for this step. It is a bio-enzyme spray with persimmon tannin and plant extracts. It breaks down cat pee odor at the source instead of masking it. The 400 ml trigger bottle is sized for couches and cushions. The 100 ml mist bottle is for small spots. Here is its honest limit. It only works where it reaches, so it needs a real soak. Old or set-in spots often need more than one round.

It has a light, fresh scent. Spot-test it on a hidden spot first. Open a window while you work. Keep your cat out of the room until the spot is dry. Cats are sensitive to essential oils and strong scents. Never spray it on your cat. Never use it with bleach or ammonia cleaners.

When the odor eliminator fits, and when it doesn't:

Let It Dry, Then Repeat

Don't judge the smell while the cushion is damp. A damp cushion can smell a bit anyway. The real test is the dry one. Deep spots take time. CatWatch notes that a soaked carpet can take a day or two to air-dry.

Speed it up without heat. Open a window. Point a fan at the spot. Stand the cushion on its edge so air reaches both sides. Keep your cat off it with a washable throw, or close the door.

Here is a realistic plan.

Give it a fair trial of two or three full rounds. Does the foam still smell after that? The pee may have soaked the whole cushion. At that point, call a pro upholstery cleaner. Or ask an upholsterer for a new foam insert. That is the honest answer.

More tools for litter box smells are in our odor and home cleaning collection.

Call Your Vet, Then Check the Box

A cat who suddenly pees outside the box needs a vet check first. The Feline VMA guide says every cat that starts to house-soil needs a full exam. It also needs a urine test. International Cat Care lists urinary tract disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes as possible causes.

Straining while passing little or no urine is an emergency, especially in a male cat. The Cornell Feline Health Center calls a blocked urethra "an absolute emergency." Male cats are at greater risk. Their urethra is longer and narrower.

Once your vet rules out a health problem, look at the litter boxes. Cornell's rule is one box per cat, plus one. Put them in quiet, private spots, away from busy rooms. Scoop at least once a day. A new cat can also set off spraying, Cornell notes. Thinking about a plug-in diffuser? Read whether cat pheromone diffusers work.

Never punish her for it. International Cat Care says punishment only makes your cat fearful and the problem worse.

If you do nothing else tonight, do this. Tape the edge of the spot. Soak it as deep as the pee went. Give it 10 to 15 minutes before you blot. Then let it dry all the way before you judge the smell. You might use the Urine Odor Eliminator or another enzyme cleaner for cat urine. Either way, the depth of the soak matters more than the bottle.

Questions this guide did not cover

Is my cat spraying or peeing on the couch?

Spraying is usually a small squirt on an upright surface. International Cat Care describes a cat backing up to it with her tail up and quivering. It lists sofas and chairs among the targets. Spraying is a sign of stress, and it usually drops a lot after a cat is neutered or spayed. Either way, iCatCare says to have your vet rule out a medical problem first.

What should I clean the litter box with?

Soap and hot water. The Feline VMA house-soiling guide says to wash the box every 1 to 4 weeks with soap and hot water only. Leave bleach out of it. The Missouri Poison Center names litter boxes as a place to use cleaners without bleach.

How big should each litter box be?

About one and a half times your cat's length. The Feline VMA guide measures from the nose to the base of the tail. It also says to put the boxes in more than one location.

Can I use biological laundry detergent instead of an enzyme cleaner?

Yes, as a backup. International Cat Care suggests a 10% solution of biological or enzymatic washing powder when you have no enzymatic cleaner. Rinse with cold water, then let it dry thoroughly. On a couch, test a small hidden area first. Blot hard after the rinse, since every bit of extra water ends up in the foam.

Related reading

• Do Cat Pheromone Diffusers Work? The Evidence and a Fair Trial
• How to Clean a Cat Without a Bath: A Calm, Waterless Routine