Cat Peeing on the Bed or Couch? How to get the Smell Out

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Cat peeing on the bed? Cat pee smell on the couch, carpet, or laundry? It’s ok, kitty, we love you anyway!

Wow, the cat pee smell is hard to get out! And so many cleaners don’t work.

There is an epidemic affecting cat owners, and I came to realize this as we house-hunted. Whether owners realize it or not, their home may be overcome with a cat pee smell. If you suspect your home or furniture has this affliction, read on.

My husband doesn’t understand why I’m such a cat person. Some days back then when I would find myself cleaning up cat pee for the third time in three days, I couldn’t understand it either. Despite their potential faults, I just love kitties and all their cuddly quirks. Fortunately, the hubby at least tolerates a cat in the house for my sake–up until the point when said cat started peeing outside the litter box. Even worse–when the cat’s peeing on the bed.

If you have a cat peeing on the bed or couch or carpet, read on.

1. A cat peeing on the bed or carpet may need a vet!

If you have an older cat peeing outside the litter box, you might consider a vet visit to make sure there aren’t underlying health reasons. There are many kitty illnesses that manifest with this symptom, including bladder infections and diabetes. Our former calico cat, Nibbler, started peeing just outside her litter box and in the bathtub. As it turned out, she had cat diabetes. Who knew that’s a thing?

Three years after our beloved kitty, Nibbler, passed away we were ready to invite another cat into our home. Despite the name, Nibbler was a sweet kitty who left some pretty big paws to fill in terms of appropriate kitty behavior. She went potty in the litter box–up until she started the diabetes battle anyway– never scratched the furniture, and even did her part in keeping the house bug-free.

Our new kitten, Taco, is something else. She peed on the carpet at the top of the stairs not long after we welcomed her into our home. Then came the bed. And couch. Doh! Luckily, the issue was short-lived after we got rid of any remnants of the cat pee smell and stain.

2. Cat peeing on the bed or couch? Don’t waste your time!

I tried so many cat pee smell removers that didn’t work:

• Nature’s Miracle in several varieties…I was determined to make this work! It did not.
• Oxiclean
• Kids N’ Pets
• Pinterest-recommended remedy: vinegar, baking soda, Dawn, and every combination of the three.
• Pinterest-recommended remedy: Listerine? Not only did Listerine not work, but it also made my couch sticky. In hindsight, maybe folks meant it was only for floor pee. Either way, I wouldn’t recommend it.

I did way more research on cat pee smell removal than any sane person should ever do but finally found an answer.

It’s all about the ENZYMES, folks. Apparently, you need a cleaner with enzymes in it to rid of the organic bacteria and source of the smell. So if you don’t go with either option I recommend below, make sure you look for an enzymatic cleaner, preferably with five-star reviews. Check the before/after pictures too.

Amazon recommendations

I found a few options on Amazon that promised to get rid of that nasty, ammonia smell among other smells. Their five-star reviews gave me newfound hope:

Rocco & Roxie worked to remove the cat pee smell from the beige carpet, but it left an orange stain. It has a slight cinnamon smell that’s almost unnoticeable unless you’re within close range. I thought it was a nice smell, but I could understand how some folks may not care for it.

The Rocco worked on a beige carpet, but we didn’t have enough to rid the faux micro-suede couch of the cat pee smell. I also didn’t use enough the first time around on the carpet and had to do a second sweep; you really need to drench that stain. If you buy the sprayer, take the sprayer off and just douse the stain. Or you can simply buy it in a pour-able container for more money. You want to engulf the entire stain in the cleaner.

Rocco left a slight orange stain in its wake after drying. I scrubbed the stain with Tide and water three different times and only managed to lighten it. Now the surrounding carpet no longer matches due to the excessive scrubbing–I guess that means I need to steam clean the rest of the carpet. Doh! I’m really not sure if the color was originally the cat piss or the Rocco cleaner, but either way, it was worse after the Rocco.

3. Knok Out works great for getting the cat pee smell out, but…

I used Knok Out on the couch, and it exceeded my expectations with cat pee smell removal. It wiped out that ammonia smell completely! Again, you need to engulf that stain. Imagine the cat piss, and all the nooks and crannies that absorb it on soft furniture like a couch or bed. So, you need to make sure the cleaner gets absorbed just as fully–ideally, even more so–as the cat piss did. Drench every possible ounce of cat pee with the cleaner.

The catch: Knok Out has a chlorine smell that fades with time. In my experience, it was strongest the first two days, and then I only smelled it off and on for several weeks. I was able to help remedy this by opening all the windows, turning on the fan, and spraying some tangerine essential oils on the couch for several days in a row. My tangerine essential oil mixture (10 drops of oil with 4 tablespoons of water) makes the chlorine less noticeable. Once it dries, the smell fades, but it’s worth noting if you’re sensitive to smells.

4. Emmy’s Best halted my cat’s peeing AND smells nice!

Emmy’s Best got rid of the cat pee smell and the stain the next time she peed without a chlorine scent leftover. I’m usually not a fan of anything floral scented, but the lavender scent in Emily’s Best is not overpowering. It smells like a laundry detergent, and the smell doesn’t linger for more than a few days (as long as it takes to dry, so it depends on how much you use).

The best thing about this particular product is their 100% money-back guarantee! They’re not afraid to stand behind the product.

It’d behoove you to buy the gallon if you’re trying to clean a big soft area like a couch or bed. Remember, you need to completely engulf that stain and make sure every single inch is doused with the cleaner.

This is from the Emmy’s Best Amazon listing:

★ TRIPLE ACTION FORMULA. Erases Stains, Neutralizes Odors and Eliminates Repeat Soiling Caused by Pheromones. Innovative Enzymes go to work immediately to eat away the odor causing bacteria caused by urine, feces, vomit or other organic odors and stains. Don’t just cover up the smell; eliminate it with Emmy’s Best no go spray for dogs

★ AND IT SMELLS BETTER THAN OTHER CLEANERS ON AMAZON. Other products have nasty chemical smells that leave your home smelling like a science lab. Our smell-good dog urine deterrent spray eliminates odors and leaves behind the pleasant scent of lavender, which is proven to calm you and your puppy. The best smelling, most effective dog & Cat pee detergent on Amazon, GUARANTEED

★ 4.5 OUT OF 5 STAR RATING: Pet Parents Agree That Emmy’s Best is the Very Best They’ve Ever Used. Have you tried store-bought brands, or others on Amazon and been disappointed? Do not confuse our premium product with inferior alternatives.

★ PAWS PROMISES 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE. We are so confident in your satisfaction with our product that if you don’t absolutely love the results you get, you may return it for a full refund. For example, even if the bottle is empty, you may return it. There is no risk; You have nothing to lose.

Cat peeing on the bed, couch, or carpet? Keep the cat, get rid of the pee smell.

As for our new cat, Taco, I’m happy to report she is now fully litterbox trained and we don’t need to buy any more Emmys. Check out my article about how I scored a free cat litter! Taco now uses the bed and couch for sleeping, not peeing. And sleep she does. All. The. Time.