How to get rid of cat wee on your dog bed

It is a question we are quite often asked here at Tuffies. Our cat has urinated on the dog bed, how do we get rid of the smell!

The problem with cat urine is that it only really gives a bad smell when it is left unnoticed. Cats tend to mark their territory outside the litter box, be it on the carpet, in hidden corners or indeed on the dogs bed.  After a while, the bacteria in the urine decomposes and gives off an ammonia-like odor. Older animals have kidneys that have lost some of their efficiency and, as a consequence, older animals tend to have the worst smelling urine. Adding to the stench are the powerful hormones that cats eliminate when they pee. Unless male cats are neutered, their urine signals other males to stay away and lets females know they’re around.

So here we have the Tuffies top tip guide to eliminating cat wee!

Here’s a good homemade solution: mix a water and vinegar solution. Vinegar is great for killing bacteria. This mixture is perfect for both old and new stains. Try 1 of warm water and a 1 cup of vinegar. Pour this concoction over the stain on the dog bed and soak for about 3 to 5 minutes. There’s nothing like good all-purpose baking soda. After the water and vinegar solution is dry, sprinkle the area with baking soda. How much is enough? A lot. Once the spot’s good and dry, vacuum the excess baking soda. If the stain is extremely tough, repeat the entire process again.

One more homemade solution which may not be as fantastic for your dog bed but for sure if the wee has gone into concrete or other hard floors, mix two drops of dishwashing detergent with 2 cups hydrogen peroxide and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Place all ingredients into a spray bottle and gently mix until the baking soda dissolves. Spray the mixture directly on the urine spots and allow to dry overnight. The mixture is freshest and most effective when used within an hour of mixing.

Before using hydrogen peroxide to treat urine stains on your dog bed test a hidden area to make sure it will not remove the color. While the odor is offensive, a polka dot dog bed may not be the look you are going for. You may need to try another one of our odor eliminating methods.

Another great way to clean up cat urine odors is to use an enzyme-based product that breaks down the bacteria and neutralizes the odor. You can buy this urine odor removal product online or at pet stores. You may need to treat the area with a product more than once. Saturate the area with the urine odor removal product. Blot it and let it air dry. Treat again.

What not to use on cat wee.

Bleach. Bleach will not eliminate the smell of cat urine. It simply disinfects. Bleach is also harmful to breathe, and it’s toxic for your pets aswell. 

Ammonia. This is also on the list of things not to use to clean up cat urine. That’s because cat urine has an ammonia odor. Ammonia will make it smell worse. And whatever you do, don’t ever combine bleach with ammonia or you could die from inhaling the fumes. Mixing bleach and ammonia is extremely dangerous.

My last and favourite tip for getting rid of cat urine odours is simple. Get rid of the cat and stick to dogs!