Have Unwanted Stains and Smells?
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Has your pet left "scent marks" of urination and/or defecation on your floor or furniture? Well, for starters, you need to find which areas are soiled and then re-train your pet to avoid eliminating in those areas. And to do that , you'll have to clean those areas, and clean them well. Here are the steps you'll need to take:

• Find all soiled areas using your nose and eyes. A Pet Stains Black Light will show even old urine stains. Turn out all lights in the room; use the black-light to identify soiled areas and lightly outline the areas with chalk. Black lights can be purchased at the Cat Connection.
• Clean the soiled areas appropriately to remove the odors and staining. (Please see below for more details)
• Rule out medical causes for the behavior by visiting your veterinarian.
• Figure out why your pet is urinating and/or defecating in inappropriate areas. Make the areas unattractive and/or unavailable. Once cleaned, spray the surrounding area with a light mist of eucalyptus spray. The citrus scent is unappealing to you cat which will deter him from returning to the “accident zone.”
• Make the appropriate bathroom area attractive. For instance, keep your kitty's box as clean as possible. The more “stuff” that is in the box, the less likely they will want to use it. Another point of advice, trying removing the lid of the box as it can trap many undesirable odors.
• Teach your pet the appropriate place to eliminate by using positive reinforcement techniques. This can be a small treat or a few minutes of play time.

To be successful, you need to follow all these steps. If you fail to completely clean the area, your re-training efforts will be useless. As long as your pet can smell his personal scent, he'll continue to return to the "accident zone." Even if you can't smell traces of urine, your pet can. Your most important chore is to remove (neutralize) that odor by following these steps:

To Clean Carpeted Areas and Upholstery

For "new" stains (those that are still wet):

• Soak up as much of the urine as possible with a combination of newspaper and paper towels. The more fresh urine you can remove before it dries, especially from carpet, the easier it will be to remove the odor. Place a thick layer of paper towels on the wet spot and cover that with a thick layer of newspaper. If possible, put newspaper under the soiled area as well. Stand on this padding for about a minute. Remove the padding and repeat the process until the area is barely damp.
• If possible, put the fresh, urine-soaked paper towel in the area where it belongs—your cat's litter box or your dog's designated outdoor "bathroom area." This will help remind your pet that eliminating isn't a "bad" behavior as long as it's done in the right place.
• Rinse the "accident zone" thoroughly with clean, cool water. After rinsing, remove as much of the water as possible by blotting or by using a "wet vac."
• Use Get Serious: Stain, Odor, & Pheromone Extractor to clean the area of stains and pheromones. Be sure to read and follow the cleaner's directions for use, including testing the cleaner on a small, hidden portion of fabric first to be sure it doesn't stain.

For stains that have already set:

• To remove all traces of heavy staining in carpeting, consider renting an extractor or wet vac from a local hardware store. This machine operates much like a vacuum cleaner and is efficient and economical. Extracting/wet vac machines do the best job of forcing clean water through your carpet and then forcing the dirty water back out again. When using these machines or cleaners, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. Don't use any chemicals with these machines; they work much more effectively with plain water.
• Once the area is really clean, use Get Serious: Stain, Odor, & Pheromone Extractor to clean the area of stains and pheromones. Be sure to read and follow the cleaner's directions for use, including testing the cleaner on a small, hidden portion of fabric first to be sure it doesn't stain.
• If the area still looks stained after it's completely dry from extracting and neutralizing, try a second treatment of Get Serious: Stain, Odor, & Pheromone Extractor concentrating on the stain rather than covering the odor.
• Avoid using steam cleaners to clean urine odors from carpet or upholstery. The heat will permanently set the stain and the odor by bonding the protein into any man-made fibers.
• Avoid using standard cleaning chemicals, especially those with strong odors such as ammonia or vinegar. From your pet's perspective, these don't effectively eliminate or cover the urine odor and may actually encourage your pet to reinforce the urine scent mark in that area.
• If you've previously used cleaners or chemicals of any kind on the area, then neutralizing cleaners won't be as effective until you've rinsed every trace of the old cleaner from the carpet. Even if you haven't used chemicals recently, any trace of a non-protein-based substance will weaken the effect of the enzymatic cleaner. The cleaner will use up its "energy" on the old cleaners instead of on the protein stains you want removed.

To Clean Floors and Walls

If the wood on your furniture, walls, baseboard, or floor is discolored, the varnish or paint has reacted to the acid in the urine. You may need to remove and replace the layer of varnish or paint. If you do so, make sure the new product is safe for pets. Employees at your local hardware or home improvement store can help you identify and match your needs with appropriate removers and replacements. Washable enamel paints and some washable wallpapers may respond favorably to enzymatic cleaners. Read the instructions carefully before using these products and test them in an non-visible area.

Re-Train Your Pet

Finally, in conjunction with cleaning, be sure to teach your pet where you want him to eliminate. To do this, make the "accident zone" unattractive and the appropriate "bathroom" area attractive. Below are several tips on using aversives to modify your cat's behavior.

Using Textures: One way to keep your cat away from certain areas is to surround (or cover) the area with materials that make your cat's paws uncomfortable. Try Sticky Paws, available in two sizes, the sticky texture is very unappealing to your kitty's paws. Another method is to try a heavy plastic carpet runner (pointed side up) that can also be used effectively in some situations.

Using Smells: Because cats are often attracted or repelled by certain scents, you can set boundaries by soaking cotton balls, rags, or washcloths in a "stinky" substance that is not harmful to cats. To help protect carpets, upholstery, floors, or furniture, place the saturated object on a piece of weighted foil or heavy plastic. To prevent the substance from seeping into the ground, use the same precautions. Some of the most effective substances to apply include the following:

• Citrus odors—such as a Eucalyptus Spray
• Colognes
• Some muscle rubs (Note: Some cats react to menthol as they do to catnip—beware!)
• Aloe gel

Using Tastes: Just as certain odors will discourage cats from visiting places where you don't want them, certain displeasing tastes will keep them from returning.

• Bitter Apple® or similar sprays and gels marketed specifically for pet taste aversion
• Some muscle rubs
• Citrus—such as from concentrated juices or fresh peels
• Aloe gel

Human-Controlled Aversives: Some items can be used to distract your cat and thereby interrupt his unwanted behavior. Such devices are not meant to terrify your cat, but to provide a brief distraction. Also, it's best if your cat does not perceive the distraction as coming from you. In the instant your cat's attention is focused on the distracting action, redirect his behavior to an appropriate object, and then give him lots of praise. Some effective aversives that you control include:

• Spray bottle or squirt gun filled with water. (Note: Avoid high-powered water guns that have a forceful spray)
• Whistle
• Shaker can (soda can filled with nails, pennies, beans, or pebbles—then securely taped shut)

Surprise! Remote Aversives: Sometimes the best approach for teaching an animal is to work from a distance. If every aversive is delivered when you're in the room, your cat may quickly learn, for example, to jump on the coffee table only when you're not around. A few good approaches include:

• Motion detectors that react with a startling blast of air like the SSSCat
• Vibration sensors like the Tattletale.
• Aluminum pie plate containing water, beans, or pebbles—preferably balanced precariously on a counter or other undesirable "jumping" surface so that it will fall off when your cat jumps up

The re-training period may take a week or more. Remember, it took time to build the bad habit, and it will take time to replace that habit with a new, more acceptable behavior. Treat your pet with patience and give him lots of encouragement.