What to Do When Your Cat Pees on Your Mattress

It's a scene straight out of the Godfather. You wake up all nice and cozy in your warm bed and sense something isn't right. Is it an odd smell? Your body picking up on just a bit too much humidity and warmth close by. You feel around your bed and you put your hand right in it. You sniff the spot. You scream! "MR. JINKIES!!!!!!!!!!!"

That's right, your beloved fur-ball has decided your bed would be his number two spot for number one. Given the wonderful properties of mattresses, the liquid soaks into your mattress like liquor into Mel Gibson, with just as pleasant a result.

So what are the dos and don'ts of getting rid of that cat urine smell?

DON'T GET RID OF YOUR MATTRESS

Let's face it. Mattresses are expensive, so this should be your last resort. Yes, it is gross, but there are ways of getting rid of the stain and protecting yourself. Plus, do you want to replace your mattress right away if your cat is going to decide to make your new one a urinal as well?

DON'T SPRAY IT WITH CONVENTIONAL CLEANERS OR DEODORIZERS

The smell of cat pee is overwhelming and gross, so your first instinct may be to reach for the Lysol or the Febreeze. Don't. Spraying a cat pee stain with these items simply makes the stain mad. And when you make the pee stain mad, it responds by combining its own disgusting smell with the sweet smell of the product you sprayed on it. You may think that dumping a whole can or bottle on will do the trick. It won't. The only thing it will succeed in doing is making you forever associate the smell of those products with cat tinkle.

DO BUY THE BIGGEST JUG OF LIQUID CLEANER DESIGNED FOR CLEANING PET STAINS YOU CAN FIND

There are several cleaners on the market that are designed specifically for pet stains and odors. These cleaners have bacteria, enzymes, and other components that go to work on breaking down the components of cat urine that make it so pungent for months and even years after your cat has done his deed. I personally have had good luck with Out Pet Stain and Odor Remover, which I bought in a 64 ounce jug at Wal-Mart. In comparing bottles, it would appear that Out is made by the same company that makes Simple Solution, which also gets good reviews, but appears to be much more expensive. Most of these products also do a good job on pet stains on rugs, carpets, and floors.

ALLOW THE CLEANER TO WORK

This is something I can't stress enough. People who recommended a pet stain cleaner also advised that the smell would get worse before it got better. They weren't kidding. The trick is to make sure that you completely saturate the stain. Too much is sometimes not enough. Get a spray bottle and douse the stain repeatedly. Do not be discouraged when you go to the mattress two or three days later and STILL smell the urine. If it is still strong, give it another few shots from the spray bottle. Just be sure to let it dry before you sleep on it.

TREAT YOUR SHEETS, PILLOWS, AND BLANKETS WITH THE SAME CLEANER

Most of these pet cleaners are safe to use directly on your laundry. Follow the directions on the bottle for laundry. This will aid in getting the smell out of these items and help your washing machine get the stain out of your bed linens.

BUY A MATTRESS COVER

If the smell is lingering in your nostrils even after you've doused your bed, the best thing to do is to buy a mattress cover that completely encases your mattress. For about $25 to $30 you can buy a plastic/vinyl mattress cover that zippers around the entire mattress. In my experience, this did a great job of hiding the smell of both the cleaner and traces of cat urine, plus protects you from future attacks. Through some rough treatment caused by a bed rail, the mattress cover became ripped after about a year. When we pulled the cover off, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the cleaner HAD worked, and the only smell in the mattress was the faint odor of cleaner. We replaced that cover with a fabric covered vinyl protector that covers the top of the bed. This has worked well for future accidents and has the added benefit of not making you feel like you're sleeping on a shower curtain. Whatever you buy, just make sure to be safe and buy one for the rest of the mattresses in your house.