Wrong ways include using soap and water, household cleaners, or perfumed sprays to try to remove stains or cover up the odors. With a sense of smell many times more sensitive than ours, cats will quickly detect the smell of their urine no matter which of the above methods you try.

Urine or feces odors stimulate the urge to eliminate in your cat. So, if you do not properly deal with a urine or feces spot, you are probably encouraging your cat to have an accident in the same spot again, when he would have otherwise have gone in his litter box.

The Right Way
For fresh, wet stains, blot the area thoroughly with a dry cloth or use a product with absorbent granules. These granules can be applied right to the urine-soaked area. After you have soaked up as much of the moisture as possible, spray or pour on a product made specifically for pet stains, such as an oxygen-activated formula or one that contains 'live' bacteria and enzymes.

Oxygen-activated formulas are some of the most safe and natural for your carpet fibers, and they leave behind no sticky residue like some carpet cleaners. They work under the principle of oxidation, and hydrogen peroxide is often the key ingredient in spray formulas. Oxygen-activated formulas are a powerful tool against fresh stains you detect right away.

Enzyme and bacteria formulas contain natural organisms that actually 'eat away' or digest the odor-causing bacteria in the stain, permanently removing stains and odors from the deepest fibers in your carpet and the padding below. Billions of beneficial bacteria attack stains and odors immediately and do not stop working until there is nothing left to digest.

In addition to eliminating odors, these products also contain mild cleansers and deodorizers, which help remove discoloration, and restore carpet fibers to their original form, and remove odors while leaving a pleasant scent behind.

Dried, Set-in Stains
Although dealing with fresh stains is best, you will not always discover accidents until after they have dried. Some formulas are better than others at penetrating deeper into set-in stains. Oxygen formulas are best for quick surface cleaning, but for deeper penetration, the enzyme and bacteria formulas are a better choice. For dried-in stains, we also recommend a second application after 24 hours for best results.

If you have a kitten, a cat with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), or an older, incontinent pet, we suggest you have pet formulated cleaners on hand all the time, since the quicker you can address the problem, the better the results.