As the title says, I can’t figure out where my cat sprayed.
It happened while I was out of the house.
I’m certain he did because of the abhorrent smell.
He did it somewhere in my bathroom or closet (they’re connected).
I have gotten on my hands and knees multiple times, searched the walls and floor and I cannot find it.
The bathroom is almost a black colored wood, closet is a light colored carpet.
He’s sprayed years ago so I’m familiar with what it looks like.
I’m shocked that I can’t see it.
I’ll note that I’ve cleaned my bathroom floors since the smell happened.
What cleaning supplies should I use?
I’m assuming I’ll have to deep clean both rooms.
I need this odor to be gone and I truly don’t know what to do.
Edit: I found it.
It’s in the seal of my bathtub.
I rent… what can I do?
I’d say 4+ inches of the seal reeks.
SOS
Brief Answer:
The discovery of the spraying within the bathtub seal is a common, frustrating issue, as porous materials like caulk readily absorb the urine and odor.
Since you cannot physically remove the caulk in a rental unit, your primary strategy must be the repeated, saturation-based application of a high-quality enzyme-based cleaner like Nature’s Miracle Advanced Formula or Anti-Icky Poo.
Standard cleaners and water will not work and will, in fact, “set” the odor.
You need the enzymes to deeply penetrate the four-plus inches of the seal and break down the uric acid crystals and odor-causing proteins.
To find any other hidden spots, immediately purchase a UV blacklight; this is a highly cost-effective tool that will fluoresce urine stains on both the dark wood and light carpet, ensuring you treat every contaminated area, which is vital to stopping the marking cycle.
To prevent a recurrence, begin implementing the environmental and behavioral modifications detailed in Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse, focusing on why your cat chose that hidden, often stressful, location to mark.
Detailed Answer:
Your inability to initially find the spray spot, particularly on dark wood and light carpet, highlights the difficulty of cleaning cat urine, and the discovery that it is soaking into the porous caulk of your bathtub seal explains the persistent, abhorrent smell.
Cat urine seeps into materials like caulk, grout, and wood, where the uric acid crystallizes, making the odor permanent unless the bond is broken.
The fact that he chose a confined, vertical area in a bathroom/closet suggests a high level of stress or territorial anxiety in this specific zone, or a strong attraction to previous odors, even those from years ago.
The immediate and essential solution for the tub seal is a deep application of an enzyme cleaner.
These cleaners are formulated with live enzymes that chemically break down the odor molecules, a process no detergent or household cleaner can achieve.
For the caulk, you must be generous.
Thoroughly saturate the four inches of the seal with the enzyme cleaner and let it sit for the time recommended on the bottle (usually 10 to 15 minutes, or even longer).
You may need to repeat this saturation process daily for three to five days to ensure deep penetration into the porous caulk without damaging the fixture.
This aggressive, repeated application is your best and most cost-effective option to avoid the high cost of potentially replacing the caulk or incurring rental damage fees.
To ensure you find and treat every other potential hidden spot in the closet’s light carpet, which is an ideal material for hidden stains, you must use a UV blacklight (a relatively low-cost investment).
Turn off all lights, use the blacklight, and look for a greenish-yellow or dull glow, which marks dried urine.
Every glowing spot on the carpet, walls, or even the dark wood should be treated immediately with the same enzyme cleaner to completely eliminate all scent markers that compel your cat to remark.
Finally, to address the underlying reason your cat chose a secretive, boundary-related location like a bathtub seal, you must use a comprehensive behavioral approach.
The structured guidance in Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse will help you identify the environmental stressor (which could be the bathroom’s location, smells, or high-traffic) and establish scent communication techniques (the “Smell” part of their method) to make the area feel less threatening, thereby eliminating his need to use his own urine as a self-soothing or territorial marker.
Implementing these behavioral modifications is the only way to ensure this expensive and unpleasant problem does not return.
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