Cleaning up pet toileting accidents

Tips for Cleaning up Pet Pee and Poo Toileting Problems Around Your Home

‘Accidents’ around the home need to be cleaned up thoroughly. Otherwise your cat or dog may return to this same spot each time they toilet. Try one or more of the following cleaning tips…

First have a look at why your pet may be toileting inappropriately:
Cat Toileting Problems
Dog House Training Issues

Black-light torch

It can be tricky to spot exactly where your pet has urinated. The use of a black-light ultraviolet torch, in the dark, can help you identify spots that require thorough cleaning.

Non-ammonia cleaning products

Our human emphasis is on cleanliness with strong, perfumed, often ammonia-based products. These ammonia-based cleaners may smell like urine to the feline and canine nose and they actually encourage the cat and dog back to that particular spot to relieve themselves. Without knowing it, we have actually created or encouraged the unwanted habit!

Non-perfumed cleaners

Humans often value the scent of our cleaning products. Our cats and dogs, however, do not. The smell of bleach or other strongly perfumed cleaning fluids may be discouraging your cat from using the litter tray and your dog from using areas you would like them to toilet. 
Try using non-perfumed cleaners or a bicarbonate of soda solution with very hot water to clean the litter tray and the inappropriate area where your cat or dog has chosen to toilet. Otherwise, if your pet does not mind your cleaning products, continue to use them but also add an enzymatic cleaner.

Deodorizers & odour eliminators

Deodorizers are available for your cat’s litter tray. These may have the opposite of the desired effect, however, if your cat dislikes their aroma and starts to urinate and defecate outside of their litter box to avoid the scent. Odour eliminators may help encourage some cats to use their litter trays again.

Enzymatic cleaners are important for cleaning up pet toileting accidents

Usually the most successful method of cleaning your pet’s urine or faeces is to use an enzymatic cleaner. These are cleaning products that have enzymes within them. Enzymes attack and destroy the bacteria that are collecting in the waste, giving it its characteristic foul odour.

Your laundry washing powder may have enzymes within it (check the pack). You can make a solution of this and apply liberally to the affected area.. While this may be close to hand and the most economical solution, be careful that it does not remove your carpet colours or stained floorboards.

There are also commercially available products that help remove the scent. These are available at most pet specialty stores.  These cleaners may need to be applied liberally to carpets and other areas soiled by your cat or dog, even between floorboards to eliminate any toilet residues. 

Use of these will ensure your pet is not attracted back to these areas to toilet. Be aware, however, that your pet will now be looking for new areas to toilet so ensure you are providing these or opportunities to relieve themselves outdoors.

Block off areas

Closing doors to the soiled areas will prevent your pet from using these as their toilet. Often they will choose little-used rooms such as a spare bedroom or under a dining table. Closing doors will keep these places clean but remember your pet will be looking for another place to toilet.

Create a living space

Placing food, treats, toys or patting and playing with your pet in the exact areas that they have been toileting will often prevent your pet soiling here. They now view this area as a living space (but they will still need another appropriate place to toilet).

Find the cause and treat this

The long term solution to toileting issues is to work out the cause and address this. This may be convenience, a preference for a particular substrate, stress or medical issues.

Find out more about cat anxiety and dog anxiety, as these are common causes of toileting incidents around the home.