There are few things as unpleasant as the smell of a Tom Cat trying to let everyone in the neighborhood know who’s in charge!
I’m sure you’ll agree that cat urine has a pungent odor that is most unwelcoming for visitors to your home.
I thought that it might be a good time to explain not only how to get rid of this malodorous spray from your door but also explain why it may be happening.
Could there be something in your home or garden that is attracting this unwanted attention? (Spoiler alert, it’s cats!)
Why Do Cats Spray My Front Door?
There are a few reasons why cats are spraying your door. The first and probably most obvious reason has probably already occurred to the dog owners in our audience – it is territorial.
A Tom Cat that is trying to make a name for himself wants the whole world to know that he is ‘the dude’ and that your home is now part of his turf.
You can think of it in part as a graffiti tag for the nose, and while not especially visible to us humans, we sure can smell it.
Other cats can define far more information from such markings though, as they are laced with pheromones that signal other felines about some important characteristics of the visitor.
These pheromones speak about the virility of the male that is doing the spraying and let nearby lady cats know that he is indeed available.
It is almost like a kitty Tinder profile that is delivered right at your doorstep!
Related – Here are some awesome tips on how to remove cat pee from leather boots and blankets!
How Do I Stop Cats From Spraying On My Front Door?
There are many ways to try and prevent this, but each approach will depend on a few things, such as;
The layout of your entryway, how many cats are in the area, and a few other things will help you to decide which method to try out first.
Luckily for us, there are some natural and commercial products available that can put a stop to this behavior, and also clear our front door’s inbox of any unwanted ‘friend requests’.
Preventing Cats From Urinating on Your Door Again
There is a fine line between prevention and cruelty, so when preventing a cat from urinating on your door please be mindful that you don’t want to harm the cat – only deter them from coming to visit and spray.
Again, there are a lot of commercially available products for you to choose from, but we will focus on some general remedies that have been used reliably by many people, myself included.
There is nothing wrong with using a commercial product, but sometimes it is good to go with something you may already have in your home before heading out to buy something that you might not need.
The 4 C’s Of Cat Urine Prevention Are:
- Citrus peelings
- Citronella oil
- Coffee grounds
- Cayenne pepper
Each of these substances are naturally occurring (and naturally in most kitchens) and not chemically significant, aside from the cayenne pepper.
You should only use cayenne pepper in very small doses as a tiny whiff is usually enough to discourage a Tom Cat from urinating on your front door.
If you find that these are ineffective, then you may need to look at a commercial solution.
How Do I Remove The Smell Of Cat Urine From My Front Door?
There are many different ways to mask an odor, but this doesn’t really solve the issue.
Obviously, cleaning the urine away is the best solution but sometimes we just don’t know how to do it properly.
Here are some tried and tested methods that will help you get rid of that pesky smell from your front door:
Cleaning Away Cat Urine:
Getting rid of the urine is the best possible outcome. You can try to use detergents and soaps, as well as white vinegar, baking soda, or even something a little more extreme like hydrogen peroxide.
Never use ammonia-based cleaners though. Cat urine contains ammonia, so applying more to a urine spot may unintentionally challenge the cat and encourage them to return again.
The first thing you need to do is try to wash away the urine with some water.
This can be from a garden hose or from a bucket, but the idea is to wash it away from the area. Once you have done that, you can decide on what product you wish to try first.
Some people use normal soap or detergent with a strong disinfectant, while others opt for a more traditional remedy like the ones I mentioned earlier such as white vinegar.
Whatever you choose to use, make sure that you do not mix too many different chemicals together, as this can sometimes create some nasty fumes that you don’t want to be breathing.
Take a cloth or a scrubbing brush and start to wash the area down with your cleaning mixture.
Depending on what you have selected, there might be some soapiness and bubbles that can be slippery, so be sure to let everyone know that you have been cleaning that area, and they need to watch their step!
Once you are satisfied that the area is clean, repeat the rinsing step again. After a little while, return to the area and see if you can still smell the cat urine.
If so, then you need to repeat the washing step again, and alternate with neutralizing agents such as vinegar.
Only after a few passes with the soap and water can you start to think about deodorizing the area.
If your front door is untreated, or unvarnished, then cat urine can actually soak into the wood.
In cases like this, you may have to use a steam cleaner or use very hot water (use gloves and protective clothing) to open the grain of the wood so that you can get in there with some detergent and disinfectant.
Related – More on the effects of chlorine and bleach coming into contact with your cat.
In Summary: Why Are Cats Urinating On My Front Door?
Unfortunately, it is the mere presence of other cats that manifests this behavior in felines.
In the wild, most cats are solitary creatures that rarely congregate except for some communal species such as the big cats we see such as lions.
Marking territory is a way for cats to try and ward off competing males while letting females in the area know that there is a male available in the area.
If you have a cat that is in season, then this can attract males from all over the neighborhood.
It can also lead to competitive behavior such as fighting at night, and excessive spraying on your front door.
Hopefully, you are able to deal with the unfortunate mess and smell when it does occur, and I hope that you have found this article helpful!
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Image credits – Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
