I was transporting a male cat in what I thought was a very secured box, but after 5 minutes in traffic, the cat ripped through the lid, freaked out and pooped on the leather and carpet… after I got home I started cleaning till my fingers were blue, but now that it’s damp inside from different cleansers, it smells worse! Is there something on the market that REALLY gets the smell out?
Wow. Sounds like an episode of Slacker Cats…
The best solution I’ve found for animal smells is an enzymatic cleaner called Odo-Ban. I bought a bottle at my local Sam’s Club.
Clean it up as best you can physically and use an enzymatic cleaner such as Natures Miracle. You can find it or similar products at any pet store. The sooner you act, the better.
I’ve had pretty good luck with one of those enzyme-based cleaners sold at pet stores for cleaning up pet messes (I had a male cat who expressed his feelings by crapping all over my house, and he peed in my car once). They take a while to work though, be warned!
If possible, remove anything that the cat befouled and just throw it away, don’t even try to clean it if you can replace it cheaply (floor mats, for example).
Mop up as best you can. Then follow the directions on the pet mess cleaner (generally this means apply thoroughly, let soak in, wait many days, repeat as needed).
Open all your windows and vent your car as long as possible, whenever possible. Put a box of baking soda near the spill to help absorb odors. Don’t spray more different cleaners on top of the enzyme stuff. Buy an air freshener.
It may take some time for the smell to go away completely (it took weeks to get the smell of cat pee gone from my truck - it was sharply reduced within a few days but still lingered).
Thanks everyone! I’ll be at Petsmart first thing tomorrow morning and get a FEW of those enzyme based solutions you recommended. I’ve got all door windows down and back hatch up… it’s not as strong as earlier, but it’s still there.