Cat poop and pee on carpet

Our pets do sometimes have accidents and miss the litter box. It’s important to note, that it’s not usually because they are trying to make a mess for you to clean up and there is usually some sort of reason behind it.

A new kitty needs to learn what the litter box is and how to use it. Other things can stress your cat out and she may have accidents.

You can effectively get cat poop out of your carpet and also the smell associated with it in two different ways.

One involves cleaning solutions found in almost every household and the other is by using a store-bought cleaner.

Method Using Both a Homemade Cleaner and a Storebought Cleaner

This part of cleaning up the poo is the same whether you use a homemade cleaner or a store-bought cleaner.

Put on Gloves to Protect Your Hands

If you have disposable latex gloves, you should put them on your hands. Cat feces contain bacteria and parasites that some humans are very sensitive to and it can make you sick. Plus, you really don’t want that stuff on your hands.

If you don’t have disposable gloves, then just slide a food storage bag on each hand, you may be able to use a sandwich size or if you have it, a quart size is better to stay on your hands.

Pick Up the Solid Portions

Next, you need to remove the solid part of the poo with paper towels. You want to get up as much as you possibly can without rubbing it into the carpet further.

If you rub it, the odor and stain may leak down and actually reach the carpet pad underneath. Dispose of the mess in a plastic grocery bag and tie the handles tightly so you won’t smell it in the garbage before the garbage is picked up by your waste disposal company.

Absorb all The Liquids

After you remove the solids, there will likely be some liquid leftovers on the carpet. Use a paper towel folded up to blot the liquid but don’t rub it.

When that paper towel is wet, toss it out in the trash and repeat using fresh paper towels until they will no longer absorb any liquid. You know you’ve finished this step when the paper towel is dry.

DIY Cleaning Method

Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the area so that it is heaping up tall. It needs to completely cover the poop area and a tiny bit around it for the best results.

Allow the baking soda to sit for 10 minutes or longer. It penetrates through the stain and breaks it down so that it removes the smell associated with the stain.

Mix equal parts of water and white vinegar together in a small bowl. About 1/2 cup of each should be plenty for your cleaning solution. Pour the solution on top of the baking soda slowly to saturate it, but not enough for it to run off the baking soda.

The baking soda and vinegar solution will start to foam and bubble when they are combined in a chemical reaction. This is totally normal and what you want to see. Let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes.

Put 5 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide and about 3 or 4 drops of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle and shake it to mix it up. Spray it on the carpet and gently rub it in with a paper towel. This solution will eliminate the remaining odors.

Allow the area to dry overnight or use a fan on it to speed up the drying process. Keeps pets and kids away from the solution. After the carpet is completely dry, vacuum it to remove all of the baking soda left on the surface.

Store-Bought Cleaning Method

After removing the solids and blotting up the liquids, you will apply an enzymatic cleaner to the area on the carpet. Look in the pet aisle for a stain and odor removal product that is specifically for pet messes.

Spray the carpet until it’s soaked with the enzymatic cleaner. Brush it gently to soak it into the carpet. Allow it to completely dry and use a fan again if you want the process to be faster.

Leaving it overnight to dry will work better, so the enzymes have time to remove the stains and odor. Vacuum the area in the morning and the odor and stain will be gone.

Why Do Cats Have Accidents?

Of course, a new kitten has to be taught to use the litter box and older cats with arthritis may not be able to get in the litter box due to the height of the walls. You can choose a new litter box with lower sides for older cats to avoid accidents on the carpet.

Many other things can cause poop on the carpet in the form of watery diarrhea. It can be that the urge came on so suddenly that your cat couldn’t make it to the litter box fast enough to relieve herself.

Some causes of cat diarrhea are changes to food or food allergies, intestinal parasites, such as worms, cancer, colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or hyperthyroidism. If your cat has diarrhea for more than 2 days, you should take her to the vet to diagnose and treat her.

Various things can also cause constipation in cats and when they finally do go potty it may end up on the carpet.

Your cat may have hairballs from over-grooming, a diet without enough fiber, colon problems, kidney issues, or spine issues causing pain. This also requires a trip to the vet if your pet is constipated for more than 2 days to get the medication needed and correct the issue.

Preventing Kitty Poo on the Carpet

Several items can help to keep cat poo and pee off your carpet.

Litter Box Etiquette

When you get a new adult cat, you may have some issues with her not using the litter box. It’s best to find out which type of litter they are used to before you adopt them and get the same kind. Cats actually do have a preference in their litter to use the litterbox properly.

Make sure you keep the litterbox clean by scooping it out one to two times a day. Once a week, dump all the litter out and wash the litterbox in hot soapy water to remove smells from the plastic. Some cats won’t use the litter box if the odors are absorbed into the plastic.

You should have one litter box per level of the floor in your home and one litter box per cat for multi-cat homes. This can keep a feline toilet available for each cat at all times of the day and night and may help to avoid accidents.

Changing Cat Foods

When changing your cat to a new food, no matter if it’s a kitten transitioning to adult food, or a grown cat that needs a different diet recommended by your vet, you do it gradually for over a week.

This also applies to changing the type of food from dry to wet or mixed dry and wet food.

  • Day 1 and 2, give your furry feline 75% of the old food and 25% of the new food.
  • On Days 3 and 4, feed your cat 50% of the old and the new food.
  • On days 5 and 6, fill the cat bowl with 25% of the old food and 75% of the new food.
  • Finally, On day 7, feed your cat 100% of the new food.

This will help your kitty not to have digestive issues and will help her to use her litter box properly.

Cat Feeding Tips

Keep a bowl of fresh and clean water available at all times for your feline friend. If she eats dry cat food, she will need water to supplement the food and not become constipated, which can lead to poo on the floor.

If your cat eats canned food, throw away any uneaten food before it dries out and spoils. Make sure to wash the cat food and water bowls once a day in hot soapy water and rinse them well before refilling them.

Don’t give your cat milk. Contrary to popular belief, cow’s milk is not good for cats to drink. Most cats are lactose intolerant and will have diarrhea and vomiting from drinking milk.

It’s okay to give her a tiny bit every so often as a treat, but watch her for signs of stomach upset. Milk actually just has empty calories and fat in it and your cat will tend to be overweight and have issues due to the extra weight if you give her milk often.

You now have two different methods of cleaning your carpet effectively after your cat has had an accident. Either of them works just as well as the other.

For diarrhea, you may need to repeat the cleaning process a second time to permanently remove the stain and smell associated with it.

Following the litter box and feeding instructions should help you to avoid needing to do this dirty deed very often.