What Else Smells Like Cat Pee. Tips From Professionals

Many things can cause your house to have an unpleasant smell. It’s never a good thing to find a bad odor in your home, and tracking down the cause of it can be difficult. If you are smelling a strong odor that smells like cat pee or ammonia, it could be a number of different things. While there may be a cat responsible, there could also be a problem in your home that is causing the bad odor.

What Else Smells Like Cat Pee

If you smell an odor similar to cat pee, but you do not have a cat, it can be due to spoiled food, mold, leaking appliances, a gas leak, a nearby meth lab, or wet towels and clothing. There is also the chance that a cat has entered your home unnoticed.

If you are trying to find the cause of a bad odor in your home, you may have to think outside the box and look in many places to find signs of chemicals, fumes, or even mold growth. In this blog post, I will show several reasons why you can smell cat pee in your home and how to remove the odor.

What Smells Like Cat Pee But Isn’t?

If you don’t have a cat or know your cat isn’t peeing in the house but still smells cat pee, you may wonder about the source. Cat pee is an obvious and obnoxious smell, and it can be embarrassing to have this smell in your home. It may even stick to other surfaces such as your clothing or furniture. If you want to get rid of this smell, you need to find the source. Here are some things that smell like cat pee.

● Spoiled Food

Some types of food can smell like cat pee as it breaks down and decomposes. You may want to check your refrigerator, cabinets, or even your trash can to see any signs of rotten food. If you can’t find a source, you can check around furniture, in kitchen vents, and between cabinets to see if any food has fallen where you can’t see or reach it.

● Mold

Mold can have different smells, and one of them can be ammonia, which smells a lot like cat pee. If your home has had a flood or leak and is water damaged, there could be a lot of moisture in the air, leading to mold growth. The more the mold grows, the stronger the smell will become. If you find mold growing in your home, you will need to remove it as soon as possible.

First, remove as much moisture as possible. Improve the ventilation by opening doors and windows. You can use a fan to improve the airflow. You can also use a dehumidifier to remove moisture. The next step is to remove the mold and clean the different surfaces. If you do not know how to do this, I recommend hiring a mold remediation expert to remove it to ensure it is done properly and thoroughly. Do not underestimate mold.

● Leaking Appliances

Appliances can leak fumes that smell like cat pee. Some appliances have ammonia that leaks from them. Sometimes you can hear or even see the fumes leaking from the appliance, and other times, you won’t even notice it other than a smell. It can be dangerous to smell and breathe in fumes to your family’s health. If you notice the scent of cat pee coming from your appliances, you may want to check them for leaks or replace them.

● Gas Leak

In some cases, a gas leak can smell like cat pee. Gas has a different scent, but some people notice ammonia or cat pee smell. Gas leaks can be very dangerous, and if you think this may be the source of the odor, you should turn off the gas, leave home, and call the gas company to take a look.

● Meth Lab

While you may not have a meth lab in your home, the smell may still enter your home if your neighbors happen to have one nearby. The chemicals used to make meth have a very strong smell, and the ammonia may be very apparent. Meth labs can be dangerous because they can explode without notice. If you suspect a meth lab may be the cause of the bad odor, you should call the police immediately.

● Wet Towels Or Clothing

If you have wet towels or clothing in your home, they could be causing a cat pee smell. The mildew that grows on clothing can have a distinct ammonia smell. As the clothes dry, the odor may decrease or increase. You should remove the odor by washing and drying the clothing.

Mold That Smells Like Cat Urine

Certain types of mold can smell like cat urine. Stachybotrys is one such type. The mold tends to grow in moist or wet areas and spread quickly. Some types of black mold can also have a strong cat pee smell. Black mold can be hazardous to the health of your family and even pets. If you think black mold may be growing in your home, you should have it removed by a professional immediately.

To combat the mold, first, remove as much moisture as possible. Open doors and windows to improve ventilation, and use a fan to improve the airflow. To speed up the process, you can also use a dehumidifier. I always recommend renting commercial dehumidifiers as they can remove a lot more water per hour than a residential dehumidifier.

A dehumidifier pulls in the moisture from the air and dries it out to release dry air back into the room. When used with a fan, it is even more effective. Removing moisture can take quite some time.

When the moisture is removed, the next step is to remove the mold. If you do not know how to do this, I recommend hiring a mold remediation expert to remove it to ensure it is done properly and thoroughly. Do not underestimate mold.

What Smells Like Cat Pee Outside?

If you notice the smell of cat pee outside, it could be caused by many things. The most common reason is cats. Just because you don’t have a cat of your own doesn’t mean that neighborhood strays aren’t peeing or spraying around your home. You can find deterrents that prevent cats from coming around your home or spraying.

What Chemical Smells Like Cat Pee?

There may be a chemical to blame if you are smelling cat pee in your home and don’t have a cat. Certain chemicals used in cleaning supplies, paints, stains, and even plastics can have a bad smell. Some common chemicals that smell like cat pee include,

• Ammonia
• Methanethiol
• 1-Dimethylhydrazine
• Ammonium hydroxide
• Freon

Phantom Smells Cat Urine

If you notice phantom smells of cat urine, it could be actual cat urine or something else. If there is some type of leak in your home and the smell can be the fumes being released, it may come and go or only be noticeable at certain times.

If there is mold or moisture in your carpet or flooring causing the odor, it may also only be noticeable during certain times, such as when it gets hot or when it rains.

When It Rains My House Smells Like Pee

If you only notice a cat pee smell when it rains, it could be due to stale air or mold in your home. When the moisture from the rain sets into your home, the stagnant air and wet conditions can lead to mold growth.

Mold can have a very strong smell similar to urine or ammonia. When it rains, the water stirs up the mold and causes it to spread through the home and can cause it to smell stronger. I recommend improving ventilation if there is no apparent leak, and see if this helps.

House Smells Like Cat Pee In Summer

Cats tend to be more active in the summer, so if you notice a strong smell of cat pee in or around your home, it may just be that the cats are spraying or peeing there. If there are no cats around and you still notice a strong urine odor, it could be mold.

Mold grows in moist environments, but when it’s summer, and the temperatures start to warm up, it can increase the humidity in your home and make it easier for mold to grow or spread. This can cause the odor or urine to be strong.

To remove the odor, you will need to remediate the mold. Improve the room’s ventilation, or use a dehumidifier to lower the moisture level, followed by mold removal. If you are unsure how to do this, I recommend having a professional do this for you. Mold can grow back or spread to other home areas if not removed correctly.

House Smells Like Urine No Pets

If you have pets in your home and smell urine, it’s usually easy to determine the cause. If you don’t have pets and notice a strong scent of urine, it could mean there is another source. Here are some things to check for if you smell urine in your home:

● Gas Leaks

Some people think natural gas has an ammonia odor similar to cat pee. If you are smelling urine and have natural gas in your home, it could be dangerous. It’s best to turn off the gas and leave your home until the gas company can inspect it and determine if there is a leak.

● Leaking Appliances

Some appliances use chemicals that contain ammonia or have a urine smell. You can check your appliances for signs of a leak. Air conditioners can leak freon, which has a strong ammonia smell.

● Mold Growth

There are a few different types of mold that smell like cat urine. It can sometimes be hard to find mold growing in your home, but you can check your basement, bathroom, and other areas with a lot of moisture or humidity. If you suspect mold growth in your home and do not know how to deal with this, it’s best to call a professional to remove it for you. Mold in your home can be very challenging to remove and should not be underestimated.

● Chemical Spills

If you use certain chemicals to clean your home, you should check the storage area where you keep them to ensure they are not leaking. Many different types of chemicals use ammonia, an odor similar to cat urine. If the chemicals leak, they could quickly spread the odor through your home.