Confused About White Vinegar and Cats

I have read conflicting views about vinegar and cats. I know it makes a good household cleaner. I used it (8:1 water/vinegar) last week to clean my cat's litter box as suggested by another thread and it worked fine. I've also read other threads that suggest vinegar encourages a cat to urinate on the spot where they smell it. And then there is another one that suggests vinegar deters cats from the area. Does this depend on the water/vinegar ratio or moreso on the cat?

I was thinking about using a vinegar/water solution to steam vac my carpet, but I reallly don't want my cats to urinate on the carpet.

Originally Posted by MissCharlotte

Does this depend on the water/vinegar ratio or moreso on the cat?

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I think that both are factors that determine whether or not a cat will pee somewhere. If you are using vinegar to clean their litterbox, and using it as the smell that means "its ok to pee here" I would definetly not use it to clean your carpets. Your cats may take no notice of it, but they could very well think that you've just given them lease to go potty anywhere they want. Hope that helps!
Laurel

I only used vinegar to clean the litter box last week because another thread suggested it was a good thing to use to clean the litter box. My cats faithfully use the litter box.

Cat urine smells like ammonia and if you use that for cleaning, they can get confused and go where you have cleaned. Likewise if you clean their litterboxes with vinegar and use that to clean elsewhere. I use products in the litterbox that I don't use elsewhere in the house so that they don't relate the smell in their box to anyplace else in the house.

I am unfortunately a bleach freak.
I use it to clean the litter box, but I also use it to clean the countertops in kitchen and bathroom.
Maybe they wouldn't think of peeing on the countertops, I dunno?
But they haven't.

As someone said though, I wouldn't use bleach with ammonia for this reason.
Ammonia does smell like cat pee.

????

To clean litterbox accidents on carpet flooring you need a cat urine cleaner with enzymes, such as "Nature's Miracle". The enzymes break down the urine. Ordinary household cleaners, and that includes vinegar, don't do that. So they don't work well enough to eliminate the scent that brings the cat back to the same spot. Vinegar's fine for litterboxes, since there's no issue there. I prefer bleach myself on litterboxes, but the box is aired out well before the next use.

Ok, it sounds to me like I should continue to use the cleaning solution recommended for the steam vac that I purchased. I had read that using vinegar helps to removed any residue the carpet cleaning solution may leave behind. I just won't do that step.

As I had mentioned before, I do not have any problems with my cats urinating on my carpet. I definitely do not want to start a urinating problem either.

Thanks for the replies.

Originally Posted by MissCharlotte

As I had mentioned before, I do not have any problems with my cats urinating on my carpet. I definitely do not want to start a urinating problem either.

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That's exactly where you want to be. Same here. I've never had a litterbox accident, and I do everything I can to avoid having one. Better that than dealing with the hassle.