Cleaning up after your cat has an accident, isn’t as easy as wipe-n-go. Small amounts of cat urine can be hard to locate and to make sure your cat doesn’t return to the same spot, the odour has to be completely removed.

Overwhelmed by this stinky scavenger hunt? Take it one step at a time:

Step 1. Locate the mess.

Step 2. Soak up any mess that may be there with a paper towel and dispose once used.

Step 3. Clean with an enzymatic cleaners (available at all good pet speciality stores that can breakdown the bacteria. You can also use diluted plain vinegar, if you are after a natural alternative.

After the spot has been cleaned, make sure your cat can’t return to the scene of the crime for a repeat offense.

Here’s some tips you can try:

- Block the area off.

- Place the cat’s food and water near the spot. Cat’s don’t like to toilet near their food.

- Cover the area in a texture your cat finds unappealing, such as tin foil.

- Lastly, reconsider the placement and conditions of your litter box to see what else could be troubling your cat. Why not try Purina’s new cat litter, TIDY CATS as an alternative? Now available at Coles, Woolworths, IGA, Foodlands and Petstock stores.

Bad litter box behaviour can sometimes be a sign of stress or an illness. If this behaviour continues we recommend speaking with your vet.