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My Cat Peed On My Feather Duvet (Now What?)

If you have noticed that your cat has peed on your feather duvet you may be trying to understand why and what can be done about it…

Why did my cat pee on my feather duvet?

Cats are attracted to a soft duvet just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, that can lead to your cat ‘marking’ the duvet as a way to say ‘this is mine’ and you’ll have quite the chore ahead of you to get it clean again.

Enzymatic cleaners are your best bet, as detergents will only cover the urine smell without actually breaking down the uric acid. You’ll also want to make sure that your cat is not allowed near the duvet.

If they can still smell their scent, your cat is very likely to mark it again, and you’ll be cleaning the duvet quite a lot of times otherwise.

What is a feather duvet?

A white cat in bed covered by a blanket.

A white cat in bed covered by a blanket.

A feather duvet is a blanket that has been filled with soft, warm goose down or duck’s feathers. Made properly and taken care of, they can be used for years and feather filling inside will keep you warm and toasty in the winter.

What can happen to a feather duvet covered in pee?

The biggest problem is dealing with the uric acid from the cat’s urine. This can be quite difficult to remove so you may have to clean the duvet a few times to get the smell entirely out of it. You’ll want to clean it quickly, however, as once it dries then the task ahead of you is even harder.

If your cat has just wet the duvet, blot up the urine with paper towels and treat the area with enzymatic cleaner immediately. It might take 2 or 3 cleanings, but the scent will come out – it’s just going to take a little patience and elbow grease.

Does cat pee come out of the duvet?

You can get cat pee out of a duvet, but you’ll likely need to wash it a few times. The best way to do this is to pre-treat the duvet with a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water. Follow this up with an enzymatic detergent, as this should break the uric acid content and remove the odor.

When you are washing the duvet, make sure that you use cold water only, as warm water will only make the scent worse. After you’ve cleaned the duvet, hang it outside to air dry and repeat the cleaning process as needed. It will take 2 or 3 cleanings, most likely, but it will get the scent out.

How can I prevent my cat from peeing on my duvet?

Your best bet for keeping the cat off of your duvet is going to be isolating it or covering it so that it will be easily cleaned if your cat manages to get a hold of it. Let’s take a look at two basic, but effective strategies for keeping your duvet safe.

Lock the room door

Simple and effective, just locking the door can keep your duvet safe, but you’ll need to keep an eye out. Cats have a habit of sneaking into places that we don’t want them to be in, so you’ll have to keep a close eye on your cat for this strategy to work.

Still, your cat can’t mark it if they can’t get to it in the first place!

Cover the duvet with plastic

A duvet cover will not only extend the life of your duvet but will also work quite well for protecting it. Since the cover is a layer of plastic, if your cat marks the cover then it should still protect the duvet inside.

Duvets covers are also inexpensive and definitely worth the extra protection – especially when your cat tries to mark your expensive duvet!

How can I clean the cat pee off my duvet?

A person holding a yellow plastic spray bottle.

A person holding a yellow plastic spray bottle.

The easiest way to clean cat pee from a duvet is to treat it first with a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water.  After this, you can wash the duvet with an enzymatic detergent in a cold setting, as this should break down the uric acid content so that your duvet can start smelling nice again.

Cat urine can be very difficult to remove, so you’ll need to be patient with the process, and with repeated cleanings, you’ll get your duvet back to smelling like new again.

How can I get rid of the cat pee smell on my feather duvet?

Enzyme-based detergent is going to be your best chance at cleaning the duvet. Standard detergent only masks the scent, but an enzymatic cleaner will break down the uric acid content to more effectively clean the duvet.

It may take a few cleanings, however, as cat urine is one of the more difficult things to remove. Just be patient with the process and by the second or third cleaning you should smell a difference.

Can you put a feather duvet in the washing machine?

You’ll want to check the label on your duvet. Some duvets may be safely washed in your washing machine, while others will be dry-cleaned only. Just be sure to wash it in a cold setting only if you do and then allow it to air dry completely for best results.

Does laundry detergent get rid of cat pee?

No, standard laundry detergent won’t break down the uric acid content from your cat’s urine, and even with multiple washes, this will still be the case. You’ll want to use an enzyme-based detergent and you’ll likely need to wash it 2 or 3 times to get the smell out.

Do not use warm water for this, as this will only make the smell worse, you’ll want to use the cold-only setting for the best results.

Each time you clean it with the enzymatic cleaner it will break down more of the uric content from your cat’s urine so that eventually your duvet will be back to smelling nice again. It’s just going to take a little time.

Sadly, there’s no quick fix, but with repeated cleanings, the smell will eventually go away.

Lindsey Browlingdon