Damned Cats

[Quaidis]

So it's spring, and with the raise in temperatures and humidity I found that three parts of my house quietly reek of cat piss. You know, the typical thing you may find when you own animals.

One is the bathroom (litter box area). This I can clean easily and wont be a problem.

The second is the bedroom (another litter box area). The carpet is protected by a black office chair mat. I can take the mat outside and wash it if need be. However, due to an old cat that died quite a while back, the carpet around and under the mat is tainted. I'm going to rip the carpet out of my room this year and replace it.

The third is the largest step on the stairway. My newest cat has anxiety issues and, when the other cat bullies her, will sometimes (rarely) piss there.


I have a carpet cleaning machine.

The litter boxes are lidded. The litter in them is standard scoopable clay.

The cats are indoor cats.


I need advice and tips on three things. One is cleaning the step - which is the biggest issue I have. What products are the best (for the carpet cleaner or just in general)? Is there anything I should avoid trying? Stuff like that. Two is if there is any product out there to paint over wood (when I remove carpet and pad from the bedroom) to eliminate the smell. And three if there is something I can do to get Sophie to stop pissing on the stair? I mean, outside of kicking her when she squats down there, or throwing her in the woods to fend for herself - which I'm sure many will frown upon.



You know the worst part about kittens? They grow up to be cats.

Edit - I will not actually kick the cat or toss her out. Don't freak.

 

[bluepilot]

If your cats are having "accidents" then it could be a sign of a kidney infection or UTI. A trip to the vet will clear this up. Also, having cats spayed helps as a lot of the cat piss smell can be territorial male hormones (assuming you haven't already) Finally, the brand of cat food can also influence how the cats smell, try changing it and see if you get better results.

But putting all this aside, the smell is probably just the carpet from the sick cat and there is probably some kitty litter you can get to help with the toilet smells.

 

[Quaidis]

If your cats are having "accidents" then it could be a sign of a kidney infection or UTI. A trip to the vet will clear this up. Also, having cats spayed helps as a lot of the cat piss smell can be territorial male hormones (assuming you haven't already) Finally, the brand of cat food can also influence how the cats smell, try changing it and see if you get better results.

But putting all this aside, the smell is probably just the carpet from the sick cat and there is probably some kitty litter you can get to help with the toilet smells.

All of the cats are fixed, thankfully. I don't know what I'd do with random kitten litters.

I'll take Sophie in to the vet to get her piss checked for an UTI. Her real problem stems from my male cat, Morris, beating her up at random when she comes up the stairs to get to the bathroom box. He thinks it's a game, she thinks she's going to die. Someone at the pet store convinced me to buy this expensive mother cat pheromone stuff to spay on the wall corners that should relax the cats and reduce the fighting. It hasn't worked all that well.

I will also check to see if there's a food I can give Sophie (and/or the other cats) that will help the kidneys out and make pissing better. Currently they get a no-grain cat food that's pricier.



Any tips on removing the piss smell in the carpets?

 

[bluepilot]

If your cats are having "accidents" then it could be a sign of a kidney infection or UTI. A trip to the vet will clear this up. Also, having cats spayed helps as a lot of the cat piss smell can be territorial male hormones (assuming you haven't already) Finally, the brand of cat food can also influence how the cats smell, try changing it and see if you get better results.

But putting all this aside, the smell is probably just the carpet from the sick cat and there is probably some kitty litter you can get to help with the toilet smells.

All of the cats are fixed, thankfully. I don't know what I'd do with random kitten litters.

I'll take Sophie in to the vet to get her piss checked for an UTI. Her real problem stems from my male cat, Morris, beating her up at random when she comes up the stairs to get to the bathroom box. He thinks it's a game, she thinks she's going to die. Someone at the pet store convinced me to buy this expensive mother cat pheromone stuff to spay on the wall corners that should relax the cats and reduce the fighting. It hasn't worked all that well.

I will also check to see if there's a food I can give Sophie (and/or the other cats) that will help the kidneys out and make pissing better. Currently they get a no-grain cat food that's pricier.



Any tips on removing the piss smell in the carpets?

I don't think anything gets cat piss out

You may have to change the carpet, and maybe even treat the floors beneath

 

[Craorach]

Never, ever, take cat advice from a pet store.. or pet advice in general.. speak to a vet, people in stores /want/ you to buy things.

Having recently transitioned from outside to inside cats, I can only recommend putting your litter trays in tiled areas. My youngest cat came out of a pet store where they had been using a fiberous litter (coconut shells I think) and had actually got.... spoilers for the unpleasentness...

Spoiler

a piece of litter fiber stuck in his urethra, so whenever he peed he was in agony, and he refused to go near any tray with that substance in

.. it was only the vet that realised what was wrong, the pet shop advised us to use a different litter.

That said, there are various chemicals available to get smell out, and to disuade cats from using a particular area, but if they have gotten into the habit of peeing on the floor you may never get them out of it. The carpet will be ruined if it has happened long term.

Consider putting aside a low traffic area with tiles or plastic flooring, we use our laundry room.

A more expensive option, which we took because we don't like cats being in doors all the time, is to invest in a cat enclosure. Depending upon where you live, you can get some really clever designs that fit in about any space. This would allow your cats out, and you can still clean up after them.

For more extreme measures.. try teaching your cat to walk on a leash and do its business like a dog.

 

[pezwitch]

The best home remedy for any urine smell is to use baking soda. For carpets, make sure the carpet is dry and then sprinkle baking soda (the kind you cook with) over the area and leave it for several hours, then vacuum. Be warned that this may discolor some carpets, so if you are worried about that you should test it in an inconspicuous place (like a closet) first. If the smell is still there use more baking soda and brush it down into the carpet and leave it over night.

If the urine smell is in bedding or clothes, soaking the items in the sink with 1/2 - 1 cup washing soda for a couple of hours and then launder using regular detergent and 1/2 cup of washing soda which usually gets rid of the smell.

If the subflooring has been soaked and is causing the smell you can use a product called KILZ, which is a paint primer that contains a stain and odor odor blocking sealer. It's the only thing I've found that really covers the obnoxious odors.

I had a 17 year old cat and before she died she took to peeing in the guest bedroom and I didn't find out until the carpet was ruined (It was in a room I rarely used). I had to replace the carpet and use the odor blocking primer on the sub-floor to get rid of the smell under the bed. And I used the baking soda to save a wool rug that was in the room and the washing soda to save a quilt.

 

[applesandoranges]

edit

 

[Quaidis]

The best home remedy for any urine smell is to use baking soda. For carpets, make sure the carpet is dry and then sprinkle baking soda (the kind you cook with) over the area and leave it for several hours, then vacuum. Be warned that this may discolor some carpets, so if you are worried about that you should test it in an inconspicuous place (like a closet) first. If the smell is still there use more baking soda and brush it down into the carpet and leave it over night.

If the urine smell is in bedding or clothes, soaking the items in the sink with 1/2 - 1 cup washing soda for a couple of hours and then launder using regular detergent and 1/2 cup of washing soda which usually gets rid of the smell.

If the subflooring has been soaked and is causing the smell you can use a product called KILZ, which is a paint primer that contains a stain and odor odor blocking sealer. It's the only thing I've found that really covers the obnoxious odors.

I had a 17 year old cat and before she died she took to peeing in the guest bedroom and I didn't find out until the carpet was ruined (It was in a room I rarely used). I had to replace the carpet and use the odor blocking primer on the sub-floor to get rid of the smell under the bed. And I used the baking soda to save a wool rug that was in the room and the washing soda to save a quilt.

KILZ! That's what it was called! A few years ago I used this smell-removal paint stuff on the bare floors of a friend's house because their dog was never house-trained and absolutely trashed the carpet for years before it died. It worked great, but I (and everyone I knew) forgot the name of it. Cheers for that!

A random person on the street the other day told me to use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (antiseptic). I know never to mix bleach and ammonia, as that would kill me. Yet this 3% stuff I picked up is safe for the skin and a disinfectant. Any idea on if it will be safe, on top of the baking soda? The same goes for vinegar. Someone told me to use baking soda and vinegar.

I know how you feel about your 17 year old cat. Mine was 21 before he had to be put down. He was a great cat, but could no longer get over the rim of the box. So instead he would piss around the box. Mind you, I did not realize this until towards the end of his life. Only that the piss smelled worse, and at that time the vet told me it was because he was old and dehydrated.