We’ve Become “Those” People
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 09:50amYesterday afternoon, when I came home from the doctor, I entered the house and my nose immediately detected the unmistakable smell of cat pee. It is nearly 24 hours later and we still haven’t located the source. We’re pretty sure it’s either in the dining room or in the kitchen, but we CAN’T FIND IT AND IT’S MAKING ME CRAZY.
Oh, I found it.
Under his window perch, against the wall, soaked into the carpet. I pulled up the carpet and ohmygah sweet jumping christ on a popsicle stick. This isn’t the first time he’s pissed there. It’s in the carpet padding and there’s a stain on the backside of the carpet. I’m soaking the entire area in Nature’s Miracle right now but it smells REALLY bad. If you have any advice on this, please let me know.
Why is he doing this? I’m going to have to keep an eye on him. Maybe we’re not cleaning the litterbox enough? We recently changed litter (a few weeks ago). Also, Meena came downstairs last week, something she hasn’t done in like a year, and explored and sniffed and rubbed her face around. Maybe he was marking his territory?
All I know is I have cat pee smell in my nose now. Now and forever.
Lee on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 9:55 am
You can buy a black light usually for under $10–when it’s dark the pee will illuminate. It’s all CSI..
word of advice though–you have to have the light pretty close to it for it to glow, it won’t just glow from across the room.
I am so sad I know this.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 9:56 am
I thought about that, but I also fear that I will discover terrible, awful, horrible things.
Grey Rainbow on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 9:57 am
one word “luminol”.
Lee on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:05 am
yeah, i had that experience once. On the upside: new furniture for everyone!
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:18 am
I’m just flummoxed because the kitchen and dining room don’t have carpeting. Wouldn’t we notice a pee puddle on the floor? Even a dry one?
GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Rona on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:35 am
I had to use a black light thing, when we were renting a house and there had been pets there before us, so my cat was going crazy and peeing and that was making us mental. You have to have the room very dark to be able to see it, and I understand your hesitation. I became obsessed with cleaning that carpet, and might have made it worse!
GeekBoy on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:51 am
Yeah, this is somewhat baffling. Because Freakgirl wasn’t gone from the house all that long. If it was pee, it shouldn’t even have had time to dry yet. And we’re only talking an area that’s about 25 feet square. I literally got on my hands and knees and sniffed just about every one of those square feet — including all table and furniture surfaces — and couldn’t find a concentrated source for the smell anywhere. But then when I stand up, particularly in the middle of the kitchen, I smell it. I half wonder if Long Legs peed in one of the AC/heating vents … but I’ve sniffed those too, and don’t smell anything.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 11:01 am
I literally got on my hands and knees and sniffed just about every one of those square feet — including all table and furniture surfaces — and couldn’t find a concentrated source for the smell anywhere.
Ladies and Gentlemen, my husband!
sandra on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 11:32 am
Penny recently was peeing on the front and back door rugs (we’re hoping it is in response to the feral cats outside, not a re-occurrence of her bladder stones - no blood in the pee which is a good sign) and didn’t know it for a while. Then the other day I opened the back door and got a whiff of pee, turned the rug upside down (it was a dark rug) and saw the dried pee spots along the bottom. Went to the front door and found the same. The rugs have since been washed and the floors washed down with a special cleaner containing some enzyme from the vet. I hate the smell (cuz it smells like the vet) but it’s better than pee pee floors.
That was really no help to you.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 11:42 am
Aw, poor Penny.
Our rugs are okay, I think, but I’ll make sure to turn them upside-down and check.
Lisa on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Is it in the garage? Are you sure it was LL? Could be another critter got into a heating/cooling duct. How about under the fridge? That happened to me one time. I thought Shirley had peed on the floor but it turned out to be the stanky “overflow” pan under the fridge.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Under the fridge — good thought!
I only think it was LL because he’s the only one downstairs. Plus, we don’t smell it upstairs.
Michael on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 12:28 pm
That happened to me one time. I thought Shirley had peed on the floor but it turned out to be the stanky “overflow” pan under the fridge.
That’s funny if your mom’s name is Shirley.
GB, errmmmm, have you sniffed every square foot of Freakgirl? I wouldn’t mention it, but just yesterday she was talking about how she’s practically ready for the nursing home.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 12:32 pm
LOL, I was just going to write, “And Shirley is Lisa’s mom.” Holla, Peg!
:: sniffs self ::
I don’t think it’s me. But I sure could use a shower.
Lisa on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Michael, Shirley is my CAT. And besides, my mother wears a diaper. She’s INCONTINENT, not crazy. (Just kidding, Peg O’ My Heart!)
charlie b on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 2:05 pm
What about on top of the fridge? Can Long Legs get up there?
GeekBoy on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Theoretically. He’s capable of jumping onto the counter, and then onto the top of the fridge from there. But he’s not much of a climber. Growing up outside, his first instinct is to stay low to the ground — unless something scares him enough to jump over the back of the couch or up over the kitchen counter on his way to run upstairs and hide under the bed. I can’t imagine something compelling him to climb up on top of the fridge, much less pee there.
Regardless, I’ll be checking both on top of and under the fridge as soon as I get home.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 2:19 pm
There is no way in hell that cat peed on top of the fridge. I’ll check the counter, though.
sandra on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Dude, welcome to my life since last year. Every time Penny does something weird, like hunker down in an unusual area, we freak out and think she’s peeing. As I mention above, she did recently have a couple of out-of-box peeing moments that we HOPE are territorial vs. urinary issues, but even still, it is unsettling. Cats are very clean creatures and won’t just pee anywhere unless something is up. Unfortunately they’re really weird creatures too that don’t have a good way of telling you something is up other than peeing outside their box or not eating. Ensure there is no blood in the pee, and when cleaning the area don’t use anything that has ammonia in it (that’s what I’ve been told). We used a concentrated formula enzymes cleaner that eats away the smelly pee bacteria called K.O.E. - Kennel Odor Eliminator. Hope all is OK with the LL.
freakgirl on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 5:24 pm
You don’t have wall to wall carpeting, do you? Ugh.
We’re pretty sure he’s been using the litterbox, too. So I’m thinking this might be an issue of letting us know that the box wasn’t clean enough to his liking. Although it appears he’s used this area more than once…I don’t know. He seems okay. And there’s no blood, no visible blood anyway.
I guess I’ll keep an eye on him. He’s afraid to come down here because I pulled the carpet back and have a fan running. He’ll probably pee under our bed now.
heather on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 11:51 pm
My cat went through a phase of peeing on my bed. It got so bad that I thought about parting ways with her, but couldn’t bear to do it. It was a combo of a change in litter, going out of town frequently (and the dog staying with friends so she was without her companion) and the weather being bad so she couldn’t go outside much. She seems happy now, but I know she could start up with it at anytime. I ruled out health issues and I’m pretty sure she was trying to send a message because several times she hopped on up and pissed RIGHT NEXT TO ME WHILE I WAS LOOKING. I also have to be careful not to have any blanket or pile of clothing, etc. on the ground or she decides it’ll make a nice, soft place to pee. Fortunately now it’s summer and she has a pet door, so she does her urinating outside.
A friend recommended Zero Odor, which works great. I ordered it online & it wasn’t cheap, but works the best out of anything out there (recommended by my “cat lady” friend who uses it with her 8 or 9 indoor kitties). I also bought some pheromone spray, which is supposed to give them good associations with the area and I’ve heard that there’s a dispenser (Iike a Glade plug in) that works well, too. Since it’s by the window, maybe he’s seeing a cat outside and is distressed and/or territorial or something? The pheromone stuff should help with that. Petco/smart carries it or you can also order online.
Good luck. The smell of cat pee is THE WORST. Just thinking about it is making me gag.
Maggie on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 1:51 am
I want cats’ pee to start smelling better. Science, you has a improtant jobs to do!
freakgirl on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 7:46 am
heather, interesting point about him maybe seeing a cat outside. I know there’s one that hangs around here. Plus he’s always sitting in that window and twitching from the sight of all the bunnies and groundhogs.