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What could smell like cat pee that isn't cat pee?


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Yesterday, I smelled what smelled exactly like cat pee in our house. This morning, it is more widespread. We don't have a cat. What could it be? It's awful but I have no idea of where to look for the source because I've only smelled this kind of smell with cats. Usually knowing what could be making x smell helps me locate it. Any ideas?

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Could a cat have sprayed near a door or window? Have any ammonia based products in the house that could be open or accidentally mixed with something else?

 

Bring any new books in? (I ask because my dh "inherited" a bunch of books from a friend that had way too many cats, and those books STINK even after months of being in a tub with coffee and baking soda and fabric softener! )

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Various animals that spray can make that kind of musky smell: foxes, all types of cats, skunks, muskrats, perhaps wood rats, ferrets..... Bat droppings in walls might also make such a smell.

 

Could you possibly have some sort of critter in your attic or the eaves of your house or somewhere like that?

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Wow. The other replies are interesting.

 

I find that Junipers often smell like cat pee (yet not all the time:confused:). Do you have any of those near an open window?

 

I second the cat spray outside your house..... a cat kept spraying our front door and when the wind was blowing, it came in despite closed doors and windows the same way a skunk smell does.

 

Oh, has your ac/heat been on? Check around your unit outside.... a friend had skunks near hers and their general musky odor was wafting into her house through the ducts.

 

I hope you find what's causing it..... that is one horrid smell!

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Stinky, damp workout clothes smell like cat pee so if anyone left a gym bag around, that could be the culprit.

 

:iagree:

 

Also, soccer cleats that have gotten wet. Even if they're dry now but have been pretty wet in the past, they'll stink.

 

I've sat down on the garage step to put on my tennis shoes and I'll think some cat must have come in and sprayed. Then I realize I'm sitting right by wet soccer cleats. Pee-uw!

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:iagree:

 

Also, soccer cleats that have gotten wet. Even if they're dry now but have been pretty wet in the past, they'll stink.

 

 

 

 

:lol: I was getting ready to post about soccer cleats!!! I was trying to figure out how a cat got into our van one time...then we found DD's cleats :ack2:

 

Another thing around here that has that kind of smell, are Eucalyptus trees!

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Wow. The other replies are interesting.

 

I find that Junipers often smell like cat pee (yet not all the time:confused:). Do you have any of those near an open window?

 

 

 

Thank you for saying this! I often find this too, but the people I'm with don't seem able to smell it. To me, walking past a juniper bush is very unpleasant, and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks it smells like cat pee!

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Thank you for saying this! I often find this too, but the people I'm with don't seem able to smell it. To me, walking past a juniper bush is very unpleasant, and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks it smells like cat pee!

 

Sometimes I don't notice it, but most of the time I do. The city (state?) has TONS of junipers as landscaping along the off ramps of the interstate that runs through town and every time I drive by I gag. :ack2:

 

Whoa! Who knew so many things smell like cat pee! Thanks for all the things to investigate. My guess, based on the possibilities offered, is that with 4 boys, someone left something wet hiding somewhere...

 

I hope you find the source. I never knew so many things smelled like cat pee. I had forgotten about the soccer shoes.... definitely check for those!!

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  • 2 years later...
Guest Alliet801

A friend of mine bought a house, and she realized later that there was a stubborn cat urine odor in many rooms. She cleaned everything and tore out the carpets but it was still there. She ended up trying a CritterZone air purifier and that took care of it.

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The original post is from 2010. I think she's probably either found the source or moved by now! :D

 

Yep!

 

This revival thread is quite funny, actually. I don't even remember if we ever located the source of the smell or if it just went away. Apparently one cannot edit a post a year old, or I would just do so.

 

No crystal meth labs. I live in a rural neighborhood (wooded, lots of space between houses) and it's kind of funny thinking of my next door neighbor who's been my friend since we were roomies in college (we're in our 50s now), over there cookin' somethin' up. On the other side, is a sweet couple in their 80s. Nah, don't think so. No one else around!

 

As I said a year ago, though, who knew there were so many things that smelled like cat pee!

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Whoa! Who knew so many things smell like cat pee! Thanks for all the things to investigate. My guess, based on the possibilities offered, is that with 4 boys, someone left something wet hiding somewhere...

 

I think you have your answer. I could NOT find the source of an odor once, the ENTIRE house smelled (all open concept) and I could not locate the source for days. Then I walked past ds20's room. :svengo: smelled like a dead body! (nothat I've ever smelled one!). It was his slippers!

 

Then another time my car smelled so bad I was CERTAIN something was spoiling inside it. It was ds20's shoes. They went right into a dumpster.

 

Ds20 is a wonderful person, and a very clean person. But did his feet STINK!

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  • 1 year later...
Guest badalou

I personally am thankful this was still up as my home reeks of cat urine and I don't have a single pet in the home. However I did clean my carpets over the weekend so ding ding ding. I think those of you who mentioned wet carpets hit the nail on the head. This isn't the first time I have smelled this in my home and can't completely explain that because it is  a first for cleaning the carpets but it also was never this strong before either. All I can say now is Lord please let these carpets dry at maximum speed. I hate the smell of cat urine and find completely embarrassing and offensive.

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