Carpet and cats -- what to do?

[Dawn in Ohio]

One of our cats is peeing on the new basement carpeting. What do I do to get rid of the horrible smell? We just refinished the basement and I want to use and enjoy the space... but the smell is just terrible. I have bought 2 different products recommended at the pet store to get rid of the smell, but still it lingers. It is somewhat better, but not gone.

 

Do I get rid of the cat that I think is spraying? I think it is the older, anti-social cat. And how do I get rid of a cat like that? No one would want her. Will a vet put a cat down for something like this? (For now the cats just aren't allowed in the basement. This has stopped any further peeing problems.)

 

Do I have to hire a professional to clean the carpet? How much would that cost? Do I get the carpet company to replace the affected area of carpet? Wouldn't it look bad to just replace one section of the carpet in the family room... wouldn't I need to do the entire room?

 

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

[Trish]

Once they pick a spot, the cat(s) will pee repeatedly, no matter what. So they can't be in the basement anymore.

 

We had to throw out a recliner. Sorry!

[Ravin]

Treat it with Kids N Pets, Bac-out, or other similar enzyme cleaner. The enzymes will break down the urine and get rid of the smell and any stains. It's awesome stuff!

[gardening momma]

We had a cat that peed on stuff. He was fine until we moved to a new house, and then he started. We were able to manage him to a degree (keeping the kinds of things he peed on picked up and put away). But over the course of 4 years it got worse. We finally had to have him put down. We got him from a shelter, so we took him back to the shelter and they put him down for about $30. You might look into that, even if yours didn't come from a shelter.

 

We have a Rug Doctor carpet cleaner. You might try renting one, if you haven't tried that already. That is pretty much all we've needed. Dh gets extra Rug Doctor solutions that you add to the regular cleaning solution--there's one for pet odor, and I think one for general odors.

[Teachin'Mine]

How old was he when he was neutered?

[Dawn in Ohio]

We have 2 cats, both female. The older one is probably 9 years old. We've had her for 5+ years and she has been spayed since we got her. The younger one is probably 9 months and she was spayed a few months ago. I think the older one is the one peeing on the carpet. It was never an issue until we had the new carpet installed. Or possibly the stress of getting the new cat is the problem.

 

I have a Hoover Carpet cleaner and I've used it several times on the carpet. It helps, but doesn't get rid of the smell completely. I'll look for Bac-Out and try that. I know I saw that at the pet store.

 

I want to put down the older cat, but I know it would be heart-breaking for my daughter.

[vettechmomof2]

I would first have an exam done by a vet as 9 years is not that old for a cat. However if it is a health reason you can try to fix it for them.

I would limit her space to one room for now, normally I recommend an easy to clean room like a bathroom or a laundry room but get a vet visit before euthanizing a pet who might just have a treatable health issue.

Most vets will not do conveniance euthanasias right off. They will at least require a vet visit first.

[Teachin'Mine]

I'm sorry - you did refer to her as a she. When I hear spraying I automatically think males, but females can as well. I'm wondering if there was any scent on the new carpet? Even if it was never at another house, it could have been marked by a feral cat in the warehouse. I'd try the enzyme treatment of the carpet and saturate it thoroughly. I'd also continue to make the downstairs off limits to both cats. She could well be stressed by the addition of the new cat. Make sure that she still gets lots of love and attention - although that is more difficult if she's "antisocial". Maybe a few play sessions during the day would help. I'd have her checked out - actually both of them - for any health problems that might cause the spraying as well. Please don't put her down for this, especially since the spraying is only happening in the basement.

[J-rap]

We had a very feisty, anti-social cat who used a corner of our thick living room rug. We finally gave her away to some friends to become a "farm cat," and were so happy to be left with only our sweet, very sociable cat. Within a month, however, that sweet sociable cat began urinating right in that same spot that our old cat used, to cover up the old smell I assume. This cat had never done anything like that before, and because the other cat was dominant, I guess this cat would never have tried to cover the smell while the other cat was still around. Of course once he (the sweet cat) used it, it became "his" spot.

 

Being this was such a sweet cat, we wanted to keep him. We took our beautiful oriental rug to a professional rug cleaner, who specialized in getting out cat smells. This was in the fall, and throughout the fall and winter and even spring, it was no longer a problem.

 

However, once summer with its humidity hit, even though WE could not smell it, our sweet cat could smell his old smell again, and went straight back to that same corner again.

 

We had it cleaned AGAIN, and this time switched the rug around so that the "smelly" corner was in a different area, and with a chair on top of it. This seemed to be successful for awhile, but eventually the cat began going in that same OLD corner again (even though the smelly corner of the rug was no longer there). I think his smell was so saturated in that area, that the very wood in the floor held it.

 

THE ONLY thing that sometimes kept him from using it was if I 1) completely covered up that corner so that he had absolutely no access to it and 2) made sure to clean his litter box daily. These two things definitely helped.

 

However, the one day that that corner was uncovered, he went right back to it again. Sadly, we finally gave up and gave him away.

[Lovedtodeath]

My cat peed on my blankets, the dirty laundry, a costume that was left on the floor, papers that were on the floor and a clean laundry basket. Twice in my room and the other incidents were upstairs, but all in different places.

 

I took my cat to the vet. He was diagnosed with a nervous disorder and had lost weight. I moved his food and litter into my room... he now sleeps with me. I had locked him in the bathroom at first and the vet said that he needed time with me. I also have a separate litter box for the one cat and on every floor of the house.

 

She also said that they prescribe Prozac for it.

 

There are also many other reasons for peeing on the carpet so I would make sure to get a vet visit in.

 

Oh and they gave me special carpet stuff at the front desk. Only vets have it. :)

 

He has gained weight and we have had no more problems. My husband wanted to just throw him out. It cost me $100. I am so happy that I paid it and have a happy kitty that I don't need to worry or feel guilty over.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Lovedtodeath

[hoosiermom]

I recommend something called "Simple Solution". It's available from Amazon.

 

You might have her checked for a UTI. But if she only marks in the basement, I'm guessing an infection isn't the cause.

[Dawn in Ohio]

We had a very feisty, anti-social cat who used a corner of our thick living room rug. We finally gave her away to some friends to become a "farm cat," and were so happy to be left with only our sweet, very sociable cat. Within a month, however, that sweet sociable cat began urinating right in that same spot that our old cat used, to cover up the old smell I assume. This cat had never done anything like that before, and because the other cat was dominant, I guess this cat would never have tried to cover the smell while the other cat was still around. Of course once he (the sweet cat) used it, it became "his" spot.

 

Being this was such a sweet cat, we wanted to keep him. We took our beautiful oriental rug to a professional rug cleaner, who specialized in getting out cat smells. This was in the fall, and throughout the fall and winter and even spring, it was no longer a problem.

 

However, once summer with its humidity hit, even though WE could not smell it, our sweet cat could smell his old smell again, and went straight back to that same corner again.

 

We had it cleaned AGAIN, and this time switched the rug around so that the "smelly" corner was in a different area, and with a chair on top of it. This seemed to be successful for awhile, but eventually the cat began going in that same OLD corner again (even though the smelly corner of the rug was no longer there). I think his smell was so saturated in that area, that the very wood in the floor held it.

 

THE ONLY thing that sometimes kept him from using it was if I 1) completely covered up that corner so that he had absolutely no access to it and 2) made sure to clean his litter box daily. These two things definitely helped.

 

However, the one day that that corner was uncovered, he went right back to it again. Sadly, we finally gave up and gave him away.

 

Awww. What a story! I feel so heartless to even consider getting rid of our cat over such a silly thing. But I don't think she will ever stop.

 

(I was reading advice online about similar problems. People advised getting rid of the carpet, getting rid of the pad under the carpet, and then using like 7 layers of some kind of sealer to seal the smell into the concrete! Good grief.)

[Dawn in Ohio]

I recommend something called "Simple Solution". It's available from Amazon.

 

You might have her checked for a UTI. But if she only marks in the basement, I'm guessing an infection isn't the cause.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. Simple Solution has pretty good reviews on Amazon.

[Nakia]

We have a young cat (3 years old) that is peeing in the house about once a week. It has taken us a few months to pinpoint which cat was doing it. I'm taking him to the vet on Monday to check him for a UTI. If he does not have a UTI, he is, unfortunately, becoming an outdoor cat. I can't imagine having my daughter's cat euthanized because of that. I hope your cat stops doing it.

[Lovedtodeath]

Awww. What a story! I feel so heartless to even consider getting rid of our cat over such a silly thing. But I don't think she will ever stop.

 

(I was reading advice online about similar problems. People advised getting rid of the carpet, getting rid of the pad under the carpet, and then using like 7 layers of some kind of sealer to seal the smell into the concrete! Good grief.)

It isn't silly for your living room to be ruined. It isn't silly to have to do your laundry 5 times because a cat peed on it... or to have to throw out your wedding dress.

 

That cat was taken to a no-kill shelter. It worked because she was not registered under my name. They won't take a cat from an owner.

 

I was giving you the nicer story.

 

If your health, finances, family members, time and energy etc. are not up to handling this then I understand. Mine weren't either once upon a time.

[gardening momma]

We have a young cat (3 years old) that is peeing in the house about once a week. It has taken us a few months to pinpoint which cat was doing it. I'm taking him to the vet on Monday to check him for a UTI. If he does not have a UTI, he is, unfortunately, becoming an outdoor cat. I can't imagine having my daughter's cat euthanized because of that. I hope your cat stops doing it.

 

I have a similar problem. We have three cats, all over 10 years old. One of them has been peeing on the carpet in the hallway. I don't know what to do with him. He's been to the vet and has no health issues. It seems to just be a behavior problem. Since he is old and declawed, I can't put him outside. He has never lived outside; he wouldn't last a week.

With our cat, it was definitely a behavioral problem. He was also declawed (front claws) and had lived his whole life indoors (8 years). We didn't have any kind of shelter outside for the winter months, and living in a suburban area, he would either have gotten run over or beaten up by the neighbor cats. Oh yeah, I forgot...we did try putting him outside a few times, along with our other cat. They would mostly sniff around a bit and then come back in, but once he stayed out for several hours. I thought he would do ok outside, because he was pretty good with his back claws and his teeth. When he came back, he was beaten up (scratched & bleeding around his eye). We couldn't give him away because of the agreement we signed with the shelter, requiring us to bring him back if we couldn't keep him anymore. We couldn't keep him inside, and we couldn't let him outside for his own good, so it was best for him to be put down.

[Nakia]

With our cat, it was definitely a behavioral problem. He was also declawed (front claws) and had lived his whole life indoors (8 years). We didn't have any kind of shelter outside for the winter months, and living in a suburban area, he would either have gotten run over or beaten up by the neighbor cats. Oh yeah, I forgot...we did try putting him outside a few times, along with our other cat. They would mostly sniff around a bit and then come back in, but once he stayed out for several hours. I thought he would do ok outside, because he was pretty good with his back claws and his teeth. When he came back, he was beaten up (scratched & bleeding around his eye). We couldn't give him away because of the agreement we signed with the shelter, requiring us to bring him back if we couldn't keep him anymore. We couldn't keep him inside, and we couldn't let him outside for his own good, so it was best for him to be put down.

 

 

:grouphug: I hate the very thought of putting our cat outside. My middle daughter's cat was run over by a car in October, and our entire family was devastated. It was awful. I kinda hope it's a UTI so at least we can treat it.

[Lovedtodeath]

I have a similar problem. We have three cats, all over 10 years old. One of them has been peeing on the carpet in the hallway. I don't know what to do with him. He's been to the vet and has no health issues. It seems to just be a behavior problem. Since he is old and declawed, I can't put him outside. He has never lived outside; he wouldn't last a week.

 

I do use an enzyme cleaner and that helps get rid of the odor, but then he just goes right back and does it again.

 

Sorry, no advice; just wanted to commiserate.

 

:grouphug: I hate the very thought of putting our cat outside. My middle daughter's cat was run over by a car in October, and our entire family was devastated. It was awful. I kinda hope it's a UTI so at least we can treat it.

 

I just wanted to reiterate that there are other things besides UTI's to check for and treat. There is kidney disease, diabetes, etc. Plus, nervous disorders can be treated, either with changes in the household or with medication (like Prozac). One problem my kitty had was being afraid to come downstairs to get to his food and litterbox because my three year old terrorized him. It really all could have been avoided by putting the food and litter in the room where he felt safest and usually hides in anyway. He is an old kitty that I have had since he needed formula and bottles. He is worth it.

[cin]

We had the same problem. We thought the odor was gone, but then once the humidity went up, we could smell it. The odor was FINALLY gone when we removed the carpet and pad, and a small piece of floorboard underneath. By then thought, the cat was LONG GONE. I love my animals, but when they start make my life more difficult, to the point of miserable, then they have to go. My house, My rules, ya' know?! And we tried every cleaner available back then....

[Tree House Academy]

I want to put down the older cat, but I know it would be heart-breaking for my daughter.

 

This is hard for me to hear. You want to kill a cat because it pees in one place in your house and the problem has just started?

 

It is possible the cat has a UTI and needs medication. Cats don't tend to just pee in the house to be mean. There is some kind of problem. Please take her to the vet. 9 is not old for a cat and if she is healthy otherwise, putting her down would just be cruel. :(

 

I am sitting here right now nursing a shelter kitten through resistant giardia that has made my older cat so sick, I had to make an ER vet visit. I have spent $1100 in the last two weeks on my 14 year old cat and this kitten. However, putting them down has never even crossed my mind.

 

Please, if you must get rid of this cat, take her to a no kill shelter so they can at least vet her properly and try to find her a loving home.

[Dawn in Ohio]

This is hard for me to hear. You want to kill a cat because it pees in one place in your house and the problem has just started?

 

It is possible the cat has a UTI and needs medication. Cats don't tend to just pee in the house to be mean. There is some kind of problem. Please take her to the vet. 9 is not old for a cat and if she is healthy otherwise, putting her down would just be cruel. :(

 

I am sitting here right now nursing a shelter kitten through resistant giardia that has made my older cat so sick, I had to make an ER vet visit. I have spent $1100 in the last two weeks on my 14 year old cat and this kitten. However, putting them down has never even crossed my mind.

 

Please, if you must get rid of this cat, take her to a no kill shelter so they can at least vet her properly and try to find her a loving home.

 

Well, the problem started in September when the carpet was installed. The cat is behaving fine right now without access to the basement. But there is no other place in the house to keep the litter box. I'm going to move the litter box back down there. If/when the peeing starts again, I will decide what to do. I doubt we will put the cat down, because of my daughter's sensitive heart. And it would only be done as a last resort.. We will first have a vet visit and see what he says. I already talked to one shelter, but they refused to take her. I suppose there are other places that might take her. She is just not an affectionate cat, so I can't imagine anyone wanting to adopt her.

[Lovedtodeath]

Let us know what the vet says and what happens. :)

[manylilblessings]

Get a carpet professional who will clean the carpet, pull it up, and cut out the pad underneath. Replace the underneath pad, and reclean the carpet above. If the subfloor is wood, or porous, or even smells, paint it with KILZ before the new pad goes in. Make sure the carpet cleaning person uses enzymes to get the odor out of the carpet.

 

The other option is to use any extra carpet scraps you have (or the carpet from a closet) to patch in a new piece of carpet in that area, and replace the pad at the same time.

 

Ugh.. been there, still have the cat.

 

Next time you get carpet, get a moisture barrier pad, it's terrific! And, nothing soaks in. Nothing.

[Brigitte]

If this is new behavior, you need to get the kitty checked by the vet for a UTI. Both of my cats went through that in the last year. In both cases, they started peeing outside the box (one chose a couch!!!) as a way of letting us know something was wrong. A course of antibiotics and the problem was solved.

[Dawn in Ohio]

If this is new behavior, you need to get the kitty checked by the vet for a UTI. Both of my cats went through that in the last year. In both cases, they started peeing outside the box (one chose a couch!!!) as a way of letting us know something was wrong. A course of antibiotics and the problem was solved.

 

But she was peeing only on the basement carpet. Once I removed her access to the basement she hasn't had an accident in 3 or 4 months. That doesn't sound like a UTI. Right?

[Dawn in Ohio]

Get a carpet professional who will clean the carpet, pull it up, and cut out the pad underneath. Replace the underneath pad, and reclean the carpet above. If the subfloor is wood, or porous, or even smells, paint it with KILZ before the new pad goes in. Make sure the carpet cleaning person uses enzymes to get the odor out of the carpet.

 

The other option is to use any extra carpet scraps you have (or the carpet from a closet) to patch in a new piece of carpet in that area, and replace the pad at the same time.

 

Ugh.. been there, still have the cat.

 

Next time you get carpet, get a moisture barrier pad, it's terrific! And, nothing soaks in. Nothing.

 

Thanks!!! This is very helpful. I never thought about removing the pad, but keeping the carpet intact. That might be the best, first option.

[Bird Girl]

It is possible to train a cat to pee in only one place, in the same way that you train a dog. It's a fair amount of work. First, crate the cat whenever you are not watching her. You can buy a large crate, the size that would normally be used for a medium-or-large sized dog, and include a small litter pan in the crate, or you can crate her in a cat-sized crate. Obviously, if you crate in the smaller crate, you'll need to let her out more frequently.

 

While the training is going on, move the litter box to a small, enclosed room like a bathroom. Crate the cat, then decide when you want to let her out. Open the crate and carry her directly to the litter box room. Go in with her. Wait until she uses the litter box, then give her a treat--make it something you know she loves, like a bit of liverwurst, or a dab of meat-based baby food. Then, she can be out in the house for an hour or so--set a timer. When the timer goes off, put her back in the crate. Rinse, repeat. Crate her at night, and anytime your family leaves the house.

 

I will not deny that this is a big pain, and a time-consuming way to spend two to three weeks, depending on how stubborn the cat is. But it's cheaper than replacing carpet and furniture, and if you want to keep the cat, it may allow you to do so.

 

That said, I would not hesitate to euthanize a cat that was generally antisocial and was destroying my house with urine. Cat pee is disgusting, makes the entire house smell, and can destroy the value of the home should you ever need to sell. It does, in fact, require the replacement of the carpet, the pad, and the treatment of the sub-floor. It can destroy drywall. Every shelter is overrun with friendly, sociable cats who couldn't be kept by their owners and every spring, there's a whole new population of adoptable, adorable kittens. The chances of finding a new home for an antisocial, 9-year-old cat who pees in the home are approximately zero, and it's far less stressful for an animal like that to be peacefully euthanized by it's familiar owners than dragged to a shelter and left for weeks or months, and then (possibly, but not likely) taken to a new house for an extended adjustment period. I volunteered in animal rescue for several years, and I don't feel that each and every unwanted animal is a good candidate for adoption, or even that adoption is the best outcome for every animal. If you are putting up with an animal that pees in your home, well, bully for you, but insisting that others do so is unrealistic.

[Trish]

Well, the problem started in September when the carpet was installed. The cat is behaving fine right now without access to the basement. But there is no other place in the house to keep the litter box. I'm going to move the litter box back down there. If/when the peeing starts again, I will decide what to do. I doubt we will put the cat down, because of my daughter's sensitive heart. And it would only be done as a last resort.. We will first have a vet visit and see what he says. I already talked to one shelter, but they refused to take her. I suppose there are other places that might take her. She is just not an affectionate cat, so I can't imagine anyone wanting to adopt her.

 

Hmm, is there no other place you can put the litter box? I feel strongly the cat will pee in this area again. Or can you make the specific area in the basement inaccessible somehow?

[Teachin'Mine]

How often do you clean the litter box? Is it possible that when it's in the basement a day's cleaning is skipped here and there? That could be a part of the problem too. Another idea would be to put the litter box right in that corner - but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not. :001_huh: