Extremely frustrated!

[stacwase]

OK - let me start by saying that Kate does have a vet appointment at 2:15 today. But I seriously doubt that will make one iota of difference.

My husband and I had decided - NO MORE CATS! Why??? Because every single one we've ever had, except Toby, has filled the house with urine. The smell is there, where our noses can't detect it - but every cat who ever enters into this house will pee all over it. I am convinced of that.

One thing which was always spared before was the furniture. Now, I can't sit on my sofa without getting off of it smelling like pee. Kate has peed on every cushion. And they can't just be thrown in the washer! The whole sofa will probably have to be thrown out! And we will be out how many hundreds more dollars??

I ended up with chemical pneumonia last year from the fumes of bleaching every inch of the basement floor - because of cat pee. Now the basement stinks again!!!

I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out. Why did he have to bring home another cat? Now we're either going to have to find her another home or live in a disgusting, unsanitary home for the next 18+ years. This is just wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

[stacwase]

Bob is buiding a door to the basement to keep the cat out of it. I had to throw a huge temper tantrum to get it.

Now - I'm sure that some of you must have had this problem before! Is there any way to get the odor out? Do I have to throw the couch away to keep her from using it as a litter box, now that it has the smell in it?

Somebody please help me! I'd like to keep the cat.

[Craftlady]

I would use a really good upholster cleaner. Replace the cushion material inside of the cushions. Like carpet padding urine smell is trapped in the cushion padding it's impossible to get out. Any good fabric place or upholster shop should have foam padding that can be cut to size of the cushion.

Good luck :)

[sqwelch]

It took my cats ages to stop the peeing, just as I thought they'd got over it one of them would do it again !!! I've ended up throwing out at least 3 carpets as I couldn't get the smell away, luckily as I decorate my home I started putting down wooden floors (thats was my plan anyway nothing to do with the cats) even then I would buy nice rugs and guess what, they'd do it again. After reading your E Mail I feel ever so lucky that they never did it on the furniture but my partner would go nuts 'thats it we're getting rid of them' then I'd turn on the waterworks and beg him to let them stay. As they got older it stopped and it would just happen say every 3 months which was bearable. Its a heart breaking decision to make getting rid of them but I can tell from your post that your at your wits end !:(

Maybe the cat you've got now can smell the previous occupants and thats why its doing it. Sorry I can't really give any advice as I had never had cats before myself and I guess I'm just lucky it stopped as I can't think that I did anything special. I just remember going mad with the cats and they obviously sensed my frustration and it seemed to make them worse.

I hope the more experienced cat owners on PT can help you out, fingers crossed !!! Good Luck !!!

[RedHedd]

Nature's Miracle -- really does work to get the pee smell out. HTH

[luckies4me]

Now before you go blame the cat, have you looked at yourself and seen if it is your fault? How often do you clean her box? Perhaps offer more than one box so she doesn't have to get up furthur to get to it. Make things easier for her. After all, she's your cat, your responsibility and you have to do what you can to make HER feel comfortable. Make sure the litter is cleaned several times a day. Is it close to loud noises? Maybe put it in a room where she can feel more comfortable and have more peace when doing her dutie.


Have you taken her to the vet and ruled out any medical problems? Cats, CAN be taught not to urinate places. Perhaps get a scat mat, or cover your furniture with plastic to protect it. If it were me I would do everything in my power to keep my cat. If they smell other cats it's only natural to spray or urinate somewhere to cover the smell with their own scent, which is why our cats rub against us. Maybe call in a therapist, something could be bugging your cat. Maybe it is something in the fiber. We once had a dog who was actually allergic to the rug and kept peeing on it.

Maybe just keep her in one place, her kitty room, and do not let her have acess to the furniture. Take her out when she can be watched carefully. I am sure there are behaviorists out there who can help, so perhaps you can look into those?

Good luck, and don't give up, for her sake ok? I really would like to see her stay with her family.


Edit- I saw you have a vet appointment, great! Also the reason why my dog urinated on the rug was to tell us to throw that darn thing away because it irritated him. :p Smart dog eh? Sure got our attention.

[K & L]

Has the cat been checked for a medical problem such as an UTI? They will go anywhere when they have one of these cause they associate the pain with the litter box. If a medical problem is ruled out, then it is behaviorial and there is medication a vet can prescribe to help control this.

Also, we use scat mats on our furniture. This does not hurt the cat, basically startles them. It feels like a static shock. They work wonderfully. Then when we want to use the furniture we just remove the mats, and a plus, there's no hair on the furniture.

[sirrahbed]

Oh I am SO SORRY and I do understand this frustration. I cringe with each new kitty addition - with memories of all the cat pee we have lived with. There is still the possibility that Kate had a bladder infection - wait and see! With our last cats, we did have to cut away carpeting and remove pieces of baseboard that smelled the worst. We threw away one chair. The enzyme products work pretty well, but honestly, I know the frustration of never really smelling clean! Our last geriatric died in April and we got two new kittens. After six months with no accidents, we finally replaced all our carpeting and the house smells fresh again. But, I alway wonder WHEN one of them will decide to start it up!
I can't offer much more than sympathy because I really feel the sadness. We love these animals BUT what about when they destroy our homes? It is very hard. If the kittens start ruining the house for no medical cause, I will be tearing out my hair and sobbing again.
Please report back after Kate's vet appointment - maybe they will have some suggestions for you.:( :( :confused:

[Logan]

I have been very fortunate with all of our cats over the years. This has NEVER happened to us. But I'm wondering if we haven't had it because our cats have always (with the exception of Shrimp Boat, who refused to go outside) been allowed outside access??? I am not advocating allowing the cat outside. We have been very lucky in that regard. We have two litter boxes in our house that rarely get used, but they do use them when they are inside for any length of time (cold weather, we are away overnight, etc).

I would rule out any health issues first if you haven't already done that. Try to neutralize the odor using Nature's Miracle or some similar product, and perhaps, introduce one or two more litter boxes and make sure they are "inviting". :o

I certainly understand your frustration, but don't let it sour you on cats in general. This is not a usual occurence. You may even have to isolate the cat to one part of your home. We've had to do the same thing with our dogs since moving into this house because one of our Goldens decided the living room carpet was her new potty. We blocked her entrance, had the carpet cleaned professionally and deoderized and simply haven't allowed any of them back in that area of the house. I know that restraining a cat is tougher because simply gating an area doesn't work. Perhaps you could have the couch professionally cleaned and replace the stuffing in the cushions to get rid of that odor for once and for all.

I wish you good luck.

[luckies4me]

Another thing I wanted to mention was that some cats do not like the texture of their cat litter and so will avoid using the box. Maybe try another type of litter that is more appealing to her. :)

[NoahsMommy]

Have you tried Feliway? There are many products that are sold to deter this behavior.

Cats spray for a reason. Is she fixed? Is she upset for any reason? Does she have a quiet place to call her own?

Please let us know what the vet says. It may be a physical problem. Does she drink enough water?

[jazzcat]

We just redecorated our living and dining rooms last month and the very next day after having new carpet put down Ripley backed up to a freshly painted wall and sprayed right in front of me. I immediately freaked out. Not much hit the carpet but the wall was pretty wet. I cleaned everything with Natures Miracle several times over a couple of weeks and the smell is gone. I also ran out and bought Feliway spray and a Comfort Zone Feliway 30 day plug in. It seems to be working.

Ripley tried to spray two more times after that but I caught him and sprayed a water bottle at him to get him to stop (luckily he hadn't gotten any urine out yet). I then took him straight to his litter box and he would get in and use it. I've also spent a lot of extra time and attention on him. With all these things, especially spraying the feliway around the room twice a day, I think it has worked and I know he hasn't sprayed anything since. I just bought another plug in and another bottle of spray to continue using over the next month. It's expensive but cheaper than my new carpet and furniture so it's worth it.

Good luck!

[stacwase]

Thank you so much for all your responses! I feel so much better, with all the emotional support!

We're back from the vet. Kate has a urinary tract infection and an anal gland infection. She got an antibiotic injection and was sent home on antibiotics.

The vet sold me some "veterinary use only" pet stain and odor remover called "Outright". She said studies have shown that it actually works!

She also said that Kate might need to be re-housetrained. She said to crate train her and then put lots of litter boxes all over the house and to gradually cut down on litter boxes after she gets used to using them exclusively.

We found lots and lots of spots she was using in the basement, so Bob's building a door. It should be finished tomorrow morning.

The vet bill was $176.00!!!! That included the Outright, distemper vaccination, and worming (she didn't have worms - she did it "as a precaution"). Kate has a recheck in 10 days, and we'll have her spayed then.

Max's recent bill was $357. These animals are breaking the bank! Oh well - I guess they're worth it.

Thanks again for all your emotional support!

[K & L]

I'm glad you got her to the vet and getting the problem taken care of. Hopefully once this is cleared up things will settle down for you!

[luckies4me]

Glad to hear that there was something wrong and you figured it out. Great job on your part for taking her to the vet. Now go give her an extra kiss and cuddle from me and tell her I hope she feels better soon. :)

[sirrahbed]

So glad to hear it WAS a medical problem!! Good for you taking Kate to the vet. Surely this pee problem will stop and you can work on getting the house to feel fresh and clean again. I sure know that "yucky" feeling!! The enzymes DO work - just keep at it and maybe it will even work on your cushions - or perhaps you could have them drycleaned??
Love those kitties but also love a fresh house!!

[Craftlady]

Glad to read that Kate is on the mend. :)

[stacwase]

Well - Kate is feeling absolutely rotten. Do the distemper vaccines make animals feel sick? I don't remember the dogs ever feeling bad after their vaccinations. She's been sleeping since we got home, and her expression just says "I feel awful". Of course she had stuff put up her bottom, and she had a catheter - that couldn't have made her feel good!

I picked her up and carried her to water and food, but she didn't eat or drink. Then I put her in the litterbox. When I came back to check on her she had crawled out of the litterbox and fallen asleep beside it. Now she's sleeping on the couch.

Fortunately, I had put scotchguard on the couches just a few days ago. I don't think the urine made it all the way through to the padding. But I haven't been able to scrub it out of the upholstery. As soon as I know she's better, I'll use the enzymatic cleaner. I'll let it soak until it dries, then I'll use an upholstery shampooer. That should work, don't you think?

[sirrahbed]

Poor little Kate has had a terrible day! It sounds reasonable that she would feel awful! Wll she let you take her to bed with you??

Yes, I'll bet you can get that sofa clean with some enzymes and work. They DO work but sometimes it takes keeping the area damp for a day or so to let the good stuff "eat up" the bacteria.

Please give Kate a nose kiss and nice gentle hugs.

[catcrazylady]

Poor Kate http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/frown.gif
It's a shame she peed on your furniture but the poor little thing has no other way to let you know that she is sick!
Hopefully she will feel better soon and everything will get back to normal. I think that your problem will end when she is well again. Hugs to you for all the stress and gentle pets and scratches to Kate for all her misery! Hope all is brighter for you both tomorrow!! http://petoftheday.com/talk/images/our_smilies/biggrin.gif

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear that Kate is sick :( but I'm very glad to hear that the reason for the peeing problem is solved. :) I'm sure that she'll be fine in no time and after she's retrained everything should be back to normal again. I'm so glad that you'll be able to keep her in your family. :) Good luck and please take care. :)

[shais_mom]

Poor thing!!
Hope you can get the problems solved! Sorry that I don't have anything to help but Kylie is my first cat so I am learning as I go!

[sqwelch]

Poor wee Kate, hope she feels better soon and your house can soon be back to normal !!!

[stacwase]

Well - Kate spent the night in the bathroom so she wouldn't wet on anything. She seems to be doing fine now, though she still keeps sneaking down to the basement to use it as a giant litter box.

Bob is hanging the basement door. Of course he keeps screaming profanities and calling me down there. You know - I know I sound like a witch, but I really don't give a crap that he's having a hard time hanging the door. He won't listen to anything I have to say - including my begging him not to bring home any more cats in the first place!!!

I'm so mad at him I could spit. You know what he did last night? He buried his nose in the sofa cushions and said he couldn't smell anything at all. He just pretends like there's not a problem. The smell is permiating the entire house!

So - I have soaked the cushions overnight in the expensive vet solution and it still hasn't worked. And Bob is saying "Smell? What smell?"

My kids won't sit on any of the furniture. We have to change our clothes if we do.

Oh - and Bob keeps saying "Fine - I'll just get rid of the cat! And since I'm getting rid of my cat you have to get rid of one of your dogs." I didn't ask him to get rid of his freaking cat! It's not her fault! So why is he picking on my dog?

But why should I have to be the one trying to get rid of the smell? Why does he think he can bring animals home and not take care of them??????

He says "Well your dog sh_t in the basement!" Yeah - and I cleaned it up. I didn't let it sit down there, then go down there and say "smell? what smell?" I cleaned it up and brought it outside. I scrubbed the area. You know what he does? He throws a handful of baking soda on his cat crap and calls it done.

Can you tell I'm furious? I haven't been this mad in I don't know how long!

[emily_the_spoiled]

I am so sorry that you are having these problems with Kate. Now that she is on anti-biotics that should take care of her problem. I had a similar problem with Emily and she peed on my goose down duvet. Once I took it in to be drycleaned I never had any problems. So regarding the furniture, take any cushions into the dry cleaners and that should get rid of the smell.

Once the door is hung on the basement you might want to consider treating the basement floor. I assume that you have a concrete floor ... treat the area that the animals use with the odor remover. Once that is dried, wash the entire floor and wait for it to dry. Then seal the floor. You can buy the sealant at Home Depot or any hardward store. This will prevent any water (or other liquid) from penetrating the concrete (also handy with floods). By doing this, it prevents the smell from penetrating the floor. If the animals do use the floor again, the smell won't penetrate through the sealant.

Good luck and please be patient with Kate, so had no other way of telling you that she was sick.

[cubby31682]

I just went through this problem with Cubby. He never urinated on the furniture, if he did we would have been able to wipe it off. (best thing about a leather couch). Today we got out the carptet cleaner. We mixed in natures mircle and the regular carpet cleaner soap. We went over all the carpet here. This place smells so good right now. If I were you and if you have a carpet cleaner I would mix a little of the stain odor remover in with the carpet cleaner soap. That way you get all the carpet instead of just little areas. Hope this helps.

I feel bad that you are so mad. Corey (hubby) would never bring home and animal with out the two of us talking about it first. I would never bring one in with out talking to him first as well. We are married and we both believe that we should talk about things before we go ahead and do them especially if it is going to affect both of us. Every mess Cubby makes I clean in up. I never bit*h about it. It isn't Cubby's fault when he has an accident. Or if he caughs up hairballs. Still that isn't his fault at all. Sit down with your hubby and explain to him how your feeling. Maybe that will help.

Katie

[stacwase]

Oh - but you don't understand! Kate isn't the problem! Like I said - it's not her fault.

She's feeling much better now and hasn't urinated anywhere except the box today. She's also being extremely affectionate to me - like she knows that I helped her feel better!

She's been sitting on me, purring and kneading, all day.

My daughter is standing here making fun of me for being a dork for being on Pet Talk all the time. Sorry - I have to go now before she embarasses me further.

[cubby31682]

Lol. I thought that's what kids are for. :)