Cat Pee: a Question in Two Parts

[pritchettzoo]

Part 1: How do you get cat pee out of a sofa? George has decided to pee all over the loveseat. We just got this furniture last summer--before that we had futons, which were pissed on, but were easier to clean. Of course, even then we had to replace the mattress twice. He didn't just pee on the cushions--he peed on the arms and back. Granted this is cheap furniture, but it's the only thing we have.

Part 2: Does anyone want a cat? Okay, probably not. Can anyone talk me out of killing this one? There are no discernable reasons for his behavior. Before, we reasoned that he was upset over a move or over a new animal. We've put him on Buspar (in the past to help him through troublesome times). We've put him in solitary confinement (per vet's recommendations--locked in a bathroom with food, water, litter to cut down on whatever stimulation was bothering him); that's gotten us a shredded doorknob and wood trim. NOTHING has changed recently--no new animals, Gracie's 10 months old (and he actually likes her), he gets plenty of attention, no move, no new litter brand, no new litter box, no new cat food, NOTHING. Do those plug-in animal pheremone things work? I just saw another ad for them in BH&G.

I just want one piece of furniture that hasn't been destroyed by a freaking animal. Let's see, one of the dogs chewed up the dining room table. We'd just moved in and were putting the legs on and my grandmother called that she had fallen and needed to call 911. So we rushed out. When we came home from that, Zoe had chewed up the skirt of the table. Most of the dining room chairs have been hairballed and one was christened by George. The end tables that went with the cheap sofa and love seat--one got clawed by a cat (unknown) and the other by Zoe (who was frightened by a firecracker shot at our house by our redneck neighbors and lept off the sofa onto the table accidentally). The hand-me-down office chair I'm sitting in is stained with who-knows-what-kind-of-animal-fluid and picked by cat claws. Oh, and if cat pee on the sofas didn't make them aromatic enough, we have the multiple stains of doggie anal sac fluid. Our animals get treated well. We take them to the vet, we play with them, they eat better than we do (except Gracie of course). I am losing my mind! Just when I can't take any more animal by-products (be they hair, pee, poop, or ass), I get puked on by the baby who's chewing on her finger and stuck it too far down her throat. Someone please shoot me.

Anna

[amp]

Anna - Go to PetSmart or Petco or something similar and look for the forulations that take care of pet pee/stains. There is one called Nature's Miracle (I think) that has enzymes that get rid of it pretty well. We had a cat pee on our couch in the basement and it seems to have worked pretty well. We used that and then used the steamcleaner to get the pee and cleanser out of there. Hopefully it will work for the long haul. We also used one other cleaner from there and it worked well too, but I can't remember the name of it.

As far as the behavior, have you checked with your vet to see if there is a medical reason for this? I know you said your vet gave recommedations for isolating him & gave him some meds, but you didn't indicate what, if any, tests were run. I'd question a kidney issue or something similar. I apologize if you've already checked into all of that. Hope the situation improves!

[sntm]

Anna, LOL! Try the Nature's Miracle stuff. And Woolite has a pet stain remover that DH likes.

We also have a cat with behavior issues, but his is getting on the kitchen table and into every unattended glass of water. I have to have a glass of water by the bed at night and have had to lock him out of the bedroom to avoid waking to the sound of breaking glass and spilled water. My gentle discipline techiniques are not helping me with Spike.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[Marisa6826]

Ahhhh. One of those days, huh?

Nature's Miracle will solve the cat pee problem. We literally buy it by the gallon (we really should have stock in the company at this point). And I'm wondering if poor George doesn't have a kidney stone or UTI. That's what usually would set Milo off. Except Milo would pee in the tub ;).

I'm sorry that you're having a rough day Girlie.

love

-m

[Zansu]

I've always had really good luck using white vinegar to get rid of cat pee. It also keeps them from wanting to pee in the same spot again. I like the smell of vinegar, so I just dump it on whatever needs it. If you have one of the small steam cleaners you could use it in there.

I also have a cat who peed, and it turned out that he had crystals in his bladder, which required surgery, and now a special diet for all four cats. Have you tested your cat for blood in his urine? I always thought, as did the vet, that his peeing was behavioral, but when I saw pink pee on a white shirt, I knew we had a problem.

There are days when I offer a cat to whoever walks through the door ("Want one? I've got extras!"). But they all have their good points, and I try to remember why I love them every time I find a hairball/partially digested food/poop/smell something funny/find lizard parts/etc.

[egoldber]

I feel your pain. We have a cat who is a sofa pe-er too and it is AWFUL.

I have tried Nature's Miracle by the gallon and it has done nothing to help. The problem is that the pee soaks into the frame and nothing gets the smell out once that happens.

The only thing that has worked (sort of) is to have someone come and TAKE THE SOFA AWAY, strip the upholstery off, clean it, and then re-upholster it. You can guess how much that cost. We did it twice and then finally threw the sofa away because we had already spent more cleaning it than we paid for it!

I wish I had an answer for you, but one cat just pees on the sofa occasionally whenever he feels like it. It SUCKS!

[pritchettzoo]

Can we create a humane island for our furry little boogers where they can pee on things in peace and harmony? At least George would have a friend...

Anna

[pritchettzoo]

Does the vinegar eventually evaporate away? I can tolerate the smell of it, but I can't say I'd enjoy it forever. I guess it would be better than cat pee...

And there's nothing physically wrong with him. He's just a nutcase. (Who's desperately sweet and purrs and fetches and...otherwise he'd have been kitty BBQ a long time ago...)

Anna

[miki]

And I thought one dog throwing up once in a while was bad. Nature's Miracle for the surface but I don't know what you can do about the stuff that seeped in. And I have sprayed the foam in the cushions with Resolve and Febreeze for the odor. Our rescue dog used to pee in a spiral pattern and I got Nature's Miracle in the gallon size from www.jbpet.com .

If you vet can't find anything medically wrong, maybe your cat needs a shrink. Seriously. I had a friend whose cat just kept getting more and more crazy. She read a book written by some vet who advocates anti-depressants for cats. She got in touch with the vet and had a consultation where she filled out a questionaire and provided video and her cat got put on Xanax. It did seem to help.

[rrosen]

We keep Nature's Miracle by the gallon in our house too. I highly recommend it. It works when your DC pees on the carpet too ;-)! It should work on the anal sac fluid too. If the pets are leaving these 'presents' often you may want to invest in a black light. You need to make sure that there is no trace of the fluid or whatnot because animals will always return to the scene of the crime. I believe Fosters and Smith and JB pet sell them.

What about a scatmat for the sofa? To teach the cats that they can't go on them? This is coming from a woman whose dog is up on our sofa all of the time and who sleeps in our bed (on the pillows). So, take that advice for what it is worth!

Good luck!

[ktdid74]

I don't even want to say how much I've spent on my cat in the last 3 months for pee issues. The fact that he's still alive says that deep down I like him. He was peeing all over our basement (became a problem when we spent $15,000 finishing it out), over DD's clothes, our tub, etc. After being treated with numerous antibiotics for UTI's and different crystals in his urine, he was still peeing on things. We have to buy him special food, too. He's spent time in the kitty hospital, solitary confinement at our house, you name it.
Is your cat an indoor or outdoor cat? Mine has always been an indoor cat since he's declawed. I finally let him out and he's stopped peeing on our stuff! I think he was being teritorial and marking *everthing* in our house. I know we run the risk of something happening to him outside but we just deal with that. He's a much happier kitty now.
Good luck!

[Vajrastorm]

Feel welcome to keep him ;)

We actually had a behaviorist out last week who recommended isolation and medication. She said we're supposed to lock him up for 30 days (!!!) every time there is a major event in the home. (I.e., a vacation). I'm not sure how I feel about that. FWIW, she said it takes a minimum of 30 days for a cat to "reset."

We have gallons of Nature's Miracle, but she said a product called Anti Icky Poo is the best one out there. It isn't in most pet stores. I'm going to order it online and give it a go. She also emphasized finding every last tiny bit of cat pee residue with a blacklight.

I join the rest of you in hating (hate hate HATING) that my stuff gets peed on. But, my pets are also my babies, and I could never bribg myself to shoot him out of a cannon, as much as that may sound appealing from time to time.

[jubilee]

I have a cat that started peeing on the carpet when he was about 5-6 years old. I when to the vet and a behavioralist and they said that if you have a fixed male cat it is really common for them to start peeing and/or being aggressive around the 6 year old mark. And if he's been declawed, the bad behavior doubles.

After many many gallons of Nature's Miracle and 3 pro carpet cleaning services, we still have to have the carpet replaced in an unused 4th bedroom. It is stained and still smells. The Nature's Miracle might work for an "accidental" pee, but if he's going to keep doing it- it doesn't work well at all. It was like throwing money away to keep buying it.

Our solution is that now we have an outdoor cat. I feel rotten about that, but we can't find anyone that will take a peeing cat as an indoor cat.

[McQ]

How nasty. We haven't had pets in awhile as DH is allergic so I have no advice.

But I can give you the address of my old neighbors - maybe you could send George over there and he can pee all over their place }(

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03
and number 2 EDD 9.14.04

[trumansmom]

LOL!!! That almost made coffee come out my nose!

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and Eleanor 4/14/04

[Zansu]

Yes, the vinegar smell does go away once it dries.

My parents always used it diluted, but I just use full strength. I know some people don't like the smell, hence my disclaimer. :)

[KYBelle1102]

I like that idea. Your George and my Callie could pee and scratch to their hearts content. I do think Callie's issue is mostly behavioral because she's a real &^tch. She started her peeing on the office carpet when I had a house full of people during Thanksgiving. It's been so bad I can't even go in the room now. She has no problem going up or down the stairs from the bedroom to the 1st floor (office, den & kitchen) but won't go down the stairs from 1st floor to basement where the litter boxes are. We're going to have to spend about $700 to get the carpet replaced in the office and when we do, we'll be less one cat... (I have 2 others at home that don't have this issue.)

[trumansmom]

Anna-

Did your vet rule out kidney and bladder problems? If not, please take him back in. I had a cat who I thought was exhibiting an extreme reaction to Eleanor's arrival. (She had completely stopped using the litter box.) I took her to the vet last night and they had to put her to sleep. She was apparently suffering from some pretty severe kidney problems. She was 17 years old, so that definitely played a factor, but it took me by surprise. I just thought she hated kids.

Please check with your vet again. I would hate for you to have to go through what we went through yesterday. She had been my buddy since college. My friends had taken in a stray, only to discover she was pregnant. I was there the day Liza was born. Holding her while they injected her last night was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

Keep us posted on how George does.
Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and Eleanor 4/14/04

[ritacheetah]

I really feel your pain. I had a cat for about 5 years that I had problems with. She had her own room, but then we had DD and that room became the nursery. I had been buying Petzyme by the gallon as well (a Petsmart product a lot like Natures Miracle but 1/2 the price. After awhile you get sick of the smell of Nature's Miracle and Petzyme doesn't really have a smell).

You can also try spraying your couch (after you use the Petzyme and clean it) with a product called Feliway. It is cat pherimone that is supposed to make them feel "happy" and they won't spray where you put the Feliway. My problem is my psycho cat would spray exactly where I didn't put the Feliway. What I needed was a Feliway "bomb" or something, like that. Although now they have come out with a Feliway "plug in" type thing.

This particular cat just didn't like DH or any of my other cats (even though they are related). She was abused before I took her in and already had the peeing problem. She was fine in her own room and we really felt she would be OK if she was an only cat.

We also tried anti-depressant drugs, flower essences and even a pet psychic!!

After DD was born, we just couldn't deal with it anymore. We tried adopting her out through a Cat adoption agency but she turned anti-social when she was kept in a cage. She would just hide.

On the agency's advice, we put an ad in the paper and were very surprised to find a home for her within a day. A nice retired couple took her and was going to spoil the heck out of her. We were happy it turned out so well. Did I mention we dealt with it for 5 YEARS?

Good luck and hang in there - I hope the problem gets better!!! I know what it's like when you feel like all you do is clean up pee, poop and puke!!!


Live long and prosper,
Tracy
Mom to Victoria, 12/20/03

[pritchettzoo]

Oh my goodness--I'm so sorry about your kitty. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose one. I'm going to go hug my furry little pisser now. Hugs to you too.

I will definitely check again with the vet. He's using the litterbox fine (even though we have two cats, we can tell that George is using it because he'll pee OUT of the box if he's turned the wrong way or all over the sides and walls of the box...), and that's why we're thinking it's him marking or acting out again.

Again, please accept my condolences for the loss of your cat.

Anna

[bethwl]

I second the Feliway idea. We have used it for scratching and it really seems to work. It's supposed to be simulated cat facial pheromones that prevent them from wanting to remark the same place. They don't want to urine mark a place where they marked with facial pheromones. (When the rub their face against your leg, they are "marking" you--kind of cute, huh?). It sounds crazy and it's not cheap, but then it's cheaper than reuphostering.

[Kieransmom]

Anna-
Has he been to the vet? Males can have urinary problems and will pee outside the litterbox when ill.
Also, you may not have been up on the litterbox at that moment. Their sense of smell is so much greater than ours and will find somewhere else to urinate. Would you want to go to the bathroom in a dirty toilet?

Another thing is he may feel he's not getting the attention he wants or doesn't like something that happened. I adopted a gorgeous 3 year old male Manx 3 years ago who was at my shelter. The people said he was urinating all over the place and they gave him up. Apparently their son was not nice to him and he was doing it in revenge. In the 3 years we have had him he's been nothing but a love and has never peed outside of his box.

From my years of volunteer work at an animal shelter it's so so sad to see that people give up their cats for things like this. I third the Feliway. Once you get the smell completely out with the Natures Miracle/Petzyme (and yes, invest in a blacklight....you can see if the pee is still there...great tool!) Sometimes it's not the fault of the cats but because of something the owners are overlooking or do not realize.

Good luck!

Michelle
Mommy to Kieran, born 5/9/03

[Kieransmom]

First question, is he neutered?!? A neutered cat does NOT mark their territory.
2nd thing...He's declawed!!!! It's so dangerous to let a declawed cat outside! If there is another cat who appears and has claws your cat has absolutely no defenses. Plus with Feline Aids and Feline Leukemia being passed outside like crazy you're putting your cat in grave danger. 1 out of 12 cats get Feline Aids from being allowed outside.

Michelle
Mommy to Kieran, born 5/9/03

[tippy]

We have two cats and the male used to pee all over any clothes that were left on the floor (mostly in the bedroom). Since then, we have stopped leaving clothes around, locked the cats out of the bedroom and at the recommendation of our vet invested in two large litter boxes which we clean twice a day. Not sure what did the trick but something worked! It's worth the inconvenience of cleaning the litter boxes out just to not have to deal with trying to clean cat pee out of our clothes! Also, I read somewhere that some cats may refuse to in the litter box if they don't like the litter, if other cats have used it recently, if it's too dirty, if it has/doesn't have a cover etc...so you can try playing around with that. Oh...we also never let him see a suitcase. We noticed that his behavior was worse when we got back from a trip (he often peed on our suitcase) and now if we have to go somewhere we lock him in the bathroom or office for a few minutes while we carry out the bags!

[pl71]

I've had lots of cat issues. It's hard to deal with.

I have 3 cats (all spayed females), one is meek, one is a loner, and the youngest one is a bully. The bully beats up the meek one, to the point where if the meek one sees the bully she poops from fear. This went on for years. We tried the feliway things for it, didn't work. I ended up permanently separating them, 2 live downstairs, the meek one lives upstairs. I have a double stacked mounted baby gates at the top of the stairs to separate them. That reduced the pooping, but I still found occasional presents outside the litter box. I ended up getting a self-cleaning box for her and it's almost totally solved the problem. Now I just get presents if the bully sneaks upstairs.

During the process of trying to find a solution to the fighting, the bully would spend the day while we were at work in a large dog crate with a little litter box so she wouldn't go beat up our meek cat while we weren't at home. Once the gates went up she was free again with my loner cat. At that point I started finding pee in various spots downstairs. I figured it was territorial, and decided to try the plug-in feliway again since I had it. That worked immediately.

From what I've seen, feliway works great for territorial issues and works best if the problem has just started. It's worth a try since it's so easy to use. I also found that the self-cleaning litter box was a huge help. Many cats want a spotless place to go, and you can only clean a litter box so many times a day.

Shannon-- my loner cat does the exact same thing with glasses of water! I can't leave any out unattended.

Jeanne-- I'm so sorry for your loss.

[ritacheetah]

>First question, is he neutered?!? A neutered cat does NOT
>mark their territory.


Sorry to disagree with you, Michelle, but yes they do - male or female. Cats are very touchy and it doesn't take much to p**s them off (literally!). Could be a bully cat or litter they don't like. x(


Live long and prosper,
Tracy
Mom to Victoria, 12/20/03

[Kieransmom]

Did anyone see the Heloise segment on The View today? She recommended taking a needle and syringe and injecting a little bit of vinegar into the carpet and padding every day until the smell is gone.

Great idea, Heloise. Let me run and get my syringes....

Michelle
Mommy to Kieran, born 5/9/03