Please Help!

[Hellfire]

In desperate need of advice on cats! Yep, after years and years and decades of saying no to having a cat. The kid has one.

Problem is ever since I had a repairman in to work on the heater the cat has been spraying my daughters room and my room. Our coats, our clothes, our bed. He is going in next week to get neutered, but I've been told once a cat does this behavior there is no correcting it.

The only thing saving this pet at the moment is the kid loves him to death. Otherwise, 10 sprays ago he would have been dumped at the shelter already.
I can't continue washing all my clothes, bedding, scrubbing walls and floors to get rid of the smell. I am so fed up with this I want to scream.

I told her when she took him in that if he started stinking up the house by her changing litter box etc. he was gone. So far her love for him has saved him, but that cat is hanging by a thread at this time.

Many of you have cats and I'm desperate for advice and help on this problem.

Signed
Dying from cat spray in Michigan

[its-dani]

It can be solved after he is fixed unless it's a behaviour problem then it's going to be a lot harder. Some cats spray, even females out of behaviour, when they are out or sorts or stressed out. I would wait until you take him to the vet and have him fixed, and ask the vet about it. Good luck getting rid of the stench. I have never had a cat spray thankfully, but I did have one who liked to pee in the bathroom sink for some reason, that was easy to fix...but I am not sure about the spraying.

[its-dani]

Cat Newsletter 8
May 23, 2004



How to Avoid Cat Urine Spraying

If you are cat owner, you already know that the first problem you will have to deal with is if your cat starts to spray.

In addition to urinating out of physiological necessity, many cats use their urine to mark their territory, to let other cats know they have been there or to give an area its own special smell. This behavior is called urine spraying.

The statistic shows that urine spraying constitutes 44% of all housesoiling complaints. The frequency of spraying in single cat households is approximately 25% and near to 100% in multi-cat households with over ten cats.

But you should know that your cats are not spraying to make you angry or to spite. This is just part of their 100% natural behavior, which is in the genes of every domestic or wild cat.

Your have to know that urination outside of the litter box should not be confused with spraying. The difference is that urination is usually done on a flat surface, such as a towel or bath mat or rug, and spraying is done on a vertical surface, such as the wall. It's possible your cat could begin spraying and stop using the litter box at the same time, but for different reasons.

Both males and females spray urine although the behavior is much more common in tomcats, and typically they urinate on vertical surfaces such as walls and furniture.

Why do the cats spray?

Urine spraying and marking are social, sexual and territorial behaviours, and usually male cats are the culprits. It is normal for unaltered males to make their territorial claim by spraying. This starts right about the age of sexual maturity because it is triggered by hormonal changes. Females also tend to spray, especially when they are in ‘heat’.

Most cats are neutered and generally do not spray indoors. However, spraying can even occur with neutered males and spayed females, especially if you have waited to neuter a male cat after he has reached sexual maturity, by then, spraying may have become a fixed habit to him.

When cats urinate as a means of elimination, they normally do it on a horizontal or flat surface like the ground or in a litterbox. When cats spray in order to mark their territory, they turn their backsides to the object, twitch their tails and spray urine on the vertical surface, usually at another cat's nose level. They are telling other cats that this territory belongs to them. They might also be telling other cats that they are ready to mate.

Spraying is generally motivated by territorial anxiety, such as adding new cat, moving into a new home, or having too many cats in the home. Your cats may spray urine to mark their territory when they feel stressed. Situations such as seeing neighbourhood cats walking around your yard, moving, fighting among family members and even scolding kitty, may cause your cat to start spraying. An unacceptable litter box - a dirty box, different litter, bad location - also could trigger a marking problem.

On other occasions, items belonging to a certain individual are singled out and sprayed. These objects are associated with a less than pleasurable experience for the cat. Marking can be an expression of anger, stress or frustration!

Anxiety caused by changes in work schedules, absences from home, spending less time with the pet, or inappropriate punishment may also cause a cat to spray in the home.

It is not uncommon for cats to start spray also when exist some problems with a member of the household or with another pet. For example, competition may exist with another cat in the neighbourhood that she perceives as a rival or threat.

Many people don't realize, but all these things can cause a cat to spray or urine mark. And when she do that, it is usually a sign that they are feeling stressed or threatened by something or someone.

How to control the cat spraying?

1. The easiest way to deal with the cat spraying is to consider neutering or spaying. The statistic shows that in 90% of all tomcats this procedure is effective. But you should do this before your kitten’s mature - when she is 4-6 months old.

2. The issue of proper litterbox maintenance should always be addressed when dealing with a spraying problem. Because although the spraying is motivated generally by territorial anxiety, it can also be caused by stress created by a poor litterbox situation, as a dirty box, scented litter, bad location. If you are a multiple cat owner, it is strongly advised that you have one litter box for every cat. Keep the litter boxes scooped and clean, and be mindful when washing them to use only mild and unscented cleaning agents.

3. Try to lower the cat’s stress by maintaining a routine, because the changes often cause cat spraying. Feed at the same time each day and keep their food, litter box, and bed in their respective places.

4. Give your cats enough attention. Play with her, massage her, talk to her. Give her tons of praise, affection and attention for simply breathing. Constantly reassure her that she is the most wonderful cat in the world. If they are not threatened, most cats do not feel the need to mark their territory at all and are quite content to leave the worrying to us.

5. Urine spraying occurs near doors or windows where cats can see outdoors, especially when strange cats are hanging around outside. If your cat spraying because she perceived treat from another cat or animal, try limiting the area she can roam in your house to improve her feeling of security. If the problem is with the cats that are outside the home, you should try to reduce your cat’s exposure to those cats, because when she sees other cats, her natural response will bee to mark her territory, which is your home.

6. Clean soiled areas thoroughly as well, because cats love to urinate in places that already smell like urine. Use products that have natural enzymes to actually devour odor-causing bacteria instead of just covering up the scent. Avoid products that contain ammonia as these could actually remind the cat of the smell of urine. And remember, even if you can't smell something, your cat probably can.

7. In multiple cat households, urine spraying becomes extremely difficult to resolve because of the natural competitiveness between the various cats. If the cause for urine spraying cannot be determined or removed, a reconditioning program or treatment with drugs, or both, may be necessary.

8. Do not hit or yell at your cat when he sprays. It will only make the problem worse. Instead, try to figure out why he is feeling insecure and take steps to ease the disruption.

Finally if the problem persists, you must consult with a cat behaviorist. A holistic vet also may have herbal remedies that they have used with success. If that fails, there are drugs that have been used to treat spraying cats, but they are not without serious and life threatening side effects.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

[It's Cindy]

I've been lucky with my kitties. No spraying.

Tootsie is spayed and Bo is neutered.

From what I have gathered on the subject, neutering SHOULD do the trick.

Like Dani said though, if it's a behavioral problem, it may be harder to solve.

Bo had a behavioral problem when we first got him as a kitten. He would pee in the bathtub. Poop in the litter box and pee in the bathtub...Geez!

Man oh man...drove me nuts!

He got over that though for some reason, and am *I* ever glad.

Good luck Hellfire...just try to be very patient.

[It's Cindy]

What a great helpful article Dani.

I learned some things myself...(:

[Hellfire]

The cat has a behavior problem alright. He doesn't like men in this house. LOL!

Since the repairman incident and since the man of the house has been back from Colorado building a school.......it has been an absolute force of wills between the cat and the man about just who rules the roost. The cat got used to a house of females only and he loved being allowed to pretty much do as he pleased as long as he didn't get on the kitchen counter. So I am very worried that neutering will not work:(

If it wasn't for the smell.........it could almost be comical.

We are pretty convinced that the cat sprayed my side of the room last night because he was told to get out of the room. The cat kept coming back to the door.......lean way over to peak around the corner at the male who told him to leave. The human male would catch him doing this, stand up and the cat would run......only to repeat itself. Right up until we left the room long enough for the cat to do his business.

It has become a force of wills that the cat will lose if he doesn't stop it:(

[its-dani]

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It's Cindy:
I've been lucky with my kitties. No spraying.

Tootsie is spayed and Bo is neutered.

From what I have gathered on the subject, neutering SHOULD do the trick.

Like Dani said though, if it's a behavioral problem, it may be harder to solve.

Bo had a behavioral problem when we first got him as a kitten. He would pee in the bathtub. Poop in the litter box and pee in the bathtub...Geez!

Man oh man...drove me nuts!

He got over that though for some reason, and am *I* ever glad.

Good luck Hellfire...just try to be very patient.
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so you had a bathroom pee-er too lol I have no idea why Peekie did this, and the interesting part was she never sed a drop, aimed straight down the drain everytime..but I got sick of dumping javex down the sink every day, so I just shut the powder room drawer and prayed she woudn't pee anywhere else and she hasn't thank goodness.

I love all my cats, but I couldn't keep one that messed in the house, I just couldn't :( the old girl will be 19 next month and still goes downstairs to the litter box. Thank goodness!

[its-dani]

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Hellfire:
The cat has a behavior problem alright. He doesn't like men in this house. LOL!

Since the repairman incident and since the man of the house has been back from Colorado building a school.......it has been an absolute force of wills between the cat and the man about just who rules the roost. The cat got used to a house of females only and he loved being allowed to pretty much do as he pleased as long as he didn't get on the kitchen counter. So I am very worried that neutering will not work:(

If it wasn't for the smell.........it could almost be comical.

We are pretty convinced that the cat sprayed my side of the room last night because he was told to get out of the room. The cat kept coming back to the door.......lean way over to peak around the corner at the male who told him to leave. The human male would catch him doing this, stand up and the cat would run......only to repeat itself. Right up until we left the room long enough for the cat to do his business.

It has become a force of wills that the cat will lose if he doesn't stop it:(
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Sounds like the issue is with your boyfriend, he's going to have to make extra nice with the cat, and be very patient the worst thing he can do is discipline the cat

[its-dani]

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It's Cindy:
What a great helpful article Dani.

I learned some things myself...(:
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You're welcome Cindy xo

[its-dani]

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its-dani:
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It's Cindy:
I've been lucky with my kitties. No spraying.

Tootsie is spayed and Bo is neutered.

From what I have gathered on the subject, neutering SHOULD do the trick.

Like Dani said though, if it's a behavioral problem, it may be harder to solve.

Bo had a behavioral problem when we first got him as a kitten. He would pee in the bathtub. Poop in the litter box and pee in the bathtub...Geez!

Man oh man...drove me nuts!

He got over that though for some reason, and am *I* ever glad.

Good luck Hellfire...just try to be very patient.
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so you had a bathroom pee-er too lol I have no idea why Peekie did this, and the interesting part was she never sed a drop, aimed straight down the drain everytime..but I got sick of dumping javex down the sink every day, so I just shut the powder room drawer and prayed she woudn't pee anywhere else and she hasn't thank goodness.

I love all my cats, but I couldn't keep one that messed in the house, I just couldn't :( the old girl will be 19 next month and still goes downstairs to the litter box. Thank goodness!
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that would be s p i l l ed a drop

[It's Cindy]

Yep Dani, I had one of those bathroom pee'ers too. I dearly love cats, but they CAN be a strange specie at times...lol

That sounds logical to me Hellfire on the Man of the house thing. For some reason your kitty doesn't want to like him. Hopefully they can make up and everything will be okay.

Cats take a lot of patience. A LOT of patience...lol

[Hellfire]

Thanks Dani. I just read the article and confirms what I thought.

It was obvious when the repair guy was in the cat was very stressed and didn't like him in the house. His behavior made me nervous the way he was acting or pretending not to act towards the repairman. That was why I put him in the kids room and he immediately 'marked' his territory. It was the worst ever! LOL!

The guy here has way too much testosterone going on. Unfortunately, I don't see him participating in kitty therapy. LOL!

[its-dani]

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Hellfire:
Thanks Dani. I just read the article and confirms what I thought.

It was obvious when the repair guy was in the cat was very stressed and didn't like him in the house. His behavior made me nervous the way he was acting or pretending not to act towards the repairman. That was why I put him in the kids room and he immediately 'marked' his territory. It was the worst ever! LOL!

The guy here has way too much testosterone going on. Unfortunately, I don't see him participating in kitty therapy. LOL!
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How old was the cat when you got him? is it possible he could have been treated badly by a male?

my stray cat peekie is the easiest going kitty loves everyone, except anyone wearing work boots! our neighbour came over one day and just stepped in the house with his boots on and the cat went insane and I mean insane! she knocked a freaking table over, anytime anyone comes in our home wearing heavy boots she gets really wigged out, because she was a stray I am almost positive someone wearing heavy boots hurt her at one time.

I would just get your boyfriend to pet him for small periods of time, and not put him out of the room, let you do the negative stuff until he trusts him

[its-dani]

You know what, until the cat is fixed I would try not to worry too much about it, it may never happen again, and while he's in getting it done, I would give all the areas he sprays in a huge cleaning, maybe try vinegar..even rent a steam cleaner. You do not want him smelling the old pee. It may all turn out fine.

[Hellfire]

That is weird about the boots, Dani. It's a shame they can't tell us what happened or why something upsets them:(

The cat showed up at our old house across town. He was still a young cat. Couldn't have been two months old. The kids were playing with him. He was loving, adorable, cute. Obviously, came from a home that loved him. So the answer was no he couldn't move in. Let him go back home. Kitties are good about finding their way back home. For two days the cat did everything to break into the house. I allowed water, but was afraid to let the kids feed it. The cat might never go home.

As quickly as the cat showed up it was gone. I thought it just went home. About 8 days later the girls come home from walking to the local store with the cat following them. He was looking dirty, hungry and obviously starting to go feral. That's when I allowed the cat to move in. Made the girls put up posters and adds for a lost cat.

No one responded so we think that perhaps he was the last of a litter. Maybe someone just dropped him off hoping someone in the neighborhood would take him in. He is adorable. He's been ours since. Being busy we kept putting off getting him neutered these past 6 months. Something I'm really regretting right now.

[IamZippy]

With all the cats I have had...fostered and owned.. they have always shown a little decorum. Well with the exception of Auntys mangy cat who peed on my bed ow our first night here. Once and he got it out of his system..thank God !

Worse I have had was a cat whos ass was too big to fit in a litter box properly and peed on the floor next to the box lol Why dont they sell litter boxes for the Big and Tall cat?

Not sure..but once a cat pees on something ..if the smell is ever really gone. Then also if it smells like pee...he might go and pee on the same thing again. But not 100% sure of that though.

[IamZippy]

That would be Bed P i l l ow of course

I dont have a Bed Ow that I am aware of lol

[its-dani]

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IamZippy:
That would be Bed P i l l ow of course

I dont have a Bed Ow that I am aware of lol
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Welcome back Zippy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[IamZippy]

I dont know if I am back or not lol

Just found a few minutes to kill..that and a working internet connection and Im good to go !

How is your Sunday so far? It is Sunday isnt it? lol

[its-dani]

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IamZippy:
I dont know if I am back or not lol

Just found a few minutes to kill..that and a working internet connection and Im good to go !

How is your Sunday so far? It is Sunday isnt it? lol
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I think its Sunday we best ask Cindyloo she keeps track of that stuff..we need Amber to come back ..I miss her.

I am going to try and finish up the ghan today so I have an excuse to buy more yarn..

Dan is over the donut cold war lol

[It's Cindy]

Hi Zip!

Yep, far as I know, it's Sunday. Just another day in paradise..lol

I hear ya on, why oh why don't they make bigger litter boxes? Don't understand it.

Bo is a large cat and he barely can fit into his litter box. Sometimes he has an accident over the side of the litter box too.

[Hellfire]

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IamZippy:

Not sure..but once a cat pees on something ..if the smell is ever really gone. Then also if it smells like pee...he might go and pee on the same thing again. But not 100% sure of that though.
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Hopefully, I'm not just lying to myself because my crazy insane scrubbing and washing sprees seem to be helping. Been up since five working on it again today. LOL!

I'll have to bring mom over to sniff the house to be sure. HA!

After investigating......it seems we have hit the trifecta in stressing out kitty.
The kid moved the litter box to the other end of the closet and moved his food dish in to the other side. (We are fixing that now)

When I spoke to those of the household about kitties feeling stressed out by feeling abandoned, helpless, unwanted, etc. They look sufficiently guilty in both their roles and have agreed to pet him more with smothering love:)

As for the people who allow their cats to roam unfettered in the neighborhood to our yard. I'm not sure what can be done about that. Even though the ordinances here forbids it the neighborhood teams at night with roaming kitties.

[its-dani]

Just remember Hellfire a cats sense of smell is beyond anything we can imagine..

I would use vinegar to be on the safe side, also to get rid of odours you can use charcoal

[Hellfire]

Vinegar scares me........it almost has the same scent to me as a smelly kitty. LOL!

[its-dani]

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It's Cindy:
Hi Zip!

Yep, far as I know, it's Sunday. Just another day in paradise..lol

I hear ya on, why oh why don't they make bigger litter boxes? Don't understand it.

Bo is a large cat and he barely can fit into his litter box. Sometimes he has an accident over the side of the litter box too.
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So does Dan :( and he never scratches in the litter to cover up

[IamZippy]

Maybe we can go into our own business Cindy...supplies for the BIG Fat cats lol

I thought about just getting one of those rubbermaid storage containers and use it as a littler box. Maybe cut out a little on one side so they can get in easy. Just a thought !

Best detector of cat smells is to wait for a humid day..if there is a trace of it..you will know then.

[its-dani]

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Hellfire:
Vinegar scares me........it almost has the same scent to me as a smelly kitty. LOL!
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Try charcoal it absorbs odours

I use vinegar for all my wood and tile floors, it does smell funky but I figure it's better than all the chemicals.

[Hellfire]

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm off to work on having a safe, secure and happy kitty. Or I'm killing the two responsible. LOL!

Laters:)

[its-dani]

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IamZippy:
Maybe we can go into our own business Cindy...supplies for the BIG Fat cats lol

I thought about just getting one of those rubbermaid storage containers and use it as a littler box. Maybe cut out a little on one side so they can get in easy. Just a thought !

Best detector of cat smells is to wait for a humid day..if there is a trace of it..you will know then.
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Too funny I have the one big fat cat, looks half raccoon and half vacum cleaner? today she was kneading on the blanket beside me, with her big fat arse stuck up in the air, just about threw up my egg mcmuffin

[IamZippy]

Naw...vinagar ? I would get to the pet store Asap and get me some of them enzymes. Its made for cases like this and I wouldnt mess around with all sorts of chemicals that might make it worse.

Who wants the smell of cat pee mixed with vinagar and carpet fresh? lol

[It's Cindy]

<<< So does Dan :( and he never scratches in the litter to cover up >>>


LOL Dani, I thought he got over long ago...lol

I had thought of that too Zip, about the storage boxes. I think that would work.

I think tomorrow, I'll get one and give it a try. I even thought o fa sand box...lol...a little large though for the house.

I've heard that vinegar is the best thing, but I can't stand the smell of vinegar. The charcoal would be good.

Happy cleaning HF..Let us know how things go.

[Laraney]

Hellfire, when Molly was a puppy, before she was house trained (she was pretty good, most times she would go on her wee pad) but once in a while she made a mistake. I bought a product called Petastic, it's a stain and odor remover. It claimed to instantly remove pet stains and odors...it worked pretty well. I can't stand a smelly house, so I was happy that this product worked for me. I know cat's urine is a bit stronger than a puppy's but I'm sure it would be worth a try. It also has a money back guarantee. I think I bought it at Petsmart. Good luck.

[Positive]

Another product you might try is Nature's Miracle (for Cats). I get it at PetSmart and I think PetCo has it too. I saw it mentioned in a book by Linda Cobb The Queen of Clean. Works pretty good for me, but I've never had a cat that sprays--thank goodness.

[SavhLaney]

Cats are interesting creatures. I bought a product called "Complete" at Target that is good for kitty "accidents". It helps with the clean up and the after effects.

[samfatasskat]

Keep the cat. Get rid of the guy !

Fatassamkat has a large plastic box which is bigger than the standard kitty litter boxes that they sell.

I buy the huge box of litter they sell @ Costco and fill it up....

When I tried bringing in other strays or fostering other cats until I could place them, Sam the king cat started peeing around just to show us that she is king of the house.

I have heard vets mention those 'enzyme' products that eliminate animal waste odours.

I don't think you should be putting vinegar on wood floors.(so I have been told) ..that will probably turn into another discussion....

[Positive]

Here's some info I found online about Nature's Miracle:
Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover
32 oz.
SKU: 15806
Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover contains the same ingredients that nature uses to rid organic debris from the earth's surface--enzymes. It eliminates all stains and odors from pet accidents--even urine odors that other products fail to remove--or your money back. Safe for use around children and pets and on colors because it's non-toxic, non-flammable, non-caustic and non-acid. It's safe on all water-safe surfaces. Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover eliminates urine odors completely with no perfume cover-up odor. Discourages pet resoiling in same area. It also removes stains and odors caused by foods, blood, vomit, feces, grease, dirt, grass, smoke, perspiration and all other organic stains and odors. Nature's Miracle consists of billions of nature's enzymes that turn organic stains and odor causing material into a liquid you simply wipe away. Plus, only Nature's Miracle contains exclusive ingredients that speed up and greatly increase the effectiveness of the enzymes--and also helps neutralize acids in urine, vomit, and feces which helps restore color and lustre to carpets and floors that have been stained. For use on carpets, floors, furniture, clothing, cages, litter boxes, and pet living and sleeping areas.

[its-dani]

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samfatasskat:
Keep the cat. Get rid of the guy !

Fatassamkat has a large plastic box which is bigger than the standard kitty litter boxes that they sell.

I buy the huge box of litter they sell @ Costco and fill it up....

When I tried bringing in other strays or fostering other cats until I could place them, Sam the king cat started peeing around just to show us that she is king of the house.

I have heard vets mention those 'enzyme' products that eliminate animal waste odours.

I don't think you should be putting vinegar on wood floors.(so I have been told) ..that will probably turn into another discussion....
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Not staight Sam, I use one part vinegar about 10 parts water probably :)

[IamZippy]

Sam..dear Sam

Why wouldnt you use vinagar on a wood floor? When I had wood floors just bucket of warm water and a bit of vinagar on a hardly damp towel was the way to wash them. Something about the PH of the vinagar was good for the wood.

Dont tell me the powers that be have changed their minds again?!?! lol

Just wondering...in case I get a wood floor again...it would be good to know.

I have heard that that oil base product isnt that good...besides that stuff smells like a wet dog lol

Wet dog...cat pee...almost on topic again LOL

[It's Pal]

It sounds to me like the cat just doesn't like being left out.

When someone would come who my dog didn't like, he'd bark like crazy. One time I put him in the bathroom until the guy was gone because he just wouldn't stop barking.

He peed all over the bathroom floor and then ran all through it. The minute he got out, he peed in every room.

I know that I am talking about a dog's behavior but it sounds very much the same.

My dog wanted to be a part of it all so that he felt more in control. When I put him in the bathroom, he felt the need to reaffirm his dominance in the house by peeing.

That cat doesn't want to miss a thing. Give in to it. The cat has piss power and you can't be that. Unless you start peeing on the cat??

either way..........ya can't win.

Include the cat in everything.......

[samvinegarkat]

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IamZippy:
Sam..dear Sam

Why wouldnt you use vinagar on a wood floor? When I had wood floors just bucket of warm water and a bit of vinagar on a hardly damp towel was the way to wash them. Something about the PH of the vinagar was good for the wood.

Dont tell me the powers that be have changed their minds again?!?! lol

Just wondering...in case I get a wood floor again...it would be good to know.

I have heard that that oil base product isnt that good...besides that stuff smells like a wet dog lol

Wet dog...cat pee...almost on topic again LOL
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There have always been two schools of thought on the vinegar cleaning & wood floors.

"They" say with wood flooring never:

-use wax, or oil based detergents or vinegar to clean hard wood floors !

Apparently, vinegar will etch the surface. Waxes & oils leave a sticky residue on the surface of the wood & prevent the polyurethane protective coating from shining. & never use a wood floor polish that usually implies a wax based product.

It appears that vinegar & water and/or lemon based cleaners are ACIDIC & will over time pit the protective polyurethane finish & eventually reduce the shine of any wood floor.

[IamZippy]

Thanks Sam...I obviously didnt know that. Good to know in case I ever have a wood floor again.

Or worse..A wood floor and a cat who pees on it ! LOL



But by the time I am able to get new floor put in...wood floors will be out of style again lol

Like I am stuck with this gross 15 year old teal sectional...wouldnt ya know teal is back in style now lol. :(

[samwoodkat]

I could never live without wood floors. A very worthwhile investment !

[PK...]

I am a firm believer in vinegar to counteract the smell of cat pee on "carpet" for humans... (I actually cleaned the carpet with the enzyme type stuff, and it did no better than the vinegar - IE, the cats continued to pee/mark... ... On hard floors, Scrubbing bubbles... Spray and wipe immediately...

As Zippy said, when it gets humid, you KNOW where the cat pee is... Always along the baseboards... At that point, I get out the little pump sprayer, fill it with vinegar, and hit all the baseboards... When the vinegar "aroma" goes away - a few hours - it takes the pee smell away as well... At that point, I refill the pump sprayer with the Dollar General generic Febreze (cause it smells better), and go over the same areas (And little Big Dog's bed!)... We are then good to go until the next humid spell...

Sam, are you talking about real wood floors, or laminates?

Re Real wood, back in the old days, they used varnish, or oil to finish the flooring - it sank into the wood... And, as such, they should be cleaned with a like oil based cleaner/wax...

The newer polyurethane comes in both an oil base (best by far, cause the water base raises the wood grain!) and a water base. They both sit on the surface of the wood like lacquer. A quick wipe with either vinegar or Scrubbing Bubbles (or the Dollar General equivalent) will not hurt any kind of wood flooring with a decent finish of any kind... Unless you let it sit in a puddle...

I think cat pee would do much more damage to the finish of any kind, simply because it is ammonia based... And ammonia will eventually etch even glass...

Hint...

I have successfully used ceramic tile Polyurethane grout sealer to refresh worn real wood floors with great success... Wipe on, wipe off... And back away...

;0))

PK

[IamZippy]

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samwoodkat:
I could never live without wood floors. A very worthwhile investment !
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Heck...I have just about given up on stylish or whats new and "in"...I would be happy as a pig in poo if under my feet was clean and unstained lol

Some day I will live the good life again lol

[samwoodkat]

I have laminated wood floors only in the basement/rec room.

I was instructed to clean the laminated surface with an ammonia cleaner.

But then I was told not to do so.

As the ammonia should be used for cleaning linoleum surfaces.

As it strips away wax and will probably do the same to the laminated finish which manufacturers use on this synthetic wood flooring.

[PK...]

I think you should use whatever you wish, as long as you don't let liquid of any sort sit on the flooring...

Is linoleum even still available? I thought no wax inlaid vinyl (and tile) had pretty well replaced it, and as, such, needs no wax... (Curiously, I had this same conversation with Gil a couple weeks ago... )

I know, the Armstrong Vinyl tiles we put in the kitchen, are almost as nice now, as they were 5 years ago when they were put down... I only notice a slight difference in them and the ones we just put down in the "annex" a few months ago...

The laminate flooring has the same vinyl layer as a finish - but most likely a particle board base - which will expand when subjected to liquid... So you can imagine what what standing cat pee would do...

We are putting in a floating vinyl (fake) ceramic floor over the lousy laminate (fake) wood flooring in the "new" kitchen... (With any luck at all, it is being laid at this moment...) It is impervious to liquid - save around the edges...

Good old Home Depot!

;0))

PK

[IamZippy]

Yuck....ammonia !

After I used that stuff to clean some old pans...and I saw how it just ATE the old burnt on grease off of them..I wont even keep it in the house anymore !

That stuff is dangerous !

And it smells really really bad

I cant even imagine using it to clean delicate flooring !

[Wildflower]

I heard that cats don't like the smell of orange. There's orange cleaner you can get to go over areas that you've already cleaned... just to see if he avoids them.
I had a problem with cats using my flower beds in front of my windows!
God, it was terrible. You didn't dare open a window if you needed fresh air. I ended up tearing them all up, dumping vinegar, and orange cleaner all over the dirt. Then laying new plastic and putting down FRESH dirt. I think I even dumped some black pepper in em.
Dixie my female has a thing for peeing on plastic trash bags. I have no idea why-- all I know is it pisses me off. She hasn't done it in a long while... thank god.

[IamZippy]

Naw..dont be fooled by that old citrus tale of cats not liking it.

I have to tell you..I hung orange slices from the Christmas tree again this year...that loved swatting at them. Some normal cats might dislike orange...but I never claimed to have normal cats lol

Maybe if that isnt working Tina...try putting down some rocks with sharp edges...like that white marble..maybe?!

[its-dani]

HI WF and Zip...

I heard cayene pepper to get rid of cats in your gardens...wish people wouldn't let them :( I have one around here that digs in our garden, in it, kills the birds chipmunks etc..if I ever catch the bastard!! ain't gonna be pretty for his owner

[Wildflower]

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its-dani:
HI WF and Zip...

I heard cayene pepper to get rid of cats in your gardens...wish people wouldn't let them :( I have one around here that digs in our garden, in it, kills the birds chipmunks etc..if I ever catch the bastard!! ain't gonna be pretty for his owner
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Oh! Don't let Sam hear ya say that. She'll choke on a hairball!

Cats can be such little pains in ass. It wouldn't be so bad if they didn't stink ALMOST as bad as a skunk!

[its-dani]

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Wildflower:
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its-dani:
HI WF and Zip...

I heard cayene pepper to get rid of cats in your gardens...wish people wouldn't let them :( I have one around here that digs in our garden, in it, kills the birds chipmunks etc..if I ever catch the bastard!! ain't gonna be pretty for his owner
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Oh! Don't let Sam hear ya say that. She'll choke on a hairball!

Cats can be such little pains in ass. It would be so bad if they didn't stink ALMOST as bad as a skunk!
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Sam and I agree to disagree on it lol..we have a by-law here about cats roaming free.

[Wildflower]

Well set up your *bastard cat* trap, then! LOL I bet you don't catch him. AND if you come close and have to chase him on foot -- make sure you get it on video --- I would LOVE to see! hehehe........

[samhairballkat]

HHhhissssss!

I put out cayenne pepper to get rid of ants and squirrels ...not cats !


You need to ditch your citrus peels in the dirt to keep your unwanted felines away !!!

[its-dani]

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Wildflower:
Well set up your *bastard cat* trap, then! LOL I bet you don't catch him. AND if you come close and have to chase him on foot -- make sure you get it on video --- I would LOVE to see! hehehe........
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the little prick is bold at get out, I shoosh him away and he just looks at me, like what is your problem lady? I hate that damn cat

[IamZippy]

Cat cats cats !

I cant be bothered...just took a chocolte cake out of the oven a while ago..now I need to frost

Figured it must be someones Birthday today

Ok...everyone go on drool..but you aint getting any of my cake lol

Ta ta !

hee hee

[samgardenkat]

Let's put leashes on squirrels, snails/slugs, rabbits, birds etc....'cuz they seem to do the most damage to my garden/yard.

Not the neighbours cats.

I can deal with the cat turds left behind but there is no damage to my flower planters, cherries, raspberries, tomatoes, sunflowers & tulips....

[Wildflower]

delete................... double post

[Wildflower]

LOL, did I ever tell you about the time Cozmo peed on Mandy??
Funniest cat story ever!!! LOL

[PK...]

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Wildflower:
LOL, did I ever tell you about the time Cozmo peed on Mandy??
Funniest cat story ever!!! LOL
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LOL...

A kinky cat story??

OK, just a cat story...

Tell, already...

;0))

PK

[samfunkat]

I bet you that cat story of hers is soooo funny .....she will tell it to us twice !!!!!

lol

[Wildflower]

I went looking for it hoping I'd find it, but I must have written about some where else.

I'll write about it in a while --- gots to feed the brood. be back!!

Oh, and it is a funny story. I will copy and paste it so I CAN tell you twice, Sam. hehe

[its Butterfly]

Hellfire,
I dont know if you have a menards store by you. in case you don't it is a store like Home Depot. Anyway, I got a pet smell remover there. It is called Spot Chomp. it is a pet odor and stain carpet cleaner. the web site is chomp solutions . com

I use this. It works wonders. I would watch my mother in laws dog and never fail the dang thing would pee somewhere. Bed skirt on a bed, table skirt, and once he got up on my daughters bed and pooped on it. I was ticked. It got rid of the stain on the carpet and the smell when he would mess. He isnt fixed either so he will continue to mark anything that is out of place.

Now our beagle is the opposite. He doesn't have accidents. Now the humping ones leg is another story. I thought neutering would fix that, wrong. I think he went through his rut (just like a deer) in November.

[Hellfire]

WOW! Everyone has wonderful advice. I'm grateful I'm not totally alone in having pet problems. LOL!

As soon as the kitty is neutered we are renting a steam cleaner to do all the carpets. I'm a little sad as we just put in new carpet throughout most of the house not 6 months ago. It hurts a little to have this problem:(

Unfortunately, the kid just got a verbal warning and has been put on three strike notice. Going in her room to move the litter box back where it originally was I discover a horror scene. I'm not sure when that litter box was changed last, but it was a horror scene. The rules were from the beginning that if she didn't take proper care of her cat and the house started smelling from cat.......the cat goes, period.

The kid is also grounded for two days to think on her crime. LOL! With her social butterfly scene we might as well have beat her. I'm guessing the next two days we'll be punished with her drama face and attitude of how unfair we are.

When I read where Pal talked about peeing on the cat.......trust me. The third time I washed everything in my room it crossed my mind. LOL!

[its-dani]

that's probably your problem right there, a lot of cats will not use a dirty litter box. People call a cat that pees in the house a dirty cat but in fact it's the opposite, the cat will only go where it's clean. Our boxes are scooped at least 2 times a day, and emptied and washed once a week.

Something you might also want to drill into the kid, is the danger of having a dirty litter box not only in her room but in the house! I love cats but they carry a lot of disease, when you are pregnant you are not even allowed to change a litter box.

Can you move the box to a basement or area away from the bedroom? somewhere you can keep a better eye on it, and not where the kid is sleeping?

We keep ours in the basement.

[DKLA]

LOL, Hellfire. You know I have always had female cats because I was/am afraid of the spraying.

It will all work out.

:)

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Hellfire:
WOW! Everyone has wonderful advice. I'm grateful I'm not totally alone in having pet problems. LOL!

As soon as the kitty is neutered we are renting a steam cleaner to do all the carpets. I'm a little sad as we just put in new carpet throughout most of the house not 6 months ago. It hurts a little to have this problem:(

Unfortunately, the kid just got a verbal warning and has been put on three strike notice. Going in her room to move the litter box back where it originally was I discover a horror scene. I'm not sure when that litter box was changed last, but it was a horror scene. The rules were from the beginning that if she didn't take proper care of her cat and the house started smelling from cat.......the cat goes, period.

The kid is also grounded for two days to think on her crime. LOL! With her social butterfly scene we might as well have beat her. I'm guessing the next two days we'll be punished with her drama face and attitude of how unfair we are.

When I read where Pal talked about peeing on the cat.......trust me. The third time I washed everything in my room it crossed my mind. LOL!
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[Hellfire]

I heard about that, Dani. I was hoping with keeping a cat indoors away from others there wouldn't be problems like disease or what not.

On her part it was just plain lazy not taking better care of her cat. She WILL do better or the cat WILL go to a home that will take better care of him.

She has a bizarre bedroom. It has several closets set up in it. One of them is a sliding closet. One thin closet has a secret crawl space that ends up in the vanity of the main bathroom. Pretty weird. LOL!

The one with the sliders is kept empty except for cat stuff. The opening is only large enough for the cat to walk through, but the sliders make it easy for her to enter and do any cleaning needed. To me it looks safe enough and far from her bed. I don't know........just kind of wish at this point that cat never followed her home:(

[its-dani]

Just scare the hell out of her with the disease stuff might give her the energy to keep it clean lol

[Wildflower]

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Hellfire:
WOW! Everyone has wonderful advice. I'm grateful I'm not totally alone in having pet problems. LOL!

As soon as the kitty is neutered we are renting a steam cleaner to do all the carpets. I'm a little sad as we just put in new carpet throughout most of the house not 6 months ago. It hurts a little to have this problem:(

Unfortunately, the kid just got a verbal warning and has been put on three strike notice. Going in her room to move the litter box back where it originally was I discover a horror scene. I'm not sure when that litter box was changed last, but it was a horror scene. The rules were from the beginning that if she didn't take proper care of her cat and the house started smelling from cat.......the cat goes, period.

The kid is also grounded for two days to think on her crime. LOL! With her social butterfly scene we might as well have beat her. I'm guessing the next two days we'll be punished with her drama face and attitude of how unfair we are.

When I read where Pal talked about peeing on the cat.......trust me. The third time I washed everything in my room it crossed my mind. LOL!
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It's SO important that the little box gets scooped regularly.
Also, I prefer scoppable litter opposed to the bigger granular crap.
I also prefer a COVERED litter box. Nothing more gross than I cat kicking litter all over the place.
Another thing ... it's better if the little box sits on something that can be easliy wahsed. Like vinyl flooring ... even better in the bathroom.

just some helpful hints.

[itslmr]

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its-dani:
that's probably your problem right there, a lot of cats will not use a dirty litter box. People call a cat that pees in the house a dirty cat but in fact it's the opposite, the cat will only go where it's clean. Our boxes are scooped at least 2 times a day, and emptied and washed once a week.

Something you might also want to drill into the kid, is the danger of having a dirty litter box not only in her room but in the house! I love cats but they carry a lot of disease, when you are pregnant you are not even allowed to change a litter box.

Can you move the box to a basement or area away from the bedroom? somewhere you can keep a better eye on it, and not where the kid is sleeping?

We keep ours in the basement.
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Like WF said, it's SO important to keep the litter box clean.

I'm convinced that I have the BEST litter box ever!.....it has a roof on it and grates inside with a removable drawer type thing attached.

All you do is slowly roll the thing on it's roof and back again and the grates separate all the good litter back into the box and all the lumps of poop and pee go into the drawer.You simply pull out the drawer, empty into a plastic bag and voila!.....(of course you have to replace the litter that has left with the waste.)

I swear this is the best invention yet...no more poop scooping for me, lol.....I simply keep it in my laundry room in the basement, and since I do ALOT of laundry (I now have a teenager living here with us) I just roll the thing every time I do the laundry.

[Pat smells like cat piss]

Yes, Lisa,you have enough diapers to change.

Hey, how disgusting does Pat's house sound? cats Peeing all over the baseboards? No wonder Gil goes to "the library" so much. peeee-eeewww. House has probably been condemned by the board of Health,that's why she's "moving".

[itslmr]

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Pat smells like cat piss:
Yes, Lisa,you have enough diapers to change.

Hey, how disgusting does Pat's house sound? cats Peeing all over the baseboards? No wonder Gil goes to "the library" so much. peeee-eeewww. House has probably been condemned by the board of Health,that's why she's "moving".
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Sure looks like someone crawled out of their hole....maybe she will do us all a favor and crawl back in right where she belongs.

[Hellfire]

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Wildflower:


It's SO important that the little box gets scooped regularly.
Also, I prefer scoppable litter opposed to the bigger granular crap.
I also prefer a COVERED litter box. Nothing more gross than I cat kicking litter all over the place.
Another thing ... it's better if the little box sits on something that can be easliy wahsed. Like vinyl flooring ... even better in the bathroom.

just some helpful hints.
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Hey WildMarthaStewartflower,
The cat has his own little cordless sweeper for the litter. We noticed right away it was a problem. LOL!

The kid would love to move the litter box to the bathroom because I would end up changing it daily. You can get large bags of cat litter from the dollar store. So to me the thing just needs to be totally dumped daily and filled with fresh. Just have to get her back into the habit of doing this. When we first moved in she was very good at it. We went all out on decorating her bedroom when we moved in. It is the coolest bedroom ever! At first she was very good at taking care of the cat and her room..........things never last:(

Right now she is peeved at how unfair I am for grounding her because her cat poops a lot. She still swears she changed the litter two days ago........yeah, I believe the leaning tower of poo happened in two days.....That's what we are calling it now. LOL! I wish I had gotten pictures.

[Wildflower]

How old is *the kid* and is there a name (nic) we can call her?

The thing about keeping litter is a bedroom - ah, the poor girl could up smelling like the litter box, herself. *her clothes, stuff, etc.* Plus, the cat may get shut out.

You may have to move that litter box around a bit, and the CAT will let you know what works for him. LOL

Cats are funny - it's like they know the BATHROOM is for doing your business in.

My bathroom door is usually always open --

I use to keep the litter down stairs in the bathroom but I couldn't trust that anyone could keep the basement or bathroom door open.

Now the litter in the upstairs bathroom. There's been no funny business since it's been moved up here. No peeing on plastic --- nothing.
Knock on wood ***!!!

[Hellfire]

Can't we just call her the kid? I call her princess at home and she calls me m' lady, but anyone else hearing that would only make them gag. LOL!

So far so good on no 'accidents' with the cat. He is still getting neutered next week. His fist doc visit went very good. The vet is old school, no nonsense, but knows his stuff. We like him. The cat hates him and I have a strong feeling the next ride will be hell.

[It's Cindy]

<<< The cat hates him and I have a strong feeling the next ride will be hell. >>>


LOL!!...God love 'em...(: