Help! - Cat pee smell

imokyrok

I'm being driven demented in the last few weeks with the smell of cat pee in my hall. I'm washing the tiles daily with disinfectant, bleach even jeyes fluid but the smell is back within a couple of days.

All five of my cats are neutered and I haven't spotted any stray in the hall so how on earth does this keep happening? Is it possible for a neutered tom to spray as well?

One possibility is that the spraying is happening at the front door and being carried in on shoes. If so how do I discourage strays from doing this?

CaptainSkidmark

is the litter tray in the hall?

shasbaz

You can get rid of the odour with White Spirits / Paint thinners, with regard to the spraying,I had the same problem, its not a stray/'s it's your cats.

It was explained to me that with "Toms" , even after "the snip" they still assume they can mark territory with musk, however after neutering its urine they spray. While the spirits wont stop em it does get rid of the odour.

PinkTulips

zero odor is supposedly fantastic but not sure if you can get it here

for fabrics i find fabreze is great much as i hate using the stuff.

oddly though i find the best method is simply airing the place out well, open all the doors and windows for half an hour and it makes a huge differance, more pleasent this time of year than in midwinter too

Harris

I had this problem too and discovered it was a passer by spraying the hall door and it had got right down into the metal rim so you probably just need to do a big clean of the hall door, mat and frame etc.
It's so un-nerving but good luck!

Munster Gal

You need to use biological washing powder and really hot water to break down the fats in the urine - ordinary washing isn't as good as the cats can still smell it and will spray over it. After you've cleaned it thoroughly spray over surgical spirits.

imokyrok

Wow - thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I'll try them all as the Jeyes isn't doing the job.

Shazbah - that's useful information about the continued territory marking. I thought they didn't do that once neutered. Three of the cats are neutered toms but since this is a recent problem it is either my newest stray who is coming up to the one year old mark (he was neutered at six months) or my new neighbours cat who keeps sneaking in through the cat-flap to find somewhere warm to sleep (he's also neutered - I asked).

Captain Skidmark: they don't use a litter tray. Every cat I've had chooses to graduate to the garden once they get to about six months. Easier in some ways but not so great in the veg patch!

Quite apart from the horrible smell it is mortifying if anyone calls to the door. It's bad enough to be known as the cat lady without smelling like the stereotype as well!:D

waraf

Cat pee will glow under an ultra violet light. You're also betteroff with an enzyeme cleaner to get rid of the smell properly. I bought an enzyeme cleaner and uv light combo a while back on ebay and it's brilliant. It wasn't this exact one but very similar:

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Urine-Off-Cat-Kitten-Black-Light-Odour-Removal-Kit_W0QQitemZ350190748368QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Cats?hash=item350190748368&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A3|39%3A1|240%3A1318

DAWNRISER

White Vinegar will help, spray the area, leave for an hour, then wash will biological detergent.
Works a treat, this is talking from experience!!!!

Nic'name

I don't know exactly how to get rid of the smell but the above posts seem to do the trick. One thing though, try to avoid using bleach or any other ammonia based products as the cat will think it's ok to pee there when they smell the ammonia and will have a great time stinking out your hall again.:eek:

Same works for dogs, never clean up dog/cat pee with ammonia products, they'll see it as competition and carry on marking.

mags16

Munster Gal wrote: »

You need to use biological washing powder and really hot water to break down the fats in the urine - ordinary washing isn't as good as the cats can still smell it and will spray over it. After you've cleaned it thoroughly spray over surgical spirits.

If using biological washing powder, don't use water that is too hot. The heat denatures the enzymes, making them useless.