Cat peed on the couch-- HELP!

[CompassRose]

As though to test my assertion on That Other Thread that I'd save my cats in a disaster, one of them (I don't know who, or I'd take it down and drop it in the Gulf myself) stood in the exact centre of the chesterfield, and cut loose.

We've got one of those big, poofy chesterfields with fake down cushions, and both the seat cushions are soaked in the middle. A. is talking nonsense about me having to make new cushions (naturally, he was the one who found the spot, sitting down in it his first day of leave) :rolleyes: which I have no desire or time to do.

Will something like Nature's Miracle work, if I soak the cushions, or can they be cleaned somehow?

Cats. Why do I have cats again? Please help...

[Goin' Coastal]

I'd call a pet store and ask their advice.

[blazedog]

I'm not sure what fake down is but I assume the covers can be zipped off. I would take the covers into a good cleaner and have them handle it as soon as possible before anything sets.

Regarding the filling, you could ask the cleaners -- I know they do down comforters as I take mine in once a year.

I would assume you could easily find a replacement for the innards by contacting an upholsterer.

[aggie94]

Unless your cleaners are using enzymatic products, nothing is going to take the smell out, unfortunately. I would suggest trying to soak the cushions with NM or Simple Solution or a product like that and then leaving them to dry (or helping them along with a hair dryer). If the alternative is making new cushions, there's no harm in trying to save the ones you've got now. If you can zip the covers off and they're washable, wash them separately. If they're not washable, spray them liberally with NM and let them dry. Otherwise, spray them with the cushions. If the cat pee has soaked into the cushion filling, you're going to have to soak the NM that far in as well for it to be effective in neutralizing the odor.

Sorry. I've dealt with WAY too many cat pee issues in the last 2 years, so I empathize. :(

[misskitty100]

I would give the Nature's Miracle a try before anything else. I believe the back of the bottle even has directions dealing with cat urine in particular. If I remember right, they recomend cleaning the area with their solution and then using a black light to see if there is any remaining urine that needs to be treated.

Good luck!!!

[CompassRose]

Well, we've soaked the cushions and covers (separately) in Nature's Miracle, and a carpet/upholstery cleaner with a truck is coming on Wednesday to steam clean the whole thing (and the living-room carpet, while he's there). I suppose a hundred dollars for a steam-clean isn't too bad, and I hope it works.

Sigh.

[Peweh]

I've had some similar instances with dog pee (granted - doesn't smell as ammonia-ey as cat pee) and have had luck spraying with Resolve and drying out in the sun.

[Missi]

Oh, I feel your pain. I really REALLY hope this was a one time deal for your cat. I had a cat who peed on a beautiful down blanket I had that had been a present (actually the last present) from my grandfather. I had it specially drycleaned, which cost a small fortune, but the smell all came out. I stored it for a year, and then finally put it back out. D*mn it if that cat didn't pee on it in the first few hours I had put it back out!!!!

Has any of your cats peed on anything else? Maybe one of them has a bladder infection? I would try and find the cause and try to fix it if possible before going to the expense of having your couch cleaned and then (heaven forbid) it happens again.

[sandyv]

Missi's message made me laugh. Yes, cats always remember their 'pee'd-on places.' I had beautiful down sofa pillows, and my sweet baby Carl would pee on one of them; I'd have it cleaned; then Carl would pee on it; I threw it in the washer to remove all scent; then Carl would pee on it. This continued on. Finally, I washed the pillow again and moved it to the basement, where, surprise, surprise, more pee. Carl died last year, and I would buy him a trunk-full of down pillows to pee on if I could just have him back.

[CompassRose]

Well, this was a bit of a special case. Usually we throw all the cats out of the living room/dining room every night or if we're out of the house, and shut the doors. However, we didn't see Zozie in there (A. tells me now) so she was shut up in there all night.

Why she chose the very centre of the couch, and not an obscure corner or a potted plant, I don't know. But hopefully, if she's not peevish and locked up in there, she won't pee there again.

Yes, cats are very prone to re-pee't activity, aren't they?

[Beth]

Why she chose the very centre of the couch, and not an obscure corner or a potted plant, I don't know.

Oh yes you do! A potted plant would have handled the dampness and the odor ina very natural way, and the obscure corner might have gone unnoticed. She want to make SURE you noticed her complaint -- no matter which side you looked at or sat on. ;)

[mbrogier]

My mom ran a dog grooming shop, and she had a poodle that would go to the shop with her. Sometimes the poodle would intend to go but would not be at the door when she left. That poodle would poop in the floor right in front of the door where my mom couldn't miss it. Don't tell me he didn't know exactly what he was doing.

Since your cat did what he did out of peevishness--he probably won't do it again...unless he gets trapped in the room again.

...on a side note...isn't it amazing what new evidence spouses will admit to when the fury of the storm blows over?? :D

[mcgeiger]

I have lots of info for you! My cat has been doing this since he was 9 mo old and he is now 5+...

1. Use nature's miracle, it's the best--dry cleaning will usually also work
2. If you think this may continue, buy a carpet runner (plastic thing with pointy things on the bottom) and turn it upside down on your couch. Cats don't like it on their paws, but it won't hurt them either
3. This could be a one time thing (and I really, really hope it is) or medical or behavior
4. Medical- make sure all cats are neutered/spayed. If he does it again, take him to the vet. They will probably want to do urinalysis and bloodwork to check for infection, stones, kidney problems etc. They may want to do an xray to check for stones (they won't always show up in urine). There are some other tests depending on what they find. If they find anything there may be antibiotics or special food (My cat is on Royal Canin S/O for crystals.... :( ). Always be wary of infections in male cats, they are prone to being "blocked"--this can be life threatening.
5. If the vet says all is normal, then you are looking at behavior.
a. make sure there is 1 litter box/cat, and that it is clean (like everyday), in a nonscary place (loud noises and such can cause them to have an aversion), generally cats like uncovered better
b. make sure it is good litter, in general cats prefer smaller grain, unscented litter. you can test what they like but having several available and seeing what they use most
c. also try different depths of litter, some cats like a little and some like a lot
d. if they don't have an aversion, it may be a substrate or location preference: to test substrate, put something like what they are peeing on in the box, and see if they'll use it, if they do, put it in the box, and take a little out every day until it is all litter again; if location, move the box to where they are peeing, and as long as they consistently use it, keep moving the box 6" closer/day to where you want it
e. if all else fails sometimes drugs can help (anti-anxiety) (mine was on buspar for a while!)
These are some ideas of where to start, there are animal behaviorists that can help with this (not pet psychics... :p ) they are certified, and some are vets with behavior specialties. There is lot of info on this--it's the #1 behavior reason for getting rid of a cat--good luck, and I hope I wrote all this for nothing!!

[CompassRose]

Thanks, mcgeiger. It's a she, and she doesn't seem to have the symptoms of bladder infection (she's had one before, and on that occasion, she spent most of her days in the litterbox crying). She knows she's not going to get thrown out -- they all know that, rotten little beasts, so don't worry about that. ;)

I suppose it is possible that she's just getting old (she's around sixteen now) so I will keep an eye on her as you suggest, make sure she doesn't do it again. If she does, it might be time to bring up a box from the basement (bleah). You do what you have to do. My parents' poor cat, before he finally had to be euthanised this summer with a hitherto-undiagnosed tumour in his spine, was going all over the house, and my mother had beds of newspaper down in all his favourite four places, cos he didn't even want to step over the sides of the litter boxes. That will be me, I suppose, with my aging beastlies.

And I could clean the boxes more often, yes. :p Every other day is more like it. But I'm reasonably certain she just did it because she was indignant about being shut up in the room overnight. (It's happened before on occasion, and the victims in that case HAVE used the big dieffenbachia. She's a special princess, though.) As long as nobody springs up on the pillows again the day after steam-cleaning and whizzes again, I'll be happy...