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My house smells like cat pee!

cupojoe
16 years ago

I purchased a home in the winter. It is a '50's home with all hardwood floors. We did not notice any problems with the house when we bought it, but now that it is getting warmer, there is a horrible cat urine odor. We have located the spots where the smell is coming from, but I can't get rid of it. Any suggestions on how to get the smell out of hardwood without replacing it?

Comments (9)

  • kimcoco
    16 years ago

    I second the vote for Nature's Miracle, but I don't know how it will fare on wood since the urine is likely soaked into the wood. We also refinished our hardwood floors as the previous owner had a dog that peed all over the entire house. It got MOST of the smell out - the only place the smell lingers is in the master bedroom when it's hot and humid outside.

    If you purchase a black light, try to get it from a hardware store like Home Depot (that's where we got ours). You may have to buy the housing and the bulb separate from eachother, but it's reasonably priced. If you purchase from a pet store, you'll likely pay an arm and a leg. The only thing about the black light is that urine doesn't show up so well on really dark colors, like black.

  • trekker
    16 years ago

    I got a black light at Petsmart, but try any big pet supply place. Cost about $20 with a bottle of cat pee neutralizer (similar to Nature's Miracle).

  • minnie_tx
    16 years ago

    if it doesn't work call a cleaning company. When DS moved he had several areas which were the cats favorites. They got the smell and the discoloring out.

  • bungalow_house
    16 years ago

    Cupojo, I have the same problem. We noticed the smell right after we bought the house last summer but did not smell it while looking at the house a few months earlier. High humidity seems to bring it on in our house. I had some success with Anti-Icky-Poo on our basement stairs (unpainted wood). A neighbor and vet-tech friend recommended it. Check with your local vets to see if anyone carries it. If not, try mistermax.com. Our basement stair area doesn't smell anymore, but unfortunately now I smell it somewhere in the basement this summer. So I'm off to get more AIP and hopefully this is the last time!

    Good luck!

  • rosesr4me
    16 years ago

    I have good success with OUT odor eliminator (concentrate). I was caring for a sickly cat and it removed the odors from the hardwood floor. You mix the concentrate with warm water, soak a towel in the solution and lay it over the spot. HOWEVER, it did cloud the polyurethane finish (I understand you spot refinish it with poly - sand lightly first). I agree that refinishing the floors will remove the odor, especially treating first with OUT.

  • brutuses
    16 years ago

    Odormute is the best. It's a powder that you mix with water. It's also best to use it within a few days of mixing to get the maximum effectiveness. There is plain or fresh scent. It's an odor neutralizer and doesn't just cover up. Saturate the area very well, let set for a spell, then mop up. You will have to pour so it gets behind baseboards if the cat was spraying the walls the pee would have run behind the baseboard. I buy Odormute online from KV Vet Supply, but you may find it at some pet shops locally.

    I had a cat spray my wainscoting in the bath and it ran behind the baseboard. I jur poured some odormute and the smell was immediately gone.

  • Ms. Prude
    2 years ago

    Anyone think that it might be a mold issue?!!??

  • rrah
    2 years ago

    Some types of mold can smell like cat urine. The above doesn't seem to be related to mold.


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