I wish I would have timed how long it took me to read every single one of these posts. My beloved cats are destroying my house. I'm single, working, commuting, and losing my mind trying to clean it and get them to stop. I think that a fair number of these posts are written by SHILLS, which I find despicable. People like me are going through hell. Not only is there a mess, it's a smelly, toxic mess, and it's caused by my children. Yes, they are my children, and I can't just get rid of them. I, too, want to chime in and say that Nature's Miracle does NOT work. I'm fine with ripping up the carpet and starting over, but even that is going to be so incredibly difficult and time consuming. After reading all of this, and not having very nice carpet, I've decided to rip up my carpet, but I wish all of you cat lovers the best of luck in trying to eradicate the stains if you do want to keep your carpet. There isn't much on this thread about preventative measures to stop cats from doing this in the first place, but I encourage everyone to visit some reputable sites to deal with that as well. I've listed some below. Please don't ever think your cat is angry or vindictive or something like that. Cats don't have those types of emotions. Educate yourself and respond appropriately, but be careful of opinions in forums. Look to the experts for advice. I so very much appreciate the time people took to offer solutions. Thank you. I also want to recommend a money saving litterbox filler that will encourage you to keep up with cleaning it, as well as keep the smell at bay. My cats' issues have to do with new cats in the home, age and illness - not the use of this litter. I use plain wood pellets (no scent!), bought at Menard's or Fleet Farm type places. They're sold as woodstove fuel, as well as pet bedding. Way more economical that commercial litter and, I think, abate the smell much better. http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/06/cat-going-outside-the-litter-box-super-smart-behaviorists-share-their-tips/ http://catinfo.org/?link=litterbox http://www.littlebigcat.com/?s=litter+box One of the many posts on the brilliant Dr. Becker's site: http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2012/08/29/cat-litter-box-aversion.aspx http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/02/9-useful-sites-for-researching-cat-health-issues/

Hi! Still hunting the web for answers? Hard core emergency with large areas? Unfortunately, enzyme cleaners cannot completely remove the bacteria/protein combination which creates this potent bouquet. Nor will vinegar, but it breaks the protein bonds really well. Baking powder will neutralize odors on the air or surface, but cannot kill the odor-causing bacteria. Please, beg of you! do not use lemon juice on … well, really anything but wood/lemon oil treatments in your home, and no applying oil anything over protein stains! Walk by the clove oil antibacterial cleaners this time! And no, pure ammonia will not cause a pet to re-mark the area. I read that on several sites and was discouraged indeed! The proteins in the urine are what triggers the re-mark habit. Please mask and ventilate area with fan first! For big areas, try the following 3 part solution: 1 part water to I part: Pure ammonia or at least 70 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol or Tgel .5% minimum coal tar ( best on hard wood, and must be poured boiling) -for tgel or sulfur cleaners, a half cup to very hot water in standard bucket size. Add a capful of laundry detergent for bigger container (bucket) solutions, or a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Smaller or less than gallon solutions, a teaspoon. Let sit minimum two hours, then wash off with detergent. Best to dry again to test odor. The dying bacteria will release all kinds of noxious fumes, so the detergent step is necessary. Or apply solution again. Repeat. This may take several attempts. For the utterly committed, there is a final step, but if you used ammonia — by far the most powerful non-bleach antibacterial — I do not advise this, or only if all else fails. Yep, bleach, but it can never, ever be used directly on an unwashed urine stain. Detergent washing will remove the ammonia used, or in a fresh pet potty stain. But ammonia mixed with bleach creates hazardous, even lethal chemical gases, so wash and blow dry the stain at least three times BEFORE bleach! Required! Same solution as above, on bleachable fabrics only. Best method is a thick powdered bleach paste, mixed with hot water. I have worked rehab jobs with clients who wish to save hardwood flooring. And rescue home purchases the same. If a pet has repeatedly used the floor, I am afraid there is only one solution to this problem, today’s science permitting — they must be sanitized with ammonia. Ammonia will permanently stain unvarnished or partly varnished wood flooring. Wash then bleach method may be too dangerous, as wood may be saturated with pet ammonia. After that, a distressed paint look may be applied. I love this look, clean and country fresh! The other option is darkest varnish. A happy home is filled with life and live, especially pet love. And real love means real workbooks! If you arrived here, your heart truly fills a home with the greatest of furball love! Wishing a a happy and clean home to you all!

Agree with contacting the painter first. That was a careless move & they should have known better. A tip an art teacher once taught us: if it's latex (water based) used rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. Don't saturate the q-tip, get it wet but not dripping. The alcohol will start to soften and lift the paint after it's been in contact for a minute or so. Don't rub like crazy to avoid smearing it around. Just keep dabbing at it, replacing with fresh q-tips as you go and it will come off. If it's a pretty good size are & not little spots, skip the q-tips and try a clean white (no dye) lint-free t-shirt or the rags made of that same material. (You can also use the rubbing alcohol on a q-tip to test to see if it's oil-based or latex. Rubbing alcohol won't dissolve oil-based. But since latex is what's primarily used indoors, the rubbing alcohol should work.) Oh, and since I learned this tip, I also learned there are often two strengths of RA sold. I buy & keep on hand a bottle with the higher alcohol content.

https://www.thespruce.com/laminate-vs-engineered-wood-flooring-comparison-1822247 There's a good chart there that explains the difference in laminate and engineered. And yes some engineered can be refinished if the top wood layer (veneer) is thick enough. This link will explain about refinishing engineered wood floors. wear layers and more here Personally though, I'd never have floors refinished in a home I was living it. Way too much of a mess. But that's just me. I cannot imagine how you have escaped the LVT madness. It's EVERYWHERE. :-) LVT or LVP means Luxury Vinyl Tile or Plank. It's a different animal that the old vinyl of yesterday. This blog goes over the differences of the types, though be aware that the products mentioned there are older, and you would want to look at more recent ones. SO many acronyms now it is hard to keep track. Some of them have no actual "vinyl" in them at all, but often "LVP" is used to refer to the entire category of flooring now. Types of LVT/LVP A couple of new ones - WPC & SPC link. There is a thread here in HOUZZ on a new WPC floor - tons of pictures and experiences with it. Check it out.