Cat pee--Help!

September 5, 2005 7:58 PM

My kitten (4 months) was just accidentally stuck in our spare bedroom for ~7 hours and peed on my down comforter--How do I clean it without being worried that he will think he's supposed to go on it again? Should I be worried?

We went to a BBQ today and the wind blew our spare bedroom door shut--unfortunately Scout was in there the whole time, and couldn't hold it for 7 hours, so he decided to pee on my down comforter. I am currently washing everything very thoroughly--it doesn't feel like it got too far into the mattress itself--it had to go through a duvet cover, the comforter, a sheet, a mattress pad... Is it enough that I just wash these things, or do i need to throw them out? I know that cats tend to pee where they have already gone once. Since I know this was a freak accident and he only went because he could no longer "hold it", should I worry that he will go on my duvet cover again? Sorry if that's being totally paranoid but I want to be SURE that I clean it all well enough so that this doesn't happen again. I'm a first-time cat owner and want to do the kitty right! I should also note that he is a very well-behaved cat and ALWAYS goes in his litter box under normal circumstances. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

posted by fabesfaves to pets & animals (10 comments total)

Anti Icky Poo. Expensive, but in my experience, way better than Nature's Miracle.

Once the smell is gone, kitty should know not to wee there any longer. If you see any squatting behavior on or near the comforter, try to get kitty to the box, or shove some papers into the line of fire.

Remember, they can smell it even if you can't (an it has been washed), hence the recommendation of the Icky Poo.
posted by oflinkey at 8:02 PM on September 5, 2005

From similar experience I'd say it was a "one-time" event ... one of needing to "pee" badly and not one in which he was "marking territory."

No need to throw bedding out. Your cleaning should be enough.

If you are concerned about Scout scouting out your bed for urination, I suggest you keep the bedroom "off-limits" (i.e. keep the door closed) for a week, or two.
posted by ericb at 8:05 PM on September 5, 2005

Look for an enzyme based cleaner such as Shout to remove the urine completely.
posted by quam at 8:34 PM on September 5, 2005

Douse it with an enzyme cleaner (get one that says enzymes for pets -- I don't think that Shout is really the best), allow to dry completely, then launder once (or twice, if you're nervous) thoroughly. It'll be fine scent-wise, although as noted above, you need to keep an eye on the kitten for a week or so to make sure he hasn't gotten any ideas.
posted by dness2 at 9:01 PM on September 5, 2005

If you can machine wash the comforter it should be fine. I'd also keep the door shut with Scout on the outside until he's back in the pattern of using the box, but in my experience cats go on furniture only when they HAVE to (unless there's something else going on) and want to go back to the box.
posted by crabintheocean at 9:37 PM on September 5, 2005

This has happened to us several times. Just clean it well and it will be okay.

If you have to leave again and your kitten gets scared, he may decide to 'act out' and go on that bed again. The best way we found to stop any cat from urinating on any one spot is to move their food bowls to that spot. Cats really hate to urinate close to their food, so moving their food to the objectionable spot for a few days has always solved the problem for us. Even if it's on a bed, it's easier to clean up kitty food than kitty poo.
posted by lambchop1 at 9:45 PM on September 5, 2005

One of my cats was upset about a new litter box and decided to let me know by peeing on the duvet on top of ME. She hasn't shown any inclination to do it again since I corrected the situation to her satisfaction.
posted by patgas at 7:12 AM on September 6, 2005

He's upset about it too and wants to get back to his known routine. As suggested above, use an enzymatic cleaner, and keep him out of that room for a couple days until the routine is clearly reestablished.
posted by Aknaton at 7:47 AM on September 6, 2005

I've found white vinegar to be great for dealing with unpleasant scents. I mix it with rubbing alcohol to speed up evaporation.

I roomed with someone who had a cat prone to bed-pissing if she was upset in some way. After the second time worrying about it getting to the mattress I went to Sears and picked up a cloth dropcloth for painting that was rubberized on one side. At $20 it was big enough to cut into 3 pieces big enough to cover most of a mattress. I'd put it under the mattress pad and couldn't tell it was there.
posted by phearlez at 8:04 AM on September 6, 2005

I think he will be fine. The night I brought my tiny 7 week old kitten home from the shelter, my stupid ex-boyfriend shut the bathroom door (which had kitten's litter box inside) during the night out of habit. When I woke up, kitten had pooped on boyfriend's side of the bed (haha). It never occurred to kitty to go on the bed again - it was just a one-time emergency. If a new kitten who is utterly unfamiliar with the home never does it again, your kitty almost assuredly won't.
posted by gatorae at 12:50 PM on September 6, 2005