Everyone likes cat urine questions
October 28, 2014 7:08 AM Subscribe
My three cats are urinating all over my basement and the smell is terrible. How do I deal with the smell and correct this behavior?
I live in a rowhouse with a cellar-y basement (very porous, rough concrete floor, patches of broken concrete, some bare dirt sections, low ceiling that necessitates stooping 95% of the time one is down there, rubble walls, damp after rains.) This seemed like a perfect location for litter boxes for my three cats, as it is out of the way and not used for anything other than storage, and we were tired of sweeping up litter multiple times a day and dealing with the constant (though now relatively faint, in retrospect) cat stank.
You can probably see where this is going; at some point the cats discovered a giant dirt pile from a decades-ago construction project, and deemed it a preferable location for doing their business. I quickly cleaned it up and all was well for a while.
Flash forward to a few months ago. My older cat (early teens, we think) was having some urinary tract issues, and urinated, well...everywhere, both in the basement and in our living space. This has since been dealt with, and I thought everything was back to normal (except for some territorial urination by the front door which, when I blocked access to the spot, stopped. )
Now, however, it seems that all the cats have decided that the basement is a urinary free-for-all. It doesn't help, I'm sure, that there is dirt everywhere, even after frequent vacuuming. This behavior was occasional for a while, but now they apparently have forsaken the litter box almost entirely, and at this point they only seem to use it for solid waste (i.e. almost 100% of their urine is being absorbed by the floor.) As a result, a really unpleasant odor now fills the basement and, often, our hallway. I need to find some way to reduce or eliminate this odor, and, if possible, the cats' behavior.
I have gone through bottle upon bottle of Nature's Miracle trying to remove the smell, but it seems not to work, or the issue is so widespread that I simply can't find and treat all of the spots. I also think the issue is largely a matter of habit now, and I only have so many objects I can place over problem areas to dissuade them from returning, which hasn't helped when I've tried it anyway, as they will simply urinate next to the object. This is after also treating with NM and also concreting over the area, which does seem to be very effective in containing the smell. Of course, I can't continue to add layer upon layer of new concrete, because eventually, you know, space will run out and the floor will be inches from the ceiling (on second thought, completely filling the basement with concrete doesn't sound like such a bad idea...)
Needless to say, this issue is causing me and my family all sorts of stress and embarrassment. Our house has never smelled like a giant litter box before, and I'd really like to return to it being that way. What do I do? Some steps I am considering taking:
-changing litter (we currently use pine pellets, which have worked fine for years, but perhaps something softer in texture will persuade the cats to return to the litter box.)
-putting a cat door in the basement door, rather than leaving the door ajar for feline access.
-concreting over remaining rough areas, treating whatever spots I can find with NM, and painting the floor with an oil-based primer to contain the smell and help prevent absorption.
Getting rid of the cats is a last resort, and I'd really like to find a way for us all to live in relatively odorless harmony again. I also need to keep the litter boxes in the basement. Beyond that, the limiting factor is really only money. Aesthetics don't matter in the least, and I already put a ton of time and effort into trying to (unsuccessfully) deal with the smell/behavior, so I don't mind putting in some more to possibly reach a more permanent solution. Completely eliminating both the smell and the urination outside of the litter box is the ideal, but I would settle for reducing both.
Hope me?
I live in a rowhouse with a cellar-y basement (very porous, rough concrete floor, patches of broken concrete, some bare dirt sections, low ceiling that necessitates stooping 95% of the time one is down there, rubble walls, damp after rains.) This seemed like a perfect location for litter boxes for my three cats, as it is out of the way and not used for anything other than storage, and we were tired of sweeping up litter multiple times a day and dealing with the constant (though now relatively faint, in retrospect) cat stank.
You can probably see where this is going; at some point the cats discovered a giant dirt pile from a decades-ago construction project, and deemed it a preferable location for doing their business. I quickly cleaned it up and all was well for a while.
Flash forward to a few months ago. My older cat (early teens, we think) was having some urinary tract issues, and urinated, well...everywhere, both in the basement and in our living space. This has since been dealt with, and I thought everything was back to normal (except for some territorial urination by the front door which, when I blocked access to the spot, stopped. )
Now, however, it seems that all the cats have decided that the basement is a urinary free-for-all. It doesn't help, I'm sure, that there is dirt everywhere, even after frequent vacuuming. This behavior was occasional for a while, but now they apparently have forsaken the litter box almost entirely, and at this point they only seem to use it for solid waste (i.e. almost 100% of their urine is being absorbed by the floor.) As a result, a really unpleasant odor now fills the basement and, often, our hallway. I need to find some way to reduce or eliminate this odor, and, if possible, the cats' behavior.
I have gone through bottle upon bottle of Nature's Miracle trying to remove the smell, but it seems not to work, or the issue is so widespread that I simply can't find and treat all of the spots. I also think the issue is largely a matter of habit now, and I only have so many objects I can place over problem areas to dissuade them from returning, which hasn't helped when I've tried it anyway, as they will simply urinate next to the object. This is after also treating with NM and also concreting over the area, which does seem to be very effective in containing the smell. Of course, I can't continue to add layer upon layer of new concrete, because eventually, you know, space will run out and the floor will be inches from the ceiling (on second thought, completely filling the basement with concrete doesn't sound like such a bad idea...)
Needless to say, this issue is causing me and my family all sorts of stress and embarrassment. Our house has never smelled like a giant litter box before, and I'd really like to return to it being that way. What do I do? Some steps I am considering taking:
-changing litter (we currently use pine pellets, which have worked fine for years, but perhaps something softer in texture will persuade the cats to return to the litter box.)
-putting a cat door in the basement door, rather than leaving the door ajar for feline access.
-concreting over remaining rough areas, treating whatever spots I can find with NM, and painting the floor with an oil-based primer to contain the smell and help prevent absorption.
Getting rid of the cats is a last resort, and I'd really like to find a way for us all to live in relatively odorless harmony again. I also need to keep the litter boxes in the basement. Beyond that, the limiting factor is really only money. Aesthetics don't matter in the least, and I already put a ton of time and effort into trying to (unsuccessfully) deal with the smell/behavior, so I don't mind putting in some more to possibly reach a more permanent solution. Completely eliminating both the smell and the urination outside of the litter box is the ideal, but I would settle for reducing both.
Hope me?
I know people who swear by Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract litter. It's a bit expensive, but maybe you can use it temporarily, until your cats re-learn how to use their litter boxes properly.
"I also need to keep the litter boxes in the basement." Why is that? My advice would be to block the cats from going down to the basement and place litter boxes in other parts of your house.
posted by alex1965 at 7:45 AM on October 28, 2014 [4 favorites]
"I also need to keep the litter boxes in the basement." Why is that? My advice would be to block the cats from going down to the basement and place litter boxes in other parts of your house.
posted by alex1965 at 7:45 AM on October 28, 2014 [4 favorites]
So, yeah, you are essentially allowing the cats to visit a space that looks and feels to them like a giant litterbox. They are like, dude, thanks! All this nice dirt and messed up flooring, you WANT us to use all this as our litter box, yeah? We are being REALLY good cats! The only wonder if why they weren't moving out beyond the realm of their 'official' litter boxes earlier.
So now you have to deal with the fact that you gave them the giant litter box, and now you are going to have to take it away, and give them alternatives. Adding in a cat door is just probably going to make the situation worse, as you will be giving them one extra impediment in their way before they can relieve themselves and is not going to solve the big 'ol litter box, as is a change in litter.
So, as BlahLaLa said, move the litter boxes upstairs. There are lots of inventive ways to prevent a lot of litter tracking, I have cheap IKEA mats under the litter boxes that they step onto, that catch a ton of the errant litter. (I am little freaked out that you say that you cannot move the boxes anywhere else but the basement, and that getting rid of the cats is on your list of ways to deal with this, so you are going to get rid of the cats before moving the litter box? Harsh, man, poor little critters).
posted by nanook at 8:17 AM on October 28, 2014 [3 favorites]
So now you have to deal with the fact that you gave them the giant litter box, and now you are going to have to take it away, and give them alternatives. Adding in a cat door is just probably going to make the situation worse, as you will be giving them one extra impediment in their way before they can relieve themselves and is not going to solve the big 'ol litter box, as is a change in litter.
So, as BlahLaLa said, move the litter boxes upstairs. There are lots of inventive ways to prevent a lot of litter tracking, I have cheap IKEA mats under the litter boxes that they step onto, that catch a ton of the errant litter. (I am little freaked out that you say that you cannot move the boxes anywhere else but the basement, and that getting rid of the cats is on your list of ways to deal with this, so you are going to get rid of the cats before moving the litter box? Harsh, man, poor little critters).
posted by nanook at 8:17 AM on October 28, 2014 [3 favorites]
I had to neutralize cat urine stains that had seeped through a carpet into concrete.
Use white vinegar or cider vinegar on the stains where you find them - that goes a long way toward knocking out the stain/odor. From there, you can use one of the enzyme cleaners, but I've found that vinegar does a pretty darn good job, particularly if you're going to cover the concrete again.
Blacklights can help you find the additional spots.
posted by Thistledown at 8:19 AM on October 28, 2014
Use white vinegar or cider vinegar on the stains where you find them - that goes a long way toward knocking out the stain/odor. From there, you can use one of the enzyme cleaners, but I've found that vinegar does a pretty darn good job, particularly if you're going to cover the concrete again.
Blacklights can help you find the additional spots.
posted by Thistledown at 8:19 AM on October 28, 2014
Yeah, I really think you're going to have to keep the cats out of the basement for awhile in order to break them of this behavior and get them back to regular litter box habits.
Have you tried to use a black light to see where there worst areas of urine deposits are? That might help you concentrate your efforts at clean up. Maybe there's a really highly-concentrated area that has escaped your efforts (but not your nose).
Also, while it is probably not cheap, it might be worthwhile to at least consult with a professional remediation/cleaning services company like Service Master. They deal with all kinds of horrible biohazard stuff....
posted by pantarei70 at 8:20 AM on October 28, 2014
Have you tried to use a black light to see where there worst areas of urine deposits are? That might help you concentrate your efforts at clean up. Maybe there's a really highly-concentrated area that has escaped your efforts (but not your nose).
Also, while it is probably not cheap, it might be worthwhile to at least consult with a professional remediation/cleaning services company like Service Master. They deal with all kinds of horrible biohazard stuff....
posted by pantarei70 at 8:20 AM on October 28, 2014
- Move litter boxes out of basement for at least a few weeks (unfortunately this is probably unavoidable)
- UV light to find spots. Buy gallons (like, seriously, gallons) and dump that all over, everywhere, then re-treat a few more times. Especially since the floor is porous. I have found NM works but you need three times what you think you need to get the smell out.
- Get high-sided litterboxes to help with aim and tracking. (You can make your own here<>
- Move to Cat Attract litter mentioned earlier. Use additive too for extra boost.
- Calming collar and/or Feliway to help aid with stress (keep Feliway away from drafty areas or it will be sucked outside)
- Look for signs of stress--other animals getting in the basement? Cats fighting? Possibly animals or cats outside stressing your cat out? Provide more elevated areas around the house and in the basement for cats to get out of the way.
You're sure it's all the cats having problems? Not just the one offender peeing a lot? The guy with urinary problems may need to return to the vet or a different vet to get re-checked out.
posted by Anonymous at 8:32 AM on October 28, 2014
- UV light to find spots. Buy gallons (like, seriously, gallons) and dump that all over, everywhere, then re-treat a few more times. Especially since the floor is porous. I have found NM works but you need three times what you think you need to get the smell out.
- Get high-sided litterboxes to help with aim and tracking. (You can make your own here<>
- Move to Cat Attract litter mentioned earlier. Use additive too for extra boost.
- Calming collar and/or Feliway to help aid with stress (keep Feliway away from drafty areas or it will be sucked outside)
- Look for signs of stress--other animals getting in the basement? Cats fighting? Possibly animals or cats outside stressing your cat out? Provide more elevated areas around the house and in the basement for cats to get out of the way.
You're sure it's all the cats having problems? Not just the one offender peeing a lot? The guy with urinary problems may need to return to the vet or a different vet to get re-checked out.
posted by Anonymous at 8:32 AM on October 28, 2014
Maybe you could cover the concrete area with those little spiky mats? Cats hate walking on those.
posted by orangek8 at 8:47 AM on October 28, 2014
posted by orangek8 at 8:47 AM on October 28, 2014
You might want to just wall off most of the basement, so the cats can't get to it. Could be an interesting project, and will keep them away from that part of the floor (and insulate you from the odor). Just floor-to-ceiling, 2x4 frame, drywall construction. You might wind up with a usable small room, but you might also just make a very small room just for them.
This probably sounds like a huge project, but it could yield additional benefits that will make your life better in unanticipated ways, like structured storage areas, and a nicer-looking basement that will increase your home's perceived value. Bonus: if you make the litter box on a raised, ramp-or-step-accessible platform (so that even older cats can get to it), it will be way easier for you to clean.
You could also try a raised floor of a different, less-absorbent material.
Another alternative is to just move to a different house :)
posted by amtho at 9:16 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
This probably sounds like a huge project, but it could yield additional benefits that will make your life better in unanticipated ways, like structured storage areas, and a nicer-looking basement that will increase your home's perceived value. Bonus: if you make the litter box on a raised, ramp-or-step-accessible platform (so that even older cats can get to it), it will be way easier for you to clean.
You could also try a raised floor of a different, less-absorbent material.
Another alternative is to just move to a different house :)
posted by amtho at 9:16 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
amtho: "You might want to just wall off most of the basement, so the cats can't get to it. Could be an interesting project, and will keep them away from that part of the floor (and insulate you from the odor). Just floor-to-ceiling, 2x4 frame, drywall construction. "
This is a great idea. Build a little "foyer" at the bottom of the basement stairs. I'd put in a raised, moisture-proof floor as well as the walls. This will give you a chance to work on getting the smell out of the rest of the basement with a combination of Nature's Miracle, vinegar and, if possible, ventilation -- if there's a bulkhead and/or windows, open them as much as possible on dry sunny days.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:25 AM on October 28, 2014
This is a great idea. Build a little "foyer" at the bottom of the basement stairs. I'd put in a raised, moisture-proof floor as well as the walls. This will give you a chance to work on getting the smell out of the rest of the basement with a combination of Nature's Miracle, vinegar and, if possible, ventilation -- if there's a bulkhead and/or windows, open them as much as possible on dry sunny days.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:25 AM on October 28, 2014
Cover the entire basement floor with a six-inch-thick layer of sugar cane mulch. That's enough carbon-rich, nitrogen-poor deep litter to offset fifty cats' worth of continuous ammonia production, and it will make your house smell like sugar cane instead of cat piss. As a bonus, you won't need the litter boxes any more.
posted by flabdablet at 9:33 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by flabdablet at 9:33 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
Interesting idea, flabdablet, and would probably be kind of fun. I do worry about cats who learned to enjoy a whole territory of mulch if they ever had to be rehomed. Plus, someday it *would* have to be cleaned out and replaced... but I do love me some mulch.
posted by amtho at 9:45 AM on October 28, 2014
posted by amtho at 9:45 AM on October 28, 2014
Vodka.
Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer is a joke & doesn't work. I have a practically brand new half bottle full I can send you to try.
Vodka to disinfect and neutralize the smell. I'm a big vinegar fan, but for pet urine, vodka does the job better than any other solution I've tried.
Yep. Keep them out of the basement from now on.
posted by jbenben at 10:02 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer is a joke & doesn't work. I have a practically brand new half bottle full I can send you to try.
Vodka to disinfect and neutralize the smell. I'm a big vinegar fan, but for pet urine, vodka does the job better than any other solution I've tried.
Yep. Keep them out of the basement from now on.
posted by jbenben at 10:02 AM on October 28, 2014 [2 favorites]
someday it *would* have to be cleaned out and replaced...
Nope. Just keep throwing more on top to renew the fresh sugar scent as what's underneath slowly breaks down.
In a couple of years, the bottom inch will look black and smell like earth. At that point, inoculate it with mushroom spores. The mycelium will spread throughout the humus layer, continuously breaking down and destroying it; harvest and sell the mushrooms.
posted by flabdablet at 10:11 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Nope. Just keep throwing more on top to renew the fresh sugar scent as what's underneath slowly breaks down.
In a couple of years, the bottom inch will look black and smell like earth. At that point, inoculate it with mushroom spores. The mycelium will spread throughout the humus layer, continuously breaking down and destroying it; harvest and sell the mushrooms.
posted by flabdablet at 10:11 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer does, fact, work in many cases. If it didn't, I would have put our female cat on a rocket ship to her home planet years ago. I doubt that your situation is amenable to the stuff, though.
I really hear you on needing to have litter boxes down there, because our living situation forces us to keep the litter in certain locations. But the cats do have to be banned from the basement until further notice. They will not stop desecrating the area under your current circumstances.
posted by Coatlicue at 10:23 AM on October 28, 2014
I really hear you on needing to have litter boxes down there, because our living situation forces us to keep the litter in certain locations. But the cats do have to be banned from the basement until further notice. They will not stop desecrating the area under your current circumstances.
posted by Coatlicue at 10:23 AM on October 28, 2014
Our cat got really possessive of our shoes once. We soaked them with a product called Urine Gone, which actually worked to my surprise.
Nthing moving the litter boxes out of the basement and barring the cats until you can modify the basement such that it no longer resembles a giant cat box. You might try some cheap vinyl flooring to cover it.
posted by zennie at 10:45 AM on October 28, 2014
Nthing moving the litter boxes out of the basement and barring the cats until you can modify the basement such that it no longer resembles a giant cat box. You might try some cheap vinyl flooring to cover it.
posted by zennie at 10:45 AM on October 28, 2014
BTW, this topic was addressed for dogs a couple days ago. Go read that thread (which seems to be mostly "Buy Nature's Miracle; it works.")
posted by IAmBroom at 11:38 AM on October 28, 2014
posted by IAmBroom at 11:38 AM on October 28, 2014
Response by poster: Wow, thanks everyone, there's some really good ideas here. I'm leaning towards partitioning a section of the basement exclusively for cat use, though the deep litter method is certainly intriguing...
To answer a few points: I would definitely try the litter boxes upstairs before I would get rid of the cats; I think my wording was little misleading there. My main concern with doing so would be that they would move on to peeing on our couches; this was an issue for a while with the older cat when he was having his UT issues. Also, we have a couple of top-entry litter boxes, but of course old man McCatpants is really not interested, so they were abandoned. I also was interested in potty training them all, but it seems like a lot more commitment than I have time for right now.
And it is indeed all of the cats doing it, I have witnessed them all personally. Very disappointing, but there you have it. It is basically a basement-sized litter box.
So thank you everyone for your insight and cat pee tips! I'd certainly be happy to hear more if anyone has any other advice.
posted by i. shishkin at 3:22 PM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
To answer a few points: I would definitely try the litter boxes upstairs before I would get rid of the cats; I think my wording was little misleading there. My main concern with doing so would be that they would move on to peeing on our couches; this was an issue for a while with the older cat when he was having his UT issues. Also, we have a couple of top-entry litter boxes, but of course old man McCatpants is really not interested, so they were abandoned. I also was interested in potty training them all, but it seems like a lot more commitment than I have time for right now.
And it is indeed all of the cats doing it, I have witnessed them all personally. Very disappointing, but there you have it. It is basically a basement-sized litter box.
So thank you everyone for your insight and cat pee tips! I'd certainly be happy to hear more if anyone has any other advice.
posted by i. shishkin at 3:22 PM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]
If you transition them to upstairs for a while, do it gradually; maybe put them in one non-couch room with both of their litter boxes (keeping them super-clean and probably using Cat Attract litter). This will, most likely, get them back in the habit of using the litter boxes. Then gradually expand the territory.
I'm surprised this hasn't come up yet, but: older cats sometimes do better in larger litter boxes. It can be difficut to get in and out, but also difficult for them to turn around inside.
Some cats prefer un-covered litter boxes. They don't like the intense odor of the enclosed small box, apparently.
Softer litter is also an option. If you transition away from the Cat Attract litter, maybe try World's Best Cat Litter, which is small-grained (also very light, nice if you're loading bags in and out of the car).
I think there's a section on litter box problems on the ASPCA web site -- in any case, a search might get you to the litter box problem section I'm thinking of, whatever site hosts it.
posted by amtho at 7:46 PM on October 28, 2014
I'm surprised this hasn't come up yet, but: older cats sometimes do better in larger litter boxes. It can be difficut to get in and out, but also difficult for them to turn around inside.
Some cats prefer un-covered litter boxes. They don't like the intense odor of the enclosed small box, apparently.
Softer litter is also an option. If you transition away from the Cat Attract litter, maybe try World's Best Cat Litter, which is small-grained (also very light, nice if you're loading bags in and out of the car).
I think there's a section on litter box problems on the ASPCA web site -- in any case, a search might get you to the litter box problem section I'm thinking of, whatever site hosts it.
posted by amtho at 7:46 PM on October 28, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
Next, once they're not depositing any fresh urine there, you can hopefully narrow down the spot(s) where the urine has been deposited but not killed off by the enzymes in Nature's Miracle. Also, have you tried the Nature's Miracle blend they call "Urine Destroyer"? That's what got us through a four-cat pee apocalypse at my house.
For the litter boxes -- yes, I would experiment with different kinds. Cats are crazy, yo, and you may stumble upon the perfect blend that your cats will just love to piss on.
Lastly, we've had good success using Feliway diffusers when dealing with stressful periods at our house -- cat illnesses and the like -- to get everyone to calm the F down and start peeing in the proper spots.
posted by BlahLaLa at 7:28 AM on October 28, 2014 [1 favorite]