Guest article written by Susan Livingstone
It’s well known that cats, particularly feral cats, like to spray in order to mark their territory. They tend to do this at vertical objects like walls or a doorposts. But often they may just urinate on the carpet as well. The issue is further aggravated if your cat is suffering a urinary tract infection. You thought that cat urine smell was bad before? With a feline UTI thrown in, that urine has a uniquely awful odor. A cat’s urinary infection is also accompanied by feline urinary incontinence, wherein the cat is unable to control the urine.
Most likely, your cat is going to return to the same spot on the carpet where he urinated initially. This can happen despite your conviction that you cleaned the carpet as thoroughly and carefully as you knew how. This repeated peeing at the same spot can result in an offensive ammonia smell that can be very exasperating. If it isn’t cleaned correctly it gives a variety of nasty bacteria a golden opportunity to multiply and grow. The longer you leave the problem to fester, the larger the issue is certain to become. Once the urine soaks through the carpet and into the floor boards you stand zero chance of getting to it without pulling the carpet back.
Tired Of Your House Smelling Like A Biological Weapons Lab?
So, how to get cat urine out of the carpet, permanently? Cleaning the carpet and effectively removing the offensive odor of cat urine depends on the surface underlying the carpet. If the floor below is linoleum or another easy-clean surface, the problem is minimal as you may clean it easily with plain water or detergent. It’s obviously much more of an issue when the cat urine smell is found on a liquid absorbing surface.
Step one in this circumstance is to take tissue paper, a rag or a towel and press it firmly over the damp spot in the carpet to soak up the most liquid that you can. Most cat urine removal products for sale on the market contain enzymes that function as catalysts to start a chemical reaction in the urine, making it a snap to clean. These products have varying strengths and contain chemicals that will have diverse effects on different surfaces. Be sure to read and follow the directions on the label for how to proceed from this point.
In addition, here are some home remedies that will help you deal with this issue of a nasty cat urine smell:
- A bowl of naphthalene flakes aids in keeping cats away from the carpet. A touch of citronella on cotton balls in a bowl will also keep them away as cats deeply dislike the scent of aromatic lemon grass oils.
- Add a little soap into a mixture of vinegar and water (1:3) and pour over the affected area. Soak up the excess liquid with a rag. Repeat this process with clean water and soak in water again. Sprinkle a little baking soda over the area, leave it there for about 24 hours, and then vacuum it up.
- Adding a small amount of Listerine mouthwash to a vinegar and water solution will help dispose of the smell. Rinse with clean water and soak.
- Pour a bit of peroxide over the area and then wash with warm water and soak. However, don’t use this method on carpets as peroxide has a tendency to ruin the color.
Whether or not you’re dealing with a cat’s urinary infection, cat urine smell is something you want to remove from your house as soon as you can. Thanks to their reluctance to drink water, cat pee is especially concentrated and potent, which explains why you can practically use it to remove wallpaper. But with the steps outlined above, and quick action on your part, it doesn’t have to be a permanent problem.
Susan Livingstone built The Cat Bladder Blog because she loves cats, which is just as well since she is basically a slave to their whims. After years of spending money on them, she is now reversing that trend by offering products, information, advice and help to cat owners everywhere — specifically those who need resources for dealing with cat urinary tract infections. You can visit her site to find many more articles on feline urinary tract health, natural, herbal, organic and homeopathic remedies for the prevention of cat UTI, the best cat urinary tract food, organic and recycled products like litter, furniture and cat trees, and links to other information on cat medicine and common feline disease prevention.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Livingstone
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I was reading an interesting article on cat health recently – mostly about their reproductive habits. Within the article included a letter from a cat owner who wondered why the kittens in her cat’s litter all looked so different. Two were long-haired and black, one was a long-haired white kitten, and still another was a short-haired, orange-ish kitten.
The thought of the babies made me weak in the knees, but the experts response made them buckle. Below was the answer:
“Believe it or not, they probably all had different fathers! One of the more bizarre biological attributes of a female cat is that she can go into heat while she’s already pregnant. So a single litter of kittens can have more than one father.”
That explains why I’ve seen so many litters with babies that looked nothing alike. Carly’s own babies, apparently had two different fathers. Alexa and Adam are both long-haired beauties while Bo has a short beautiful coat. I actually wish he had more hair with the weather being as cold as it is. If I weren’t afraid it’d get hung on a tree, I’d get him a sweater – he’s all about fashion, you know, and would embrace the chance to be big pimpin’.
But…alas, as clumsy as he is, he’d end up hanging himself or facing some sort of catastrophe – so I’ll just keep giving him plenty of straw to bury himself in.
Joi
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“Smile for me daddy
(Whatcha lookin at)
Let me see your grill
(Let you see my wha-at?)
Y0-, your grill yo-, y0-, your grill”…….
A cat named Sebastian is grilled out nicely, thanks to his loving “dad,” who happens to be a dentist. I always love to hear about/read about fellow animal lovers – and the story linked below is a really cute one. I’d post a pic of Sebastian here on the blog, but I’ll let you brace yourself for his sweet smile.
So so def!
Click HERE to meet Sebastian!
There has been a lot going on in our lives this year – some good, but most about as bad as it gets. The worst was in March, when my mom suddenly decided she wanted a bigger house – as in Heaven. (Honestly, the day before she passed away, she told me that “…by summer I want to move into a bigger house.” To which I said, “Okay, I’ll help you!” Turns out she didn’t need my help.)
We also lost two cats who we loved very much this year. One (Renee Elise), we hadn’t had very long at all. The other (Carly) was a well-established family member. Then, last month we had a close call with Bo that nearly did us all in…
We did get an addition to the family when we inherited “custody” of my mom’s MUCH beloved and very sweet dog, Wednesday. He’s become part of the family and we love having him around. (The cats have adjusted better than I thought they could or would.)
But I think all the losses and the stress that comes with it has taken a toll on all of us. I know I’m just now getting to the point that I feel relaxed….and almost my old self. For months, very little mattered – and I’m realizing that now as I’m trying to “clean up” some of the things I’d let go! My laundry room and flower beds may never forgive me. And I can’t say that I blame them.
I was thinking earlier about how our cats have been affected. Animals are very sensitive to change, as well as to human’s emotions. When they see one of us cry, for example – they know something’s wrong. My babies have seen a lot of that this year, because whenever I feel my emotions getting the best of me, I go outside. They, of course, come running and we all sit down on the porch or on the patio (sometimes in the driveway!) – it’s as though they intentionally try to cheer me up and/or comfort me. Adam and Svenn get as close as possible to me and purr louder than I’ve ever heard any cat purr. Alexa and Bo like to keep me busy….trying to save my feet from being mauled or my fingers from being chewed. It’s hard to feel sad when your cats are pouncing and stalking your houseshoes.
Prissy is a cuddler/purrer like Adam and Svenn – she’s just a lot older, so she falls asleep about 2 minutes into the comforting!
Until I really started thinking about it, I didn’t realize how many times they’ve lifted me up.
I’ve been trying lately to just chill with them like we used to do. No tears, no sadness – just smiles whether we’re just sitting around (praying for a breeze!), grilling, playing with tennis balls, ribbons, or sticks, taking walks around the yard, or doing yard chores like picking up fallen apples and tossing away the bad ones. (Bo’s favorite chore. When I walk out the back door with plastic bags, he heads for the apple trees ahead of me.)
I think we’re all learning how to live normally again. It’s just something that we sometimes forget when we should always remember – animals have emotions and they can feel stress just as we can. To make matter worse, their coping skills are even worse than ours! They rely on us to help them out, and often in doing so, we help ourselves as well.
Joi
The image above is available on t-shirts from . The website has a great selection of t-shirts, jewelry, calendars, frames, etc for those of us proud to call ourselves cat lovers!
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I bought an incredibly soft baby blanket not long ago and put it in one of our cats’ beds. As you can see from the pic, Adam and Bo are absolutely in love with it.
I think we need to get them a bigger bed – and maybe a few more baby blankets! It’s really a sight when Alexa climbs in there with them.
I think I’m driving one of my cats batty. Prissy is our oldest cat and is, naturally, showing lots of signs of aging. She has been losing weight, has stopped jumping as much (she pretty much just waits for one of us to come along and oh so carefully put her where she wants to be), doesn’t bathe as often as she once did, sleeps a lot more, and simply isn’t as observant as she once was.
Due to her age, whenever she disappears for very long, I’m off looking for her – then when I find her, I have a little celebration of sorts to celebrate her “okay-ness” – I fawn over her, pick her up, kiss the face I love so much, etc. She always responds with her motor running, but I have to get on her nerves!
I’ve also been testing her hearing occasionally, by snapping my fingers behind her back, calling to her from another room, and making annoying noises – just to keep proving that she can, in fact, still hear. Oh yeah, I’ve become a nuissance. I just love her so much!
Something that we’ve both found that we love is “Quick Bath” – they’re sort of like baby wipes, but for cats. When they get older and grooming isn’t as easy as it used to be, cats need our help. Prissy had always been so fastidious about her cleaning habits – diva-like, even, which is why she was given the name she was given.
So now, when I give her a quick little bath, she flaunts herself all around like the diva that she is. After a cleaning, she is totally full of herself! You can find the packets in the pet care aisle of just about any store. They also have a website, www.quickbath.com.
I recently read something interesting about cat’s age:
When a cat is 1 years old, she is equivalent to a human around the age of 15. Like a 15 year old person, the cat may look fairly grown up – and even be able to reproduce, but it lacks emotional maturity.
A 2 year old cat is comparable to a human in their mid 20s.
A three year old cat is equivalent to a 29 year old human, and from there on, the “for equals one” equation plays out – (meaning a 6 year old cat is similar to a 41 year old, a 12 year old cat is similar to a 65 year old, etc.)
Prissy’s pushing 70, no wonder she’s slowing down.
- Joi and Prissy (in lap and purring)
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My Mouse Pad is officially Prissy free, for now, so I’ll try to finish up yesterday’s post!
- Touch. Due to arthritis, an older cat may be very sensitive, so she should be handled with care. If she has begun to his or bite when picked up or handled, don’t take it personally – it simply may hurt and she knows of no other way to react. If she has lost weight, you have to be very careful and gentle as there will be bones protruding.
We also have to be extra careful when grooming an older cat. It would be a good idea to switch to a much softer brush, and to go about the procedure more gently than ever.
I’ve noticed that everyone in our household handles Prissy like fine china. She’s quite taken with the whole thing.
Here are some other great tips the book recommended:
- Older cats aren’t as fastidious about cleaning themselves as they once were. Help her out by (softly) brushing her each day.
- Elderly catslove to sleep in the sun’s rays, so provide a comfortable spot near a sunny window.
- Keep her away from drafts.
- Be very tolerant of an older cat’s litter box habits. It’s totally a hit and miss thing. Low-sided boxes are best, and unless you live in a really small house, several litter boxes would be a great idea.
- Have your cat examined by the vet several times a year.
- Use Spring or distilled water only.
- If your cat used to jump onto a favorite spot that she’s no longer able to get to on her own, provide her with some steps or even a few pillows.
- You may find you older cat seeking you out more than she once did. (Like lying right on a mouse pad!) This is the time to give her the comfort and security she’s looking for. Let her curl up in your lap, greeting her with warmth in your voice and show her just how much she’s loved and cherished. I’ve found that with Prissy, the time benefits me as much as it does her. It’s the perfect way to relax and unwind!
- You may notice that your cat has started calling out for you, especially at night. She may just be a little disoriented, wondering, “Where did everybody go?” Then again, she may just want a little bit more of that extra attention she’s coming to love so much!
Joi
Tagged as:
caring for an older cat,
Cat Health,
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This post is written with our little matriarch, Prissy, in mind. For quite awhile now, we’ve been watching signs of age slip up on her. She’ 15, and I don’t even want to think about how old that would translate into human years. I also never allow myself to think about……. because she is most definitely part of the family and her…… would do us all in.
I bought a few books to diagnose Carly’s oddities, and one of them had an article on feline senior citizens. In case you, too, love an older cat, I thought I’d share some of the highlights.
“A cat kept fit with proper nutrition and exercise, living in an environment that provides the right amount of stimulation and a minimal amount of stress stands a greater chance of enjoying more of her golden years than a cat who has been viewed as a “low maintenance” pet by her owners.”
Bodes well for Prissy – The little diva owns high maintenance. Her name says it all!
Below is some great advice the author (Pam Johnson-Bennett) gives for living with these precious little geriatrics:
- Hearing. Avoid startling your cat. Come well into her field of vision before reaching for her. You may eventually have to make a noise on the ground or wall for her to “hear” the vibrations.
- Sight. If your cat’s losing her vision, don’t rearrange the furniture any time soon. If you have to redecorate, do so gradually.
- Smell and Taste. As your cat’s sense of smell begins to decline, she appetite will probably decline as well. (Not a problem for Prissy the pig) Think of it as the times you have a head cold and have to force yourself to eat.
You can spark your cat’s appetite by warming her food a bit to release more aroma. Of course, be sure to test it as you would baby formula – we don’t want any burned kitty tongues.
If your cat still doesn’t show any interest in eating, I’d take her to the vet. They’ll know a few mojos to use.
I’ll post more tomorrow, Prissy’s lying right on my mousepad and making it impossible to do very much. As always, my girl comes first, so forgive me, I have a kitty to pamper.
Joi
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