Conference misery::feline_v1

    Try soaking the floor with a product specifically made to
    neutrralize this odor.  You can get them in pet shops.  I use
    Nature's Miracle.  be prepared for it to smell even worse
    during the week or so it is working.
    
    If the problem is the carpet itself, the cleaning company should be told
    as they can apply the appropriate odor-netutralizer;  plain 
    cleaning won't be sufficient.
    

    p.s. I'd wipe down the bottom 2 or 3 feet of the 
    adjacent walls with Nature's Miracle also, as
    the cat may have sprayed the walls.
    

    I've got a baby (13.5 yrs old!) with chronic FUS.  I've found OUTRIGHT
    to be the best for neutralizing odor.  Before, I had a cat who sprayed
    18 mos after being neutered.  You done right to get rid of the pad.
    You can also try soaking the wood with 1/2 WHITE vinegar and 1/2
    seltzer.  The vinegar evaporates soon enough.  Or even 100% white
    vinegar if that fails.  Repeat the applications too, as they dry out.
    Hope this helps.
    
    andrea, HRH Pooh, and Misty Muffins the Marvelous Trick Kitty

    Perhaps there have been notes on this before, but I have the same
    problem as .0, except I still have the cat and love him very much,
    and I'd like to get him to stop spraying.
    
    This cat, Woodstock, is an indoor/outdoor cat, but since he is getting
    old (> 10 yrs.), he doesn't seem to like the New England winters (or
    any season) anymore.  Getting him to go out is a chore, and he often
    scratches on the door within a minute of being put out.  He rarely
    goes out on his own anymore.
    
    His litter box is clean, really, and he rarely used it before this 
    winter, but now he uses it constantly.  But it *IS* clean.  I have a spot
    of carpet that he likes particularly, and even having pulled up the
    carpet last week to replace it (as in .0), he sprayed the padding 
    before I had the chance to finish replacing the carpet/padding (and
    disinfecting the wood floor)!!
    
    What can I do to stop him from doing this?  I hope this isn't a 
    psychological problem. 8^)
    
    Many thanks,
                                               .steve.

    re. .4
    Is your kitty neutered?
    

    Since Woodstock is getting on in years, I would suggest a vet
    check up on general principles, mentioning this problem is
    particular.  as has been noted before, the padding under the
    carpeting and the floor both have to be de-odorized.  I also
    would not insist of Woodstock going outdors as all, since
    he obviously qwants to stay in the house where he is more
    comfortable and, especially at his  age, more safe.
    

Thanks .6.  I will go to the vet.  He's still quite smart when he's outside.
What makes a cat stop wanting to go outside when he gets old?

RE: .5  Yes, the poor guy has been without equipment for many, many years!

Any other ideas?

                  .steve.

    Re: what makes a cat stop wanting to go outside when he gets old?
    
    Gosh, Dad, it's cold out there, and damp, and my arthritis is kicking 
    up.  And there's a warm bed and food and sun thru the window inside....
    

    We're having trouble with Flame spraying now too.  And I mean
    spraying, not marking which is the behavior that's been described.
    Spraying is when the cat backs up to something, standing up, and
    his tail twitches as he sprays.  Marking is urinating in places
    other than the cat box and the cat squats to do it.  
      Our solution, aside from cleaning the spots and spraying them
    with a product to eliminate odor, is to put him on ovaban (female
    hormones).  I"ll let you know how we make out.  He sprayed again
    last night so the problem isn't solved just yet.
      Nancy DC

I spoke to Woody's vet today, and they told me that I should bring in a 
urine sample,  In case anyone wants to know how you're supposed to do this,
you empty the litter box, tilt it slightly, and wait for the next time he 
uses it.  Your sample should be waiting for you at the low end of the box. 8^)
If you can't get it to the vet soon enough, refrigerate it for a couple 
days.

One possible reason they suggested he might be doing this is if he has
an infection, and he's trying to let me know.  Somehow, I would think he
would be in much worse shape, though.  We'll see.  I'll keep you posted.

                                    .steve.

    My vet told me that urine samples were only good for three hours.
    Perhaps he meant without refrigeration?
    

    There is also a product called "nosorb" which is basically plastic
    pieces that look like litter but obviously can't absorb anything.
    I used a syringe to pull up the urine sample.
      Nancy DC