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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

4775.0. "Urine in Brick?" by BOMBE::HEATHER () Mon Jul 08 1991 15:34

    Does anyone know if the standard remedies for getting urine odor out of
    carpets will work with brick?  One of my cats decided that the woodsy
    scent of the wood stored next to the fireplace smelled like an
    appropriate place and now it smells awful!  I thought I'd check in
    here to see if anyone else has had this particular problem before
    randomly pouring solutions in the brick.....I'd hate to make it worse!
    This spot is right next to the couch, making sitting there a lot less
    fun than it used to be!  Any suggestions?  Thanks!
    
    -Heather + Muffy, Oscar, Pandora (the suspect!) + Cocoa
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
4775.1MADRE::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Mon Jul 08 1991 16:175
    I don't think you could make it worse by trying an enzyme product. 
    Nature's Miracle has a spout so you could apply it to a vertical
    surface as well.  Brick is somewhat porous, I think, which is probably
    why normal cleaning still leaves a smell.
    
4775.2WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityMon Jul 08 1991 17:175
    I have used Nature's Miracle on the hearth of our stone fireplace.  The
    mortar between the stones soaked up the urine and I figured it would
    soak up the NM as well.  It seems to have worked.
    
    Jo
4775.3BOMBE::HEATHERMon Jul 08 1991 17:317
    Thanks Jo - I thought maybe this one was unique!  Glad to hear someone
    else has had the problem and found success (no, I'm not glad you had
    the problem, just that I've found someone who had experience and knew
    of something that worked!).  I think I'll try to pick up some Nature's
    Miracle tonight.  Thanks again, to all for the replies.
    
     -Heather + Muffy, Oscar, Pandora (I'm sorry Mom) + Cocoa
4775.4WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityMon Jul 08 1991 17:385
    I can't for the life of me figure out what would possess a cat to pee
    on a fireplace hearth in the first place, but the NM did work for me.
    
    Jo (whose cats are constantly coming up with new and exciting places to
    indiscriminately urinate)
4775.5Who Knows!BOMBE::HEATHERMon Jul 08 1991 18:2410
    Your's too?  I've got one who can't stand the box after anyone else
    uses it and I've got 4 cats!  Sigh - Yes, she's certainly been creative 
    over the years!  The bricks are just the latest in a continuing saga.
    
    Who knows what possesses them to do many of the things they do -
    Actually one of the more creative/interesting places Pandora has
    picked was a plastic bag from Lechmere's that got left on the floor.
    Maybe she got bad service once? ;-)
    
      -HA
4775.6I didn't treat the toaster with NM-got a new one!WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityMon Jul 08 1991 18:318
    The worst place one of mine has gone was in the toaster.  Yuck.  The
    stove is another favorite spot.  Mostly this is the girls when they are
    in season.  If I knew who it was, I would cage them during heat, but I
    am not sure who does it.  They wait until I am at work, then I find out
    by accident.  The toaster one was awful.  What a way to start a
    morning!
    
    Jo
4775.7anything is better than the bedMADRE::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Mon Jul 08 1991 18:334
    the toaster?  how is this posible....  Actually, I had forgotten when I
    first responded to the question, but some cat person in my house did
    clobber the hearth a year or so ago for awhile, and NM worked.
    
4775.8WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityMon Jul 08 1991 18:386
    Don't ask me how it is possible, I wasn't there to witness the act. 
    But believe me, when I put the bread in the toaster and hit the on
    switch, there was no mistaking the odor of burning urine.  We cover the
    toaster now.
    
    Jo
4775.9maybe they need a hobbyTYGON::WILDEwhy am I not yet a dragon?Mon Jul 08 1991 19:2315
>    Don't ask me how it is possible, I wasn't there to witness the act. 
>    But believe me, when I put the bread in the toaster and hit the on
>    switch, there was no mistaking the odor of burning urine.  We cover the
>    toaster now.
    
Jo,

I bet it was on a Monday, too.....I have to laugh when I imagine the balancing
act required to deliver this one....

I had a cat that peed in my boyfriend's cowboy boots once...we never did
figure out to our satisfaction how that was accomplished...perhaps she just
wiggled her fanny down into the boot and peed on her own feet...oh well, it
keeps them thinking.
4775.10At least they aren't watching GeraldoWR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityMon Jul 08 1991 19:455
    I often tell the cats that they have entirely too much time on their
    hands. :^)  I guess that if you have dunked one catnip mouse in the
    food bowl, you dunked a million. ;^)
    
    Jo
4775.11ways to avoid boredomTYGON::WILDEwhy am I not yet a dragon?Mon Jul 08 1991 21:358
>    I often tell the cats that they have entirely too much time on their
>    hands. :^)  I guess that if you have dunked one catnip mouse in the
>    food bowl, you dunked a million. ;^)
    
at least yours don't climb to the top of the cat tree and drop the catnip
mice on the dog!  Sadie thinks it rains catnip mice in the family room...now
she lays UNDER the coffee table to be protected....Mandycat is one ingenious
cat.
4775.12Awful things cats doCHEFS::GOUGHTue Jul 09 1991 08:348
    Dora, when she was going through her spraying phase, once peed in the
    coffee mugs that were hanging on hooks above the work surface.
    
    She also once sprayed a visitor to the house.  
    
    (The toaster trick would be right up her street).
    
    Helen
4775.13gee, Mom, why don't you want to take a shower?PARITY::DENISEAnd may the traffic be with youTue Jul 09 1991 17:3617
          the toaster....wow!  that's a good one.
    
          my Tabby (may he rest in peace) had a UTI once and did up the
          portable heater I used to heat the bathroom with.........
          wwwooooooooohhhhh!  When I turned that baby on what an odor!
          That was 13 years ago and it still stinks.  We use it in the
          garage now to work in the winter,  have for many years, but the
          odor is still there that first moment when she's fired up.....
    
          Some of mine do like those plastic dept. store bags too.  I
          definately don't leave any just laying around that's for sure.
          Luckily, they only do something like that if a really important
          statement needs to be made.
    
    
                      Denise and the gang of 10
                           
4775.14Prevent repeat problem by sealing the hearthEMASS::SKALTSISDebSat Jul 13 1991 14:525
    Once you get the urine smell out, might I suggest that you seal the
    bricks and morter? You can use something like Thompsons waterseal on
    both the brick and the morter.
    
    Deb
4775.15CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds DTN:297-2313Mon Jul 22 1991 09:018
    A "guest" kitty once pee'd on my parachute!  I almost killed him!
    (You get very attached to something that regularly saves your life).
    It didn't help that he belonged to a fellow skydiver!
    
    I never left the Dropzone without packing my chute after that.
    That's what I get for being lazy I guess.
      Nancy
    
4775.16CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds DTN:297-2313Mon Jul 22 1991 09:036
    Oh - I immediately washed the canopy with a mixture of baking soda and
    water.  That seems to have saved the nylon from deterioration.  Or,
    at least I'll find out very shortly.  The rig's been sitting in the 
    closet for the past seven years and I just sent it off for inspection
    and re-pack.
      Nancy DC 
4775.17Toaster incident toppedMUTTON::BROWNThu Aug 01 1991 19:2830
    Okay, I thought the toaster was bad, but the other day I caught Tilly
    in the act of indiscriminant urination and couldn't believe her choice
    of locations.
    
    I had rinsed out a little porcelain potpourri cooker and left the 2
    inch by 2 inch bowl sitting on the edge of my sink.  I left it there,
    turned off the light, and went to get ready for bed.  Then I remembered
    that I had left my book in the kitchen, so I headed back for it.
    
    As I entered the room, I heard this sound that resembled running water,
    and thought "great, we are in the middle of a drought and I leave the
    water running in the sink".  I flipped on the light, and my first
    thought was that Tilly had figured out how to turn on the water faucet,
    since she was sitting there looking guilty.  Then I noticed that the
    water wasn't on at all!  She was squatting there by the sink, and
    peeing into the little potpourri jar!!  The amazing part was that she
    had to balance on the ledge of the sink and hold her butt just right
    since the jar isn't that big.  There wasn't one drop of urine on the
    counter, sink ledge, or anywhere other than the jar.  Of course, I was
    happy to have caught her in the act so that I could discipline her.  I
    turned on the water faucet, aimed the sink sprayer at her and said NO!
    as I squirted her with a bit of water.  She didn't move...just sat
    there getting soaking wet until she was finished and the jar was
    filled!!  Then she ran off in a huff, dripping water all over the place
    and leaving me staring in disbelief at my little potpourri jar, now
    full of cat pee. :^P
    
    This was too weird for me.  I had no idea she was so crafty.
    
    Jo
4775.18TENAYA::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Thu Aug 01 1991 19:574
    Re: .17
    
    isn't this called a chamber pot?
    
4775.19MPO::ROBINSONnow, what was I doing...?Fri Aug 02 1991 09:383
    
    	Sounds like she gave you a sample to take to the vet!! Maybe
    	she has an infection (I haven't read this string)
4775.20WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityFri Aug 02 1991 14:257
    No infection here, she is just reacting to girls in season around the
    house.  This happens occasionally with Tilly.
    
    Re: chamber pot!! :^D  Up til now I thought it was a potpourri jar!  We
    will have to start calling it Tilly's Chamber Pot.
    
    Jo
4775.21balancing actSELECT::BRUCEIt is the Adventurers who accomplish great things.Fri Aug 02 1991 15:2611
Have you ever tried to toilett train her?
If she prefers a balancing act, and "clean" places,  maybe she'd be amenable
to being toilett trained.  You can get the training lids (that hold cat 
litter to start) in pet supply stores.  The hard part is teaching them to 
flush!

Personally, I could never keep a cat that kept leaving little "treasures" 
around like that.  And my housemate would never let me!

Good luck!
Tanya
4775.22nice shot!!!!!SANFAN::BALZERMAFri Aug 02 1991 15:285
    
    I think she is quite the talented girl!  And she was so neat about
    it.... :')
    
    
4775.23WR2FOR::CORDESBRO_JOset home/cat_max=infinityFri Aug 02 1991 18:4112
    Well, I put up with her because she is our cat, and she loves us and we
    love her (well, Ken loves her....I never admit to having true affection
    for her in public!! ;^})  She is a spayed girl living in a house of
    whole breeding cats, and she gets her share of grief during breeding
    season (end of October through end of September).  Besides, when you
    spend as much time as I do cleaning up tomcat spray, you tend to view
    this little chamber pot incident as very easy to clean up! :^)
    
    Hadn't ever considered toilet training her.  It's a thought.  She is
    definitely smart enough for it.  
    
    Jo
4775.24Jeremy's trained!XCELR8::HUSSIANBut my cats *ARE* my kids!!Mon Aug 05 1991 09:299
    I have a sister who has a cat & he pee's in the toilet! Nobody ever
    trained him to do it either! He just knows what you're doing when you
    are there, so he does it too. If someone is on the toilet, he positions
    himself directly over the drain pipe in the bathtub & goes down the
    drain. This sounds really gross, but he NEVER EVER gets a drop
    anyplace, and is very careful about it! I personally wouldn't go for
    this, but my sister thinks it's great!
    
    Bonnie
4775.25toilet training commentTYGON::WILDEwhy am I not yet a dragon?Mon Aug 05 1991 14:1816
a humorous aside on the 'cat peeing in toilet' story:

when I was 12 years old, a neighbor hired me to take care of her two siamese
while she was away for a week.  I was very careful to make sure the cats had
food and water and plenty of attention each day...and I faithfully tried to
clean out the cat box each day...but nothing was there!  Finally, on the
third day, I went home and told my mother that I though there was something
wrong with the cats - they were just not 'doing anything'...my mother said,
they must be doing it somewhere or they would explode by now...so we went
looking for the missing cat poop.  After tearing through the whole house,
mom stepped into the bathroom and found the toilet with the evidence that
the cats had been going - in the toilet.  The moral of this story is:

if you do train your cats, be sure to tell your cat-sitters that you have...
it is very nerve-wracking when they don't do anything for 3 days...I had
visions of exploding cats in my nightmares...
4775.26COASTL::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds DTN:297-2313Mon Aug 05 1991 15:058
    I'll take the chamberpot anyday.  This morning Dundee, who doesn't
    know he's neutered, sprayed poor Shadow's catbox through the cage.
    YOu should have seen the look on Shadow's face.  "It may only
    be a 4' x 3' x 2' space, but its MY space!!  MOM CLEAN THAT UP!"
      
    Which I did immediately.  Then I went and gave Dundee his ovaban.
      Nancy