cat pee on sofa

[raro]

Two of our kitten (four months old, super cute, any takers..?) decided that it is way more fun to pee on the sofa than the outdoors and make ample use of this opportunity. 

 

So before I toss the sofa out, some thoughts to consider:

 

1. Once the sofa is gone, will they switch to other items such as the carpet that was so far spared from their attacks?
2. Is there any way to safe the sofa? I found some bacterial cleaner stuff advertised on the internet. Is something like that available in Thailand? 

 

The peeing as such is most likely stress related, we have way too many cats now after we forgot spaying two females. So if there is someone out there who likes to have some super cute kitten...they are available!

[wpcoe]

Maybe place a cushion outdoors to lure it (them?) out to pee al fresco?

[raro]

tried that. They are picky.

[meatboy]

12 hours ago, raro said:

tried that. They are picky.

for some insentive free to a good home 2cats and a SETTEE.

[raro]

they are certainly available to a good home. I truly believe the problem is stress related, there are just more cats around than we can look after. They need their hugs and you can only hug that many at a time :D

[dick dasterdly]

I wouldn't replace the sofa until the problem is solved!

 

As they're kittens and have grown up with all the cats around - not sure why this would cause them stress?

 

A LONG time ago I had a cat that peed under a side-table.  It drove me 'mad' as cat pee is SO strong (smell wise) on a carpet over a period of time....  Unfortunately, I can't remember how the problem was eventually solved - even though I can well remember the problem .

 

Anyway - kittens are usually house-trained with a litter box.

[Patsycat]

Wot he says.  Get them a litter tray, away from the other cats and train them to use that.  They will eventually go outside.  Whenever they, pee on your now defunct sofa take them and put them in the tray.  Don't shout at them, or they will get nervous.

 

Strange their mum didn't teach them all that!!

[raro]

On 19/11/2016 at 3:40 AM, Patsycat said:

Wot he says.  Get them a litter tray, away from the other cats and train them to use that.  They will eventually go outside.  Whenever they, pee on your now defunct sofa take them and put them in the tray.  Don't shout at them, or they will get nervous.

 

Strange their mum didn't teach them all that!!

 

We had a litter box in the beginning and since we have quite a big garden we want them to use it, what *usually* do. The kitten, however, sometimes come from outside, jump on the sofa and use it instead of the garden. If I get them inflagranti they get taken by the neck (as cat mothers do) and carried outside with a bucket full of complaints. By their look they KNOW that they did something wrong but it seems to be more fun.

 

Now back to the original question....how to sanitize that sofa? Any chance to do that? I tried vinegar already but this didn't really seem to work. 

[Patsycat]

Sofa buggered!!  Put it in the garden, so they can pee to their hearts delight!!

[tutsiwarrior]

I left the window open on my car in a saudi camp accommodation and one of the feral male power station cats got inside just long enough to spray the interior...I got in there with some baking soda and the stench eventually subsided after a couple of months...

 

ye can't throw the sofa away an' let the buggers win...

[Scott]

The only thing that I have found that will combat cat urine, is vinegar.   If the sofa is salvageable then clean the sofa very well with a vinegar and water solution.   I assume it is a cloth sofa, so you will have to let the vinegar solution get down as deep as the urine.   Once it is dry then cover it with plastic and put a cloth over it and that should absorb any accidents.  

 

If possible, they should have their own litter box which is inside and easily accessible.   Keep it very clean.   I have one who is and always has been a sprayer.   He doesn't like other cats and is not friends with the one in the house.   Even stray cats he sees outside the window can get him in a mood to mark his territory.   He's getting on in years and is now a little better and I can tell when he is walking around sniffing he is going to spray something.   If he is picked up and taken to the litter box, he will go and the crisis is averted.   He has all but quit spraying since his litter box is cleaned at least twice a day and he doesn't have to deal with anyone having used it.

 

The other cat was a feral who came to stay and he has reasonably good toilet manners, except when he needs to go, he needs to go.   There is no waiting, so if a door is closed then he finds somewhere else to go.  

 

Best of luck, but when you have cats with toilet troubles, then vinegar and water is the best solution.   (I used about a 50/50 solution).  Vinegar actually neutralizes the urine.   Baking soda does not.  

[ClutchClark]

14 minutes ago, Scott said:

The only thing that I have found that will combat cat urine, is vinegar.   If the sofa is salvageable then clean the sofa very well with a vinegar and water solution.   I assume it is a cloth sofa, so you will have to let the vinegar solution get down as deep as the urine.   Once it is dry then cover it with plastic and put a cloth over it and that should absorb any accidents.  

 

If possible, they should have their own litter box which is inside and easily accessible.   Keep it very clean.   I have one who is and always has been a sprayer.   He doesn't like other cats and is not friends with the one in the house.   Even stray cats he sees outside the window can get him in a mood to mark his territory.   He's getting on in years and is now a little better and I can tell when he is walking around sniffing he is going to spray something.   If he is picked up and taken to the litter box, he will go and the crisis is averted.   He has all but quit spraying since his litter box is cleaned at least twice a day and he doesn't have to deal with anyone having used it.

 

The other cat was a feral who came to stay and he has reasonably good toilet manners, except when he needs to go, he needs to go.   There is no waiting, so if a door is closed then he finds somewhere else to go.  

 

Best of luck, but when you have cats with toilet troubles, then vinegar and water is the best solution.   (I used about a 50/50 solution).  Vinegar actually neutralizes the urine.   Baking soda does not.  

 

This is the only chance to eliminate odor but I still smell it.

 

The biggest obstscle I see with the OP is that cats will continue to smell it and if they are still allowed near the couch I think they will continue to pee on it. 

 

Please provide a follow-up in the months ahead.

[Scott]

There is a difference between urinating and spraying.   They prefer a clean and reasonably private (or safe) place to relieve themselves.   They also like it to be familiar.   The sofa is now familiar and it has little to do with wanting to mark it.  

 

My feral cat liked to use an unmade bed for his litter box.   I spent my whole, entire life not making my bed.   I was punished, I was grounded my parents did everything, but I never made my bed.   That nice pile of messed up sheets and blankets was a perfect place for him.   And he was good, he would move them all around so it was covered and I didn't smell a thing, until I went to bed and was greeted by both poop and pee.    Do you know what it's like to strip a bed down when you are dog-tired and start from the mattress on up?   It happened twice and I now make the bed -- not a wrinkle in the sheets or blanket.   A military Sgt. would be proud.   

 

The whole situation was taken care of by putting a litter box in the bedroom.   Not the best solution, but far preferable to a soiled bed.   But before I did that I was sound asleep one night with the cat on the bed and he needed to go and was nice enough to pee on my pillow, right next to my head.   If you think going to bed and finding a soiled mess, it's much worse to have to get up at 3:00 a.m. and start the process.

 

Vinegar and water does work.   Believe me.   I know.  The sofa or whatever still has to be thoroughly cleaned and washed.  

 

 

[ClutchClark]

1 hour ago, Scott said:

There is a difference between urinating and spraying.   They prefer a clean and reasonably private (or safe) place to relieve themselves.   They also like it to be familiar.   The sofa is now familiar and it has little to do with wanting to mark it.  

 

My feral cat liked to use an unmade bed for his litter box.   I spent my whole, entire life not making my bed.   I was punished, I was grounded my parents did everything, but I never made my bed.   That nice pile of messed up sheets and blankets was a perfect place for him.   And he was good, he would move them all around so it was covered and I didn't smell a thing, until I went to bed and was greeted by both poop and pee.    Do you know what it's like to strip a bed down when you are dog-tired and start from the mattress on up?   It happened twice and I now make the bed -- not a wrinkle in the sheets or blanket.   A military Sgt. would be proud.   

 

The whole situation was taken care of by putting a litter box in the bedroom.   Not the best solution, but far preferable to a soiled bed.   But before I did that I was sound asleep one night with the cat on the bed and he needed to go and was nice enough to pee on my pillow, right next to my head.   If you think going to bed and finding a soiled mess, it's much worse to have to get up at 3:00 a.m. and start the process.

 

Vinegar and water does work.   Believe me.   I know.  The sofa or whatever still has to be thoroughly cleaned and washed.  

 

 

 

Interesting.

 

We have barn cats which we don't let in the house so I was not aware of some of this.

 

Good to know.

[dick dasterdly]

On 11/24/2016 at 6:08 AM, Scott said:

There is a difference between urinating and spraying.   They prefer a clean and reasonably private (or safe) place to relieve themselves.   They also like it to be familiar.   The sofa is now familiar and it has little to do with wanting to mark it.  

 

My feral cat liked to use an unmade bed for his litter box.   I spent my whole, entire life not making my bed.   I was punished, I was grounded my parents did everything, but I never made my bed.   That nice pile of messed up sheets and blankets was a perfect place for him.   And he was good, he would move them all around so it was covered and I didn't smell a thing, until I went to bed and was greeted by both poop and pee.    Do you know what it's like to strip a bed down when you are dog-tired and start from the mattress on up?   It happened twice and I now make the bed -- not a wrinkle in the sheets or blanket.   A military Sgt. would be proud.   

 

The whole situation was taken care of by putting a litter box in the bedroom.   Not the best solution, but far preferable to a soiled bed.   But before I did that I was sound asleep one night with the cat on the bed and he needed to go and was nice enough to pee on my pillow, right next to my head.   If you think going to bed and finding a soiled mess, it's much worse to have to get up at 3:00 a.m. and start the process.

 

Vinegar and water does work.   Believe me.   I know.  The sofa or whatever still has to be thoroughly cleaned and washed.  

 

 

Not sure about the vinegar and water for cat urine or spray, but it definitely works for dog urine on floors.

 

Incidentally, I also had a cat that once peed right next to my head whilst I was asleep in bed!

 

It was understandable as I'd recently moved to a new house and so was keeping them in the house for a couple of weeks - but, as you say, not a great experience to be changing the bed/putting bedding in the bath to soak at 3 a.m......

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.  

[raro]

ok...i let the mid pour severl liters of white vinegar over the sofa and report back.

 

In the meantime I found a peroxide cleaner at a vet, but it was not very efficient and rather expensive...

[raro]

ok....as promised a report back!

 

Poured approximately a liter of white vinegar over the sofa and let it dry in the sun for a couple of days. The vinegar was not well received by the cats. They jumped on their favorite pee place, took a sniffle and moved on rather swiftly. The sofa fully recovered and is back in use. We put it in our daughter's freshly renovated bedroom and there is no bad smell whatsoever. 

 

One cat (not the main offender!) we gave away at around the same time and lo and behold, the other kitten stopped peeing around the house. This also coincides with better weather (less rain) outside, so difficult to determine which of the three factors (vinegar, weather, one cat less) made the behavior change.