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Cat Urine Smell

Ken W.
Ken W. Member Posts: 1
Howdy:

We live in an attached home in Brooklyn. This summer we had our basement dug out to create a recreation room. The prior owners had many cats. When the work was done the furnace room they created smelled like cat pee. I treated the floor of the room and that helped a bit, but when we turned on our steam heat the riser in a small bedroom that is the end of the steam line on the second floor is emitting a cat urine smell. We had the boiler professionally flushed but that didn't help. Many plumbers have offered many theories. All ideas welcome. Thanks, Ken

Comments

  • Brad White_203
    Brad White_203 Member Posts: 506
    I did not know that

    cats could aim that well!

    Are you sure it is within the steam itself? If so, I would think that all would share the same, ah, characteristic.

    I am wondering if any underground mains had leaks and took on that aroma. I mean, a few cats is one thing. That sounds like "Crazy Cat Lady" legendary stuff.

    Can you get a UV Black Light? Cat urine will glow as florescent under UV light. That may help you find the source.

    Kind of fun, you shut off the lights and play "CSI Brooklyn" without using Luminol.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
    nasty smell

    we neutralised the smell of raw sewage in a basement by sprinkling groun cinnammon all over the [big] puddle--20 minutes later the smell was gone-amazing!
    maybe if the cat pee has sunk into the floor or earth underneath you could give it a dusting.--nbc
  • A customer of mine

    Bought an enzyme online for floors soaked with urine. Her wood floors were soaked with smelly cat urine and after she sprayed the emzyme it consumed the urine and the smell was gone, I couldn't smell anything after the application.

    Thanks, Bob Gagnon

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  • jim_51
    jim_51 Member Posts: 69
    Mmm, mmm, that smell...

    From bitter personal experience, may I suggest opening up all the stops?
    The odor causing agents can soak into wood over time and wil crystalize- that smell could well be coming from _inside the wood_ as well as the surface. Enzymatic cleaners are a big help, but may not be enough. After doing your absolute best to mitigate the smell, seal the wood. Shellac does a great job for "clear" finishes, if the wood is a subfloor, try Kilz (a thick, hiding paint primer).
    In our case, we finally ripped out all the affected flooring down to the joists and started over. Hope you have better luck!
    Patrick
  • Tim_41
    Tim_41 Member Posts: 153
    smell

    We had a skunk spray in our old cellar entry this spring. The smell woke us up. It was the worst. We found a product called SCOE 10X. Its a concentrate odor eliminater and it worked very well. It will work for your problem. Good luck.
  • john_181
    john_181 Member Posts: 93


    I had an apartment that the lady that was evicted had 4 cats. The owner evicted her and locked the apartment for 2 years - then I bought the building. I opened the door and WOW the smell was horrible. I tried enzymes and everything but the smell kept coming back....until.........I bought an ozone generator. I ran it in the for 1 hour and to this day there is NO smell of cat pee. The ozone kills EVERYTHING. Yes you too if you were in there. Be careful if you rent one. You must vacate the house and run it and then wait at leat 1 hour before entering the house. It worked for me - good luck
  • Dan H
    Dan H Member Posts: 15
    Thanks Brad

    Not only do you educate me, you stimulate in me a desire to experiment as well. Glows in the dark huh...?
    Is that what HVAC leak detector is made of?
    Kevin
  • Mad Dog_2
    Mad Dog_2 Member Posts: 6,831
This discussion has been closed.