Hi everyone!

I am in quite a predicament at the moment. About 2 months ago, one of my cats decided to use the oldish hardwood of our new house for a litter box. Her litter is kept clean, she has a clean bill of health. I think she may have been spooked with the move.

It was cleaned up with bleach and water (which I now know is a big no-no). After a few times we covered the area with plastic sheets but to our chagrin, she still got in and urinated. It has now become a ritual for her and a major, major headache for me. There are areas that are darker that are obviously spots After a few bleach cleanups and spraying with lemon juice/water, I started out using an enzyme cleaner spray (Natures Miracle). It totally did not work. I then thought that since it was soaked in the wood and between the boards, that I needed to work something in by actually scrubbing it in. I bought another enzyme cleaner that was recommended by the pet store and I followed the directions on my hands and knees. The next night, she was back at it. The only thing I wonder is if I need to let it dry more than a few hours to work?

The option of ripping up all the hardwood in our combined living/dining room (350+sq ft) and replacing it is obviously NOT very appealing at all.

Has anyone been through this? Are there other options that may involve refinishing but not ripping up the floor? Professionals who might have options?

HELP!!

Cat urine is the most difficult stain and odor to remove. First, you need to get your cat to stop urinating on the floor or any fix will be temporary. Once that has been accomplished, then the urine soaked wood needs to be replaced. You cannot sand it out, bleach it out or clean it out completely. But it is typically a simple patch job and most cats, once they have decided on a spot to go on, stick to that particular spot. So the whole floor need not be replaced, just the areas where the cat has done her business. Savvy?

Some pet lover I listened to on the radio (NYC area - Saturday morning talk radio) said to put some of the cat's food on a plate where it left its mark. Repeat indefinately if they find new locations to make their mess. The cat (if it follows this guys logic) will move spots, and you basically repeat puting food out wherever they go until they make the brilliant connection that they should not leave their mess where they eat. I can not speak from experience however, since my wife and I are not cat lovers by any means.

Regarding cat stains, I had three rooms with cat damage. The room with the worse damage didn't finish as nice as the other two with less (yet signficant) damage, but the others did come out nicely. I was on a budget (now paying the big mortgage) and was fairly pleased with the result. You might want to post a picture of the amount of damage your cat has already contributed to see if one of the very knowledgeable pro posters here can estimate the extent of your damage.

Regarding the enzyme cleaners (like nature's miracle), supposedly they take weeks to work, and they do eleminate the smell sufficiently. You may also be able to rent an ozone cleaner machine at a janitorial supply store if you want better odor elimination. But I would not expect the stuff to be a deterrant for the cat. I guess it acts as a odor eliminator for your guests instead.

Good luck.

Wow - thanks for the great replies! I got all sorts of kooky stuff from the pet forums I posted this on. I knew that going to people who know alot about hardwood itself would be more fruitful.

The cat is currently "on vacation" at the in-laws while we sort this out.

I am going to use the enzyme cleaner again and give it the recommended 2-3 weeks to dry out. I have heard of that food trick as well.

As far as a patch job, I didn't even know you could do that? I know nothing whatsoever about hardwood.

I'll try to post a picture tommorrow.

Have you spoken with the cat? Does the cat understand the gravity of the situation?

Come on Chuck, you can't talk to a cat. A dog, maybe...

I talk to my cat! But just like my ex-wife, she doesn't listen.

i have had great success with using white vinegar. pour straight on urine spots and don't dilute. it will smell like vinegar for a few days. it's been said that the vinegar neutralizes the vinegar. I haven't done this on hardwood, just on carpet. it worked and I no longer smelled the urine. we eventually replaced the carpet with wood. i have heard that cats won't pee where they eat although it sounds like that may not be working for you. good luck!

also, try pouring the white vinegar on the cat.

I think the most obvious solution here may be the one that everybody else is afraid to say. I guess Ill have to be the bad guy.

GET RID OF THE CAT and pay a professional to come replace the floor boards. Chock it up as a cost of owning a cat. Similar to a vet bill. I guarantee it will resolve the problem.

I guess Im not a cat lover but I never could understand why anyone would let an animal pee all over his home and then keep him there so he could do it again.

No disrespect at all but it just seems like the obvious and nobody else would say it.

Just wanted to add my two cents. Before everybody runs to place a noose around Scott's neck for the previous post, I think we can establish that animal owners fall into various categories. To some, their animals are like their children and they would move heaven and earth to keep them under ANY circumstances. To others, they are pets who exist to make our lives more pleasant and as soon as they stop providing that...it's time to dispose of them. Some folks probably fall somewhere between these 2 extremes. I have a suspision that BASIC has already considered getting rid of the offending cat and has rejected the idea, instead turning to a message board of people for guidance. I, myself have a 14 year old dog with incontinence issues and I am nervous about what he will do to our new wood floor, however dogs are easier to contain in one (tiled...easy to clean) area of the house then cats that can jump over baby gates. Regardless, if it can be cleaned, maybe it is a job for a professional cleaning service..or those boards can be replaced rather then the entire floor. As for the cat repeating this behavior...I'd call in another professional to deal with that whole issue. I hope Basic finds an answer to this dilemma and then lets the rest of us know how it was solved.