The Amazing Longevity of Cat Pee

[aelfie]

My mother has spent the better part of the last week and a half moving out of her apartment to my Grandmothers house. We moved into that apartment in December of 1990. The landlord, one of her co-workers, told us that the previous tenant had cats who had peed everywhere. He promised that he'd replace the carpets awhile after we moved in. This never happened. So my Mom has had the same carpets for over 19 years.

When we first moved in, the cat pee smell was noticable, but as the years went by, it became less and less until you could no longer smell it.

Until recently.

I went into her apartment Sunday afternoon to retrieve some of my things and was hit in the face with a blast of cat pee smell.

Who knew that cat pee was so potent that it could still stink up a place after 20 years? Yuck!

I hope the landlord finally replaces the carpets.

Comments

[polychrome-baby.livejournal.com]

What really gets me is that that junk can even get into the floorboards.
The guestroom in our house has a bathroom attached, with the sink area separate from the toilet/bath area, and carpeted. We turned this area into our nursery (before moving it just recently). Unfortunately, my husband's ex had lived in that area during their initial separation and her cat declared his unhappiness with the state of their relationship by peeing heavily in that area.
We tore up the carpet, tore out the carpet pad, cleaned the floorboards thoroughly (many times) with vinegar and water, baking soda and cat enzyme cleaner. Then replaced the carpet pad. The bathroom still stinks to me. Some days my husband can smell it, but usually it's not quite so assaulting to him. My sense of smell is sort of insanely strong, though.
Still. Dang do I hate the smell of cat pee.