I can't keep nothin' good--ridding boots of cat pee smell - YouLookFab Forum

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I can't keep nothin' good--ridding boots of cat pee smell

Patty

Veteran

I didn't buy the boots that imprinted on me--too pricy ( http://www.myspringshoes.com/c.....1-camon/20 ). Great stuff at that store tho eh???!!!
Instead I bought a pair of Walmart boots that look almost exactly like these- http://www.myspringshoes.com/c.....-haeder/96 -the only diff (other than probably workmanship no doubt) the inner is red plaid flannel and not fleece -- --- so Yay for me!! Then the cat peed on one today and sat and stewed in the puddle a coupe hours till i figured it out--anyone want a tabby cat???
So I rinsed the thing out a couple times---washed it with dish detergent, rinsed again, squished hand sanitizer on it inside and out (it's vinyl so not too scared to wash them) rinsed again let sit to drain a bit then soaked in hydrogen peroxide and am leaving for now. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the neutralizing ingredients in skunk spray deodorizer--some kinda chemical ion exchange I hope will get the stink out of my boot so fingers crossed--I am too POed to look at he cat and he knows it!!! That's the thanks I get for defleaing him this morning LOL.

I KNOW this has happened to at least a good chunk you ladies some time or other--what do you do to get "pet odor" out of you clothes but mostly BOOTS!!!!!!!

General

28 replies

Latest reply was from ButterflyLady

KikiG

Veteran

I don't have cats, but for similar dog issues, I used Nature's Miracle, an enzyme product that "eats" the pee, chemically.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Try an enzyme-based cleaning solution. And good luck.

qfbrenda

Veteran

What they said about the enzyme cleaner. And I'm thinking the cat should get the boot. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Patty

Veteran

OF COURSE--ENZYME CLEANER!!! I completely forgot about that stuff!!!! I used to always have it here when we had the dog--DOH!!!!! So much for a long thread post LOL!
QFbrenda--I was resisting the urge to say the same thing!!

Thanks so much for the rememory!!

rae

(website)

Veteran

Looks like you got the product sorted, but I'd like to offer sympathy all the same. The hubs procrastinated buying litter recently, and kitty protested... not on my boots, but I feel your pain!

biscuitsmom

Veteran

If it's regular urine it should come out with a enzyme cleaner, but if it is from a cat 'spraying' it will be much tougher to remove, unfortunately. Even ammonia doesnt always do the trick....good luck!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I have had good luck with vinegar for removing stench.

I have to share this story. When we were kids (youngest of three), none of us every hung up our jackets. We'd just fling them on the nearest furniture. Then I picked up a stray cat and brought it home to live. It had the nastiest habit of peeing into the sleeve of any jacket that was handing on a couch or chair. Never on the furniture but into the arm from the inside. My dad loved that cat because we all started hanging up our jackets.

I won't tell you about the one that loved cigarette butts...

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

Sorry about the cat. I second the vinegar recommendation. Mix 1/3 vinegar with 2/3 water and a squirt of dish soap, mix, clean, scrub.

D'Ellen

Veteran

Oh no!!! Been there, done that - and all I can offer is good luck! Pet stores have all kinds of odor-removing products, but the one I bought wasn't successful on the carpet that my elderly, ailing cat used instead of his litter box. Even after a professional carpet cleaning a bit of an odor wafts up occasionally. The cat has since gone to kitty heaven, but a part of him will always be with us. I hope your boots will be more easily de-odorized!

taylor

Veteran

Oh, boo, cat urin is nasty..You have good advice here
.Fortunately my kitties are in control of that(for now)...I fear my husband would boot them into the wild:(

kellygirl

Veteran

Forgive me for being away so long but this post has me quaking in my boots. We are in the process of breaking in a new kitty. I'm definitely a dog person and this new addition has me extremely nervous. He's been fixed but am told that males can still "spray." I'm still getting used to the litter box (gross) and all of his strange cat sounds and actions. I guess I know what to use if I have a similar experience. Right now, I have DD's rooms and all of the closet doors closed : ) Gaah, what have DD's talked me into?

Jjsloane

Veteran

Vinegar. Sun. If smell persists it's done for (especially since they are drawn to the smell of their own issue) I've had minor success with BioKleen - works well on laundered items. I lost 2 very good leather chairs to a cat's UTI once. Grrrrr. Sniff Sniff.
@kellygirl I have never had a cat spray after being fixed so you should be able to relax. With one cat those automated litter boxes work quite well (but they really freak out young cats) I really love my cats...

catgirl

Veteran

Give the cat and the boots away. Sorry. We had a cat peeing issue and couldn't figure out which cat it was. Once we did, he was out. It is impossible to get rid of that smell. Ironically, he was the only animal we did NOT adopt from the pound but got from a friend - some animals do not like multi-pet (or multi-boot) households.

Mellllls

Veteran

I've heard vinegar helps but I do not know this from experience.

catgirl

Veteran

KG, our second male cat only started spraying after we got a second dog. I think there were just too many animals in the house for him. This was all pre-child. Our vet suggested anti-depressants for the cat. I was like, "Um, yeah - what about for ME?!"

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Male cats can indeed spray after being neutered. Ask me how I know. :-/

My then-boyfriend learned quickly not to leave clothes laying on the floor.

Elly

Veteran

Yeah, cats don't like me and in return I don't care for them. Perhaps you need a scary man to come live with you. That is how I house train my dogs---- one go with my old man and the dogs never have accidents again.

kellygirl

Veteran

@JSloane: Thank you. I felt momentary relief until I read Janet's post : / The cat has been very good so far--I just don't know what to expect so I'm wary.
@Una: I'm hoping keeping this a one pet household will help. Send those anti-depressants my way!
@Patty: Thank you for posting. Talk about relevant!
@Elly: I think I'm scarier than any man.

Kari

Veteran

Yuck! My favorite enzyme cleaner - not only for pet urine, but for any other organic stains or smell issues on fabric - is Kids'N'Pets. I keep a bottle on hand for my own laundry even though I don't currently live with a pet since I'm prone to spilling food on myself. :/

Patty

Veteran

Whoops--forgot to mention vinegar was the first thing I grabbed.
and Kelly--male neutered cats can indeed spray--and so do female cats!!!!!

Took a whiff this morning----ay carumba!! I may be done for---off to the pet store and maybe Walmart to see if there are any more boots left my size just to feel the knife turn in my back.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Good luck with the boots, and the cat! I have had some success with Natures Miracle (we get it at Petsmart) in repeated applications.

I loved my cat dearly -- he was a rescue, so we have no way of knowing how old he was before he was neutered. I think he felt threatened by the new presence of 1) a man in the house, and 2) the smell of the man's dog. He was one of those big bruiser tomcats, who was a tough guy outside (chased away the neighborhood dogs!) and a big lovey-dovey baby inside (would literally put his paws around my neck and lick my face like a dog!).

Patty

Veteran

Aww what a big sweety Janet!!!!!!

I used a spray called Odor Out once and it was terrific. The last stuff we had left the house smelling like a Kennel--I am sure there has been break thrus in technologies since then.

Our Bob was just acting out--mostly about his kitty litter box. I happened to leave my boot where he 'acted out' earlier so it is a bit my fault too. But still Bob!! I feed you!!!! LOL!! (and i still wanna punt him over the couch! We don't have money for messing around!))

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

oh Patty, i feel your pain! i lost a nice pair of trainers that way once, back in the day.......now we have Nature's Miracle i've had great results from this product on urine (feline & canine), barf, and skunk spray. (check the labels, there are different products for different problems). When it comes to skunks, NM with the cute little skunk on it is the only thing that worked at all. Just make sure to soak the item and let it dry. Repeat as needed.

re:scaring critters into not peeing in the house - this might work in some cases, but a lot of companion animals pee specifically from fear. i've known this approach to cause far more problems than it cures.

kellygirl - congrats on the new critter! there's lots of great info on kitties on the web, if you check it out you may get to understand the kitty better and not worry so much. plus it's fun to get to know an entirely new part of creation!! this blog has some good and fun info:

http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/

a lot of shelter websites have good into on avoiding problems. as you've already done, limiting access to potential problems (shoes, clothes, etc.) is a smart way to go, especially with younger mammals (it's a popular approach with young humans, as well best of luck! steph

Patty

Veteran

Got a bottle of Bissel EWWWWWW--smells good on it's own--fingers crossed.

AND having a cat is not a big deal most times. Dogs are companions thru and thru/ cats usually want to know why you're still around after you feed them. The worse is usually the kitty litter and shedding.

Elly

Veteran

Lol-- regarding scaring animals--- it isn't so much as that he is trying to frighten them, it is more so that he just happens to be my favorite crazy animalistic person and therefore communicates well with animals. I've never had a dog deny him the privileged of being alpha male. He is intimidating in that nature--- and probably more scary to us humans.

Patty

Veteran

My brother in law was a cop---he has cop vibes. His Dad's golden lab would give him wide birth when he came in the house to visit--even would loose her bladder--he never laid a hand on that dog and tried to cotton up to her all the time but the cop vibe was too strong--some people are like that. >=+l

Kari

Veteran

Though this won't help with your immediate problem of needing to rid the boots of a nasty odor, one of the books I read recently (and really enjoyed) was Temple Grandin's book "Animals Make Us Human." Each chapter focuses on a different animal group assessing some of the behaviors of domesticated animals that are related to the instinctual behaviors from the animal's wild ancestors. I thought that the chapter on cats was especially fascinating - cats were kind of loosely compared to humans with OCD who might learn a "bad" behavior, like spraying, but quickly the behavior turns into a compulsion. Anyway, if you're interested, I thought it was a neat (and easy to understand) read.

ButterflyLady

(website)

Veteran

You've been given great advice, so I hope it works on your boots, Patty.

Kelly - we have a male rescue cat, neutered, and he hasn't sprayed in the house. Sometimes they spray to mark territory (if they feel threatened) or if they are insecure. My cat has a houseful of devoted human slaves, he has no need to feel insecure!