Expert: Becky - 10/15/2005

Question
HI,
 I NEED SOME HELP WITH MY CAT.WE HAVE 2 INDOOR FEMALE CATS.WE RECENTLY TOOK IN A MALE OUTDOOR CAT.HE SPRAYED IN THE CORNER ON THE CARPET AND NOW MY FEMALE CAT IS USING THE CORNER AS A LITTER BOX.I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH HER IN THE PAST.SHE IS FIXED AS WELL.THE OTHER CAT HAS NO PROBLEMS AND SEEMS TO LOVE HIM.I HAVE TRIED URINE SPRAY,CARPET DEODERIZER,AND EVEN VINEGAR.I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TRY.IS THERE ANY OTHER OPTIONS?WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP.THANK YOU
                     THE JACKSONS

Answer
HI Carla,

You need to have him neutered if he isn't already.  That will help keep him from spraying.  He is marking his territory!  But from what I gather, your question is more about the other cats urinating where he went.  This can be quite tricky , but can be solved.   The products you used are good, but you have to be sure and take care of it once and for all.  It's not just getting the urine odor up, but keeping the cats away from it for awhile.  This is what I recommend and it has worked for me and others in the past.
First....rent a good carpet shampooer if you dont have one,  fill it with the special shampoo that is available at Walmart and most pet stores for pet urine.  The steam cleaner type carpet shampooer is really good for this.  Clean it SLOWLY and get every bit of moisture up that you can.  If possible, pull the carpet up and cut away the section of padding and replace it with new.  Often, the padding will soak in the urine and the shampooer just can't get it out good enough.  A friend of mine removed an area of padding, washed it really well with the pet shampoo and let it dry, the replaced it.   You mentioned vinegar.  It is a GREAT deodorizer and I would add some of it to the shampooer too.  It sure won't hurt and I think it helps!  If you pull the carpet up in that area, wash the bare floor really good with vinegar.   After you shampoo this area and it is dry, cover it with aluminum foil.  You can use bricks or something to keep it in place. This is only temporary.  Why ?  Cats HATE aluminum foil. They don't like to walk on it and it will deter them from going back out of habit, to the same place.  In the meantime, keep the litter box clean, and they will get used to going there again.  
If you are going to keep the male inside,  I hate to say it, but he will probably continue to mark his territory.  Having him neutered will definetly help, but once cats start spraying it's almost impossible for them to stop, especially if other cats are around.  I'm not suggesting that you throw him out,  I just want you to be aware of it.
I hope this helps!!
God Bless!
Becky