Expert: Jahann and Sons Persian Rugs - 6/30/2011

Question
I have read many of your answers on Cat pee in Persian carpets.  I have a 75 year old Moroccan wool rug that was beautiful when I purchased it with bright but worn in color.  I loved it.  My mothers cat "muffin" has taken a dislike to all of my Persian or like rugs and pee'd on them.  The Moroccan has bleed in the red to the white parts and it just makes me sick.  I so loved this carpet and its bright colors that are now mired together in the center mandala.  I will take it to a reputable Persian carpet cleaner, Tulanian rug repair and cleaning in Oakland CA.  Do I need to take the pad for cleaning too  as it is only 1 year old and a very good pad too or should I junk it and get a new pad for fear that it will carry the cat smell too.  I'm at wits end with that cat and if it wasn't my deceased moms cat I would give it up for adoption.  Do you think that the bleed to the white parts can be reversed.  It had no bleeding when I got it and I know that it has been cleaned before, but probably not with cat enzymatic cleaners.  Thank you for any advise that you can offer me.

Answer
Hi Tim,

I'm so sorry to hear about your predicament.  My family actually had a cat named "muffin" too, if you can believe it.  She was also a handful.

There is good news and bad news about your rugs.  The good news is that your rugs can get better, the bad news is that they probably have to get worse first.  When you are dealing with cats, rugs, and marking territory, you have to be really careful.  A clean smelling rug to you might still smell to the cat so the cat will continue to use it as a litter box.  It is for this reason that when we get urine-soaked rugs, that we dip or soak them in a vat of water and deodorizer to remove all the urine and the smell.  The problem with this process is that it can cause the colors to run (something that can't really be controlled).  Since you know already that the colors in the Moroccan rug run, then you can be pretty certain that this process will cause the colors to run more.  However, this isn't a death sentence for your rug, as color running, especially the red color in a not-too-busy rug, can be repaired using dye removers.  If this is an option to you at your rug cleaner, I would do it.  If just standard cleaning is an option, I would probably opt to have the rug cleaned, but to put it in a room where the cat doesn't have access, just in case.  

The padding is probably a total loss, though if it doesn't smell, you may be able to use it in a cat-free room.  I'm not sure if it is the case with Tulanian, but for us, the cost of new pad is cheaper than the cost to clean padding.

I hope this information is helpful.  I'm sorry to hear about your mother.  I suspect that "muffin" misses her and that might be the reason for all the accidents.  

Regards,
Katie
ruglady@jahannandsons.com
www.jahannandsons.com