Management of Items Contaminated by Urine or Faeces

Removing Urine Contamination

• Make up and label three plant sprayer bottles containing:

A: 10% solution of biological washing powder/liquid in water.

B: Plain water.

C: Surgical spirit.

• Mop up excess urine and dry the surface using paper towels. Do not soak up urine using the cloth you intend to use for cleaning or wring a urine soaked cloth into the cleaning bucket as this will spread urine odours.
• Spray the surface with bottle A [biological detergent solution]. Mop the surface with paper towel.
• Spray the surface with bottle B [plain water]. Mop the surface dry with paper towel.
• Mist the surface with bottle C and allow it to dry naturally. Do not allow the cat access to the area for at least 30 minutes to allow the alcohol to dry.
• Dispose of paper towels to a dustbin outside the house.

Test these cleaning products on an inconspicuous area of cloth or carpet before using them more widely to make sure that no discolouration or loss of colour is likely to occur.

Scented products and those containing ammonia should not be used to clean up spray marks because they may intensify urine odours and leave an objectionable smell that encourages over-marking.

Protecting Property from Urine Damage

Wooden floors:

• Seal joints and junctions between flooring and skirting boards or fitted furniture [kitchen units] with a silicone or an appropriate waterproof sealant to prevent urine from getting into cracks.
• Carefully seal joints between the panels of laminated flooring [urine ingress will cause panels to expand and pop up].
• Paint wooden floors with 2 or more coats of a heavy varnish [matt or gloss according to choice] or damp-sealant paint. If possible, extend the painted or varnished area to over-paint the sealant and thus create a complete barrier.

Concrete floors:

• Clean the floor and allow it to dry.
• Seal cracks as above.
• Paint it with several coats of a waterproofing paint.

Vinyl floors:

• Some vinyl floors are porous, especially if they are old.
• They may be sealed using specialist paints and coatings available from DIY centres.
• Cracked vinyl flooring should be removed and replaced.

Tiled floors:

• Glazed tiles are generally non-porous but grout between the tiles may absorb urine.
• Terracotta tiles are porous unless regularly sealed with a specialist coating [available from DIY stores].
• Use a specialist sealant on grout.
• Consider scraping out old grout in heavily urine-contaminated areas and replacing it with new waterproof grout.

Carpets:

• When fitting new carpet, clean and seal the flooring underneath [as above].
• Consider applying a layer of heavy plastic sheeting beneath the carpet or underlay to prevent urine from seeping into the floor.
• Protect existing carpets by covering them with heavy plastic sheeting and then cleaning the carpet underneath at least 2-3 times weekly until no further urine odour persists.

Wooden furniture:

• Where possible apply 2+ coats of varnish, especially under wooden feet of furniture [to stop urine absorption into wood grain].
• Otherwise use regular applications of a heavy wax furniture polish.

Computers and electronic equipment:

• Urine marking or soiling on electrical equipment is a serious health hazard: it can cause fires and electrical failures.
• Disconnect the equipment from the electricity outlet and clean carefully in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Allow to dry thoroughly.
• Dispose of any cooking equipment that is impossible to clean thoroughly [e.g. old toasters], because these represent a health hazard.
• Keep the equipment in a cupboard where it cannot be further soiled, or cover it in plastic sheeting when you are not using it [remembering the need for some equipment to be properly ventilated].

Electrical outlets:

• Urine entering a wall socket can cause a fire or shock hazard, so access to the location should be restricted.
• As an additional protection, cover the outlet with cling-film or a large flap of polythene hanging down over the socket, taped to the wall above it or alternatively use child proof plug guards.

Altering Spraying Sites to Make Them Unattractive to the Cat

• Place small bowls of food close to the marking location and combine this with an increase in the overall number of feeding stations throughout the house.
• Use plastic or aluminium foil sheets to cover flooring around the spray site, as some cats will not tread on this.
• Position a scratching post in front of the site to provide an alternative method of marking.