Spraying

I couldn't figure on where the appropriate forum was for this question, so I put it here. It's NOT a behavioral problem -- I understand that he's going to spray some in a new environment until he's fixed. If it happens *after* that, then yes, we have a behavioral issue.

Anyway, generally speaking I know how to get rid of the smell -- we use white wine vinegar and spray it around the area that's been sprayed. Whisper and Reagan, when we first moved, used the landing on the stairs a LOT because there was an old odor in the carpet and they used that area instead of a litterbox (ewww). The vinegar works like a miracle cure.

The problem in this case is that my nose isn't leading me directly to the source of the odor. It's either directly on the stairs in the carpet (relatively easy to get the smell out because the vinegar soaks in) or he's sprayed the walls at the bottom of the stairs.

Without a blacklight (which we currently don't have and can't afford to get until at *least* next week and that's considering Christmas and baby on the way yet), is there any practical way to not have to spray the entire stairway/dining room area with vinegar?

first of all i learned something from your article i did not know about the vinger for the smell but what i can tell you is that just because you get him fixed does not mean that he will stop spraying once they start even fixing them may not work

Having him fixed should help with the problem, though. An unneutered male cat is more likely to have issues with territorial behavior than one who has been altered, and he's been in the house two weeks and this is the *first* time that he's sprayed. I don't see it being a major problem after that, but if it is, I'll move the question into behavior

As for the vinegar, it's a miracle worker. You have to spray down a *lot* of it, but it not only takes the smell up to our *human* noses, but the dog and the cats stopped marking the area that was being marked so frequently after we did it.

The only problem is that your house will smell like vinegar for awhile afterwards. But once it clears, you're good to go!

Vinegar has to be the best thing ever made! I have used when I had rats. I also use it to clean anything for my aquarium stuff and the outside glass and acrylic of my tanks. I also use it to clean the litter box and any pet messes. If I go overboard with using it, I just crack a window and light a few candles.

I have 3 ways to find the source in my house: my black light, my nose, and my little snitch, Scarlett, will find it and scratch at it. Knowing that the first 2 can't work for you right now, have you noticed the cats hanging around any particular area showing more interest than normal?

Nope Momofmany, nothing at all, except that they are hanging out more around ME (imminent labor?).

Normally my nose would be able to catch it, but the problem I have right now is that it's too uncomfortable to get down on hands and knees and sniff the walls and floor

*snort* LOL

I'd pay to see you rolling around on the floor trying to smell for cat pee like a rollie pollie!!!

LOL! It's my knees that are killing me. They're swollen up either because of the weather or because of the pregnancy and getting down on hands and knees would just be absolutely impossible. DH can't smell it for some reason (that darned pregnant nose!).