Tightwad tuesday: cheap cat odor removal

A few years back our cat Fiona urinated on our down comforter when I left it in a basket in our laundry room. I tried washing it myself and when that didn't work I sent it to the dry cleaners. Still stinky. Quite a few dollars later I found (via the internet) a rather pricy chemical that did a fair enough job of removing the odor that the cats didn't pee on it again when I put it back on our bed--but it still left brown stains that never came out.

Our spring break was last week, and to wrap it up right, we went over to Seattle to take in the Pacific Science Center and the Easter egg hunt at Woodland Park Zoo. After two busy days and a return drive during which Joseph cried all the way from Snoqualmie Pass to Ellensburg (that's over an hour, folks--the boy's got staying power!) I was looking forward to falling into my own comfortable bed. When I tried to do just that, I realized it was damp. And smelly. Like cat pee. Apparently Sid was letting me know he didn't appreciate I was unavailable to let him outside--I say me, because Jim's side of the bed was dry and fragrance-free.

Even though it was past bedtime, I fired up Google and found a variety of DIY methods for removing cat urine from furniture, most of them utilizing some combination of vinegar, peroxide and/or baking soda. The methods that used only vinegar had mixed reviews, as did those with just peroxide and baking soda, but I finally found a recipe and directions--the only one combining peroxide, vinegar and baking soda, courtesy of Cats of Australia--which had universally positive reviews. The post on their website specifically addressed removing cat urine from a mattress, but many of the testimonials were from people who had successfully used the same method on other furniture and carpets.

Not only did I have all the necessary ingredients under my sink, in my pantry and in my medicine cabinet, but for just a few pennies, it worked. I treated my mattress that night, layered towels and a trash bag over the wet spots so I could sleep on it, and then stripped the bed and let it air all day the next day, and the urine odor and stains were gone.


Instructions for Cat Urine Removal from Your Mattress

1. If the urine is recent, blot up as much of it as you can using paper towels or a sponge. Apply plenty of pressure to reach the dampness deep down. Stand on the paper towels for more pressure if necessary. If you own a wet/dry vacuum cleaner extract as much of the moisture as you can. If the urine has dried proceed to step two.

2. Mix a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water in a jug or other container. Pour a small amount of this solution over the area of cat urine. Then begin blotting as described above to soak up this solution.

3. Sprinkle a good handful of baking soda over the area.

4. Mix a quarter of a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent and drizzle it over the area where you have sprinkled the baking powder and work it in using your fingers or use a brush. Allow fifteen minutes for the solution to work and then begin blotting again.

5. The mattress must now be left to dry thoroughly. A good indication is when the baking soda feels completely dry. Then vacuum up the baking soda thoroughly. Use a hard bristled brush to loosen up the baking soda if necessary.

Caution: Do not use hydrogen peroxide that is stronger than 3%

Settling in

Apologies to my sister Ruth, who I hear is chomping at the bit for more NaPoWriMo. Soon, I promise. But meanwhile...

Meet the newest member of the family.

Sid came into our lives over the weekend. On Saturday we noticed him meowing up on our roof, but didn't think much of it--we see a lot of neighborhood cats up there, and they always seem to find their way down without too much trouble.

Then on Sunday, as we were getting home from church, we saw him again---looking and sounding rather frantic. Our neighbor, who was in his driveway packing his truck, commented that this was the third day he had seen the cat on the roof. We had no idea it had been so long and felt terrible. Jim borrowed an extension ladder from his dad and climbed up to do a rescue. The cat came right to him and though he seemed scared of the height, he let Jim carry him down the ladder without a struggle.

We set out canned cat food and a water dish on the front porch, and watched him while he ate. No collar or tags, but he seemed quite friendly--when he had his fill, he waltzed right in through our open front door and made himself at home. Jimmy was sure it was the same cat that had belonged to some neighbors across the street who moved six months ago.

I had a sneaking suspicion Jim left the front door open on purpose, and was surprised he seemed so ready to adopt Sid, in spite of his winning personality. Back when Will died, Jim said he had no desire to get another cat anytime soon. So on Sunday afternoon, I grilled him about it. All Jim would say was, "I'm a sucker for a hard case, and it doesn't get much harder than being stuck on a roof for three days with nothing to eat."

Jimmy suggested we call him Obsidian, which Jim shortened to Sid. First thing on Monday we took Sid down to the pound, but no one had reported him lost, and he didn't have a microchip. On the plus side, he was already neutered. By that time, too, he had started hammering out all the little feline territorial snags with Fiona and getting acclimated.

The kids love him and it's mutual; he spends a lot of time hanging around and watching them while they play, and is very patient and gentle.

We snapped this last night when we went in to check on Audrey before calling it a night.

Goodbye, sweet william

Loved 1999-2011. Missed forever after.

Fur is the cure

Jimmy is rarely sick, but three weeks ago he had stomach flu, and then just this week a nasty cold.

Besides any presentation of symptoms like vomiting, fever or runny nose, two things always alert us when Jimmy isn't feeling well. First, he crashes out and sleeps in the middle of the day. This from a boy who (much to my everlasting chagrin) stopped napping at two-and-a-half. Not even the longest and most boring of road trips lulls him to sleep. Second, and this is the clincher, Will curls up and cuddles with him.

In fact, we can always tell when somebody is coming down with something at our house because Will becomes very specific in his furry ministrations to that person, climbing into bed and snuggling. Our very own fuzzy Florence Nightingale.

Mewl log

Santa claws

In Acts 20:35, the apostle Paul quotes Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Certainly, this holds true in some situations less than others (diamond earrings? chocolate cheesecake? a full-body massage?) but it’s a value that my parents worked hard to instill in me, and now I’m trying to pass it on to my own progeny.

I wanted to do a family service project for one of our advent calendar activities, but something enjoyable as well as meaningful, so Jimmy could start to grasp early on that being kind can be fun and rewarding. My mom had a great suggestion: do service at an animal shelter, since Jimmy has such a great love of all things furry. When I called our local shelter, they suggested we could donate food or even come in and feed treats to the cats.

Yesterday we did a quick shopping trip to and then headed to the shelter.

Good call, Mom.

Strange bedfellows

We adopted Will and Fiona from the King County pound at the end October 1999, right after we moved to a new apartment that allowed pets. By the time a baby came along in 2003, the cats were entrenched as the resident roost-rulers. It has been only recently that Will tentatively established a relationship with Jimmy and finally forgave us for bringing home a usurper (interesting that Jimmy's given name, James, means "supplanter"). For Fiona, the jury is still out.

In the last month or so, Will has started joining us for bedtime stories, camping out on the furthest corner of the bed so that he can get some time with his people while maintaining a safe distance from eager fingers. As soon as the lights are out and prayers and songs are over, he leaves with me and returns to the safer realms downstairs. Which is why the scene above was such a surprise to me when I went to check on Jimmy the other night, before going to bed.