We are considering purchasing a 19th century residence, that when last occupied, housed an older woman and reportedly about 50 cats. I do not know what floor coverings exist at this time, or their condition, and the house has stood vacant for about 30 years. Before we approach the owner, we would like to have some idea of what we might be up against with respect to cleaning the floors and lower walls, and removing the possible pet odor. <!—-> <!—-><!—->
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Kevin Madson <!—-><!—->
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Replies
Everything.
Unless she was remarkably fastidious, doubtful given her apparent eccentricities, I'd assume all floor coverings in rooms the cats roamed will have to go. If they are porous or permeable coverings, the subfloor will require removal or (if you're lucky) sealing. Cat pee is a well known impossibility to remove... both smell and stains are there for life.PaulB
http://www.finecontracting.com
Find the advanced search button top left and put in "cat ####" and begining of time as the search parameter.
This has been discussed here since the beginning of time with about a billion fixes and opinions.
Bottom line is probably burn it and start over.
Joe H
you capping the OP at only a billion posted fixes???
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Only a billion, yeah.
This used to come up pretty regularly, haven't seen it for a long time.
Looks like cat yourine didn't make it past the censor, but in the search it turns up many times.
Why dat?
Joe H
Depends on if she was able to keep up with cleaning (highly doubtful), or not.
If carpeting, get rid of it ALL. That will eliminate ALOT of odor (did that in my house).
If the male cats sprayed the walls, you will probably need to tear out part of the plaster walls (up to chairrail height would be my guess). If it's 19th century, then you've probably got wood lathe/plaster, which means you may end up taking out ALL the plaster (because wood lathe/plaster does seem to crack easily).
Are you planning to restore or make it livable? Will you be living in it while restoring? I believe Madscientist is still working on his fixer/upper out in CA. 'Course, I think he had rats to deal with but the photos were U.G.L.Y, so you may want to check them out, just to see what long neglect can leave for the next person.
Good luck and post before/after photos when you get a chance. I love old houses.
Char is just another word for BURNT.
One more thing. If you are fortunate and the neglect is not too bad, you may want to invest in Nature's Miracle. I've had great success using it.
Char is just another word for BURNT.
He said it has been vacant for 30 years. I don't think the cat smell is still around, but who knows.
DOH... good catch
(well, I suspect cat pee has a half life measured in millenia but... be an interesting experiment)PaulB
http://www.finecontracting.com
it will be...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Our first house was a former "cat" house. Neighbors said that when the old guy died there must have been fifty. (It's funny. When it comes to cats everyone throws out the number fifty.)
We ripped out the lower 3' of drywall in every room (it was a small two bedroom, one bath cape.), removed the carpeting, washed, scraped etc. Had the oak floors sanded and refinished. It was a hot day when the floor guy came to do it. He said he would have charged more if he knew how bad it was but the floors came out really nice. There was one area on the stairway to the attic where the cats must have really hung out because on a warm humid day for the four years we lived there you could always just get a hint of cat odor.
Consider it an adventure!
If it's been vacant for 30 years the cat poo won't be that big a problem, health- and odor-wise. That said, you should remove ALL floor coverings, down to the wood floors, then vacuum them well. Wear a decent dust mask.
My parents bought a house that had been occupied by a woman, her constantly-inebriated husband, and 15-20 cats. Something like 13 layers of linoleum in the kitchen -- when one got dirty, they just put down another one. Found a dead mouse between the layers about halfway down.
Like all old homes, the place had a musty, smoky odor about it (especially since my parents kept one of the old cast-iron stoves), but it didn't smell like cat.
If the house really has stood vacant for 30 years, you're going to have a lot worse problems to deal with than anything the cats may have done. Things start falling apart the moment you finish building them.
Cats are normally not a problem, unless, of course, basic care is seriously neglected for some time. Let's assume the worst.
You have two main sources of odor: cat pee and cat spray. You're lucky in that both glow in the presence of a 'black light,' and that should help you find the worst spots.
Otherwise, once the material has been allowed to fester, bacteria will begin to decompose it. It is this bacteria that makes the worst of the odor.
Sunlight, ozone, peroxide, bleach, and various enzymes have been used with success on small areas of such odor. The key here is 'small areas.'
I once worked a trailer that had been permeated by pet odors; a musty, moldy smell you're not likely to forget. Looking back, I think what I really smelt was simple mildew, fed by the moisture in the animal waste Once started, the mildew continued to feed on the carpet, panelling, etc.
If that's the case in your place, cut to the chase and replace everything porous - wood, drywall, carpet, etc. - from the waist down. A real wood floor might be saved by sanding and sealing - but do the guy a favor and mop it with peroxide or bleach first!
> A real wood floor might be saved by sanding and sealing - but do the guy a favor and mop it with peroxide or bleach first!
Yup, and consider shellac as the final finish. Shellac is its own sealing.
-- J.S.
Our dear and remarkably still alive cat decided to start peeing in one corner of house two weeks before we were going to move. It was a rarely used room so we did not discover it until moving day.
We were going to lease the house out a week after we moved. We first cleaned the carpet "professionally". in my opinion all that did was evenly dispurse #### laden water throughout the house, but that is just my opinion. It did not work still smelled
I removed the carpet and padding and washed the floor with bleach. Installed new carpet and pad. Odor came up in one week. Then removed new carpet and pad, cut out subfloor and bought new carpet and padding. That worked pretty well. Some of the stink went under the plate and I was not about to start cutting out the plates.
You have alot of work ahead of you. None of the "miracle products" mega enzymes, super oxy or other products worked.
Best of luck
Bruce
incinerated does well....
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
incinerated does well....
We talking cat or house?
Many times I have tried to figure out how to lead poison that cat without the DW figuring out what happened.
Now my two daughters love the infernal beasts as well.
Regards
Bruce
Everytime our cat crosses the road I root for the cars. They are nasty beasts not worthy of the air they breath.
I share the sentiment, problem I am sucker when it comes to DW and even a bigger sucker when it comes to my little girls.
I often let them (we have three cats)out the door and hope for the best-Whatever that might be.
coffee...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
PM on the way...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
Kharma has me coming back as a cat-I just know it.
and as one of mine...
so be good to them in this life...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
"Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"
50 cats...... That would be strikes one, two and three for me.
and the house has stood vacant for about 30 years......And that is all of the outs in all of the other innings.
I guess that if such a house were in a viable neighborhood, and was available for $1, it might be worth thinking about.
What should you expect?
Don't try to clean floors and lower walls -- think in terms of replacing them. Any foul odor that's been in the wood/plaster for three decades isn't coming out now. And you'll need to rip out the walls anyway, for the plumbing and electrical work.
All new mechanicals, perhaps including feeds from the street being re-done.
All new ductwork, to get rid of the vermin that are living in the current ducts.
All new plumbing, including all new pipes.
All new electrical, including all wiring.
New roof.
Inspect meticulously for insect damage, and live insect infestation.
Be sure that the foundation is still solid.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
There are some horror stories about this in the archives. Try searching. I couldn't stomach living in a place that had been treated like that.
But like one of the other posters said... 30 years of vacancy takes its toll on everything, unless someone was around to maintain the place.
Scott.
Edited 11/9/2009 7:34 pm by Scott
You do realize Cathouse has another entirely different meaning and you totally ruined my day. Get a guy all interested and then just burst his bubble.
LOL ... I, too, clicked on the thread with hopes of, er, "volunteering" some of my time and tools onsite.
after ya strip and clean the place don't ferget to burn as in incinerate a couple pounds of coffee grounds in the place...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
As Yes Mamma said. you may have larger problems than cat pee.
Sounds like a complete regut, hopefuly you can save the old wood casings etc.
Mice can do a number on a lot of things and mouse /rat Pee is right up there with cats, don't forget squrriles and racoon's. I was in a couple old cat houses and it was not pretty I threw away a new down jacket. The drycleaner could not get it out.
I thought you we talking about the other house of cat's
Every Sunday this nice eldery lady drops a $ 100 in the church collection plate. After a while the Pastor asks her if she can care for her own needs, as she is unusually generous to the church. The lady replies" Oh my son is well off and he makes sure I am cared for"
The pastor asks what he does for a living?
She replies" I think he is a vetrenartian, he said he just opened a new cat house in New York"
after being vacant for 30 years, you have much bigger concerns than cat youreen and feecees.
LOL, I clicked this thread thinking "Why is it not in the Tavern?" with p0rn in mind, and now after reading I see all you wanted to do was talk dirty...
You will get plenty chances to get down and dirty rebuilding this place.
Definitely hir an EXPERIENCED home inspector before buying.
Heck, hire two or three
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