Ok, the short version is that someone (a cat) has been occasionally pooping and now peeing in the basement. What can I do?

The back story: I've found some down there before today. When we moved in, the house reeked of cat pee as the landlords had let theirs go everywhere. We cleaned stem to stern, and pulled up the carpeting going into the basement and down where the worst of the smell dwelt. There is very old, very patchy, very cheap lino down there now, over cement. Our original plan was to refloor ourselves, as we were planning to stay for a few years. Now the landlord and his wife have split and he plans to move back here (and is being a huge pain in arse) so no improvements from us!

For a while nothing happened, then we found poo down there. Kelso the dog was going down there and pooping too. I really didn't blame any of them, as I'm sure no matter what we've done, the smell has seeped into the cement and inside the lino. I sprayed really well with a bleach solution, then followed with some lemon verbena cleaner. All was well for a bit--we blocked the dogs out and with the Litter Robot, nobody really cared to go down there. But today there are two puddles of pee!

So, given that the floor is shot, so there's no worry about harming it--is bleach the best thing to use? What to do, short of a blow torch? I need your biggest guns for this. This will be part of my weekend entertainment, to put an end to this . All suggestions are gratefully welcomed.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

I already posted in Health and Nutrition, but I'm not sure if it doesn't fit better over here. So, pardon cross-posting. I'm mortified and desperate

Ok, the short version is that someone (a cat) has been occasionally pooping and now peeing in the basement. What can I do?

The back story: I've found some down there before today. When we moved in, the house reeked of cat pee as the landlords had let theirs go everywhere. We cleaned stem to stern, and pulled up the carpeting going into the basement and down where the worst of the smell dwelt. There is very old, very patchy, very cheap lino down there now, over cement. Our original plan was to refloor ourselves, as we were planning to stay for a few years. Now the landlord and his wife have split and he plans to move back here (and is being a huge pain in arse) so no improvements from us!

For a while nothing happened, then we found poo down there. Kelso the dog was going down there and pooping too. I really didn't blame any of them, as I'm sure no matter what we've done, the smell has seeped into the cement and inside the lino. I sprayed really well with a bleach solution, then followed with some lemon verbena cleaner. All was well for a bit--we blocked the dogs out and with the Litter Robot, nobody really cared to go down there. But today there are two puddles of pee!

So, given that the floor is shot, so there's no worry about harming it--is bleach the best thing to use? What to do, short of a blow torch? I need your biggest guns for this. This will be part of my weekend entertainment, to put an end to this . All suggestions are gratefully welcomed.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

bleach doesnt work - use dilute solution of bio washing powder

dont most local pet shops do a specific cleaner for urine and feces? xx

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hi im from derby, im 29 and am a single mum to a 6 year old hooman girl, 3 year old lilac bsh millie, 6 month old white moggie kobi, and 5 month old torbie lexie

A biological cleaner is much better than bleach as the smell of it can attract cats - the last thing you want If you can get a specialist cleaner like we have here - Simple Solution is one of the main brands here - that would be best but failing that I'd mix up a load of bio washing solution and scrub the floor with that.

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How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven. - Robert A. Heinlein
http://www.lambchopsiamese.webs.com

I certainly would't use bleach....it actually attracts cats to soil in the area. the same applies to ammonia. You'll need to buy a commercial product designed to break down urine and faeces' odours-Urine off or Simple Solutions. Can you block off the beasement entirely? This would be the best solution since they appear to be making a habit of using it.

So this bio washing powder----what is it exactly? We really don't have anything in this country labelled as such. It's just "laundry detergent" or "gel laundry detergent" or "liquid detergent". What ingredient am I looking for? Would the oxi-clean type products work? I'm sorry to be such a dolt. I just have looked before and been confounded at the store and been too embarrassed to ask, and just fell back on hydrogen peroxide and vinegar.

__________________
My babies
Aber, Ragnar, Kelso (the corgi trio), Daisy (our rescue mystery-mix puppy), Ellie, Henry, Gwennie, Jezebel (the kitty quartet), Blake, Chaucer, Molly and Milton (the kittens), and Bingo the African Grey parrot

Over the Bridge:
Pippin: 1/6/08-17/5/11
Freja: 11/8/10-30/10/10
Kirby: 11/8/10-1/11/10

"Praise liberty/The freedom to obey/It's a song that strangles me/Well, don't cross the line" Billie Joe Armstrong

DOn't use anything that smells of ammonia (which hydrogen peroxide does) - it will just attract the animals back to the same places again. Most pet stores have a specific thing for getting out urine smells - here we have CAt Urine Gone, or Urine Off, or Simple Solution - I suggest you go on line and have a look for it nationally. There must be something similar in the US>

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please look at my website - www.finesthourcats.webs.com - for gorgeous GCCF registered RagaMuffins and Selkirk Rex

ahh, here all washing powders are bio or non -bio
bio has enzymes , if youre lucky these will be labelled as some people with sensitive skin cant use them

Whatever you use don't use bleach - that will just encourage them to go back there!

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Kaz

For kittens, joy is for the asking and smiles are for the giving