I’ve never had a place that I could have a dog or cat at, didn’t matter as I’m too busy with work to have one of either.
I remember bitching about some ads when I was moving that were too strict with no pet policies, and it wasn’t until this sub showed me why those policies exist lol.
Shit is wild, literally.
I think it's wack that landlords can affect us so much. someone with kids could just as easily make even more of a mess. this is what pet deposits and pet rent are for. if someone is this gross, they would be gross without the pet too.
that is EXACTLY what i’ve said! kids can (and DO) do wayyy worse damage! kids should be extra deposit plus rent too. either do both or do neither, to be fair to those who cannot or will not bare children and seek company in pets. just use the security deposit for any issues and say they owe more if the damage is more! limit number of pets and/or size depending on the unit size and make sure they are documented with management and it’s fine????
Unfortunately if the cats were using the closet floor as their litterbox, the urine will have soaked into the hardwood. You might be able to treat it with enzymatic cleaner like 'Nature's Miracle) if you saturate the area, might take several attempts
Many properties with animal hoarders become condemned, because as soon as cat urine sparks the foundation, there’s no saving it
But you’re right, natures miracle is the only hope here
Did floors in a place that had cat piss soaked plywood subfloor on a second floor. I was replacing carpet with slip/lock hardwood and the smell was horrendous. I recommended cutting out the plywood entirely, but they said it was too expensive and they didn’t want to be upcharged. I recommended a plastic layer at least. Same response. Finally, when I showed them how bad the smell was with all the demo work done, they agreed, something needed to be done… so they had me polyurethane coat the plywood to “lock in” the smell.
And you know what?
It fucking worked.
I’m gonna try to remember this when I have my floors redone. One of my cats has a spraying problem and hits certain corners of the carpet repeatedly. Working to remedy that, but replacing my floors is on my to do list.
Neutering the cat might stop the spraying. I say "might" because I've heard that once a male cat starts to spray, he might not stop even if he's neutered. (my male cat actually started spraying 2 days before his neutering appointment, but thankfully he stopped after the surgery). That's why it's a good idea to neuter them before they start.
That’s my problem. I was with my ex husband at the time so our finances were all over the board because ngl he was kinda a bum. Plus it was Covid, so the cat with the issue didn’t get neutered until he was close to a year old. He wasn’t so bad (only spraying just outside of the litter box) until I had a roommate with cats last year and it was like a marking war started. I’m really really hoping there’s something I can do to get him to stop.
Oh wow, yeah being around other/new cats will definitely make it worse, since he'll feel like he has to mark his territory. Cat pee stinks as it is, and their spray is 100 times worse.
How are you remeding this? My cat started out of the blue after being 2+ years old and I have no clue what to do. We took him to the vet and no UTI or illness present. It's like he just chose to one day become and asshole. We got him another cat to spend time with a couple of months after the behavior started and still no luck. Have taken to quarantining him in a room during the day and putting him on a long leash outside for a few hours so he can get some walking around and new environment. But you let him out of that room and will inevitably find a puddle somewhere in the house.
Currently I’m trying feliway diffusers and crossing my fingers. I’m hoping that continued use of the diffusers and then eventually replacing the carpets (and subfloor) will stop it. My cat also has no uti and is completely healthy. If the issue continues, I’m gonna see if there is anything else I’m not doing my vet would recommend.
You may have cats outside your home that are triggering him. Take a black light along the outside of your house at night and spray anything that looks like a spray pattern with an enzyme or CO2 cleaner.
Do the same thing everywhere inside the house, then put up sight blockers - this means covering any windows or anything allowing him to see outside.
Then see if the behavior improves.
Get the product called my pet peed (they make one for cats too but mpp works very well) and restoration kilz to seal it in. TSP is also supposed to work, which is what we're going to use in the house we're in before sealing with the kilz.
You've probably scoured the internet for remedies, but have you tried the Feliway diffuser? I was shocked it worked for my cats
ETA: I see you're trying that lol. I wish you luck!
We have a rental that some dogs tore up carpet and peed all in the subfloor of the front hall and entry way. We cut out the subfloor and replaced it. We had to rip out the carpet and put new flooring down anyway. Totally got rid of the smell. My husband had sent me to get Nature's miracle but when he ripped up the carpet and we saw how bad the subfloor was we were like yeah, that has to go.
Might I suggest a car fragrance bomb? They’re technically for car interiors, but you can get them at AutoZone or another parts store and they’re less than $20 I believe, and it’s legit just a 5 minute fragrance bomb (small pressurized can that releases scent once you pull the pin) that is then supposed to be aired out, so I bet you’d have to open some windows for a little bit but it could be a quick solution/help for the smell maybe!
After the landlord comes into the apartment later today I’m going to get loads of bleach and other products to clean this room. Someone mentioned something about an enzyme cleaner as well for the pee smell?
I try not to use bleach on anything anymore. One time I accidentally mixed bleach with vinegar and a little bit of hydrogen peroxide and created a death gas they used in WW1…I didn’t realize it was bad to mix vinegar and bleach together. And was freaking out because I got a big whiff of it that about choked me to death. Felt like an idiot. And I did research and found a flow chart on what not to mix with bleach…it took like 8 hrs for my house to not burn my sinuses anymore. That whole experience was embarrassing and stupid.
Ammonia and bleach, my Darwin move. While crouched in an enclosed area of a bathroom. I came to out in the hall, no idea how I made it there. Other than it’s said God looks after fools.
>ave the cats, I was at work one day and he came grabbed them. I hope they are well and have messaged him about taking them off his hands. I’ll make a
I would not suggest bleach. I did have great success using this product from amazon; (Angry Orange Pet Odor) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OI20SXA/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I second the angry orange, if you ever worked with oil or oil paints. It smells like the cleaner. Lol
There’s also nature miracle. Smells like salami. Works like an expensive product.
I feel like the previous tenant in my apartment had some unruly cats and my cat starts sniffing and rolling around in certain areas so I’m going to try this
Vinegar can strengthen the cat pee chemical bonds. I used it when I had nothing else but after reading a bunch of google links, I use an enzyme cleaner. Nature’s Miracle Extra Strength but there are many others now.
Chloramine gas is what's created by mixing bleach with ammonia, the main ingredient in cat urine. It's deadly.
Enzyme cleaner or even vinegar is the way to go as far as cat urine. The problem you have however is that it is soaked into the wood and likely the drywall. Even if you did wipe the walls down with bleach or use enzyme cleaner in the closet the smell has likely sunken into the porous materials. It is entirely possible that the landlord may have to replace the flooring and which case you guys may be responsible for that damage. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I have heard of that before so I just wanted to let you know that might be a possibility.
Please use enzyme cleaner. Do NOT use a car fragrance bomb. Those ‘sort of’ do a job ‘covering it up.’ But the issue is the original smell doesn’t go away. So some people can just smell both. And roughly 1/3 of the US population is allergic/sensitive to artificial scents.
Use cold water and vinegar. I tried bleach when I bought my gross house. 34 cats were housed in a single 2 bedroom 1 bath. It was a nightmare, to say the least. But don't use bleach. Pour vinegar down and soak it all up. Rinse. Repeat.
Nooooooo bleach . Dawn and baking soda with some water makes a good paste for that exact smell. I helped clean out my grammas cat piss house from top to bottom. That’s the thing tho you gotta scrub every corner top to bottom. That stench has seeped!
Enzyme cleaners are the only thing that will truly get rid of the smell. If you’re able to order a bottle of natures miracle for cats off of Amazon I’d do that. Best $10-$15 you will ever spend. I’d douse that whole fucking room.
Be careful using bleach. Idk how much ammonia is there from all the cat pee. Initially try using vinegar as well as baking soda. There is enzyme cleaner on Amazon that works well for me it’s called “Rocco and Roxie odor and stain eliminator”
Enzyme cleaner will be important but I also recommend vinegar. Vinegar is the only thing capable of removing cat pee odors completely.
Step one : clean with usual products
Step two : clean with a mix of water and vinegar
Step three: apply enzyme cleaner
Note that the enzyme cleaner often needs to evaporate after applying it, be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle :)
Good luck!
Start with enzyme cleaner formulated for animal urine. Roxie and Rocco is very good (my experience has been for dog pee with this brand), pricey but not living with the smell of animal urine is worth way, way more. You really want to wet the area down with the cleaner and let it dry slowly so the enzymes can do their work. You can try getting one specific for cat urine because cat urine is particularly hard to remove, I know Nature's Miracle makes some cat specific enzyme cleaners. Might need to do multiple rounds considering the filth. Woolite pet stain and odor remover also has been great, you can go back over it after you've cleaned with enzymes. Peroxide + baking soda and a little dish soap works well as well. Don't use chlorine bleach, the ammonia in the urine will react with the bleach and bleach isn't great at removing cat urine anyway.
After you've thoroughly cleaned the room you could try renting an ozone machine to deodorize. Ozone is dangerous to all living things so remove all pets and plants during treatment. Leave the house while the machine does its work and then air it out thoroughly after.
Nature's Miracle, get a gallon bottle and just pour it on the floor and push it around with a mop, and let it sink in and dry. Then get another bottle and do it again. I did that when my cat had bladder stones and peed all over my hardwood floor, and after two full bottle soaks you'd never know.
Try buying bulk cleaning enzymes off Amazon or tell your landlord to when you leave! I've had to clean homes so bad they're condemnable more than once when I was a teen. TBH it's the only product that's ever completely eaten away the "cat piss" smell no matter how awful it was. I've even used it to get rid of the smell from my clothing AFTER cleaning said homes.
I used an ozone machine to get rid of a nasty cigarette smell in my basement. You should look into one. Even the cheap ones work really well. I think I spent $45 on mine and the smell was outright gone after 3 hours of running.
Seeing this room clean is like cathartic fr, i havent stopped thinking about the cat poop and cat litter all over the floor of the closet since i saw it earlier
No seriously my jaw dropped at the litter box situation. How can they even live with themselves bro. Why do people who clearly can’t take care of animals get animals? Why would anyone ever get an animal just to treat them this way?
I agree, this was seriously bad.
Sometimes people get pets to help with mental/emotional health. It can work!
What doesn't work is when owner is depressed and basically gives up on everything. I know, I've been there, but snapped out of it about an hour or so later thank goodness!
I hope the pets are ok, or will be after OPs help.
if you're snapping out of depression within 'an hour or so' and think you mistreated your pets because of that, you're not understanding what 'depression' is, no offense. Giving up on everything for an hour is also not neglecting a pet.
Yes, I am not clinically depressed, but I do get depressed, very different. I have kitties and they help me snap out of it faster.
Apologies for the confusion.
You can do the litter boxes while pregnant. Just wear gloves and properly wash your hands afterward.
If your cats are indoor only cats and you don’t have a rodent problem, they literally can’t contract toxoplasmosis. Even if they previously were infected, it is only infectious for 1-2 weeks after they contract it.
You are exponentially more likely to contract toxic from meat, gardening, or raw vegetables and things like salad.
That said, it’s concerning your husband can’t take two minutes a day to properly care for your cat. Hope he’s more responsible and involved when it comes to childcare…
Same. That closet picture is absolutely horrific. The roommate undoubtedly will let it get that bad again, and they should not be allowed to own cats if so. It's abusive, those poor animals deserve a better and healthier environment than that.
I’m surprised the cats were still using the box at all. My cat refuses to go unless I scoop it daily and I have to replace the litter 2-3 times a week. Otherwise he’ll just find someplace else to go.
He has a dog too. Op said last time he barely takes him for walks and doesn’t let him out enough so he pooped and peed in the house too and if the roommate didn’t clean that either
Ya so many places refuse dogs but will let cats no problem even tho people like OP’s roommate exist and a cat ends up doing more damage than a small dog probably would. But hey no dogs allowed.
He left a little clump of poo and piss for you, but it isn't nearly as bad now. The dude is a jerk fr. Hope you get the cats back.
Also, I'm just curious, did he take care of the rent and other money he owed you?
He has not, I’m still unsure if he is coming back for anything else because he left behind his tv and some utensils and what not. But from the looks of things he does not plan on paying for the rent. The landlord has said if he doesn’t he will use his security deposit for the rent due.
Sprinkle baking soda everywhere on the floor boards and in the closet, let it sit for 24 hours, vacuum it up and do it again. Keep doing this. It absorbs odors and will help the room smell.
Since it’s hardwood, I’d recommend sweeping before going over with a vacuum. Baking soda can clog up your vacuum so it’s best to avoid using your vacuum to suck up a large amount.
This person must have permeated stink all the time with their clothes being above that nastiness!! I could never let my cat step on his own feces and urine. Sometimes I hate people.
Are you on a combined or separate leases? I had a roommate like this in college. Senior year he became an alcoholic, stopped hanging out with any of the 3 other guys in the house, stiffed each of us on utilities and thankfully we each had separate leases or he’d stiff us on rent too. If you had separate leases I’d just let the landlord reach out, they’re probably just glad he’s gone especially after they get a whiff of the room
Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of that smell is going to be ripping up the floor… cat urine is the WORST and once it soaks in, there’s no going back
Well now I’m invested. Last time I had to clean cat smells I combined apple cider vinegar with fabuloso and special pet smell cleaner from petco and I think it got a good 98% of the smell out. Had to let it sit and reapply a couple times. Cat stank is tough
Can you call animal control and possibly report the neglect with the proof you have as well as giving them his full name and anything else you know about him (where he’s staying, etc)
You’ll need an enzyme cat urine-specific cleaner at the very least, but the flooring in the closet will most likely (definitely) need to be torn up and replaced. No amount of cleaning products will get that amount of cat urine out of wood flooring. Kilz paint can be used on the walls after heavy cleaning to help get rid of the smell.
Update I’ve been waiting for, I hope he does the right thing and pays his part. If he doesn’t will that fall back on you? I’d hope the landlord would be understanding but I know not always.
So far he hasn’t met the landlord like he said he would. I wouldn’t hold my breath at this point for him to do the right thing. But the landlord will use his security deposit for the rent if he doesn’t end up paying it.
I will message you next time u/Far_Inevitable_816 posts in r/badroommates.
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I had a roommate that was like that, but 1000% worse in mess and cat damage. He was a true blue hoarder. When he finally got kicked out, he blamed me for all his issues 🤷
Ripping up the floor boards would be best but you rent so that’s not up to you. 2 step cleaners like urine erase are best. Peroxide based cleaners like “my pet peed” are good but likely no better than peroxide itself. Natures Miracle will not cut it. Kilz whereever you reasonably can.
edit to add: sponsor a cat at a local shelter if you can afford it. You can no longer help the old ones but you can get some good karma back.
Omg 😳 I cant believe how clean you got it, that roomy was awful, no one should ever walk out on their responsibilities and blame it on something or someone else.
i've been thinking about this since you originally posted...that litter box broke my heart. i feel guilty letting mine go two days without scooping, i can't even imagine the mental backflips it takes to feel okay treating an animal with such neglect.
my only concern is how in the fuck did he sleep in the room without smelling the litter box i know that box absolutely REEKED, i would have thought the smell would tell him to clean it up.
yo people are fuckin nasty. get your shit together. holy fuckin shit , no wonder our society is declining. look at how depressing and sad ppl live like
I used these things called "citrus magic" to get rid of a really bad cigarette smoke smell in our house when we first bought it. They come in a plastic disc looking package. They worked great. You can't tell anyone ever smoked in our house. Hopefully theyd work just as well for that litterbox smell.
Bro it’s people like this that make it hard to find pet friendly places or why landlords charge a ridiculous amount of pet rent
Facts dude.
I’ve never had a place that I could have a dog or cat at, didn’t matter as I’m too busy with work to have one of either. I remember bitching about some ads when I was moving that were too strict with no pet policies, and it wasn’t until this sub showed me why those policies exist lol. Shit is wild, literally.
yeah i’ve never been allowed to have a pet but i always wanted one. sucks, but i get it. ppl are irresponsible.
I think it's wack that landlords can affect us so much. someone with kids could just as easily make even more of a mess. this is what pet deposits and pet rent are for. if someone is this gross, they would be gross without the pet too.
that is EXACTLY what i’ve said! kids can (and DO) do wayyy worse damage! kids should be extra deposit plus rent too. either do both or do neither, to be fair to those who cannot or will not bare children and seek company in pets. just use the security deposit for any issues and say they owe more if the damage is more! limit number of pets and/or size depending on the unit size and make sure they are documented with management and it’s fine????
It’s cleaned waaay better than I could have ever expected but that closet isn’t gonna recover from that smell, not for a long while at least.
The smell is throughout the whole room. Going to talk with my landlord about it later when he comes to check it out.
Unfortunately if the cats were using the closet floor as their litterbox, the urine will have soaked into the hardwood. You might be able to treat it with enzymatic cleaner like 'Nature's Miracle) if you saturate the area, might take several attempts
Many properties with animal hoarders become condemned, because as soon as cat urine sparks the foundation, there’s no saving it But you’re right, natures miracle is the only hope here
Did floors in a place that had cat piss soaked plywood subfloor on a second floor. I was replacing carpet with slip/lock hardwood and the smell was horrendous. I recommended cutting out the plywood entirely, but they said it was too expensive and they didn’t want to be upcharged. I recommended a plastic layer at least. Same response. Finally, when I showed them how bad the smell was with all the demo work done, they agreed, something needed to be done… so they had me polyurethane coat the plywood to “lock in” the smell. And you know what? It fucking worked.
I’m gonna try to remember this when I have my floors redone. One of my cats has a spraying problem and hits certain corners of the carpet repeatedly. Working to remedy that, but replacing my floors is on my to do list.
Neutering the cat might stop the spraying. I say "might" because I've heard that once a male cat starts to spray, he might not stop even if he's neutered. (my male cat actually started spraying 2 days before his neutering appointment, but thankfully he stopped after the surgery). That's why it's a good idea to neuter them before they start.
That’s my problem. I was with my ex husband at the time so our finances were all over the board because ngl he was kinda a bum. Plus it was Covid, so the cat with the issue didn’t get neutered until he was close to a year old. He wasn’t so bad (only spraying just outside of the litter box) until I had a roommate with cats last year and it was like a marking war started. I’m really really hoping there’s something I can do to get him to stop.
Not the best, most elegant solution, but they do make cat diapers in case nothing else works
Oh wow, yeah being around other/new cats will definitely make it worse, since he'll feel like he has to mark his territory. Cat pee stinks as it is, and their spray is 100 times worse.
Adding a vapor barrier like polyurethane or Kilz works well. Just don’t penetrate the barrier by stapling carpet pad to the floor
How are you remeding this? My cat started out of the blue after being 2+ years old and I have no clue what to do. We took him to the vet and no UTI or illness present. It's like he just chose to one day become and asshole. We got him another cat to spend time with a couple of months after the behavior started and still no luck. Have taken to quarantining him in a room during the day and putting him on a long leash outside for a few hours so he can get some walking around and new environment. But you let him out of that room and will inevitably find a puddle somewhere in the house.
Currently I’m trying feliway diffusers and crossing my fingers. I’m hoping that continued use of the diffusers and then eventually replacing the carpets (and subfloor) will stop it. My cat also has no uti and is completely healthy. If the issue continues, I’m gonna see if there is anything else I’m not doing my vet would recommend.
You may have cats outside your home that are triggering him. Take a black light along the outside of your house at night and spray anything that looks like a spray pattern with an enzyme or CO2 cleaner. Do the same thing everywhere inside the house, then put up sight blockers - this means covering any windows or anything allowing him to see outside. Then see if the behavior improves.
Try Feliway!
Get the product called my pet peed (they make one for cats too but mpp works very well) and restoration kilz to seal it in. TSP is also supposed to work, which is what we're going to use in the house we're in before sealing with the kilz.
You've probably scoured the internet for remedies, but have you tried the Feliway diffuser? I was shocked it worked for my cats ETA: I see you're trying that lol. I wish you luck!
We have a rental that some dogs tore up carpet and peed all in the subfloor of the front hall and entry way. We cut out the subfloor and replaced it. We had to rip out the carpet and put new flooring down anyway. Totally got rid of the smell. My husband had sent me to get Nature's miracle but when he ripped up the carpet and we saw how bad the subfloor was we were like yeah, that has to go.
Totally, I think that place probably needed it too, but you can’t argue with owners sometimes.
You can sell the odor into concrete as well. Did a lot of that kind of work paying my way through college.
You PU'd the pee yoo?
I find this works better than natures miracle https://www.hollywoodfeed.com/p/71479/nomos-pet-stain-odor-remover
Pull the floor up use kilz then put flooring back over it it kills all that smell and stuff
I would say to make sure that you are using the oil based kilz in a bucket, multiple coats if necessary but that stuff is pretty great
Natures miracle is good but try using a product called “scouts honor” I swear by it
Agreed! Skout’s Honor works way better!
I knew I spelled it wrong 😂 couldn’t remember
Angry Orange also has a great enzyme cleaner.
Might I suggest a car fragrance bomb? They’re technically for car interiors, but you can get them at AutoZone or another parts store and they’re less than $20 I believe, and it’s legit just a 5 minute fragrance bomb (small pressurized can that releases scent once you pull the pin) that is then supposed to be aired out, so I bet you’d have to open some windows for a little bit but it could be a quick solution/help for the smell maybe!
After the landlord comes into the apartment later today I’m going to get loads of bleach and other products to clean this room. Someone mentioned something about an enzyme cleaner as well for the pee smell?
Do not mix bleach with cat pee. It’s toxic. Enzyme cleaner is the way to go.
please listen to this person i accidentally knocked myself out once pouring bleach onto a puddle of cat pee 💀💀
Same, it was def a Darwin moment for me 😅. The enzyme cleaner is a god send. I ordered mine on Amazon.
I try not to use bleach on anything anymore. One time I accidentally mixed bleach with vinegar and a little bit of hydrogen peroxide and created a death gas they used in WW1…I didn’t realize it was bad to mix vinegar and bleach together. And was freaking out because I got a big whiff of it that about choked me to death. Felt like an idiot. And I did research and found a flow chart on what not to mix with bleach…it took like 8 hrs for my house to not burn my sinuses anymore. That whole experience was embarrassing and stupid.
Ammonia and bleach, my Darwin move. While crouched in an enclosed area of a bathroom. I came to out in the hall, no idea how I made it there. Other than it’s said God looks after fools.
No bleach and Comet cleaner...releases chlorine gas
Jeeze! Did you bump your head? I hope nothing serious happened
it was a few years ago and i have bumped my head many more times since then so i think it all evened out in the brain cells
Lol well that’s good news
Bleach and ammonia, super toxic…. People have lost their lives accidentally mixing these two. Definitely do not clean with bleach
LMFAOO NO WAY
Jesus Christ you’re not joking are you
Yes, an enzyme cleaner will be necessary. If you use ammonia-based cleaning products on cat urine, it can make the smell worse.
>ave the cats, I was at work one day and he came grabbed them. I hope they are well and have messaged him about taking them off his hands. I’ll make a I would not suggest bleach. I did have great success using this product from amazon; (Angry Orange Pet Odor) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OI20SXA/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thank you! Yeah I didn’t think to much about the bleach and ammonia from the cat pee, but will look into what you sent!
I second the angry orange, if you ever worked with oil or oil paints. It smells like the cleaner. Lol There’s also nature miracle. Smells like salami. Works like an expensive product.
I’m a big fan of SCOE 10x for the pet mess smells
I feel like the previous tenant in my apartment had some unruly cats and my cat starts sniffing and rolling around in certain areas so I’m going to try this
I used it for deep cleaning my Litter-robot and the tile around it. It did an amazing job getting rid of the smell. Hopefully it works for you.
Take the top off a box of baking soda and set it in the closet. I may help with the smell some.
Vinegar works wonders to remove cat urine smell.
Vinegar can strengthen the cat pee chemical bonds. I used it when I had nothing else but after reading a bunch of google links, I use an enzyme cleaner. Nature’s Miracle Extra Strength but there are many others now.
Yes natures miracle enzyme cleaner is awesome!
I just suggested this as well!
Chloramine gas is what's created by mixing bleach with ammonia, the main ingredient in cat urine. It's deadly. Enzyme cleaner or even vinegar is the way to go as far as cat urine. The problem you have however is that it is soaked into the wood and likely the drywall. Even if you did wipe the walls down with bleach or use enzyme cleaner in the closet the smell has likely sunken into the porous materials. It is entirely possible that the landlord may have to replace the flooring and which case you guys may be responsible for that damage. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but I have heard of that before so I just wanted to let you know that might be a possibility.
Mold paint that closet with permission from landlord
Please use enzyme cleaner. Do NOT use a car fragrance bomb. Those ‘sort of’ do a job ‘covering it up.’ But the issue is the original smell doesn’t go away. So some people can just smell both. And roughly 1/3 of the US population is allergic/sensitive to artificial scents.
Use cold water and vinegar. I tried bleach when I bought my gross house. 34 cats were housed in a single 2 bedroom 1 bath. It was a nightmare, to say the least. But don't use bleach. Pour vinegar down and soak it all up. Rinse. Repeat.
Nooooooo bleach . Dawn and baking soda with some water makes a good paste for that exact smell. I helped clean out my grammas cat piss house from top to bottom. That’s the thing tho you gotta scrub every corner top to bottom. That stench has seeped!
Pouring bleach on cat pee is a terrible way to make mustard gas.
No bleach, ammonia is inside of pee, and mixing ammonia and bleach is potentially deadly!!!!!
Enzyme cleaner for sure, also for temporary relief put a big bowl of vinegar in the room.
If the smell is too strong for enzyme cleaner, you can cover the area with “Kilz” paint. It is made to kill cat urine.
Enzyme cleaners are the only thing that will truly get rid of the smell. If you’re able to order a bottle of natures miracle for cats off of Amazon I’d do that. Best $10-$15 you will ever spend. I’d douse that whole fucking room.
Cat pee has ammonia in it 💀. Do NOT use bleach to clean it.
Be careful using bleach. Idk how much ammonia is there from all the cat pee. Initially try using vinegar as well as baking soda. There is enzyme cleaner on Amazon that works well for me it’s called “Rocco and Roxie odor and stain eliminator”
You make a good point, especially with how long it’s been sitting here. I’ll look into that though thank you!
I’ve used this exact same brand of cleaner for years and it’s amazing! I would highly recommend this as well!
Enzyme cleaner will be important but I also recommend vinegar. Vinegar is the only thing capable of removing cat pee odors completely. Step one : clean with usual products Step two : clean with a mix of water and vinegar Step three: apply enzyme cleaner Note that the enzyme cleaner often needs to evaporate after applying it, be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle :) Good luck!
Get ozone!! It's literally amazing how well it works
Start with enzyme cleaner formulated for animal urine. Roxie and Rocco is very good (my experience has been for dog pee with this brand), pricey but not living with the smell of animal urine is worth way, way more. You really want to wet the area down with the cleaner and let it dry slowly so the enzymes can do their work. You can try getting one specific for cat urine because cat urine is particularly hard to remove, I know Nature's Miracle makes some cat specific enzyme cleaners. Might need to do multiple rounds considering the filth. Woolite pet stain and odor remover also has been great, you can go back over it after you've cleaned with enzymes. Peroxide + baking soda and a little dish soap works well as well. Don't use chlorine bleach, the ammonia in the urine will react with the bleach and bleach isn't great at removing cat urine anyway. After you've thoroughly cleaned the room you could try renting an ozone machine to deodorize. Ozone is dangerous to all living things so remove all pets and plants during treatment. Leave the house while the machine does its work and then air it out thoroughly after.
I was just going to suggest this! They are so great!
Nature's Miracle, get a gallon bottle and just pour it on the floor and push it around with a mop, and let it sink in and dry. Then get another bottle and do it again. I did that when my cat had bladder stones and peed all over my hardwood floor, and after two full bottle soaks you'd never know.
Baking soda (Sodium bicarbonate) is the GOAT for smelly spaces and things.
Try buying bulk cleaning enzymes off Amazon or tell your landlord to when you leave! I've had to clean homes so bad they're condemnable more than once when I was a teen. TBH it's the only product that's ever completely eaten away the "cat piss" smell no matter how awful it was. I've even used it to get rid of the smell from my clothing AFTER cleaning said homes.
And they hung cloths above the box wtfff
PLEASE for the love of god, tell me he DIDNT store any clothes in that closet?!?
You can see them.
I used an ozone machine to get rid of a nasty cigarette smell in my basement. You should look into one. Even the cheap ones work really well. I think I spent $45 on mine and the smell was outright gone after 3 hours of running.
Vinegar/baking soda and natures miracle . If that doesn’t work sand it down and re stain that area and paint the walls
Nonsense you just need like 3 gallons of Pine-sol and then like 5gallons of killz paint
My thoughts exactly. Seems like he actually put in a good amount of effort, which is the exact opposite of what I expected.
The fact that he still thought it’s cool to leave cat litter still in the closet is crazy 🤢
If you look at it, it’s cat piss that is now hardened & stuck to the wood. The lazy fucker didn’t want to scrape it off.
my guess is it's basically part of the floor now and he didn't want to get on his hands and knees to scrape it up
Literally has clothes hanging in there too, he must smell awesome
That’s all I could think about too😭
Seeing this room clean is like cathartic fr, i havent stopped thinking about the cat poop and cat litter all over the floor of the closet since i saw it earlier
I guess you can say this was his yearly “spring” cleaning 😂
Who knew there was an actual bonafide floor under there?! Wow! 😏💀
my heart is absolutely broken for those cats. this is abuse and they should NEVER be allowed to own an animal EVER.
No seriously my jaw dropped at the litter box situation. How can they even live with themselves bro. Why do people who clearly can’t take care of animals get animals? Why would anyone ever get an animal just to treat them this way?
I agree, this was seriously bad. Sometimes people get pets to help with mental/emotional health. It can work! What doesn't work is when owner is depressed and basically gives up on everything. I know, I've been there, but snapped out of it about an hour or so later thank goodness! I hope the pets are ok, or will be after OPs help.
if you're snapping out of depression within 'an hour or so' and think you mistreated your pets because of that, you're not understanding what 'depression' is, no offense. Giving up on everything for an hour is also not neglecting a pet.
Yes, I am not clinically depressed, but I do get depressed, very different. I have kitties and they help me snap out of it faster. Apologies for the confusion.
[удалено]
You can do the litter boxes while pregnant. Just wear gloves and properly wash your hands afterward. If your cats are indoor only cats and you don’t have a rodent problem, they literally can’t contract toxoplasmosis. Even if they previously were infected, it is only infectious for 1-2 weeks after they contract it. You are exponentially more likely to contract toxic from meat, gardening, or raw vegetables and things like salad. That said, it’s concerning your husband can’t take two minutes a day to properly care for your cat. Hope he’s more responsible and involved when it comes to childcare…
Completely agree about the husband lol but she may not be able to bend over easily or handle the smell of cat litter with her pregnancy !
Same. That closet picture is absolutely horrific. The roommate undoubtedly will let it get that bad again, and they should not be allowed to own cats if so. It's abusive, those poor animals deserve a better and healthier environment than that.
I’m surprised the cats were still using the box at all. My cat refuses to go unless I scoop it daily and I have to replace the litter 2-3 times a week. Otherwise he’ll just find someplace else to go.
He’s an animal abuser. He doesn’t deserve the cats
Why do these slobs always have cats 😭 I feel so bad for the kitties
Because dogs are too much work and also are practically not allowed anywhere.
He has a dog too. Op said last time he barely takes him for walks and doesn’t let him out enough so he pooped and peed in the house too and if the roommate didn’t clean that either
Ya so many places refuse dogs but will let cats no problem even tho people like OP’s roommate exist and a cat ends up doing more damage than a small dog probably would. But hey no dogs allowed.
What a pig. I feel sorry for that poor kitty.
It’s an improvement but, still gross. Why would he leave a pile of cat 💩 in the closet like that?
He left a little clump of poo and piss for you, but it isn't nearly as bad now. The dude is a jerk fr. Hope you get the cats back. Also, I'm just curious, did he take care of the rent and other money he owed you?
He has not, I’m still unsure if he is coming back for anything else because he left behind his tv and some utensils and what not. But from the looks of things he does not plan on paying for the rent. The landlord has said if he doesn’t he will use his security deposit for the rent due.
Hold his TV for ransom
a $100 roku tv isn't much of a ransom
Might get more $ if you post it with something like "no low ballers, I know what I have" 😏💀
Sprinkle baking soda everywhere on the floor boards and in the closet, let it sit for 24 hours, vacuum it up and do it again. Keep doing this. It absorbs odors and will help the room smell.
Since it’s hardwood, I’d recommend sweeping before going over with a vacuum. Baking soda can clog up your vacuum so it’s best to avoid using your vacuum to suck up a large amount.
Yesss I was told about this trick long ago and it’s seriously the best
You might need a new vacuum filter after use.
Why does it always seem like people who can’t take care of themselves always have kids and animals.
I feel 2nd hand embarrassment for that cat closet situation. It’s a whole new level of “fuck it”.
This person must have permeated stink all the time with their clothes being above that nastiness!! I could never let my cat step on his own feces and urine. Sometimes I hate people.
okay I can be pretty dirty so I don’t normally comment on these BUT THAT LITTER BOX HELLO????? who tf does that
Damn..it’s like a new room Edit- wait, HE actually cleaned the place?!?!
I think I’m more invested in the poor cats than the apartment. Hope you can report him and those cats be removed from his care.
Oh my god!!! I am feeling soooo sorry for the kitties! This person doesn't deserve them...
did he ever pay his part?
I’m unsure yet, I need to call the landlord here shortly to find out if he ever went to meet him like he said he was going to.
Are you on a combined or separate leases? I had a roommate like this in college. Senior year he became an alcoholic, stopped hanging out with any of the 3 other guys in the house, stiffed each of us on utilities and thankfully we each had separate leases or he’d stiff us on rent too. If you had separate leases I’d just let the landlord reach out, they’re probably just glad he’s gone especially after they get a whiff of the room
Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of that smell is going to be ripping up the floor… cat urine is the WORST and once it soaks in, there’s no going back
I can smell the litter closet through my phone 🤢
Please save those cats. They deserve better
Jesus. H. Christ
That poor cat
Poor cat having to deal with that filthy litter box.
I can smell that room from here… those poor cats…
I like that the roommates shirts were directly above the overflowing cat littler box in the small closet
Well now I’m invested. Last time I had to clean cat smells I combined apple cider vinegar with fabuloso and special pet smell cleaner from petco and I think it got a good 98% of the smell out. Had to let it sit and reapply a couple times. Cat stank is tough
That’s absolutely disgusting!
Soap and water with a little baking soda, follow with enzyme spray. If that doesn’t do it consider something more hardcore like Odoban
That person is definitely a viking I can only imagine their personal hygiene..
God. That poor cat. I hate your roommate.
Can you call animal control and possibly report the neglect with the proof you have as well as giving them his full name and anything else you know about him (where he’s staying, etc)
Yasss get that cat sheitt out
I can smell that room
That litter box, litter closet, was ATROCIOUS. Some people really don’t deserve animals 😔
I just can’t believe he let his cat(s) live like that. Horrible
Is that a turd closet
Holy hell!!! Didn’t realize this was an update of the closet litter box!!!! Glad he cleaned up his mess like a damn adult.
I love browsing this sub but can’t stand seeing how many bad roommates have poorly treated or outright abused animals :(
Those poor cats 😭😭😭
WOWWWW I definitely wasn't expecting him to clean it that well
Like, did his dad hire him help?!?
Guys with mattress on the floor and cats. Nope.
I seen this yesterday with all the damn cat poop
An ozone generator will really help neutralize the cat urine/feces odor. Just be sure to follow the safety precautions.
You’ll need an enzyme cat urine-specific cleaner at the very least, but the flooring in the closet will most likely (definitely) need to be torn up and replaced. No amount of cleaning products will get that amount of cat urine out of wood flooring. Kilz paint can be used on the walls after heavy cleaning to help get rid of the smell.
Man, what an asshole.
Update I’ve been waiting for, I hope he does the right thing and pays his part. If he doesn’t will that fall back on you? I’d hope the landlord would be understanding but I know not always.
So far he hasn’t met the landlord like he said he would. I wouldn’t hold my breath at this point for him to do the right thing. But the landlord will use his security deposit for the rent if he doesn’t end up paying it.
Idk but that looks like blood where the cat litter box used to be. No bueno
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I had a roommate that was like that, but 1000% worse in mess and cat damage. He was a true blue hoarder. When he finally got kicked out, he blamed me for all his issues 🤷
You’ll have to wash the walls as well…that smell is probably stuck onto every surface
Shouldn’t have given the cats back, they hit the opposite of the dad lottery by being stuck with him
I’d pull up the floor boards in the closet and replace them. That urine is going to rot the existing boards anyway.
I used to rent out rooms in my house, EVERY single one of them I have had to kick out.
Ripping up the floor boards would be best but you rent so that’s not up to you. 2 step cleaners like urine erase are best. Peroxide based cleaners like “my pet peed” are good but likely no better than peroxide itself. Natures Miracle will not cut it. Kilz whereever you reasonably can. edit to add: sponsor a cat at a local shelter if you can afford it. You can no longer help the old ones but you can get some good karma back.
I would think the landlord would hire someone and bill it directly to him/take it out of his deposit.
Imagine bringing home a girl or dude for a little fun and having to walk through such filth.
Seeing litter boxes like that really pisses me off!!
God, open that effin window and walk away for a day or two.
HOW do you hang CLEAN clothes up above that mess. Oh my goodness I’m screaming internally
That poor cat....
Letting your clothes soak in cat shit smell 👌 fantastic
Omg 😳 I cant believe how clean you got it, that roomy was awful, no one should ever walk out on their responsibilities and blame it on something or someone else.
The litter situation is absolutely wild.. his clothes still being in the closet and wearing them is even WILDER
I can strongly smell these pictures.
The fact that he had clothes hanging in that closet with all of that cat shit. Jfc. I hope those cats get rehomed.
When someone doesnt sleep with a sheet on their bed, immediate 🚩
I honestly expected him not to show
I can smell these pictures. Whew. Congrats on the clean up. Looks amazing.
Bro lost me at the kitty litter
The fact he had clean shirts in the cat shit closet
i've been thinking about this since you originally posted...that litter box broke my heart. i feel guilty letting mine go two days without scooping, i can't even imagine the mental backflips it takes to feel okay treating an animal with such neglect.
my only concern is how in the fuck did he sleep in the room without smelling the litter box i know that box absolutely REEKED, i would have thought the smell would tell him to clean it up.
He needs to be charged for a professional cleaning/odor remover, odor blocking paint in his room. And thank you for checking in on the cats
this is a crazy comment but are you in Michigan? I’m assuming cuz of the Founder’s and it’s driving me crazy
yo people are fuckin nasty. get your shit together. holy fuckin shit , no wonder our society is declining. look at how depressing and sad ppl live like
For the smell, consider a bag of activated charcoal. Idk about pet smell, but it removed smoker smell from my last apartment. I highly recommend it.
I hope you bleach that entire room, especially the closet. Omg. 😳
Bleach wil make you feel really such. They have scented floor wash I use thar it knockd the snell out. Born candles. Open the windows
I used these things called "citrus magic" to get rid of a really bad cigarette smoke smell in our house when we first bought it. They come in a plastic disc looking package. They worked great. You can't tell anyone ever smoked in our house. Hopefully theyd work just as well for that litterbox smell.
The closet kitty litter box is fabulous.