45 Comments

  1. The only thing wrong with this post is your apologizing for it. I am going to save it forever because it’s really helpful information for all of us who have pets and/or kids. Thanks.

  2. Oh no, allergies are the worst.
    My friends have tame Koi fish that come up to the surface to eat out of your hand. That’s pretty cool too.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Great post! I agree and use the same litters and Nature’s Miracle is definately for any home, pets or not pets. I so agree that litter box issues are individual to each cat and health problems are the major cause. I only have 2 cats, siblings and sharing a box is not an issue for them, I am so thankful. But my daugther has 6 now, all rescues and some siblings. They are indoor/outdoor cats but the dynamics has caused litter box problems. And health issues has added to the problem at times.
    Also their sense of smell is so acute that the heavy scented litter is a bad idea, and it is a problem with my allergies. I so wish manufacturers would not add scent. We just went through a few months of vomiting with/without hairballs and I found an specialist in internal medicine for cats and dogs and finally indentified the real problem. Vomiting is not a good thing and has many causes and leads to alot of other problems. I continually learn about the cats needs and have learned to not believe most of the hype from cat food manufacturers…after all they are ‘selling’ products. All that advertising convinces us. You have done a great service with educating with this post. Too many cats/dogs end up in a bad situation because their humans mis-read what is going on with litter box problems and vomiting. Maybe you could consider putting all your solutions and any new information with it’s own heading so it’s available all the time like the house tour and all those under your header. And maybe explain how Nature’s Miracle works with the enzyme’s neuteralizing the odor and stain rather than just covering it up like everything else on the market. And if anyone has a child that gets car sick you will love this product.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Dee

    1. Thanks Dee and what a great idea to create a separate page. I might have to do that.

  4. Ashley@BiggerthantheThreeofUs says:

    OMG…this post was meant for me! I love your DIY posts, but I seriously needed this right now. lol. We have a 7 year old Siamese that was the PERFECT cat until we moved in to our most recent house. Something just changed, and now we are having major litter box problems! Yikes. I’m going to buy that cleaner right now! Thanks!

    1. Try the books too. They really helped me a lot. Most of the times when our boy had accidents then he was sick, did yours get checked for a UTI yet?

  5. pam {simple details} says:

    Thankfully, I don’t need this yet, but great tips for someone who does! Have a wonderful weekend, Julia!

    1. You are lucky that you don’t need it. It’s been so difficult dealing with it and I actually didn’t even notice how bad it was until now when it is finally over. So sad too.
      Have a great weekend too.

  6. Michelle Scheibe says:

    Good tips! Why must they be so messy? Good thing they’re cute. 😉

  7. ingrid@nowathomemom says:

    this a helpful post Julia and I understand you, living with two dogs who love to play outside; oh! our house gets dirty and stinky! I have used many products too to keep our house clean! when I can smell it, I know it’s time for their bath, my Damon loves it but Angel hates taking his bath. When it’s time for their bath it’s always a long afternoon or evening for all of us 🙂 About your DIY’s, don’t worry about it, you are going through a difficult time right now and I still enjoy reading these types of posts! btw, yesterday we were barbecuing in our balcony and the cat from our neighbours came to our balcony for the first time, my dogs didn’t mind him. The cat was very nice and stayed with us for a bit, I thought of you and Harry! 🙂 Hope you are better Julia!

  8. what i heart says:

    I went into Petco the other day and asked them what they had to remove urine from carpets, the guy asked me if it was a dog or cat, I had to answer human 🙂 My 3 year old is having a hard time potty training. I bought the new scent of Nature’s Miracle and I agree, the original is still the best stuff. Great post, thank you for writing it!

    1. Darlene DIehl says:

      Awww. Poor baby! That’s tough but he/she will learn. I wrote my “smell removal” recipe below but here it is again for youu. Just test a spot first bc of the peroxide. 1 cup peroxide, 1 tbsp baking soda and one drop dish detergent (Dawn, Palmolive, etc.) Mix all together and pour directly over the spot. Just pour it on and leave it alone for 24 hours. Vacuum if necessary. Guarantee you there won’t be a smell. And, so CHEAP!

  9. Sheryll And Critters. says:

    Thank you very much. I was wondering if I was alone in the world of accidents with my crew of furry babies. I have 5 kitty kats and 3 pups. And YES, they are all inside only fur kids. And there always seems to be at least one vomiting somewhere in my house on a daily basis…. if for no other reason, but just that they can.

    Thank you. I was feeling so lost and glad to know that I am not alone.

    1. Sheryll And Critters. says:

      And my little Galahad The Tzu died this past March 07th and it just about killed me. But after feeling sorry for myself over losing him… I realized he was better off….. he just had to go. I was holding him when he passed.

    2. Darlene DIehl says:

      Sorry for your loss. Those sweet little furry babies are so special. See my recipe I posted below for a really cheap way to remove stinky smells and mostly cat pee. It works great!

  10. Thank you for this post! I have both dogs and cats and agree with you on litter choices. I will have to try the Nature’s Miracle. I pinned your post on Pinterest so that I will be able to find it quickly for reference.

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  12. I also use the same litter and Nature’s Miracle. Didn’t think to try the bathroom spray, but I’ll definitely give it a try. I am fostering a cat who has had two little accidents so far. Sadly I also had to put my first cat to sleep this week; I thought your tribute to Harry was touching. I also loved your cat enclosure post and it’s something I will definitely consider making in the future.

  13. Darlene DIehl says:

    One more post from me on cat pee and vomiting. Spread the word with the recipe that I shared above for removing cat pee odor. Inappropriate elimination is the number one reason why kitties are euthanized so share the knowledge. A tip on the vomiting issues, as I said above, I have nine cats. I have switched all of them to Natural Balance canned and dry. It is a very good food and it is expensive. Grocery store cat food can cause vomiting. If a better brand is not in your budget, keep this in mind, the DYE in the darker cat foods and treats (red mostly) is what causes the vomiting. Most kitties are very sensitive to the dyes in the food. I still give mine Friskies treats daily, one each, and they just about die for them they get so excited (I guess it’s like us with junk food or chocolate!). But, I always but the tan/beige colored ones bc it never fails, if I get the darker ones, someone is puking. All these kitties are a lot of work but oh my, the joy they bring. I’m just glad I got married. I was headed for that title…..”crazy lady down the street with all the cats!”!! LOL! They are all indoors so I doubt the neighbors even know, except when there are 4 or 6 perched in a window! I married the right guy though bc at eight cats he said DIVORCE if I bring any more home. Then one freezing cold, rainy night he told me to run by his office building to pick up a kitty that had been dropped off a few days ago with several cans of cat food. We thought we could adopt her out to his step-mom who had just lost her kitty but that didn’t work out. We fell in love and she is now our newest addition. We named her Harriette. My husband’s namesake! His name is Harry. This kitty was declawed and someone just dumped her outside to fend for herself. She is so sweet and a tiny little kitty. The vet thought she was a kitten about 4 months old. Her only issue is that she absolutely HATES other cats. I think that might be why she was dumped at the office building. That’s ok though. She has her own room with a big window facing the street and a pink cat condo that matches the decor, her own beautiful little be that I made from a doll bed, tv and lots of toys. I am also leash training her and take her with me all over the place as long as I don’t have to go into a store with food. In case you’re wondering, no, I don’t have kids! LOL!. Love to all you decorating, DIY, cat fanatics!

    1. I’m a crazy cat lady too, with kids! LOL.
      Poor little kitten. I’m glad you guys took her in.

  14. Linda Muenz says:

    I have just recently found your blog. I am not much of a blog follower, but between your’s and “The Pioneer Woman”, I feel much better about my penchant for “projects” and finding creative ways to use our hen’s eggs (while still being considered a healthy number of eggs for our family to consume). I had a toddler, two Great Danes, a Weimaraner, and a Maine Coon. All with carpeted floors. In Florida! I referred to it as the toxic wasteland. The steam cleaner was never far away. Natures Miracle rocks! That was 14 years ago. The Danes, the Weimaraner, and the cat have all passed. Even the husband is different. We now live in VA on a small horse farm. The Natures Miracle is still a must have in the cleaning cabinet. We use the skunk odor remover too. 🙁 When we looked at this house five years ago and saw the hardwood floors everywhere, I knew it was the right house! We are still a three dog household, except we’ve added three horses, a mini-donkey, twelve chickens, and a new kitten. Thanks for the great posts! I’ll be back to read more.

    1. Julia Konya says:

      Sounds like you are living my dream life. I always wanted to have horses and lots of other animals 🙂

  15. Jewel Hassan says:

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  16. I just came to your blog from YHL and saw your great post about cat/kid clean up and it’s encouraged me to finally get a steam cleaner. What brand/model do you use? Sounds like you see it as a great investment for the pet/kid gross messes. Thanks! PS: LOVE the cat enclosure idea – I have pinned it for a future house project!

  17. It’s so nice to be some where with other “crazy cat ladies”! I have seven and it’s an everyday thing, cleaning up after them. I never had any problems at all with the males I had but all but one of them have passed and have been replaced with females. Let me tell you – there is more drama here than a sorority house on campus!

    I pulled up ALL of my carpets but now they are peeing on the laminate flooring. Which is really not much better, as it seeps into the groove and then penetrates the subfloor. Argh!! I don’t think I can pour Nature’s miracle on Laminate flooring but I might try. I used it alot when I did have carpets.

    Thanks for a great post. I love the cat enclosure and wish I could do that for my indoor babies!

    1. Julia Konya says:

      Hi and nice to meet you. Mine just peed on the laminate when I was on vacation. Turns out she had a bad bladder infection. It’s all good now again though. And I did pour Nature’s Miracle on the laminate. For me it work on there as well!

    2. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about the warping. Some laminates do more than others.
      I think you might be right about her being upset and peeing as a result. You should read those books, they have really helped me understand cats better. And there are little things here and there that you can do to help her feel more comfortable.

    3. I have a spot in my laminate that got warped due to my cat peeing on it, so I hesitate to pour another liquid (Nature’s Miracle) on there. Any thoughts?

      Also, I have two cats and the younger one is having litter box issues. She is high strung and gets startled so easily. It doesn’t help that our other cat bullies her! I’m thinking this may be the source of her issues. Have you tried any other the Feliway products? I’m wondering if this would help her be less stressed.

      LOVE YOUR OUTDOOR CAT ENCLOSURE!!! We live on a semi-busy street and keep our cats indoors. I’d love for them to have a safe outdoor space!

  18. Kelly Good says:

    Hey Julia and other animal lovers. I was just wondering if you use a black light to find the “accidents” in your house??? If so, is there one that you would recommend? I really want to thoroughly clean my house and then try to stay on top of it 🙂 Thanks so much for your help.

    1. Julia Konya says:

      Hi Kelly, that’s an awesome question. I bought one once but it didn’t work right and I returned it. I should buy another one. Especially now that my elderly messy cat passed away but I haven’t done it yet.
      If you find a good one, let me know.

  19. love the post. found it on Pinterest. I have used so many different products on my carpet from cat urine that my new carpet is now permanently stained lighter than than the rest. I have a cat door and other cats come in and mark in the house! ahh! I will certainly try the Miracle product, do you know if its safe for dark carpeting> thanks so much.

    1. Hi Cathie!
      I just used the natures miracle on my dark grey chair for a stain not cat urine and it worked great. So I’m assuming it would be fine on your carpet but you can try it in a hidden area first.
      Also , you could try one of those locked cat doors where only the pet that wears an electronic collar gets in and the rest of the cats can’t 😉
      Hope that helps!

  20. Anonymous says:

    I often feel so guilty about my cats not being able to go outside. I loved reading about your solution and am already trying to figure out how to build something. Thanks so much for all the cleanup solutions as well. We have 10 dogs and 5 cats. Spring, summer and fall are great since we have about an acre in the back fenced in but winter becomes very trying. Your pictures of your darlings brought tears to my eyes. Your Harry obviously was a character and I know you miss him greatly. Silly Lilly is extremely gorgeous. I have one named Lucky Lou — perhaps Lucky would go with Lucy as well. My Lou was up in my truck and she made it quite a bit down the road before she fell out. I spent the next half hour chasing her around an abandoned building. When I finally caught her she clamped down on my finger which hurt outrageously — never been bitten like that before. We finally made it back home safely and it’s been love ever since. Seemed with what she went through, Lucky needed to be in her name. One of her littermates showed up about a week later next to my front steps so weak she couldn’t move. We named her Cotton because my son thought her coat felt like cotton. And Hamilton is our Wal-Mart special. I’ve always had animals. I can’t imagine life without them. I will admit, our home is like a train wreck at times, but it all balances out in the end, doesn’t it?

    1. Julia Konya says:

      Thanks for your sweet words. I couldn’t imagine life without my animals either. I’d love to have a dog one day too but my cats are too bossy and don’t allow it right now 😉 well the husband doesn’t allow it either.
      I’m always grateful for people like you who rescue. That’s what everyone should do.

  21. Your post is amazing! !! You have saved my cats or my marriage. ..well I guess both! Thank you! !!

    1. Julia Konya says:

      Hi, it can be so stressful for everyone involved. I hope you can figure it out and that this helps.

  22. Ramiz Raza says:

    It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commentators here!

  23. I have a pomeranian that likes to poop a lot on the carpet so this article is a big help!

    1. I’m so glad it is helpful

  24. Annette Hodge says:

    I have all the items to clean my carpet but have two questions. Do you know if Nature’s Miracle for Cats will work on dog pee stains, too? Second, after you pour Nature’s Miracle on the carpet stains and are ready to you use the steam cleaner, do you add a cleaning solution to the machine? (I haven’t used the small carpet cleaners before but know the large machines require a cleaning solution). Thanks for your help!

    1. Hi Annette,
      It should work for dogs too but I think they make one specifically for dogs as well.
      I do not use it with a steam cleaner.
      The key to getting the smell out is to let the pee cleaner dry on its own to break down the urine enzymes.
      If the smell is out you can tackle the stain. and could use it in the steamer probably too.

      Hope that helps.

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