Cat pee: any experience?!

[alorslanon]

Hello property people, writing to ask your advice. After a long while searching, we saw a house we liked yesterday, and have entered the horrific bidding process. It’s a fixer upper, which I don’t object to in principle BUT….

The previous tenants had TWELVE cats, so obviously the place stinks of cat piss. I have a cat myself, so I know how pervasive the smell is, and so I also know that it won’t be easy to get rid of.

Does anyone have experience of a property like this? We will need to move in before we do any major work, so I’m hoping I won’t have to rip the whole place apart just for this. What will I need to do? Please tell me realistically what we’re talking about. Is there a chance that I won’t be able to get rid of the smell? Is it in the walls/could it have seeped under the floorboards for example? I’d hate to buy this place to find out it’s blighted forever!! Thanks all, I appreciate your advice.

We lived in a rental for a few months, in which the previous tenants had had numerous cats. The carpets absolutely stank of cat pee. The garden stank of cat pee. We did nothing to the garden but bankrupted ourselves buying bicarb and cat pee remover spray. Nothing worked. Airing it just seemed to accentuate the smell.
Worst case, it will be in the floorboards too and you will have to replace them. Garden could need dug up and top soil replaced.

Depends how bad it is and how much of a fixer upper you are prepared to buy.

Sorry probably not what you wanted to hear. But better forewarned. If you can get another viewing, can you peel up a corner of carpet and see if you can work out what condition the floorboards might be in. Good luck

The problem is, the carpets have already gone, so it's almost certainly in the floorboards, and possible even having seeped down into whatever's underneath not envy.

Yes, it's all about how much of a fixer upper I'm prepared for. And this might just be a step too far - I was prepared for it up till then!

Thanks for your reply.

The floorboards will have to be changed, that's a given. NOTHING else works.

Yes, I think so too. And I worry that once we’ve changed the floorboards it will still smell of piss. I’m happy to wash up plates in the bath for a couple of months while we build an extension, but I’m not ready for an open-ended trial and error battle with cat urine. I think we’ll have to pass Thanks both