Smell of cat pee ... but we haven't got a cat!

[JoanThursday]

We live in a 1930s semi. A small area in our kitchen has a distinct cat pee aroma. I've gone from a detecting a faint whiff every now and then, to smelling it most of the time. It's not hugely strong and o one else in my family can smell it - but then I am known for my supersmeller abilities!

But ... What can it be? We don't have a cat, and there is no way one can get into the house.

Our kitchen diner has a concrete floor on the kitchen side (covered in tiles), and a suspended wooden floor on the other (covered in laminate). The smell is at floor level in the area of the breakfast bar which straddles the boundary between the different floors.

No food is kept in the breakfast bar. There is no evidence of mice that we've seen, and no visible water leaks. Sometimes we know that water can get under the house when it's very wet - all the houses are the same round here. Can that cause a smell like cat pee?

Can anyone help? It's starting to drive me mad!

A UV torch might be a good start, it will show up any natural stains including animal ones.

Trainers?
my boys trainers often smell of cat pee

No plants just outside (or even inside)? Some plants can smell of cat pee (box hedging is a primary candidate).

Any football boots in the house? They can often smell like Tom cat pee

Is that where your DH hides his stash?

It could be a rat (or two) in the house. I had at least one rat under my bathroom floor for a while and the smell was very like cat wee.

Could be a damp type smell

Thanks all.

DS's trainers do indeed smell of cat pee. They're not in the kitchen though, but perhaps I need to investigate whether that smell is wafting in behind me as I come into the kitchen!

DH's stash: not his poison ;)

Plants: there is nothing close enough I think.

Rats: please god, no! But needs to be considered.

Damp: perhaps most likely. But can it smell of cat pee? Is that a thing?

My hall way gets damp and it smells like cat pee

I'd think it was damp

Had this in a neighbour's flat before - his very old fridge was leaking coolant and it stunk of ammonia.

I had this and discovered a complete tom cat was spraying against the door, it stank so much. I haven't a clue who he was trying to impress

Don't blackcurrants have some association with cat pee smell? Nothing in your kitchen that could contribute?

No air vents on that wall that may have been sprayed?

Have you had the kickboards off to check for leaks, droppings etc?

My cat died three years ago, and we've had new flooring since then, but I still sometimes smell it in the corner where the litter tray was and we sometimes got overspray. I think it must have sunk into the floorboards / under the skirting board more than I realised.

I had this last year. It was damp from a slow leak.

damp.... maybe look at the washing machine outlet!

on a side note, i smell cat-pee when i'm about to get a mirgraine :)

Hmm. The washing machine is the other side of the kitchen, but the dishwasher is set under the breakfast bar. Nothing on the tiled kitchen floor, and the smell is on the dining room side of the counter where we have the suspended floor.

Further investigation required... Thank you.

(And no migraines!)

On the recent thread on the lodger with the smelly feet there were many contributors discussing causes of odour and several people said that smouldering electrical wires can smell like cat wee... Something to do with the chemical coating of the wire. So that's an option to consider.

Damp can cause moulds some of which have interesting smells.
So if you do have a slow leak somewhere that could be a thing.

It could be smouldering fuse / wiring. The pull cord in my bathroom was faulty and this was the overpowering smell- cat pee

Aaah. Feck.

Dh has just popped off the kickboard. It's soaking wet underneath. The waste pipe runs from the sink/dishwasher, under the floor and out. From the bit we can see, it has the tiniest cracks in it - almost as if it's perished. Dishwasher has never been pulled out so not sure how that happened. Kitchen is 4 years old.

From the look of it, it's been going a while. The sludge under the units there is .... disgusting.

Dh still can't smell it, but is for once thankful for my (usually) annoying sense of smell!

So, onwards .... 🙈

And good point about wiring. We do have electrics around here too.

Hi I just came home after being away for the weekend and my multi family home smells exactly what you described. any update on the solution?

But no rats OP !! What a win!

It was a leaking outlet pipe from the dishwasher. Seems that we must have had mice - there were definite bite marks on the pipe. The tiniest of holes with an almost imperceptible drip that must have built up over months. Took ages to dry out. But at least the smell as gone!