I can smell cat wee in the house. Can't find puddles - could she be spraying?

[Notquitesureagain]

This is driving me nuts. Not least because no-one else seems to be able to smell it. But there is definitely a cat wee smell in certain areas of the house. Another cat has been trying to get through the cat flap at night I think. Is it possible that's making my cat nervous and she's spraying to keep the intruder at bay? (Smell is worse near the cat flap). And how the hell do I get rid of the smell?!

Can the other cat actually get through the flap? (ie could it be them spraying inside the house?)

Get yourself a blacklight, it'll show urine up as luminous in a dark room. Also, pets at home do a good spay that'll get rid of the spraying. think it's called urine destroyer or something.

Thanks, folks.

cozie It's a good question, I don't know. I came down v early one morning, heard a noise at the cat flap and our cat was behind me so it wasn't her. But the cat intruder might just be rattling the cat flap rather than actually coming in. It's magnetic and our cat has a magnet collar so shouldn't let others in but perhaps if an intruder cat pushed hard enough…

mrsrisotto good knowledge on the blacklight and urine destroyer - will look into those...

Maybe you've got an intruder who also has a magnetic collar or the flap is weakening with age?

Female cats can spray, although it's not common with neutered females, but I'd be much more inclined to think it's - say - a mean tom who's coming into your house and asserting his territorial mumble. I'd be thinking of a microchip cat flap - Sureflap is the one used by most posters - which would read her microchip and only allow her in. You don't want your house to become Party Central for the neighbourhood.

Microchip flaps are about £60-£70 online so not cheap but judging by the reports from posters, well worth the expenditure. If she's not yet been chipped herself, that should be done anyway and would be £20 ish from your vet. (You might be able to take advantage of an offer there - vets have them all the time.)