Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Cat Litter Box Problems:

7 Essential Keys To Solve The Problem Quickly!

Has this ever happened to you? Your cat's peeing outside the litter box, and you're desperately trying to clean up after your cat, wondering if you're actually doing anything to stop it from happening in the first place!

Well, if you're like us, you probably want some quick solutions to the problem, or at least a list of checkpoints that you know you must, like a detective on a trail, work through, to get the litter box behavior problem under control.

By the time you finish this article, you will have learnt the 7 most important steps you must know, when it comes to this problem of the cat peeing outside the litter box.

Firstly, let's have a look at the reasons why this happens. The reasons for peeing outside the litter box are:

1. A medical problem.

2. The cat that has never been properly house trained to use the litter box in the first place.

3. Problems with the litter tray itself.

4. An unpleasant event that occurred while the cat was at the litter box.

5. A temporary physical or emotional stress, or change in the household causing the cat to urinate in an area outside the box, which is perpetuated by the urine smell reminding the cat to return to the same area over and over again.

6. Old age causing a cat to not be easily able to get to the litter box.

Now, keep these causes in mind, when checking out the 7 action steps:

1. If there's a change in toilet behavior with no obvious cause, it may be caused by illnesses such as urinary tract infections, blocked anal glands, worms and parasites, diabetes and tumors. These illnesses may have no other obvious signs, apart from this urination problem. So you must consider a visit to the vet. In other cases you may see symptoms such as lethargy, blood in the urine, diarrhea, or constant licking in the anal area. If you see this, then your first stop is the vet!

2. Look at the litter box itself. Ensure you're cleaning out the waste once or twice a day, and changing the litter every 3-4 days for non-clumping litter (2-3 weeks for clumping litter). Clean the tray with hot water and mild detergent, without any strong odors such as citrus or ammonia, which will repel the cat from the box. If you have multiple cats, remember - the number of trays should equal number of cats, plus one or two. If you've changed brands of litter, this may have caused the problem as many cats dislike this change, especially to scented litter. Return to the older litter. If you want to change, introduce unscented litter gradually by mixing the old with the new over 2 weeks. And ensure that the location of the box is acceptable: no loud noises, has some privacy, and is not in view of other cats.

3. Consider adding in 1 more litter box to another suitable private location of the house. This is because sometimes it's not the litter box that's the problem, but a negative experience there. For example, if your kids played with the cat while she was on the litter box, or if the cat had pain when urinating, such as during a urine infection, after having kittens, or had a procedure done on the bladder or urethra at the vet, then the cat would associate pain with that litter box. Even if the pain is gone, the association and is still there.

4. Thoroughly clean the area that has been peed on. This is important because no matter what the cause, the fact that the urine remains on the bed, carpet, or sofa is a reminder for the cat to return to pee there. The cat's sense of smell is more acute than ours, so ensure you clean with a solution such as Brampton's Simple Solution. If you have remaining urine smell together with a bad association at the box, then you have 2 forces causing the problem to continue. So get rid of both!

5. Next, if possible, deny the cat access to the area that is peed on, especially if it's an area that is repeatedly used. Many people forget to do this, and their problem is prolonged. By stopping access, the cycle of repeated urination is stopped. Will the cat pee somewhere else? Possible, though less likely if you provide a second litter box, show him where it is a few times, and also do the step 7 below.

6. If you can't stop the cat from accessing the area, make the area less attractive for peeing instead. You can do this by either placing a scent, or, by placing a bowl of dried cat food there. If using a scent, try citrus or eucalyptus. If using dried food, which often works better, ensure that you top up the food bowl during the day. Either way, once you have success, continue for another 1-2 weeks to ensure it stays that way.

7. If you're at home when the cat is, then you have this step up your sleeve as well: the startle technique. Only do this method if you actually catch the cat about to urinate because if you do it at any other time, that cat will not be able to associate that urinating in the area with the unpleasant startle. Startle the cat with a loud "No!" or clap of the hands. Wait 5 minutes, then bring the cat to the litter tray, and if she toilets at the tray, reward her with praise and a food treat. As long as the length and enjoyment of the reward if far greater than the startle, this will be unlikely to cause stress. Use this method carefully as some cats may experience stress with it. Make sure that the cat seems relaxed after the food treat, and that it's actually improving the situation.

If you follow the above steps, most problems of peeing outside the litter box will be solved within days or gradually improve over 1-2 weeks.

Remember in all cases, you'll be even more effective if you reduce stress at the same time. This means more play time and attention.

In conclusion, it does take some effort and detective work to see what has caused the litter box behavior problem in the first place. And you now know how to apply 7 essential steps to help you solve this issue, as quickly and effectively as possible.

Keep in mind that if there are cat odors embedded in your carpet we included comprehensive cat odor removal free as part of our all inclusive carpet cleaning package.

Until we meet again, stay well,

Rodney & Michele

http:www.AllstateCleaning.Com

All Kinds Of Carpets, Floors, Drapes & Upholstery

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Covid 19 Update: We are open for business. For your safety and peace of mind, we take care to disinfect our equipment between each assignment. Then we include the free application of an all natural botanical EPA registered disinfectant on most fabric and flooring we clean, and we wear the appropriate protective gear when in your home or office.

Sunday, April 11, 2021

How Air Fresheners And Powdered Deodorizers Are Wrecking Your Carpet And Your Health

Whether it’s apple pie, lavender, ocean breeze,or pumpkin spice, we all have a favorite fragrance.What method do you use to have this fragrance greet you when you enter your home or of ice? Bowls of potpourri? Plug-ins? Candles?

Powdered carpet deodorizers? Powdered carpet deodorizer users likely do not know that most are made from abrasive substances. In fact, some of these deodorizers, if used for an extended period of time, can actually cause a carpet to soil rapidly, lose its dimensional stability, and delaminate the backing.

Studies have shown that vacuuming only removes about 65% of a typical powdered deodorizer. And these products are not just harmful to your carpet—they damage your vacuum, too.

Components of powdered deodorizers

There is a variety of substances found in powdered carpet deodorizers, and many are abrasive, such as baking soda, calcium carbonate, sodium silicate, and hydrated silica (sand).

One Major Cause Of Ugly Carpet

As such, it’s alarming to see people intentionally spreading abrasive soil—powdered deodorizer—on carpet. This abrasive soil scratches carpet fibers, making the carpet appear lighter in color in the trafficked areas and causing the fibers to lose their luster. This creates a condition known as traffic-lane graying, which makes a carpet look worn and ugly.

Aerosol air fresheners, the most common product people grab to freshen the air quickly, may be no better. They start out in the air but will eventually fall—right onto the face of the carpet, possibly leaving a sticky, soil-attracting residue.

How Plug In Deodorizers Cause Your Carpet To Get Dirty Fast

Even plug-in style deodorizers evaporate and become airborne oil, which leaves an oily film on everything, including the carpet.Then this oily film becomes a magnet for soil. And there is, of course, the same problems are caused by burning petroleum based scented candles.

How Deodorizers Damage Your Carpet

Many common powdered products come with the narrative of being green and safe to use. While this may be the case, the main ingredient of most powdered carpet deodorizers is sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Sodium bicarbonate is an abrasive that is hydrophilic (water loving),hygroscopic (moisture absorbing), and water soluble.

This means it tends to stick to carpet fibers and then scratch them every time they are walked on.To test this phenomenon, we took two popular brands of powdered deodorizer, sprinkled them on Plexiglas, rubbed the powders with our fingers, and then wiped the glass clean. The scratches left on the Plexiglas were astonishing.

Sodium bicarbonate easily dissolves in water, such as when a carpet is being cleaned. During cleaning, the sodium bicarbonate from the deodorizer dissolves, but as the carpet dries, the sodium bicarbonate turns back into a powder and appears as a white film over the surface of the carpet (since carpet dries from the bottom up). Correcting this issue is a challenge.

. Vacuuming alone will not remove it, and several acid rinse treatments might be needed to remove the contaminant from the carpet. Over time, some of the sodium bicarbonate and sodium silicate also sifts into the backing of the carpet. The water-loving properties and alkalinity of the sodium bicarbonate and sodium silicate powder will even break down the latex adhesive used to manufacture the carpet.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Plug In And Aerosol Chemical Air Fresheners

Tests by the Environmental Working Group and the National Resources Defense Council found chemical air fresheners do not remove the odor molecules-they simply cover them up.

The odor molecules are still there, you just can’t detect them anymore. So after spraying the product, you’re not only inhaling the odor molecules, but the air freshener chemicals as well Many air fresheners contains chemicals linked to cancer.

They contain chemicals linked to hormone disruption and developmental problems.
They contain chemicals linked to neurotoxicity, which means the chemicals are poisonous to the nerves or nerve cells.
They contain chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs.
They contain chemicals linked to allergies and asthma.
None of the most popular brands disclose any of these potentially harmful ingredients. So if it weren’t for studies like these by the EWG and the NRDC, we would have no idea what we were sniffing.

6 Natural Ways To Make Your Home Smell Awesome

We strongly recommend you avoid using powdered, aerosol ,plug-ins and candles for deodorizing your home or office since they may ruin your carpet and your health. Instead, use natural alternatives like a bowl of potpourri, fragrant house plants, reed diffusers with natural oils, pomader balls,simmering a small pot of water with citrus, mint or spices, and charcoal bag air fresheners. If it's within your budget, an electronic air purifier would be your best bet. Check out the one featured here by copying and pasting this link into a new page and save 59% off list ( if you just click on it -it won't work) :

tinyurl.com/jnnam2th

If you carpets and rugs are starting to look dull and dingy because of the use of air fresheners, just give us a call. We can make them look like new again by using all natural and organic cleaning solutions that are safe for you, your family, your pets and the earth.