A few years ago, we invested in getting all new carpet for the house. That was a bad move. I thought that if we started fresh, we could keep up with it and it would remain somewhat nice. Nope. The cats just became bigger jerks. For a while we were able to contain it because the gray cat was consistently peeing in front of the litterboxes. We put down washable puppy pads and are constantly washing those damned things. But hell, at least that cat is consistent in his jerkitude.
Last month, as we purchased yet another device designed to clean up cat messes in the ever losing battle of keeping the carpet from stinking, I decided I'd had enough. As much as I love this little spot cleaner, after a week of owning it, our floor is completely polkadotted with little scrubbed circles from all the messes we've used it on. It really demonstrates just how much the cats have been messing up the floor and how chasing after them is a losing battle. I thought about all of the devices and products we've spent money on in an attempt to keep the house smelling halfway decent, crap, we've probably spent near what it's going to cost to just put in a better floor. We should have just done that in the first place and saved ourselves the money, aggravation, work, and time that all ultimately failed anyway.
We're taking out a new mortgage on the house to pay off all of the IVF credit card debts at a lower and tax deductible interest rate. We've decided to take out a little more than we need to pay off those loans and redo the floor entirely in the house. We're getting rid of the carpet and putting down laminate (probably). Who knows what damage we're going to find when we pull this carpet up, probably massive amounts of urine soaked plywood (it's a manufactured home), but we're going to take care of this once and for all. We're going to get it done right. No more bandaid fixes. If the entire floor has to come up and be rebuilt, so be it. Hopefully just a good thick layer of Killz will be enough, but if it's not, oh well. We're going to put down a cleanable floor and area rugs that can be replaced when they get gross.
With the girls poised to crawl any day now, and knowing that they're only going to grow into toddlers and kids that will spill milk and have potty training accidents, it's time. We have a guy coming on Monday to take measurements, give advice, and ultimately sell us a new floor. And with this, we commit to living here for several more years.
I am so pleased to read that you won't be ditching your cats because of this. It can be hard to deal with but you aren't abandoning your pets. Good for you!
ReplyDeleteHow many litter boxes do you have? One per cat plus one extra is usually helpful. I also had a pee-pee kitty and had to medicate her to live with her. She like to pee on beds. :-( I had her on clomipramine and it was great. The peeing stopped and it didn't make her into a zombie. The drug is expensive from the vet (called Clomicalm) but if you can find a vet to prescribe it from a human pharmacy, it is much cheaper (at least in Canada).
You mats should have a plastic backing too. The urine will ruin a laminate floor as well. Good luck to you!
Yes! Hardwood, or laminate, floors and area rugs are the way to go. However, I can't tell you how many area rugs we've ditched over the years :( That is why we only buy cheap ones...until the kids are grown, in any case. We also purchased slip covered sofas for the same reason. We have lived through the cat peeing wars, the dog pooping for revenge, and the kids poop, pee, vomit and food.
ReplyDeleteMake sure your area rugs are soft, they are easier on baby knees :)
Excellent idea! We have hardwood floors w/rugs, a necessity when you've got 4 kids and a dog. It's much cheaper to replace the odd rug if you have to (ahem...dog diarrhea).
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Be careful with laminate. If moisture sits on them long, they warp. (I regret putting it in our kitchen)
ReplyDeleteI love the tile flooring we have since it is easy enough to replace a single tile. Plus throw rugs are much easier to remove, wash or toss if need be.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have pets and kids, nothing is better than hardwood or laminate flooring with no carpet. We had carpeting and it was a total smelly disaster. The wood floors are easier to clean and maintain. If you want a warmer spot for the twins, you can put down a throw rug.
ReplyDeleteThe flooring in our home is so easy to take care of. it's just tongue and groove, but all you need is a swiffer. A while ago, we had flooring in Calgary that just wouldn't stay clean. I think it had to do with the finish.
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