Posted by Impressions Notary and Marketing on 5/11/09 11:35am
Msg #287977

What to do in a cat house ...

I have walked into some places that would knock you out with the smell or cat and the people who lived there didn't notice a thing. I have come upon this a couple times in my journeys and I usually just gritted me teeth and went as fast as possible, 10 minutes flat. I for one had acquired a new allergy to short haired cats (long hairs are fine) so that coupled with the smell and the ammonia sends me over the edge.

Have you ever walked into a home as a mobile notary and got hit like a brick wall with the smell of cat urine? What do you do in this case? How do you handle yourself?

Reply by MistarellaFL on 5/11/09 11:40am
Msg #287978

Yes I have, a few years back.
The whole house was full of kittens, cats and litterboxes.
The overwhelming aroma of ammonia was in the air.
I am a cat-woman. I have 5. One time I had 17.
But, I keep that box clean.
What did I do? Kept my cool and expedited the signing.
Pretended like I didn't notice a thing.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 5/11/09 12:03pm
Msg #287988

I agree - I have 4 indoor cats and I clean the box every day and spray it with Petzyme. In fact, I have three litter boxes and I keep them in the basement as far away from the main living area as possible.

Like all of you I've been in homes where the smell just about knocks you over as you come through the door. I pretend I don't notice as well.

Reply by Prosperity on 5/11/09 11:41am
Msg #287979

Had it happen many times. Dealth with cats, dogs, and just plain dirty people. I think it should be expected considering the profession we've chosen. I can't stand cigarette smoke. If the person asks, then I tell them that I would prefer that they don't smoke & tell them that I should be no longer than 45 minutes or so. If they don't ask, then I just deal with it. I'm always mindful that it is their home & I'm never rude. I just think that every document signed gets me closer to leaving & never returning.

Reply by DebbieT on 5/11/09 11:48am
Msg #287982

Re: Vicks VapoRub

Works like a charm. Just say "Pardon me. I forgot something in the car." Then I go and put some under my nose. I've never applied it in the house as I do not want them thinking I have some contagious cold.

Reply by Kate/CA on 5/11/09 11:55pm
Msg #288077

Use hand lotion instead

You just keep it in your bag, put some on, wipe some under your nose. They don't even notice and it smells good. I do this all the time.

Reply by HKB on 5/11/09 11:56am
Msg #287984

I had this situation too, the lady was really really old livng with an old single son .... they did not feel it at all, it was winter time so you can imagine.

I was very lucky that the old lady did not have an ID card on her .... the son searched all over for it (like 20 minutes) and could not find it.

They decided to get a copy in a few days ..... I did not say a word to any one and when I was called again ...I politely said I'm busy and declined the signing.

We can not tell people that their house is smelling .... seems very impolite. We are just there to do our job and leave wishing them well. Felt very sorry for them as the lady was very very old and could not do any thing about it.

Reply by Olivia Pugh on 5/11/09 11:57am
Msg #287985

Yes I am with you guys those cats and dogs donot work well with pine sol, and clorox not only that but the cat feeding box on the dining room table were we were trying to work I try to keep a straight face and do the closing trying not to miss any signature so I will never have to go back.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/11/09 11:53am
Msg #287983

I just breade true by bouth. There was one signing

with 8 puppies - those little cuties with the huge butterfly ears - I can't spell the French word, but Steve McQueen played The Butterfly, remember? Anyway, with eight puppies, all the time, everywhere, it took a while.

Reply by janCA on 5/11/09 12:11pm
Msg #287991

Many stories concerning this subject but I'll focus....

on just one.

A couple of years ago, I did a refi with a couple who were actually taking money out of their home for an add-on, SPECIFICALLY, for their cats. There were felines all over the place, the exact number, I have no clue. Yes, the clorox was overwhelming but people seem to just get used to that smell. I can't imagine what it does to the sinuses over time. I'm one of those "green" cleaners. Baking soda, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 5/11/09 3:12pm
Msg #288028

Are you talking about a Papillon? n/m

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/11/09 3:15pm
Msg #288031

Re: Are you talking about a Papillon?

My little Foxy has those kind of ears! He's a Pap and Pom mix, I'm almost certain.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/11/09 7:33pm
Msg #288054

Yes! Those little furfaces. n/m

Reply by Shoshana Roller on 5/11/09 12:14pm
Msg #287994

I just really love the smokers too!

I can't to get home and into the shower! LOL!

Reply by Corinne/CO on 5/11/09 12:33pm
Msg #287997

Re: I just really love the smokers too!

The problem is when you have to go straight to another appt. I once asked the second borrower for a dryer sheet and rubbed it on my shirt to help reduce the tobacco smell because it was so strong. I think I will keep a couple in a ziploc in the car.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/11/09 12:41pm
Msg #287998

Best Odor Treatment I've found...

http://nokout.com/

It's not perfumed. It leaves a fresh smell like...kind of like when you leave the windows open all day or bring in laundry from the clothesline. It's the chemical reaction between Nok Out and the odor that fixes it. If you decide to order, tell them I sent you.

The stuff really works. It might take one or two treatments but it will get the nasty out of the house or off of you. It comes in spray and in gallon bottles. I keep some in the car and in the house. My vehicles are both aging, but nice vehicles with low mileage. This stuff keeps them smelling fresh.

Another goody is one I learned about at the vet's office. I buy it at Sam's Club from time to time as a disinfectant.

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=174030
This one, however, does have a perfumed scent.

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/11/09 1:37pm
Msg #288010

Thanks Brenda. And, speaking of dryer sheets -

they're good for stashing around the house (like in hats hanging in the hallway) because spiders hate them. I cut them in smaller pieces and stash all over the place. We have lots of spidies here.
A few years ago, Dad was bitten on the temple by a nassty spidy hiding in a ball cap - and it *still* affects the nerves on that side of his head.

Reply by Marian_in_CA on 5/11/09 1:52pm
Msg #288012

Re: Thanks Brenda. And, speaking of dryer sheets -

Ooooooh, I'm going to try that! My new place is out in the good o'le mOjave desert and I have spiders all over the place. These guys set up shop so quickly, too. If my husband leaves his jeans on the floor (ugh!!!) I'll pick them up the next day to find a spider scurrying away. And I always have to check the shower curtain, too! More than a few mornings I've been surprised.

I mean, I know this is the reality of living in a desert... I grew up here, but it takes some adjusting again to be sure.

Reply by HKB on 5/11/09 2:07pm
Msg #288017

Re: Thanks Brenda. And, speaking of dryer sheets -

My cousin inlaw gave me a few crab apples as we had a few spiders in the sun room ... you have to punch them with a knife and keep them on foil in the corners.

Very VERY effective .... since then I have not seen a spider in our sun room. If I remember correctly she had them picked from the woods so I assume they are not sold in the shops. I may be wrong.

HKB

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 5/11/09 2:45pm
Msg #288022

Being the thrifty person I am

If you don't want to pay the $25 or more per gallon and you are just dealing with pet stains, I start with a solution of vinegar / water on the stain, soak it up with an old towel, then follow up with a spray of hydrogen peroxide. Destroys the odor. A quart of hydrogen peroxide is available at places like WalMart for under a buck.

If you read the label, these use an oxidizer to get rid of the urine stain and the odors and a nice perfume. 98% of the rest of the contents is distilled water. The peroxide in my formula acts as the oxidizer. Many people use cleaners such as 409, Windex and others that contain ammonia. Guess What? The cat is drawn back to that very spot to do it again. Don't use anything with ammonia. If you choose to use vinegar, use it first. Don't mix it with the peroxide. They neutralize each other.

Behavior modification of the cats sometimes works. The cat box is in the garage. If I catch a cat urinating in the house, out it goes and the cat door is locked for a couple of days. Works wonders.

Ours is not a business for weak stomachs or a person with a lot of allergies.

Are we off topic or what???? Maybe not ....

Reply by janCA on 5/11/09 1:02pm
Msg #288004

Re: I just really love the smokers too!

I used to rub a "bounce" sheet on my dog in between groomings.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 5/11/09 2:13pm
Msg #288018

At first I thought this thread was going to be about something else....

I have experienced this a few times. I am not a cat person; I tolerate them when I have to, but generally ignore them if I can. I've been in homes where there are 3 or 4 cats, and you wouldn't know it unless you saw them; I've been in others where there's one cat, and you would swear there are about 15 others hiding - no one animal can create that much odor, can it?

I usually just try to get through those signings as quickly as I can. Occasionally I have a mild allergic reaction, but it passes once I get out in the fresh air. It's more offensive to me when the little darlings are allowed to jump on the table and inspect and/or walk on the loan documents (for some reason, that always seems to be just after they've been in the litter box...). And I had one signing where there were at least 10 cats roaming through the room, and one of them tried to make a break for it by climbing into my briefcase and hiding... I figured out what was going on when the briefcase started moving on its own...

Reply by OR on 5/11/09 5:39pm
Msg #288048

Re: What to do in a cat house .. Yes and the home was valued

Yes and the home was valued 1 million dollars. I was so shocked that I had to ask the borrowers if it was correct that there home value was that much 1 yes 1 million dollars and the cat spray could kill ya.

Reply by Claudine Osborne on 5/11/09 8:35pm
Msg #288064

Re: What to do in a cat house .. Yes and the home was valued

I walked up to a bos home and she opened the door by asking me if I was allergic to cats? No I said. She let me in and the overpowering smell hurt my lungs instantly! They had 40 cats!! I finished their signing in record time. Went straight home to shower! Yuk.

I like cats but 40! I wonder why she didnt ask me if I was allergic when I called to confirm? That many cats to someone with allergies woul have been a disaster!

Reply by Michelle/AL on 5/11/09 10:21pm
Msg #288075

Forgive me if I'm repeating what someone else may have

already posted. I didn't take the time to read others' responses but here's what I've done:

1. Suggest that we close outside on the porch or in their backyard, under the premise that "it's such a lovely day, it would be a shame to be indoors on day like this;" or 2) Rub Vicks Vaporub under my nostrils.

What you've described really is no small matter.

Reply by MichiganAl on 5/12/09 1:55am
Msg #288083

I breathe out of my mouth instead of my nose. n/m

Reply by ReneeK_MI on 5/12/09 5:31am
Msg #288084

Just keep counting your blessings that you're not chained to a cubicle, you're out there ON a job, you're job isn't life-threatening like being a cop or a fire-fighter, you're not tarring roofs on a 90 degree day or working road construction in the rain ... it's all about the perspective.

By the way, LOVE the Vick's Vapo-Rub! An old trick used by horse folks on stallions, stops them from 'shopping' at horse shows. =O

Reply by SanDiegoCA on 5/14/09 1:10pm
Msg #288498

OH ..... that kind of "cat house" ....... <grin>

This post didn't end up nearly where I initially thought that it might .......