HEllo James,   
      
   On Mon 2038-Dec-06 16:34, James Bradley (1:342/77) wrote to Richard Webb:   
      
    RW> On Sat 2038-Dec-04 12:30, James Bradley (1:342/77) wrote to Richard   
    RW> Webb:   
      
    JB> Back to topic, that bleach is going to take out the smell, and   
    JB> likely the  mattress. I'll bet if the bleach smell alone was   
    JB> stronger than pure urine,  that might discourage further squatting.   
    RW> YEah, wanna dilute it a bit, but it might be the only tool   
    RW> ya got.  AS we both agree though, that smell's gotta go.   
    RW> Even if you think you got 'er done, their noses are much   
    RW> more sensitive than ours, and they'll go to that spot   
    RW> again, and again, and ...   
      
    JB> My initial concern was the caustic nature of bleach. Even diluted,   
    JB> you're  going to get a nice white spot where the yellow one used to   
    JB> be. Lesser of  two evils to be sure! But Matt - I presume - will   
    JB> want to sleep on the bed  too.  I'm pretty sure the   
    JB> chlorine gas isn't going to be  poisonous, even straight out of the   
    JB> bottle, but I'm sure I would need some  adjustment period to fall   
    JB> asleep on the thing.   
      
    RW> RIght, but you gotta get rid of that smell, even if that   
    RW> means new mattress.  WHatever way you do it, that smell's   
    RW> the trigger, and it's gotta go.   
      
   JB> Yuppers, but then there the habitual part has to be addressed.   
   JB> That's where  your bleach could come in. Once they stick their noses   
   JB> in that, their  thoughts of relief go to fleeing. I wonder if   
   JB> cayenne pepper might encourage  that also. I've read it might help   
   JB> with Cat Scratch Fever.   
      
   NOt being a cat person I'm not that familiar with their   
   behavior patterns, but two things have to happen.  Get rid   
   of the smelll which is the trigger, then deny them the area   
   when you're not there.  removing the trigger should suffice, but just in case,   
   deny them the area when one's not home as   
   well.   
      
   I have to laugh at people that say "... doesn't get up on   
   the couch."  YEah right, soon as you're not around fido's on the couch   
   snoozing away.  HE hears your car pull up, off the couch he comes, because the   
   unpleasant part is you catching   
   him on the couch.  OTherwise the couch is just as comfy as   
   it ever was.  One reason I don't deny my dogs the furniture. IT's an exercise   
   in pointless #1, and I have dogs.  IF you   
   choose to enter my home you know i have a dog at the moment. IF that offends   
   the nondog person then he/she doesn't need   
   to enter.  My mother complains about the fact I have a dog,   
   because she's allergic.  When I saw this little bit in funny I posted it to   
   her in email.   
   To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front   
   door:   
      
   RULES FOR NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:   
      
   1. They live here. You don't.   
      
   2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the fu   
   niture.(That's why they call it "fur" niture.)   
      
   3. I like my pets a lot better than most people.   
      
   4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is   
   short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.   
      
   Dogs and cats are easier than kids:   
      
   A) They eat less;   
      
   B) They don't ask for money all the time;   
      
   C) They are easier to train i.e. usually come when called, never drive your   
   car and don't hang out with drug-using friends;   
      
   D) They don't smoke or drink;   
      
   E) They don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions;   
      
   F) They don't wear my clothes;   
      
   G) They don't need a gazillion dollars for college; and   
      
   C) If they get pregnant, you can sell the children.   
      
      
      
    JB> I could buy a new pillow-top for about $200 Canadian, but that   
    JB> doesn't help  Matt out a smidgeoun. Short of replacing the mattress   
    JB> and disallowing the  animals admittance....   
      
    RW> YEah that's about what I think they probably go for around   
    RW> here, haven't bought one in a long time.  I'd try your   
      
   >$1K last I checked.   
      
     I think somebody gave us one after Katrina.  Before   
   that I inherited a king size, preacher and his wife got a   
   new water bed setup and we got their old king.  That was fun getting up and   
   down a flight of stairs.   
      
   JB> There's a fix! As a finish, I'd tend toward using a bleach mix   
   JB> through a  "steam" (Really, just a hot water-bleach infusion, as   
   JB> mentioned on another  echo. ;-) cleaner over the whole shot to even   
   JB> out the colour.     
      
      
   THere ya go.   
      
   I'd also suggest that Matt get some books on canine behavior from his friendly   
   local library.  From some of the questions he's asked in this echo over the   
   last year or so I'm   
   gathering that he's not acquired a lifelong familiarity with dogs.  THere are   
   some good ones that predate Caesar, not   
   that Caesar isn't good, quite the contrary, he's very good,   
   but I think some others start from a better place to the   
   neophyte to dogs.  They're very much social animals though,   
   and what we often think is a controlled behavior is only   
   controlled when we're around, because it's our reaction to   
   the behavior they're trying to avoid, which doesn't really   
   solve the problem.   
      
   Regards,   
              Richard   
   --- timEd 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin:  (1:116/901)