One of my cats, Snot, likes to poop being the tv cabinet. It is a big cabinet, and it isn't easy to get behind it, since it is set diagonally in the corner - so lots of space to do business. At first, 'someone' (I am not sure who started the pooping-behind-the-tv thing) would only go potty behind there on a winters night, when it was cold and nasty out, so I didn't mind cleaning up the poop every day. I have indoor/outdoor cats, so they do their business outdoors as a rule, and this means there isn't a potty indoors.
Fast forward a few years, and it is now summer, with fine weather. But the pooping-behind-the-tv has escalated. I've cleaned it up almost everyday this week, with windows have been open, and the days/nights have been perfectly fine. But there has been fresh poop, in addition to the old dry stuff that soaked into the carpet. I've been staying away from home some nights, and haven't managed to get to these ones in due time, and they were sloppy - so harder to pick up. (You can leave your censorship of my housekeeping habits out of it. Dried poop is easier to clean up than wet.)
With the much warmer weather, and the sun coming in the windows, I decided that today I would pull my finger out, move the entire cabinet and clean it up properly.
Items needed.
rubber gloves.
a STURDY fork
paper towel
spray cleaner of your choice (I used Ajax Spray and Wipe)
Vacuum cleaner
bucket
floor cleaner of your choice (I used Ajax)
some washing powder.
at least three old cloths
plastic bag
face mask - optional
First I took the tv and other assorted things off the cabinet, then shifted that out of the way. Then the gloves went on and I picked up what dry and or loose poop I could collect by hand. Next I used the fork to scrape out the looser of the cemented-to-the-carpet poop. Use the paper towel to collect these bits.
After that, I had to use the fork to break up the cement poop. If you are going to use a mask, do so now. Dry cat poop goes everywhere) Various places said to 'use a fork' to clean up dried cat poop on carpet, but, as I found, you cant lift it that way. Stab the dry stuff with the fork in the middle and work out. It is much easier. In this manner you should be able to be a majority of the poop up. Use the sides of the fork to tease apart the carpet fibres and loosen the crap in them.
Vacuum the area when you are sure you have all the poop off the carpet. Then have another look. With the debris out of the way you will see other smaller hiding parts. Remove as many of these dags as you can. Vacuum again. You may find that a few sheets of paper towel on the carpet will also find wet patches you didn't know about. Gross animal!
Spray the carpet with spray cleaner and leave it to soak in. Normally people say 'test in an inconspicuous are first to test for color fastness', but if your cat has been pooping in that area, it isn't going to matter either way.
I suggest changing gloves about now, and then get a bucket of hot water, with the floor cleaner and washing powder in it. Soak the old cloth in the hot water and proceed to wash the carpet. Don't soak it, even though you might be tempted too. If you think it is that bad, you'd be better off cutting that area of the carpet out and I considered it. Wash the fibres as many times as you need, changing the water if necessary, until there is less 'color' coming off the carpet.
Get another cloth, dry this time, and go over the fibres to see what comes off. Repeat if you need to. When that is done, dry the area with the last cloth, you may have to stand on it to get the moisture out and leave it to air dry some.
I don't know if cleaning the area would stop my cat pooping behind there again (I expect she will say 'yay! clean potty!') since I plan to change where the tv cabinet sits to avoid making that space again, but it might yours, and will make the place smell fresher anyway.
I've tried all sorts of things to stop her from going behind there. Squirting her, spraying the area with vinegar citrus spray (home made even), pepper, Vicks, naphthalene flakes. Nothing works. The most recent spate of pooping was done on top of a fresh layer of white pepper. I know a lot of places say to put a potty in the area and slowly move it, but that doesn't work either (I tried that one winter). I want to DIScourage her from using that corner, not ENcourage her.
For the record though, Vicks DOES work to discourage spraying. I use the store branded stuff which works fine.
But now, it is time to put the cabinet back and hope for the best.
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