I tried to kill us yesterday...
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63594)
United States
September 3, 2008 5:51pm CST
and I did intentionally!
Yes I did!
And I'll do it again someday!
We needed to clean the range and yesterday we attacked it.
Now - if you don't hear disgusting information - stop reading[b] NOW!!!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! STOP NOW!!!
LAST CHANCE!!![/b]
Some of our bad cats pee on the range top.
And we are NOT the best of house keepers.
So, the cat pee was disgusting. I used a palete knife to pry the burners off the top where the cat pee had hardened. I also scraped some of the stuff off into the trash so it didn't have to be "wiped off."
I put them in a bowl we use for cleaning. I then dumped bleach on top of the burner componants and the fun began.
I ended up having to put the bowl in a room away from us and the pets, opened the window and turned on the fan.
After I had scrubbed the grill top with a stiff brush I went to fetch the bowl. The bowl was done foaming but was still hot to the touch. I brought it back and dumped the stuff down the drain and ran water over it and dumped it again.
The roomie had brought me gloves because she didn't want me putting my hands in bleach - but by the time I handled the burner componants, they were mostly clean, just a little scrub with the brush and they were clean.
But that doesn't change the gas I released in my little "science experiement." I've done this before, but never quite so strongly.
I think I still have that stuff in the back of my nose - yuk!
So - for those of you with a strong stomach who have reached this point... what did I try to poison us with?
9 people like this
20 responses
@jerzgirl (9291)
• United States
4 Sep 08
OMG - I thought my Jenny cat was bad, peeing on every bag she could find and down the sides of my sofa bed until the mattress was saturated! I did have to get rid of her - I couldn't have that or I'd have had nothing left. But, ewwwww, anyway! 
Did you mix ammonia and bleach?? If you did you are simply LUCKY to be alive. That releases a gas so toxic it can kill, literally, in minutes!!! I hope you didn't do that and that you won't ever do that again - or we won't ever hear another story like this because you won't be around to tell it!! 
Did you mix ammonia and bleach?? If you did you are simply LUCKY to be alive. That releases a gas so toxic it can kill, literally, in minutes!!! I hope you didn't do that and that you won't ever do that again - or we won't ever hear another story like this because you won't be around to tell it!! 7 people like this
@bluerubymoon53 (3286)
• United States
4 Sep 08
If you used just bleach and not ammonia, that's ok. But mixing bleach and ammonia in any fashion is deadly. I've noticed that cat pee can smell like ammonia at times. I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Sep 08
As I see others mentioned the idea of the combo of the ammonia (from the cat pee) and bleach....Did you know that bleach is actually the WORSE type of cleaner to use when you have pets....got that tip from a pet rescuer as it can actually exaggerate pet odors...and I found this to be true...when I used to have a lot of kitties some "genius" told me to use bleach on everything to clean..So here I am cleaning up a storm every single fricking day to eliminate pet odor and wondered why it still stank ....I think you should go for a more natural approach...next time use baking soda and vinegar...Hey and it's fun as it fizzes..LOL
6 people like this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
4 Sep 08
And that fizz is non toxic as well. I had a friend that always used Pinesol, both for animal and kid urine, but I believe it was you that warned about not using products that end in -sol because of their chemical compounds.Pine scented urine is not nice, either. I also like oxiclean type products. I get a store brand, It scrubs things up and is not so toxic. I used to tend to either Simple Green, with chlorophyl, or orange oil based cleaners. Now I use Shaklee Basic H2, or Basic G, or both. The H is non toxic, G is not so non toxic, but is still better than some of the other cleaners.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Yup--that was me with a discussion about the dangers of many household cleaners especially ones with -sol at the end...many of those products contain chemicals that are extremely toxic to pets, especially to cats.
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
4 Sep 08
I remember that too and now I worry about my client's cat when the upstairs neighbor just dumps pinesol out her door - guess where it drips?
Hey - I got lots of nice fizzies from the combination! I also put it in a room where no cats are, but maybe a few roaches - maybe I got a few of them...
2 people like this
@addysmum (1225)
• Canada
4 Sep 08
how are you two feeling today? If you are still feeling a little funny you should get checked out by a doctor. My clients daughter poisoned herself with bleach just opening the bottle up to wash some clothes. I ended up taking her to emerg. turns out she had burned her throat with the fumes.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Oh, that was easy. The cat urine was high in ammonia, and you added bleach, which released a poisonous gas caused by the combination of ammonia and chlorine, and I cannot remember the scientific name of that gas, but that is what it was. I saw it coming. I have done similar with ammonia and chlorine, so please do not do that to yourself anymore. I have a vet who had a cat that did that. I do not know how to break them, and I know, you did not ask. What people put up with for their pets.
6 people like this
@dark4eyes (161)
• United States
4 Sep 08
the kitchen is pretty well ventilated, the fans were on and the windows were open. The smell cleared pretty quickly - so even though we're still feeling some after effects - burning eyes and smelling the stuff - I think we're okay - THIS time.
4 people like this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
4 Sep 08
Wow! Sounds like a real expariment in cleaning. Was it some sort of amonia and bleach concoction? Just amonia, just bleach Hmmm....
5 people like this
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
4 Sep 08
Hi ElicBxn,
Well that was very funny, I'm sure it wasen't fuuny trying clean all the muck up meaning cats pee, you must have had a tough time, so how is it now? is it all nice and gleaming are the cats still peeing on it? try putting pepper or some sort to deterr cats from getton on the range. You better go and have a rest.
Tamara
6 people like this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
18 Sep 08
Yikes! I don't know what it was exactly that you tried poisoning everyone with but something tells me you mixed something with the bleach that shouldn't of been mixed and created a pretty poisonous gas. Maybe it would be best to clean up the cat urine before it dries? I know that stuff is hard to remove from any surface once it's dried on. yuk! is right.
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
18 Sep 08
I still get a whiff of it every now and then in Tigger's room. Once my old desk is sold and gone, I'm getting everything out of her and ripping up the carpet. I can't get the odor out no matter what I do. Carpet looks new but the cats and dogs totally destroyed it. For some reason, they think it's ok to pee on the carpet in here.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47313)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Sep 08
Elic Elic Elic... Don't you know you NEVER mix bleach with amonia? Huh? What amonia I hear you say? Cat pee, my dear.
5 people like this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
14 Sep 08
Did you have any baking soda on the burners or any vinegar? I wonder if the urine and the bleach made a chemical reaction but I have not heard of such a thing.
I wonder if there was residue of clean left on the burners from the last time you cleaned the stove that could have caused the problem.
I hope you did not burn your lungs or nasal mucosa.
I hope you can get your cats to stop peeing on the stove.
2 people like this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
20 Sep 08
What we do to keep our kitties. I hope you cover turns out great and keeps the pee off the stove and you can use it often.
2 people like this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Ammonia? Or Chlorox? Those two can't be mixed. Cat urine is like Ammonia, so you must have used chlorox and created a toxic cloud.
There is a natural urine enzyme formula at PetSmart and other Pet specialty shops that works fantastic. Buy it and keep it on hand.
I know, because a wild cat snuck in through our cat door and urinated behind our stove in the kitchen and on my sleeping bag in the living room (as well as on the vinyl floor under my bed upstairs in my bedroom).
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
The inmates where I worked created a toxic gas cloud with bleach and ammonia one time. The cloud was so bad that it injured a Correction Officer who was wearing contacts and chemically burned my eyes. I was two weeks rehabbing my eyes. Don't do that again. The stuff you buy works great! It gets rid of the smell. One kind is so good, my friend puts her nose 1 inch from where she cleaned and can not smell it. There is absolutely no reason to rick your health like this. Other people had trouble breathing, it can damage your lungs. With 25 cats, you need to find a better way.
If you don't change the way you clean, the next hospital visit will be a do-it-yourself project. And the insurance may decide not to pay for it.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
4 Sep 08
So use baking soda and vingar to "self-clean". Normally, I admire your stubborness, but in this case, you need to change.
1 person likes this
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Wow, 25 little critters huh? I would say the boxes probably need almost constant cleaning. My sister used to be terrible about her cat boxes. Once one of her cats peed on a box of cookbooks in protest. I think she has been doing a bit better job since then. 
3 people like this
@dark4eyes (161)
• United States
4 Sep 08
It's a territorial thing. I've caught a couple of them doing it . Timus pees on the stove, then Scamp decides to cover Timus' mark, then Timus marks it again and before too long - we've got burners that don't work, and icky smells coming up when we cook. We try to clean it, but they just mark it again.
We got something called a Scat Mat at one point - if they step on it they get a zap about like a static electric charge and, believe me, they LEAVE. Sassy stepped on it once and cussed like a sailor and she's SUPPOSED to be a Lady Cat. It worked well enough til some member of the feline brigade nuked the controller and it was never the same after that. They're about $80 and a replacement isn't in the budget just now.
Nasty as this might sound I'd rather have them pee on the stove than my BED - I've found some "land mines" the hard way. Never fails that on a night when I'm exhausted and REALLY craving my bed - SOMEBODY leaves me a present! I have Elic check for me now cause she can see & I can't see that well
2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
24 Sep 08
*breath*
We are the same with our cleaning too. If there is time, it gets done, if not, it waits until I go on a cleaning binge.
You know, your drains will be pretty clean now too!The only time we have almost killed our family due to cleaning is with the room sprays that kill germs. We have been trying to get rid of the colds we have all had and hubby decided to give this spray a go. Yeah, it got rid of the germs, but it left me gasping for air and sneezing for the next three days. 2 people like this
@newzealtralian (3930)
• Australia
4 Oct 08
Turns out, all we had to do was open the house up for a while. Now the weather is warming up for us, we can have it open all the time, and the use of nasty sprays won't be necessary.
2 people like this
@guybrush (4658)
• Australia
4 Sep 08
I shouldn't laugh, but I am! Your story reminds me of a friend of mine who used to have a fairly untidy and disorganised house. One winter I went to visit her, and there was a horrible smell all through the place. She had the slow combustion stove going, and after a while, I noticed there was a potty sitting on top of the stove - half full of pee which was merrily bubbling away! Not exactly aromatherapy ...
3 people like this
@dark4eyes (161)
• United States
4 Sep 08
I helped. I got the worst of the crud off the stove top while E cleaned the parts. I let her do the "detail work" - My eyes are STILL burning 20 some hours later, but the range was clean til I cooked pasta tonight. And we've got the Sears guy comin' tomorrow.
@suspenseful (40193)
• Canada
4 Sep 08
Let me see, cat pee probably contains ammonia. So it could be that you combined it with the bleach and then the fun began. I guess you could have used damp baking soda. Then you would not have had any problems. How many cats do you have anyway? I mean two or three would be plenty and are there not enough children around your neighborhood who would like a little kitten?
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Hun, I would not TRUST the "little darlings" around my neighborhood with a STUFFED ANIMAL much less a REAL one!
And they AREN'T kittens - they are BIG FAT CATS! Well, maybe not all that fat...
The biggest problem is that the guilty ones are here BECAUSE they do stuff like that and we can't find them homes.
How many? 25 inside
@riderinlife (31)
• United States
4 Sep 08
well it really sounds like you have known this was goin to happen, but did it anyway???????? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm it makes me wonder if you should be cleaning the range ???? and if you used some products that are earth friendly then maybe you wouldn't be killing your cat's or youeself's , go to caladrea .com and get some good products to clean with instead of posion! yewwwwwwwwwwwwww !!!!good luck in your next cleaning adventure .
1 person likes this
@peedielyn (1207)
• United States
4 Sep 08
OMG!!! THis is hilarious. I was dying laughing just from the first few lines! I seriously thought it was a mom with a mini van, driving rush hour and swinging at children in the back. This was great. As for the answer, Ammonia and Bleach do not mix. It causes a gas-like concoction, and the fumes are hideous. It can be deadly. If you can stand vinegar, or Apple cider vinegar, it will help out. Vinegar is a natural "refresher". If you boil a pot of water on the stove, and drop half a gallon of vinegar in it, you can clean without the fumes. Vinegar kinda works like a neutralizer for odors and its a great cleaner too. just let the stuff soak in the water as well as pour some on the surface. Let the hot mixture set for a while and then wipe, scrub, scrape the yuk up! I know bleach sanitizes but do that after wards. The odor of hot vinegar lasts just a bit, and with windows open or ventilation, it will disapate eventually, and no ammonia smell, or gasses like the concoction you made. Good luck!!
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
4 Sep 08
I knew what I was making - I was ready for the "fun." While I never took any chemistry - too much math - I was a "mad scientiest" assistant as a child with my brother. I just think the streangth was greater then I quite expected - next time I may do my chemical poar outside - maybe find an ant bed to set it on....
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
17 Nov 12
If I were faced with that situation, I would scrub things down with white vinegar and baking soda. I would never pour bleach into an area where I knew there was cat urine; I know what bleach does when combined with ammonia.
I'm not much for bleach anyways, since I am fairly sensitive to it. When I've needed the sink drains bleached before, that job has gone to my boyfriend who doesn't have such a sensitivity.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Well, these cats can't be "rehomed" because they have bad habits. That's why they are with us.
I know some people can section off parts of their houses, but there's no way to get from anyplace in the house without practically going thru the kitchen - so I can section it off (trust me, I would if I could.)
@southward (23)
• United States
4 Sep 08
Simple solution get rid of your cat and get a dog instead most of them cant get on top of a stove :P Just an opinion dont crucify me all you cat lovers.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
5 Sep 08
I got a dog, and he's a nice enough dog, but - dogs are, well, dogs are like men - they are a lot of work and they stink...
I'm considering make a vinal cover for the range cause I am tired of this - well, that and a new "scat mat" to maybe break the habit...
