30Sept2009 - Day 54

Simba, the cat with a very small brain and super smelly urine, 1. Me, with the large brain and no cleaning product that seems to deter him from peeing on things other than litter, 0.
So. We all know about the cat and how when we first moved in here, I brought the neighbor's cat into the house to "make friends" with Simba. Well, Simba hates cats. I must've had a memory lapse at the time and forgotten how there had been a towel to block him from seeing the cat in the cage next to him when we'd adopted him. I must have forgotten how he'd hissed at the cat when the towel was removed. He must think he's the only cat that belongs anywhere near this house as well. Anyway, after my not so great introduction of the two cats, which ended with the other cat cowering near the front door and Simba poised to attack - I removed the cat from the house. Shortly thereafter, Simba began marking his territory. I tried to clean the carpet where he peed; but it quickly grew out of hand. Nothing took out the smell completely, and he stopped peeing in the litter box all together. He'd marked the entire carpet area around the tiled front entrance. I was defeated, completely. Still, I toiled on, trying to cover the carpet and block the assault; buying $25 bottles of pet cleaner. I never won. It always lingered. When Adam returned from Iraq, we pulled up the carpet and layed down hardwood flooring instead. It was the most disgusting thing I ever saw or smelled when we ripped that carpet up. It truly looked like I had done nothing.
Now, the assault has begun again. But this time, the target are our couches. Once, we went away for a week and left Simba here. Ortiz and Rylee checked on him frequently, at least once a day. They must've had the scent of their cats on them one visit, because we returned to a couch covered in cat urine smell. When we talked to them, they told us that yes, they had been sitting where the smell was. It seemed as though we'd won when we removed the covers to the cushions and laundered them; treating the filler with bleach and vinegar and whatever else took away the smell. Nope. Now, he marks both sofas, whenever no one is home. When we had the Saldanas staying with us, it began again. I don't know what to do. I'm having hometown carpet cleaners, a local house and carpet cleaning company come and clean the sofas. They have a process that removes the urine crystals and/or dissolves them; then they steam clean the sofas. If this doesn't work, we'll have to get new couches. I've already thrown out all the filling for all the throw pillows; there's no way to clean it and retain the shape. I don't want to have to buy new furniture. I just want a cat that doesn't piss all over the place.