I recently noticed a strong cat urine smell on the first floor of my house, but I don't have a cat. This happened a few weeks ago and oddly, the smell disappeared the next day. Then, I started hearing scratching noises in the exterior wall upstairs, which made me suspect there might be an animal causing this, so I called an exterminator. However, after multiple visits, they couldn't find anything and refunded my money. My roofer discovered a large opening between the soffit and fascia where I heard the scratching, and he closed it up. Ever since then, I've started to wonder if the odor was even related to that animal.
Last night, the cat pee smell returned just as it started raining. I checked the basement for any signs of water or mold, but found nothing, making me think that my theory about mold down there might not be correct. I also bought a moisture detector to check the first-floor walls for dampness since I am wary of opening the walls myself. I've considered whether other things could be contributing to the smell, but I ruled out a variety of possibilities, like plumbing issues, outside animal presence, or even electrical problems since it only happens when it rains. I've lived in this house for 7 years without any smell issues until now. Any ideas on what might be causing this?
2 Answers
I can totally relate to this. It's weird how rain can trigger those foul smells indoors. You might want to check your plumbing system more closely, even if you haven’t noticed any direct leaks. Sometimes the issues can be subtle. Also, have you looked into whether there's any old animal urine that could be drying out and releasing smells when the humidity goes up during rain? Sometimes rodents can also leave behind odors that linger. Just throwing a few more ideas your way!
It sounds frustrating! I’ve had a similar experience with my septic system. Sometimes, after heavy rains, outside gases can seep in because the atmospheric pressure changes, which might explain the smell. I’ve also noticed that stray cats can reactivate old urine smells after rain. You might also want to consider mold, as it can emit VOCs, but it sounds like you've already gone through that possibility thoroughly. Plus, that gap in your soffit could let moisture in, which might aerosolize previous odors. It’s worth keeping an eye on that area just in case, even if the smell is only on the first floor.
That's really good advice! I hadn't thought about the atmospheric pressure playing a role. I’ll check around my outside walls just in case.
Thanks! I will definitely double-check the plumbing and keep an eye out for any old signs of rodents too.