Ropes and Cat pee

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Messages 1 - 29 of total 29 in this topic
Porkchop_express

Trad climber
Currently in San Diego
Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 9, 2010 - 04:17am PT
My sister-in-laws behemoth of a cat decided to take a piss on my rope bag and now I have a smelly rope.

If a malodorous cord is the worst that comes out of it I won't think myself terribly ill used--however, I have heard that uric acid is not great for rope life.

Its not an old rope but not new either; its been in use for about a year with no whippers taken on it.

Retire it or keep using it?

Pennsylenvy

Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
Jan 9, 2010 - 04:58am PT
By profession I am a wood floor experto.....I've seen cat pee really fuk up pretty resilient finishes. Who knows? Aren't cats the reason shot guns were invented?
willie

Trad climber
Jan 9, 2010 - 05:00am PT
rockclimbing.com
willie

Trad climber
Jan 9, 2010 - 05:03am PT
Hey pennslyvie (sp. sorry). Should the shoe match the base or the floor in your pro. opinion?
Jan

Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
Jan 9, 2010 - 05:15am PT
You can get rid of the cat pee smell at least by washing everything in warm water with a lot of soda in it. They sell big boxes of the stuff in the detergent section. It neutralizes the acid. Probably the sooner you neutralize the acid the better.
Pennsylenvy

Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
Jan 9, 2010 - 05:30am PT
Willy,

I'll give it an educated guess....for a modern/progressive look yes. For a classic,old school or antique look , knot.
gonzo chemist

climber
the Twilight Zone of someone else's intentions
Jan 9, 2010 - 03:15pm PT
Porkchop,

just give the rope a wash in luke warm water and let it dry for a couple days before using it. Its all good. Uric acid NOT is a particularly strong acid. While it is diprotic, the Pka of the most acidic proton is only about 5.4.

That's not acidic enough to really cause any hydrolysis of of the polyamide construction.

-Nick
nature

climber
Tucson, AZ
Jan 9, 2010 - 03:25pm PT
well... no matter what the outcome.



remember one thing.....





























YER GONNA DIE!!!1111169
Blinky

Trad climber
Jan 9, 2010 - 03:50pm PT
I couldn't find the reference quickly but I know cat pee is a bad thing for polyester ropes. Wash it quick and it's probably no big deal but I wouldn't just leave it.
Porkchop_express

Trad climber
Currently in San Diego
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 9, 2010 - 04:59pm PT
washing machine? or by hand?
gonzo chemist

climber
the Twilight Zone of someone else's intentions
Jan 9, 2010 - 05:26pm PT
P_E,

Personally, I usually just give it a soak in the bathtub. Works well. No soap needed.


-Nick

Edit: Porkchop, I'll be climbing at Woodson tomorrow (sunday) with 2 other friends. Your welcome to join us if you got nothing else going on. If you're on board, just fire me a PM and I'll send you my cell #.
Blinky

Trad climber
Jan 9, 2010 - 05:56pm PT
Before I go further, I've never washed a dynamic rope, never had a reason. I've washed arborist lifelines several times cuz they can get some icky stuff on'em. The materials are the same but dynamic rope is kernmantle and arb ropes are 24 strand double braid. My lifeline ropes last about two years.

Washing machine or bathtub works fine. It's polyester so, no big deal washing it. Don't use hot water, warm works fine. The trick with using a washer is to daisy chain it and throw it in a net laundry bag, then into the washer. If you don't daisy chain it, the tangle will be monumental. I just use a little laundry soap.

Cavers like pressure washing ropes...
http://www.onrope1.com/RopeWashing.htm
labrat

Trad climber
Nevada City, CA
Jan 9, 2010 - 07:34pm PT
Wash it and think about retiring it. I have been using a reg. washer after soaking in tub. Knots are a pain.
Erik
moacman

Trad climber
Montana
Jan 9, 2010 - 09:59pm PT
First things first..Get rid of the cat.

Then wash your rope in the tub in warm water with Woolite fine fabric wash a non-detergent liquid soap. Rinse, hang dry and your back in business..

Stevo

mark miller

Social climber
Reno
Jan 9, 2010 - 10:16pm PT
Harsh Pencil...Phuck that pussy.....love ya take care if you didn't live 1000 miles away you'd be in the band gettin' all the pussy you ever wanted.
Studly

Trad climber
WA
Jan 9, 2010 - 10:38pm PT
Was it a Smelly Cat? Becasue somewhere.....theres a song.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7jlGRq8xZ4&feature=related
Spider Savage

Mountain climber
SoCal
Jan 9, 2010 - 11:25pm PT
Yer screwed. Get a new rope cuz yer gonna be sniffin that smell up and down from here on out.
Pennsylenvy

Gym climber
A dingy corner in your refrigerator
Jan 9, 2010 - 11:36pm PT
oops I meant cat puke......that stuff is corrosive!
Jan

Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
Jan 10, 2010 - 01:21am PT

I'll say again that things like Woolite are fine but if you really want to get rid of the smell, you have to use soda. It's the same as baking soda but you buy it in bigger boxes in the detergent section. I have five dogs and a cat. I used to have 3 cats so I have a lot of experience with this.

I had to throw out a couple of sleeping bags before I discovered the soda. With plenty of soda, the smell is gone. Once the smell/acid is gone, you have time to figure out the rest.
Daphne

Trad climber
Mill Valley, CA
Jan 10, 2010 - 02:51am PT
I'm thinking that one of the products specific to neutralizing cat pee might be a last resort if the baking soda/woolite doesnt do it. Available at all pet stores, read the ingredients first, of course.
MisterE

Social climber
Across Town From Easy Street
Jan 10, 2010 - 03:02am PT
Catgut works really well as a half-way weave marker
Acer

Big Wall climber
AZ
Jan 10, 2010 - 11:45am PT
Cat pee is the WORST stuff in the world. Throw out the rope and the cat.
Peter Haan

Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
Jan 10, 2010 - 12:21pm PT
porkchop, let's just say you don't want to risk having died from cat pee. A new rope is not expensive, btw. Use the questionable rope for top roping, hauling, miscellaneous stuff. Plus you don't want to ever have a question about your rope while you are actually on lead. You have enough to worry about as it is.
crossman04

Trad climber
san diego, ca
Jan 10, 2010 - 12:50pm PT
to get rid of the smell you can soak it in Vinegar. (not sure what that would do to the rope) then wash it with whatever rope wash soap.
philo

Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
Jan 10, 2010 - 01:05pm PT
The doubt factor is NOT worth it! Get a new lead rope.
Porkchop_express

Trad climber
Currently in San Diego
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 10, 2010 - 01:50pm PT
Thanks for the input folks. I washed it by hand with some mild hand soap (just a little) and that took care of the better part of the odor.

I think I will definitely retire the rope in terms of leading; it will make a good TR and I can practice rescue stuff with it.

As far as the cat goes, I tend to like cats, but this one is the type that gives all the good ones a bad name. She isnt mine (she is my sister in laws), so I cant exact my revenge beyond spraying her down a bit and giving her a good, stern lecture about not pissing on other peoples belongings.

Steve
philo

Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
Jan 10, 2010 - 04:05pm PT
Twice. While holding a the rope in the other hand.
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Jan 10, 2010 - 04:52pm PT
Give that rope to the cat and buy yourself a new one.
Jan

Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
Jan 10, 2010 - 10:53pm PT

Sometimes cats pee in odd places because they have a urinary tract infection. They somehow think that if they pee outside their litter box then the pain will stop. You might have your sister-in-law check this out.

Some cats are just spiteful, especially Siamese. I had one Siamese who peed on three different sleeping bags when she was mad about something or her litter box wasn't up to her standards (too dirty or too small). If they're used to it in one place, they get mad if you move it too.

Another Siamese cat I owned, didn't like his new smaller litter box so he let me know by crapping on my husband's pillow. He didn't do it on mine of course, because I was the one who fed him. Needless to say, I got the point and he got the new litter box!

So you might want to figure out if the cat is mad at your sister-in-law and taking it out on you.
Messages 1 - 29 of total 29 in this topic
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