Cat just peed on convertable car seat, HELP!

[WinterPearl]

OK, I now need a new cat (jk) and car seat for my 4 yr old, he is about 40 inches tall and 36lbs. We are really tight on money and we don't have a car of our own so if anyone can give me any good recommendations on a car seat that might be good for going in and out of multiple vehicles that would be really awesome, Please and Thanks.

[kitchensqueen]

Can you try to clean it with one of those rug shampoo things?

[LynnS6]

Why do you need a new car seat for cat pee? Can't you scrub/rinse off the seat, spray some Nature's Miracle on it and have it be OK. Urine smells bad, but it's not going to eat away at the fabric, I don't think. A bottle of Nature's Miracle (and it really is a miracle -- it's gotten out urine, spoiled milk and rotten sweet potato smells for me), cost $12.

[WinterPearl]

The cat got it on the straps and there's this foam pad under the seat too, I will also be able to use the new one for my 6 month old when he's big enough.

[MoonStarFalling]

I sprinkle a good amount of rubbing alcohol on it and when it evaporates there will be no more pee smell. Not sure about seats. Our 4 yo is in a nautilus but I don't particularly like it. It was one of the more affordable in that weight/age range.

[Toposlonoshlep]

I also vote for just "treating" the car seat. Cat pee, aside from being smelly, is really not that bad. I would use vinegar, or other natural cleaners, then sprinkle baking soda, then vacuum it up, let it sit in the sun a bit, and hopefully it won't stink. The cheapest convertible seat I know of is sold at Costco for 89.99 and is this one: http://www.babyage.com/car-seat/cosco-car-seat/cosco-alpha-omega-elite-3-in-1-car-seat-75407.htm We use it, and it's ok, but it was quite stinky (I had to let it offgas for a while) and has a lot of foam, so it really makes me wonder what other crap it has in it. 

[WinterPearl]

Ugh, I really wish that they made good simple easy to clean/care for car seats. It took like almost an hour for me to figure out how to get to all the spots and clean the plastic under the padding and everything. My cat who peed on the seat is a spayed female but she actually 'sprays' and got pee up the side and on the seat to wear it leaked thru to the floor. I figured I might as well get a new one to hand me down to my 6 month old, maybe find a more simpler car seat.

[Toposlonoshlep]

I know what you mean about what a pain in the @$$ it is. I pray DS never spills anything stinky on his Cosco one I linked above. That thing is just NOT cleanable. Do you know of any family friends or people you know that would hand one down to you? Because of how much the convertible ones cost, I am quite comfortable "adopting" a seat from friends, because I know it has never been in an accident and I can check for any recalls. A lot of the slightly older ones have covers that come off and can be washed.

[Mom2M]

Oh, cat pee smells horrible!!!! I checked online and this has really inexpensive convertible car seats and free shipping http://www.albeebaby.com/view-all-convertible-car-seats.html
oh, the free shipping is on orders over $100 but it's only $5 on other orders. I'm glad you asked this, we really need a spare car seat for my husband's car and I never thought to order online!

[WinterPearl]

This is the car seat that I currently have, http://www.albeebaby.com/safety-1st-enspira-with-versa-fit-overhead-barrier-convertible-car-seat.html as you can see it takes forever to get apart and clean it, we bought it new at Once Upon a Child when ODS was 1 1/2. Now that we have 2 little ones and no car I think that the cat 'ruining' ODS pain-in-the-but car seat is a god reason to get a new more simpler one. Thank you for Mom2M for that site, I think that I found one that will work out really well http://www.albeebaby.com/safety-1st-avenue-convertible-car-seat-22449ges.html

[MacKinnon]

Ugh cat pee... I've had issues with my older cat and kidney issues.

I would not recommend that you buy that seat for your 4 year old though. He'll outgrow it in a just a few more pounds, if he still fits by height at all. Seats are outgrown when the shoulders are over the top strap or when the ears exceed the top of the shell.

At four, you need to be looking at a seat that is called a combination/booster seat. They forward face and harness, then convert to a booster. Seats of this type would be the Graco Nautilus, Evenflo Maestro. The Maestro is the most cost effective, but it would have to be replaced eventually with a booster. The Nautilus could truly be a "last seat ever needed".

I do agree that replacing the seat with the over the head shield is a good idea, and important to do. The over the head shield style seats are, for the most part, expired now and are no longer manufactured. I would be very surprised to find a four year old that still fit by height in either of those seats. My son, for instance, is shorter than yours by 4 inches, and he has outgrown a similar style.