hi there Heather...no,the cats didnt miss the litter box,the little SOB's are spraying anywhere they choose to

Believe me,I just bought a house with the same issue..only the story goes that there were somewhere between 25 and 100 cats in here at one time.

So,the walls were torn out,everything gutted,new air ducts from the oil furnace,painted EVERYTHING in the basement..you name it,they tried to fix it..they even ionized...TWICE

And still,the smell comes up thru the concrete basement floor

On the wknd past,we poured some of the Clorox concentrated bleach on the center retaining wall down there(basement) and I am inclined to think it may have worked--a little.

Concrete being porous has absorbed the urine...and short of blasting the concrete away and starting over,there is little else that can be done.

As far as your place goes,you are going to have to bleach the crap out of the wall between you and the neighbour and hope it works...good luck

But Heather shouldn't have to be the one spending any money, time, or effort on this. She didn't cause the problem. She didn't even live there when the problem was created. The fault lies entirely with her neighbor.

If I were in your shoes, Heather, I'd have a little chat with the landlord. Tell him that the cat urine problem needs to be taken care of, and ask how quickly he can get to working on it and how long he thinks it will take. Don't be mean, snotty, sarcastic, or accusatory. Simply state the facts and say that it needs to be taken care of.

And, if it were me, I'd ask him if he thinks seven cats is a bit over the top... (You might even want to call the local SPCA - you don't need to give them your name or address -- just ask if there is a legal limit to how many cats can be kept in one household of "x" number of square feet. Your neighbor may be violating the law. You might want to find out that info before you talk to your landlord...

I know you seem to think you've found a great place to live. I understand you are working hard to make it home. I hate to be the one to tell you bad news but I've been in this position on 2 occasions myself. If you intend to ask the landlord about the urine smell or report to the city or animal control department about this neighbor and the cat population in her townhouse then you should really start looking for another place to move as soon as possible. People who have that many cats confined to a few rooms and do not take extreme care to be clean and keep the aroma minimal are going to make very bad neighbors very quickly after being reported. Oh yes reporting anonymously is fine but trust me the neighbor will know who does the reporting. After a visit from either landlord or city or animal control that sweet neighbor lady is gonna turn into someone you won't recognize as the lady you met.
Also you are going to have problems with your cat issuing a direct response to the territorial threat all along that shared wall. You'll spend so much time and money trying to keep that smell from becoming a part of your home. You will not enjoy it as "home".
Short of offering to clean her place and continue to do so often there will be very little probability of a equitable solution to your problem.
Good luck what ever you do.

LIL

One additional reason to notify the landlord is that you don't want him to think that your cat is causing the problem and then hold you responsible.

Honestly, no matter what you do, the smell probably isn't going to go away. If it's coming through the walls, it's soaked into the infrastructure. You may use it as leverage to get out of your lease if it's that bad.

Ont_gal,
We had a similar problem in our garage. The previous owners must have left pets in there and no matter how we cleaned the concrete floor, the smell remained and it was especially bad in the warm months. It wasn't until we painted the floor that it went away. We used a common concrete floor paint kit. I think this was it. You use a big roller and it's not hard to do. There are colored speckles you add to the paint, for texture. They have the same floor at my gym. You should be able to find it at any home improvement store. The smell is completely gone and we painted the floor years ago.

LIL is right that your neighbour won't take too kindly to being reported. People get very protective about their pets.

I would complain about the smell and ask/tell landlord you want to be moved to a different unit away from the smell in writing. Keep a copy for yourself so you have documentation that it is the neighbors smell and was preexisting, not from your cat. Maybe that's why the previous occupants moved. I would think he (landlord) knew it was stinky before you moved in. He should be doing something to protect his property.

Talk to the Landlord. Personally, I love cats but three is my limit. You need one litterbox per cat if you keep them indoors. Right now I have one cat. And I live in a private home, not an apartment.

thanx Paula....will try that!

One litter box plus one is the acceptable standard for a multiple-cat situation. My question is are they all neutered/spayed? Are neighbourhood cats spraying doors etc. There are urine door eliminating sprays on the market. I adopted a 10 year old rescue who was a known sprayer. He was very special in spite of this behavioural flaw but I wouldn't do it again. Medication helps if appropriate. Are her boxes cleaned often enough? I currently have 4 cats which is the maximum city allowance. My neighbour of five years did not even know I had cats! It only takes one unneutered male to smell up the neighbourhood. I'm a cat fanatic but when it infringes on the enjoyment of your home, I would have a serious chat with both offering suggestions for resolution. Your neighbour probably can't smell the issue as she is so use to it. What you do not want is your cat upset at the smell and starting it's own territorial marking.

Personally, I would move again. You're never going to get rid of that smell and pretty soon, your cat is going to start peeing against that wall.

I don't say this lightly, I have personal experience with it. MIL had 6 cats and they would pee or spray wherever they felt like it. Down the side of the fridge, between the washer and dryer, against the curtains in every room, on the sofas and chairs, everywhere. She had plenty of litter boxes, it didn't matter. They were being territorial and marking wherever it "needed" marking. Her house stunk. I would get depressed every time we had to go over, but she just pretended that nothing was wrong. Her house was ruined. We had to try to clean it all up, numerous times, talk about disgusting.

Enzymatic cleaners will help, but if her cats keep peeing and spraying, you'll go broke trying to keep up.

I would ask the landlord for a refund of all deposits and get the he!! out of there. And I would be sure to tell him why, but I bet he already knows.

What a horrible situation. I feel so bad for you, Heather.

I feel for you about this nasty situation. I have to agree with liljunker and paula. That smell WILL NOT go away no matter what you do as long as those cats remain in the apt next door and even if they were gone, there's much work to be done to eliminate the smell for good. And frankly, your cat may very well start contributing to the mess guarding it's territory.

Frankly, I think you have a huge issue on your hands and I would certainly go to the landlord and use this as leverage to get out of our lease or be moved elsewhere. Like I said, this problem will not go away and even if she got rid of the cats, the smell has permeated the walls, floors and everything else and you will continue to smell it unless everything is torn up and replaced. We had an issue with our cat peeing in the Dining Room covering up the ex-owner's cat pee which we didn't smell when we moved in. After trying to get rid of it with various products, we ended up ripping up the entire floor boards - subfloor and all, and replacing it. The smell was finally eliminated.

And, as if you didn't know, I'm sure guests in your home will smell this when they visit which is embarrassing whether it's coming from your home or not. I'm assuming the neighbor is so used to the scent that she doesn't even notice it.

Good luck with this and please let us know what happens.

I would get some Nature's Miracle enzyme cleaner from a pet store and saturate the area along your common wall where you smell the odor.

ont gal..that's a great solution! but it's a bit more ccomplex than standard garage paint..it's an epoxy which means it's 2 parts you mix together and then paint, and throw on the sprinkles...

and you may have to clean/prep the garage floor first...i've been wanting to do our front porch for the longest time...

I have found that a few coats of oil based KILZ does a great job of blocking male cat urine...It worked on the plywood sub-flooring in my house. Would likely help Rhonda, but not so much Heather, since I agree,,,it's seeping through that infrastructure of your joined wall. Who knows how saturated the dry wall and studs are???

Thank you all so much for your replies. Sometimes its just nice to know that I'm not overreacting. Oddly enough, I haven't noticed the smell at all yet today. It is cooler today than it was yesterday, maybe that has something to do with it. Though its frustrating just knowing that its there. There is an area of the wall that is the entry area so there is tile there instead of carpet. I sprayed a ton of bleach there last night.

DH doesn't smell it at all and he swears his nose is more sensitive than mine.

Honestly, as much as I like it here, if DH finally did smell it and decided we needed to go, I would be ready. (He LOVES it here and I wouldn't be able to get him to move easily.) The thing is, I KNOW it has to be coming. He WILL smell it eventually. The smell isn't going to stay contained. It will only continue to get stronger.

I don't want to cause any more grief for us, and I really worry that by saying something I will. The reason I say that is because she has lived here for 15 years. I am the new guy. I wonder if they are all friends maybe? However, the landlord seems to really take pride in the property. He is always outside working on the landscaping. We had some problems with appliances when we moved in and he replaced all of the appliances with brand new ones. So hes clearly not a slumlord. So I can't help but wonder if he is aware of how bad the situation is. I don't see him ignoring it. On the other hand, while she and I were talking she saw the maintenance man and reminded him that she needed some work done. So surely if he is in there he will smell it and report it to the landlord? He and the landlord are VERY good friends.

Anyway, its seems at this point I am at a stand still. I don't want to be the one to point it out and be the bad guy. I do not handle confrontation well at all. And I really don't want to be the reason why she loses her cats or gets in trouble. I don't smell it often at this point. As soon as DH starts to smell it, it WILL DRIVE HIM INSANE. And at that point I will just let him take over and do what he thinks needs done. :)

I will let you all know what happens.

DON"T UNPACK. No matter what you do, nothing will solve this problem without causing others. Use the odor to leaverage out of the lease and find another place to live. If you live there any longer the claim can be made that your cat contributed to the problem, That may very well end up being true as your cat will try to cover the odor with its' own scent. The best you can hope for is that the landlord will do something about the neighbors cats after you refuse to live with the stench. Even if he forces her to get rid of her cats, you will still have a resentful neighbor to deal with. This is a no win situation.

Is this a townhome or an apartment complex? I may have missed that in the post somewhere. If it's a complex why not see if there's a vacancy you can move into?

If the weather stays warm and dry your DH might not smell it for a while. Can you imagine how it will reek on a damp, humid or rainy day?

That smell isn't going to go away. The only thing I can tell you (if you stay there) is to try is "liquid Alive" I bought mine on Amazon.com. I know how you feel.
I was at a church dinner at our X Pastors house and there was such a strong cat pee smell DH & I went outside on the screened in porch to eat but it was no better out there. It had the whole outside stinking!!! It's not going away. Good luck

My sister, 10 years older, had a male dinner guest over. "He" said the smell of cat urine was so bad, he couldn't stay for dinner. She told me how rude she thought he was and she didn't smell anything....and nothing that would make a person leave. SOooooooooooooooo years later I came to visit.....the smell was soooooooooooo bad!!! There was NO cat box, her cat is female...no spraying. DH wanted to leave and stay at a hotel. I informed him if we left, she'd never speak to me again.

I don't know what you should do....how to keep the peace and still have a place to live?

Heatherinohio - I would approach this from a health standpoint. It may hold more credence than just being an annoyance.

Any complaints you make should be in writing and sent Certified Mail - return receipt requested. If the situation continues and/or escalates, you want to have a paper trail.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sites regarding cat urine health hazards

I guess my 'burning questions' are: Are there other units available via this landlord? If so, ask for a different unit. I'd be upfront with the landlord as to your reasons [health hazards] If he questions you -- ask him when was the last time he visited the unit with the cats. If she pays by mail/in office-- and has not had any reason for him to visit -- he's probably clueless to the severity of the problem. I don't have cats -- but have visited friends with them -- some times the smell is awful and other times not so bad... good luck & keep us up to date!

sooooooooooo

what has been happening?

I know you'll never be able to get rid of the stink.

I wanted to let yous' know that I came across an article that stated using white vinegar for my basement floor..that the concrete will absorb it,and with urine being acidic and vinegar as well being acidic that I should get a "balance" that "should" take it away

I thought,that if I was to vinegar the floor,THEN paint over it with something powerful to seal it,it might just work.

Otherwise,I intend to have another layer of concrete poured over it and then a sub floor and finish flooring

Cat spray? I'd rather live with duct tape wrapped around my nose. I know for a fact that if it were me I'd be moving. There is NOTHING more disgusting.

If you haven't been in your home on a rainy humid day, then you're in for some fun. Humidity/moisture on that dried spray re=activates it, and its as if the spray happened yesterday. All of it, at the same time.

That's really unfortunate - but unless the landlort guts the place, there is no solution for the smell - even if the cats are removed.

Did I just miss something?
This is a rental, no?

And you're gonna shell out a lot of money to paint over the floor and then seal it, or alternatively have another layer of concrete poured over it and then a sub floor and finish flooring?

You've written that you don't like confrontation (and there are ways to handle this that are diplomatic, but frankly with the stink I'd probably lose my diplomacy very quickly), but this seems ridiculous to me.

This place is going to seem a lot less adorable as time goes by.

Pammyfaye-Heatherinohio is the one in the rental with the neighbor's cat problem.Ont-gal is the one who bought the house with the odor problem in her basement.
Ont-gal-I hope the vinegar works for you but according to everything I have read and personal experience,it isn't very effective.Believe me,I have tried everything to remove the odor.I know that other cats will pee/spray there even after the vinegar treatment because it doesn't eliminate the odor totally.The cats can still smell it.But hopefully since you don't have a cat it will work.I would recoment the "recipe" I will add here if it doesn't.It worked for me.
Nichole-Was it your sister's cat that was causing the problem? Female cats will spray! I had that experience a couple of years ago with a female cat. She was already 2 years old and had never been spayed or been outside except for vet trips.I was told if I had her spayed she would stop but she didn't.Still don't know why she did it because there had never been any other cats in my house.
Heather-I agree,the problem will only get worse and more than likely your cat will start spraying/marking it's territory.You really need to discuss the problem with your landlord,better sooner than later,before that happens,just in case you need to use that as a reason for getting out of your lease.
A home remedy that I found to be more effective than any of the commercial products was a mixture of hydrogen peroxide,baking soda and a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid.
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups hydrogen peroxide
2 drops dishwashing liquid
Mix all ingredients in a large container.Stir slowly,don't let the mixture foam up,until the baking soda is dissolved.Blot area to be cleaned with a paper towel if still wet from urine.Pour the mixture directly on the area.If it is carpet,saturate all the way to the pad.Allow to dry thoroughly.You can pour the mixture into a spray bottle for walls,furniture,etc.Use solution within 1 hour of mixing.So not store in a spray bottle or other container as mixture will cause container to explode!
This always worked for me.

I'd move out, too.

It's been 10+ years since any cats lived at our house (former owners). But 10+ years ago, those cats urinated all over the insulation in the floor of our attic. Even now - 10 years later - when I go up in the attic in the heat of the summer, the smell about knocks me out.

You could dump a ton of money into trying to get rid of the smell, or you could just move on to a better place.

Samuel Johnson said, "The point of all ambition is to be happy at home."

I don't think anyone would be happy at home with all those bad smells.

ROse

Hah! Thanks, Lillipad, for setting me straight.

Too much cat pee on the brain--I'm outta here! LOL!

No way could I deal with that. Health hazards, your place could get smellier. Do whatever you have to do to get out. I feel for the cats too, and at some point I would call animal control. I agree the smell will get worse under certain conditions-what is you have guests over? They won't be back. Tell the landlotd the smell leaching in from that apartment had really affected your kids asthma and see what he says.

tami! come back!

Are there any local laws that govern how many cats can be kept in one household? Around here, the limit is three. More than that, and you have to have a kennel license. The landlord may not care how many cats she has (although he apparently doesn't have an accurate count), but the Health Department might care.

liliepad, the recipe you gave is very similar to the one I just found and made a note of to use if your dog is sprayed by a skunk:

Skunk Remedy Recipe

In a plastic bucket, mix well the following ingredients:

1 quart of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide

1/4 cup of baking soda

1 to 2 teaspoons liquid soap

for very large pets one quart of tepid tap water may be added to enable complete coverage.

Wash pet promptly and thoroughly, work the solution deep into the fur. Let your nose guide you, leave the solution on about 5 minutes or until the odor is gone. Some heavily oiled areas may require a "rinse and repeat" washing.

Skunks usually aim for the face, but try to keep the solution out of the eyes - it stings. If you have any cuts on your hands you might want to wear latex gloves for the same reason.

After treatment, thoroughly rinse your pet with tepid tap water.

Pour the spent solution down the drain with running water.

NEVER, ever, store mixed solution in a closed bottle, sprayer,etc. Pressure will build up until the container bursts. This can cause severe injury.

**********Notes**************

1) Clean plastic mixing containers and utensils are preferred. Metals encourage auto-decomposition of the peroxide.

2) Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution is usually sold in pint (500ml) bottles, so you'll need two. The 3% grade is often marked "U.S.P.", meaning that it meets the standards for medical use and purity as set forth in the United States Pharmacopoeia.

The use of other strengths/grades is not recommended unless you're a chemist, and even then a trip to the 24-hour drugstore is much better than a trip to the emergency room.

Well sone people have advised you to move and others have said talk to the landlord. Some others are giving you cleaning tips. LOL

The landlord is responsible for renting you a clean,habitable unit so the buck starts there. So I would do what Lindsey suggested and go inform him of the problem in a straightforward non-confrontational way.

It is also true that most cities have limits on how many cats or other animals can be kept in a household. Check your local ordinance.

This is not between you and the neighbor. This is between you and the landlord as the landlord is the one rents to both of you. You both pay him/her for the use of the property. You both have a right to make it your home but your rights end where the other tenant's begin. Having to smell a wall saturated with cat pee is not acceptable. It probably violates local health ordinances also.

Worst case you will end up having to move. It doesn't hurt to try to resolve it. Speak up.

Heather, I wonder what would happen if you told the neighbor that there was a strong smell coming from her side of the wall, and that you might have to move away because of it.

Heather, how is it going by now? I hope you talked to the landlord, and he is doing something about this problem. If not, call the city for info on animals in one household/apt.

Tami

Thanks so much for all of your concern, advice, recipes and suggestions. We have been here for 3 weeks today. I haven't really been smelling it much because we went nuts with the air fresheners. The bottom line is, that I KNOW something will need to be said to the landlord about it. Last night I had myself ready to call. I was feeling brave and I knew what I was going to say. This morning when I woke up I was a complete chicken about it.

I imagine that once I am brave enough to call him it will go something like this. "I'm not trying to cause any problems at all, however, there is a distinct smell of cat urine in the living room along the floor up against the wall that I share with the next door neighbor. I know she has some cats, I am afraid that maybe they are spraying outside of their litter box and its coming through the wall." I was also thinking that I should invest in a black light. This way, hopefully, the carpet all along the wall will light up proving my point.

In the meantime, I was thisclose to trying the peroxide recipe, but then I worried that it would cause discoloration in the carpeting and that wouldn't be good. I did write it down though. THANK YOU!! :)

You will be the first ones I come to when something happens with this.

Thanks again. :)

be careful... those airfreshners aren't that good for you

I know that too much of the aerosol sprays are bad for you, or so I have heard anyway. We are using these, in the cinnamon scent.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wallflower

Don't cover it up. The longer you wait, the more likely your cat will start marking territory, and the landlord will try to say it was your cat causing the problems, leaving YOU with the clean up bill.

Tami

I know. I have thought of that. We have been watching her very closely. Blah. Why does this have to be so awkward? What if the neighbor lady is really some psycho and when she finds out that I said something she harasses us?? That is what worries me the most. We don't have the money to just move any time. I wish that there was an extremely polite and tactful way of handling this.

Heather, I made that suggestion because if I were your neighbor I would rather you spoke to me first, rather than complaining about me to the landlord.

Let's hope she is just a nice cat lady who doesn't know when to change the litter box, and not a wacko.

I can't imagine you are the first one that noticed the stink.

Do you think there's a chance that the landlord already knows about this?

Count me in with the people urging you to report it to the manager and MOVE as soon as possible. There isn't a miracle cure that's going to cover up the long time scent of seven peeing cats. Don't let the "good days" fool you into thinking it's gonna be okay. You need to act immediately.

Heather, I have read this and can say that there is no way I would have stayed there for 3 weeks already with out talking to . . . yes, the landlord. The problem is between you and him, not your neighbor.

Please talk to him; if possible in a neutral place. When you see him outside, go out and speak to him, just a hello to start a conversation. Don't start with an apology, like you mentioned above. Ask him if he is aware of the cat urine odor in the apartment. Whatever his answer is, tell him that if it isn't taken care of in the next two weeks, you will be moving out.

It is as simple as that. If you signed a lease, the odor problem should be enough of a reason to break it.

It is too bad your DH doesn't notice it; it would be better if he spoke to the landlord, man to man.

Stand up for yourself!!

Sue

"It is too bad your DH doesn't notice it; it would be better if he spoke to the landlord, man to man."

It doesn't matter that Heather's husband hasn't yet noticed the smell. Heather has noticed it, and it bothers her. That's enough reason for him to talk to the landlord. All he has to say is, "it's bothering my wife, and her health and happiness is of the utmost importance to me."

It's very interesting how we support women NOT speaking up for themselves!

You have a right to getting your very basic of needs met. You are NOT the bad guy here - why do you suppose the prior tenant moved?

Imagine what it will feel like to respectfully speak up for your basic needs to be met - incidentally, i believe that the #1 cause for clinical depression is people not being authentic. You can do it!!! We're all behind you.

I love how everyone just thinks she can up and move..Moving is expensive and not everyone has that kind of funds just hanging around. I know I don't. Yes she would get some of her money back. rent, deposit..etc.
But the cost of getting electricity, water etc..turned on in a new location and the cost of renting a moving truck wouldn't be replaced and would be extra expenses.

Personally I would call the Landlord and leave the neighbor completely out of it. I would just call and ask if the previous tenants had a cat because you have been smelling cat p in the living room, and tell him its on the shared wall, could it be coming from the neighbors apt? That at times its very strong.. Just be upfront and honest with him...Tell him you dont want to be held responsible for it when you know it isn't being caused by your cat.

Just take a deep breath pick up the phone and call

Time to put your Big Girl Undies on. :) Just ask the landlord to go into her house and see if he notices what you notice. That way, HE'S the one who smells it and knows that YOU now know that the cat pee is overpowering. He needs to act on this and quit ignoring it (since you mentioned that he is probably aware of the problem). Then tell him that it's permeating your wall barrier. The longer you wait, the more used to the smell you'll become and after a while, you might not even smell it anymore and then YOU become the one your friends will avoid visiting.

Blessings,
Haley

OK, Haley said it well. Get dressed. If you don't have the money to move, will you have the money to pay for the damage? What about having money to move if you're evicted? If other neighbors smell it coming from your place they'll complain about you.

If you don't report defects in the apartment IMMEDIATELY, most leases will hold YOU responsible for it. Nobody's mentioned this that I've seen. I had a big hassle at my very first apartment. I told my roommate that we should go around and document every hole in the wall and everything that doesn't work and give it to the manager. Well, it didn't get done and what happened at moving time? "You didn't fill out a 'pink slip' so you're responsible for all defects." I was irate. I never received a "pink slip" and demanded that she prove she gave us one. She couldn't of course but it was a battle and essentially we compromised on the damages. My next apartment I knew to report the broken thermostat, and they tried to charge me for it (it was on a hot water system and quite expensive). I'm guessing because it was sticking out from the baseboard heat unit and probably broke from soeone tripping or moving furniture, but all I know is I wasn't about to pay for it.

You need to report this and no apologies. Simply state facts. At this point you need to cover your butt for non-action in the past, so your statement needs to be that this has been there since you moved in. You tried things to mitigate the problem but it's still there. It seems to come from this wall, etc.

You don't have to be confrontational. And it's best you not be, but you *do* need to be assertive and proactive. Otherwise, start putting aside some cash because you'll wind up with a pretty good bill to pay.

Normally, I might suggest dealing with the neighbor, but especially now, you need to deal with the landlord/management. That goes without saying. And if the neighbor harasses you, then call the police. Again, you are the one who has to stand up for yourself. Your neighbor will not do it and your landlord/manager can't and won't do anything if they don't know there's a problem. They don't carry a crystal ball in their briefcase.

I guess you don't *have* to speak for yourself. You could hire a lawyer or other representative to speak on your behalf, but that will be an expense too. And I doubt they'll be too conducive to working with you should you hire someone.

A similar situation: I have a friend who went through eviction because of his dog and the smell. Neighbors complained, he says it was the neighbor's apartment. The one time I was there, I didn't smell anything but it could be an issue, especially knowing the dog he had.

You need to realize that your having a cat is going to complicate things. Sad but true. And if you choose to procrastinate, there's a very, very good chance it's going to cost you, whether eviction (and in many places that can count against you to try to rent elsewhere - it does around here!) or being charged for damage.

Moving is often a dreaded experience but if you could, I would. I just have a bad feeling that this is going to be a bad outcome. But if you're set on staying then stand up for yourself or you can expect to face the consequences. There's an old saying, every action has a reaction. Keep in mind that inaction is also a form of action.

Calling authorities should be a last resort. That can often get you into trouble with the landlord. They don't like people going over their heads.

I fully understand your hesitance to do something. Most of us would just like to be able to live and let live. But there's times when you're not given a lot of good choices so you have to decide what you're going to do, and/or NOT do and see what happens then.

Good luck. Give your furry friend a scratch under the chin for me and pet him/her a bit. It can be very calming in stressful times.

Honestly, I don't think there's a thing the neighbor could do at this point to make the smell go away. If it's in the carpet or sub-floor or the drywall, nothing anyone can do, short of demolition, is going to fix it.

I would get a lawyer and sue for expenses for moving in and then out again. The landlord isn't stupid, he knows about the odor and was probably thrilled to death that you didn't notice it when you first looked at the place. Of course, you'll need to document everything, get witnesses, written statements and if you can, photographic evidence of her cats, but I'd do anything to get away from the smell of cat urine, it's just the worst smell in the world, next to decomp.