Cat peed on my lens...HELP!

[tkamiya]

Does it even need anything done? Most modern professional grade lenses are very well sealed. All you need might be some simple cleaning.... What make? If Nikon, you can send it in and they'll evaluate it for free.

[Simon R Galley]

You know I would never promote digital.....but you know the way they hold the camera at arms length to take an image.......you may wish to do that for a while.....

We share our house with two cats and one basset hound, I have come to the conclusion this well known anecdote is true ...dogs have owners...cats have 'staff'.

I remember my wife saying how cute one of our cats looked resting in her handbag....it would appear the cat was not just resting ! I tried to look concerned and a little cross...trying to stop laughing I nearly did it myself.


Simon ILFORD photo / HARMAN technology Limited

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I would take it to a lens repair facility ASAP. Cat pee is very corrosive and will rust metal parts. I had a cat and and was an old buddy that sprayed. It's nasty stuff. But for other items like camera bags I'd use this. It's an enzymatic cleaner that breaks down products in cat urine.

http://www.natures-miracle.com/

[cjbecker]

What lens was it?

[flatulent1]

If urine got inside the lens, the first thing I would do is put it in a bucket of fresh water, just like you would if you'd dropped it in the sea. You want to minimize the damage urine/salt water can do to the insides of the lens. Rinse it out really really good, change the water often. Then take it to a repairman. (Disclaimer: This is pure speculation as I have never done this.)

If urine did NOT get inside the lens, wipe it down with a damp towel or somesuch. I hate febreeze, and I can't stand the smell of some of the gear I get through ebay.

(Note to self: Don't buy 400mm lenses through ebay for a few years.)

[nsurit]

Hmm, don't need that Y48 filter anymore, do you? Aren't cats wonderful? Mine are getting older and I don't leave cameras/shoes on their level.

[madgardener]

Finally, I think you also need to consider what to do with the cat. If it is so old and so sick that it has to piss all over the house, maybe it's time for the cat to make a graceful exit from this life.

Word came back from the vet, and she is healthy. She has a urinary tract infection, easily cured with antibiotics, and she has crystals in her urine which means she is getting a new food.

The lens is at the local camera store being evaluated. I will know more about it in 3-4 days. I don't think the urine got into the lens, it was behind a plastic bag, but I wanted to be safe and took it in.

It's a Sigma lens.

[Worker 11811]

Word came back from the vet, and she is healthy. She has a urinary tract infection, easily cured with antibiotics, and she has crystals in her urine which means she is getting a new food.

Very happy to hear!

Cats don't normally pee in the house. When they do, there is usually something wrong. Either they are upset by something or they are sick. Since your cat is sick, it is understandable.

The only reason I brought it up is because, if I was a cat, I would want my humans to pay me that courtesy when the time comes.

[lxdude]

She's 17 and has a UTI. It's partly my fault for not putting the lens away, she didn't know what she was doing.
I just need to know what to do with my lens now.

Well, as it wasn't deliberate... OK, kitty reprieve.
I thought initially it was one of those things where the cat takes a disliking to something and decides to express its opinion. I like cats, but I had a cat like that once. It became an outdoor cat in a hurry.

[lxdude]

[QUOTE=paul_c5x4;1453558Whilst the glass may remain unaffected, it could damge any coatings and will certainly corode the shutter internals if left for any length of time.[/QUOTE]

That is, if it can find the shutter...