So, here's the deal: we were given an area rug as a wedding present 8 years ago. It looks like an Oriental rug, but it's not a "real" one. I'm not sure what it's made of - wool? Some synthetic? No clue.

When we first had it, one of my cats had a UTI, and kept peeing on it (before we realized what was happening). I cleaned it as best I could at the time (small hand steam cleaner, and Nature's Miracle), but it continued to be an area of "interest" to the cats afterwards, and I suspect they may have continued to go pee there. *sigh*

So we only used the rug for about a year, and then ended up moving where we had no hardwood floors, so it's been in a box for the past several years. I pulled it out last week, and sniffed all over it -- no smell of kitty pee, but then I'm not a cat!

My big concern is that the cats may continue to go pee on it, since they did in the past. What can I do to clean it so that they won't be interested anymore? Dry clean it? Something else?

Also, have you seen any sort of rug padding that is waterproof? At the very least, I want to put something under it so that if there is a kitty accident, it won't seep down into the hardwood floor that I've spent the past several weeks installing myself...

I really don't want to just throw it away, as it was a wedding gift from someone we like, and I do like the rug. If I can find a way to salvage it, I'd like to try...