Phantom cat pee

So, I'm taking VV for his umpteenth nappy change this morning when I smell something nasty in the hallway outside the nursery. Smells a bit like sick, so I grab the barely-used muslins to wash and change VV's top. Then I pass through the hallway to the kitchen and the smell is still there. "Perhaps it's the rug," I think, since the Monkey (the Chihuahua) has taken to leaving midnight 'presents' there, and put that in the washing machine. Job done.

But no, job most definitely not done. Back to the hallway I go and notice an odd splattering of brown liquid, from which the smell is emanating. Thinking it's a bit strange that I didn't notice it before, I thoroughly wash the floor, bookshelf, part of the walls etc. Smell gone, I empty the bucket and then turn around to see that the brown spots are back! No cat to be seen (suspect #1).

Looking upwards I see a spray bottle with a brown substance in it and a visible leak - case closed. I think it's plant food for the Boston Ferns. Turns out that both pets are innocent and husband is to blame! But at least there's a clean rug and extremely clean hallway now. I'll add 'wash hall rug' and 'wash hall floor' to Chore Buster now. I'm adding chores as I manage to do them, so that eventually I'll have a schedule of chores that it's actually possible to complete in one day with a baby.