Cat Peed on MacBook Pro - What to Do?

I work from my home office one day a week, and as I'm unpacking my stuff my cat trots up and pees on my open laptop bag. The pee went in the computer at the hinge and when I pulled it out of the bag it was pouring out of the computer at the opposite corner.

I immediately pulled the battery out and cleaned up the machine as best as I could. But, am wondering how long to let it sit before I try to turn it on? I'm sure the computer it toast, but my boss is hoping it will still work.

I've also read that cat urine is caustic, so it should be cleaned professionally. The Mac Shop I called said they wouldn't know how they would clean it as they only use air to clean the inside of computers.

Does anyone have any similar experience? Is this something the Apple store can do?

Thanks for any advice --

T.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Feb 10, 2011 9:43 AM

Reply
7 replies

Feb 10, 2011 11:01 AM in response to TienneB

Well... your warranty is pretty much shot at this point. Letting it dry will not help. Unlike water, cat urine dries to a tacky mess (similar to soda). It also has a high salt content which is conductive when wet increasing the likelihood of causing problems. There's no way to know for sure if the machine can be recovered. If you want to have a professional (AASP)attempt to clean it, you'll need to decide if you think what they're charging is worth it knowing that it may not be recoverable.

Feb 11, 2011 12:47 AM in response to Allan Jones

Allan Jones wrote:
biohazard. One guy sent his MBP to an Apple repair center in Australia and they refused to work on it because there was evidence of cigarette smoke inside the machine (yes, the owner would smoke chains if he could keep them lighted). How they knew is anyone's guess, but it happened.


If you have seen pictures on the Internet of the insides of a smoker's computer, you would not wonder how they knew. It's blindingly obvious. Especially in towers where the fans pull both tar smoke and dust through the circuit boards where they can accumulate in a nasty brown mess. It can be bad enough to make the components difficult to disassemble, diagnose, and service. The biohazard is in part because the visible sticky nicotine tar is of such high concentrations that it can affect individuals who handle it if they are sensitive. No joke.

Oh wait, here are some pics for you...
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=insideof+a+smoker%27scomputer

Feb 10, 2011 1:15 PM in response to TienneB

Immediately disconnect all peripherals, power cord & remove the battery. Turn the computer over with the lid partly open and the hinge facing upward to let the liquid drain. Do not flop it over and lay it flat - you want to separate it from the moisture. Place paper or cloth towels under the machine to sop up the mess.
After the computer disgorges whatever you spilled on it, don't turn it on for 72 hours or longer. You want to computer to dry out completely before turning it on again.
Some users here swear by hairdryers. Blow drying the innards may bake whatever was in the liquid onto delicate computer components. Better to let the computer air dry.

Use plain tepid water to clean out the computer.
Sugary, acidic or milky drinks will almost always cause problems later on as the residue starts slowly corroding the computer innards.
Swab down any sticky parts with distilled water or denatured alcohol.

If none of the above works, you will need to take the computer to a repair shop. Apple Care does not cover liquid or food damage. Since it's a business computer, report it to the insurance company which was already suggested.

Feb 10, 2011 1:35 PM in response to TienneB

do you mean I should open up the case and clean the interior of the computer.

Yes


I've never opened a MacBook Pro, is this difficult?

Unknown. I've never opened up one either. Instructions for doing so can be found on YouTube's "How To" video tutorials website.
If you find it difficult, let the insurance company, Apple Store or an AASP deal with it.

Feb 10, 2011 3:21 PM in response to TienneB

There are also excellent, illustrated step-by-step guides here:

http://www.ifixit.com/Browse/MacBook_Pro

Select the MBP variant you have and go from there.

This may sound crazy but there are starting to be reports of service centers refusing to work on computers they think could be hazardous. I'm pretty sure they'll view kitty pee as a biohazard. One guy sent his MBP to an Apple repair center in Australia and they refused to work on it because there was evidence of cigarette smoke inside the machine (yes, the owner would smoke chains if he could keep them lighted). How they knew is anyone's guess, but it happened. You may be stuck with the insurance route if you can't do it yourself.

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Cat Peed on MacBook Pro - What to Do?

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