pet urine - mold

Does anyone have experience with allergic reactions from molds caused related to pet urine?

Yesterday I took a drop rug to a carpet cleaner because our cat had repeatedly urinated on it. Carrying the rug from our garage to my van I could smell the urine and it bothered me for the rest of the afternoon until I forgot about it. This morning I woke up not feeling very well and went out and ran. By the time I was done running I felt even worse.

At first I thought maybe it was due to tree pollen since it was reported the tree pollen count was high. But the more I thought about it the more I remembered how bad I felt when I carried the rug out the previous afternoon.

I checked out the Healing Well website about allergens and read about how pet urine can effect mold which in turn can trigger a reaction.

I did not start to feel better until I took a Zyrtec.

As I write this it seems obvious the mold is what triggered my reaction. Any comments? Thank you.

I'd throw out the rug. You can't ever get out all the odor, even with repeated cleaning. You have to thoroughly clean the floor beneath it too. If it's wood you might have to sand it and refinish. If there's even a hint of odor the cat will smell it and use the spot again. Bleach might work on tile, but pet products are a waste of money.

I don't have a litter box. My cat goes out.