Outside The Litter Box
You may not realize your cat is choosing somewhere other than the litter box to do his business until you stumble upon face-melting stench behind the TV, for example. Your cat may be marking his territory by spraying or might not be happy with the litter box situation.
Do a check of your carpets, walls, and furniture to make sure your cat has not been marking them or using them as his potty spot. Use an enzymatic cleaner to clean the targeted items or simply toss them in the garbage.
And, by the way, if your cat is peeing or pooping outside the box, take him to the vet. This behavior can be a symptom of many medical issues.
Clean Messes Quickly And Thoroughly
Use a good enzymatic cleaner to take care of any potty accidents if your cat misses the box . A good, thorough cleaning will eliminate the smell, prevent odors from developing over time, and prevent your cat from going outside of their boxes in the future.
An effective cleaner, like this enzymatic and bio-based cleaner by Unique, works to neutralize the odor. If your cat is going outside their box, like on your living room carpet, then getting the smell out effectively can help prevent them from sniffing it out and choosing that same potty spot again.
Got any other litter box questions? How do you handle smelly kitty boxes? Feel free to add your tips and tricks in the comments below.
Change The Litter Box With A New One
Cats are often playful and wild. They scratch the furniture, doors, and even their own litter box. Cats can also create small grooves on the bottom or sides of the litter box when they bury their waste.
These scratches retain bacteria and bad smells. At a certain moment, the cats litter box will continue to stink despite the cleaning and sanitizing. This is when you should consider buying a new one to combat the odor or a self-cleaning litter box.
We recommend replacing your kittys litter box once per year. If this seems too much and you cant afford it, a more inexpensive and temporary alternative is any kind of plastic container. Size and convenience are important features to look for when you pick a new box. The length of the litter box should equal at least 2 times your cats length. One of its sides should be lower, so your pet can get in and out easily.
Wonder what to do with the old litter boxes? There is a simple and noble solution donate them to shelters and contribute to the care of stray animals.
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Starting With The Litter
Let’s start with the litter itself. Tempting as it may seem, don’t use the artificially scented litter. Your cat will hate it and start eliminating everywhere but the litter box. Remember, Kitty’s nose is fourteen times more sensitive than yours.
Clay based litter often helps, but should only be used with adult cats. Kittens, like human babies, have a tendency to put things in their mouths that they shouldn’t and eating clay can cause digestion problems in little kittens.
If you don’t mind the use of chemicals you might try crystal cat litter made with silica gel. You may also want to experiment with natural litter made with corn, pine, wood pellets or wheat. Results with this type of litter varies.
Make Sure To Scoop Daily
The first and most important step to fight the cats litter box smell is to eliminate the stink source.
Its essential that you scoop regularly or you risk cleaning cat poop from the carpet. Scoop at least 1-2 times a day. This way feline excrements dont get the chance to stay longer and spread any disgusting scent.
Daily scooping leads to a happy and thankful cat, too.
With a clean litter box, it wont pee and poo outside of it and create more chores for you to handle. According to the zero-waste living & lifestyle enthusiasts, the best you can do is composting to use as fertilizer down the road.
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How To Get Rid Of Cat Litter Smell Simply Explained
Admit it, you know what the biggest problem is to owning a cat. No, it’s not constantly missing lasagna as one cartoon would have you believe nor is it the sudden ability of mice and canaries to spontaneously pull anvils out of thin air. It’s kitty litter odor. Do you know how to get rid of cat litter smell?
You know, that tell-tale ammonia like stench that tells you there’s a cat in the house. It’s the smell people associate with that crazy cat lady. Rest assured, this smell is not inevitable.
In fact, it should be prevented as cats hate the smell of dirty litter boxes too. It can be prevented with a little planning and know-how.
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Why We Like Trinova Litter Box Deodorizer
See the rust-colored granules in the center of the photo? These are TriNova Litter Box Deodorizer:
With a cat litter texture and no smell, this deodorizer wont discourage your cat from using the litter box.
In fact, we saw no difference in our cats reaction to the deodorizer in the litter box. They didnt sniff at it or show any reluctance to walk on it or scratch down in it.
What we did notice was a reduction in litter box odor. With the addition of TriNova Litter Box Deodorizer after scooping, we were able to extend the life of our cat litter.
I love that the Litter Box Deodorizer is lightweight, easy to useand made in the USA with all natural ingredients.
A big paws up for TriNova Litter Box Deodorizer!
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Scoop Scoop Scoop And Dispose Properly
Scoop the litterbox even more frequently during warm weatherand, once you do scoop, make sure the waste is in an air-tight container.
If youre bagging the waste, be sure you tightly knot the bag to trap in the odors and keep out insects.
Its not uncommon for your wastebasket to begin to smell as it accumulates that bagged waste. You can use TriNova Litter Box Deodorizer in the bottom of your trash can to absorb ordors there, as well.
Is It Possible To Eliminate The Smell Of The Cat Box Completely
Nothing will completely eliminate litter-box odor, especially if you have a keen sense of smell. The only time the litter box will smell completely fresh is the moment between a thorough cleaning and the next time your cat needs to use it.
That being said, litter-box odor can be very well managed with diligence. Clean, clean, clean, clean. Scoop urine-soaked litter and solids at least twice a day. Scooping frequency is the most important factor in controlling odor. By removing the liquids and the solids in the pan, you’re removing the source of the odor.
You’re also keeping your cat happily using the pan. The only thing that can smell worse than a dirty litter box is the smell when a cat starts refusing to use the litter box.
If your cat is already eliminating inappropriately, read this post, “Why is my cat peeing on my bed?“
Or read this post, “How to get cat pee out of carpet” if you have a mess to clean up somewhere else.
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Change The Litter Box Once A Year If Possible
You cant use the same litter box forever. Plastic litter boxes are not expensive so try to change your cats litter box at least once a year. Cats urine is strong and overtime it decays the plastic, allowing bacteria inside it which makes it almost impossible to get rid of bad smell. Additionally, your cat will be happy with a new toilet.
Location Location Location And Numbers
The rule is one litter box per cat, plus one. So if you have one cat, you need two boxes. If you have four cats, you need five boxes.
Keep the boxes in different locations in your home. If a cat is on the third floor, and the box is in the basement, they may decide not to make the long trek.
Also, choose the right spots for your litter boxes. Dont put a box in a small, enclosed area, like a tiny bathroom or closet, which will concentrate litter box odors. A larger, well-ventilated area is best. But it needs to be in a quiet, low-traffic area, away from your cats food, other pets, and anything that can startle or scare your cat while they are using the box.
Yes, it takes a daily effort on your part to keep litter box odors at bay. But the result will be a happier cat and a better-smelling home.
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Choose The Right Litter
Clumping litter forms balls when it comes into contact with urine and it ensures that these balls of urine can be easily removed. Stay away from scented litter or odor eliminating litter: they use perfume or other additives to cover the smell which can be overwhelming to cats and they just wont use it. When it comes to litter, however, experimenting is fundamental. Cats are picky and can be particular about which litter they will use.
Ways To Keep Your House From Smelling Like A Litter Box
Everything about sharing our lives with cats is wonderful, well, except maybe just one thing. The cat litter box that one thing about cat parenthood that we all have to deal with, but wish we didnt! Does your home have a tell-tale scent that screams out, cats live here! the moment you walk in the door? Or maybe youve become nose-blind to the cat box but wonder if your houseguests can smell it and are just too kind to tell you? Not to worry, here are 5 ways to ensure the litter box can only be seen, not smelled!
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Get A Good Metal Scoop
This item is highly overlooked but the scoop is really important to properly clean the litter box. Metal scoops harbor less bacteria and are more hygienic. Also, they are stronger when scraping the litter box and dont bend. Choose one with slightly rounded corners that will allow an easier scraping in the corners and with narrow small holes so it catches the smallest lumps, but not too small that wont sift efficiently. I suggest getting the metal DuraScoop.
Ways To Reduce Cat Litter Box Smells
Quincy Miller
Cats are amazing creatures. Theyre tiny, furry, adorable little balls of fluff that are somehow capable of producing some of the most noxious odors on the planet.
If youre tired of being carpet-bombed out of your own home by one of these cute little garbage disposals, take heart: There are things that you can do to minimize the odors emanating from the litter box.
Some of these tips are quick and easy to implement, while others require a bit more work. They all have one thing in common, though: Theyre much more pleasant than dealing with another room-clearing bathroom break from your cat.
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Change Your Cats Diet
You know the old saying, Garbage in, garbage out? Well, that applies to your cats digestive system too! If you feed a diet that includes lots of fillers and grains that your cat doesnt need, he will eliminate those fillers right into the litter box. What your cat eats can have a profound effect on the smell and amount of urine and feces they leave in the litter box. So, feed your cat a species-appropriate, high-quality diet and youll notice an improvement in the litter box AND in your cats overall well-being!
What other tips have you found to help combat litter box odors in your home? Tell us about them!
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Why Does My Cat’s Litter Box Smell So Bad
Your cat visits her litter box about five times a day, so you’ll be left with a strong ammonia smell if you let the dirty litter sit. While this is normal, extreme odors could indicate a urinary tract infection and warrant a veterinary visit. The smell of your cat’s urine could be affected by what she’s eating, too.
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Use The Right Size Of Litter Box
If the litter box is too small , your cat may end up eliminating near the edges or in corners. When their waste hits the litter box, odors arent absorbed by the litter.
> > How Big Should a Litter Box Be?
Although you may be scooping the litter each day and changing it frequently, the litter box may be the source of odors. Try a larger box to give your cat more room and a better chance of their waste hitting the litter first.
The Problem With Stinky Litter Boxes
A smelly litter box is a dirty litter box. And when theresdirt, there are also hordes of bacteria ready to infect you. But above all, theunpleasant whiff coming off the litter box can send your guests away.
Although cats arent as stinky as dogs, they still producefecal matter. Unless you have a genius cat that can do potty on the bathroomand flush the toilet, its your job to dispose of their excretion.
If you let the litter box stink, the bad odor would soonattach to your cat. A not so huggable fact, right?
To be honest, its not that hard to deodorize a litter box. All you need is the right advice. Below, I listed my techniques in ensuring that your cats litter box wont be a stink machine.
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When Looking For A Litter Box For Your Cat Keep These Features In Mind:
This second point is especially important for older cats and those suffering with arthritis. As for the the size of the boxes, in many cases these large underbed clothes storage boxes are the best litter boxes for cats. Just don’t keep them under the bed, and make sure to take out all the clothes too 🙂
Look For Litter With Silica Gel
Believe it or not, the kitty litter industry has seen a lot of innovation in its day. From humble beginnings of clay and sand to litter boxes with self-washing technology, cat owners have options when it comes to cat care.
For pet parents that are particularly concerned about odor, kitty litter with silica gel is the best standalone option. Unlike clay and traditional clumping formulas, synthetic gel litter consists of large, porous beads of silicon dioxide that lock in moisture and trap odor molecules to stop litter box smell.
As everyone knows though, cats are finicky creatures, so its important for cat owners to consider any potential added fragrances and scents that could deter your furry friend from using the litter box all together thats another post entirely!
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Generously Sized For Large Cats And Multi
The best way to keep litter box odors from taking over your house is to keep the litter box clean. If you’re willing to spend several hundreds of dollars, you can purchase a self-cleaning litter box like the Litter Robot III. Though a fully automatic litter box would spare you the work of scooping the box, we decided to go with something a little more practical and much more affordable. Our top pick for the best cat litter box to reduce odor is the Catit Hooded Cat Litter Pan.
This hooded litter box is jumbo-size, making it a great option for multicat households and for larger cats who need a little extra space. Overall, it measures 18.3 inches long, 15.3 inches wide, and 22.4 inches high. The larger size also means it can hold more litter to cover up stinky messes. Speaking of odor, the Catit features a large front opening with a removable clear plastic door that helps contain odor while also maximizing privacy. What really helps with odor control, however, is the included disposable carbon filter.
Bustle names the Catit Hooded Cat Litter Pan their top pick for the best cat litter box for odor control, commenting on the size of the hood and how easy it is to remove for cleaning. Catalogical also gives this litter box a favorable review, calling it their best affordable option. They pay particular attention to the carbon filter, which removes dust particles and ammonia odors, making the litter box a safer and more pleasant space for your cat.
The Importance Of Keeping Your Cat Litter Box Clean
Did you know that a dirty litter box is a filthy thing? Breathing in airborne particles from cat urine and feces may raise the risk of respiratory problems, including asthma.
Cats can also suffer illnesses such as bronchitis, eye infections, and ear infections which cats transfer to their owners through bacteria on litter and paws.
High-quality litter is only half the battle youll also need to maintain a clean litter box to keep your kitty healthy and comfortable.
Cats are pretty picky about keeping clean. That is why it is to your advantage to keep your cats litter box clean by cleaning it out every day. The result will be that your kitty will go in there on a daily basis and you will have a cleaner house!
If you have a busy schedule and cant get to the litter box every day, then make it every other day. The key is to make sure that there isnt an overwhelming amount of waste in there for days on end because their sense of smell will become overwhelmed and they will start avoiding that area because of the smell.
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