Let's talk Kitty Litter....

[gr8tpanther]

Ok, I have recently begun sharing MY bedroom with a LITTER BOX!! Why? Because I have NOWHERE else to put it! OK, so now... my room STINKS! 24/7 no matter HOW many times I scoop/change litter whatever, it STINKS!

I have 3 cats, but so far, only ONE is using this litter box, because that is who it was meant for.... I bought Tidy Cat Multi-Cat and it isn't doing much for smell!

I need suggestions! I normally use a liner, but little baby still had claws for a few more days, and the liner didn't last but her first go... so I removed it! All my other pans have a lid on them, but because she is new to the house, I didn't want to give her a lid yet, but that is coming... but for NOW... any suggestions are welcome! Thanks.

 

[Tjaleks]

I recently started using Tidy Cats Multi-Cats for small spaces. Though I only have one cat I haven't smelled it once since I started to use it. It is worth a shot.

 

[MerryPoppins]

We use the crystal litter and I think it smells the best. We have a litter box in the corner of the dinette (believe it or not) so it can't be smelly. If you scoop it daily and stir it around it lasts a long time and there isn't much smell.

We don't like the brand that is little balls or pearls. They get kicked out and roll around the room. Not a good thing. We don't use a particular brand. Just whatever is cheapest in the crystal litters on any given shopping day.

Hope this isn't TMI, but our youngest kitty does really smelly "jobs". I notice the smell when he exits the litter box, but within minutes the odor is gone.

 

[Sparx]

pour baking soda in with the litter when you change it. Change it every day. Only put in enough litter for one day. (about half an inch) and LOTS of baking soda.

 

[Shelby5514]

One of my cats still has all his claws and I always line the box with a trash bag but before I pour in the litter I line the bottom with a paper grocery sack or a broken down cereal box. I make sure I staple all around the bag/box so when he buries his mess he doesn't pull up the bag/box and get litter under/inside it. It's great at keeping the bag intact until I'm ready to change it. I also use a littler locker and it has worked wonders for keeping the smell away. No matter how many bags I'd put the poop in, the trash can would still stink. Now I just dump it in the littler locker, one turn of the handle and the smell is gone!

 

[mudnuri]

This is the one thing i hate about having cats. I've always had outdoor cats, that did not have cat boxes, until now. Being on 3rd floor and not in a very cat friendly neighborhood (read main road) they stay in. They dont mind, but i sure hate cat litter boxes!

I use the multi cat formula as well. I also have scoop the box in the morning when I get up and after I get home in the afternoon. The first time I smell a cat box, will be the last I'm afraid.

Funny story- I have 2 cats, 1 is very social 1 is anti-adult. She will come out if I'm home, and any amount of kids, but if another adult enters the house she darts under DD9's bed. About the 4-5 time DBF came over, she was in the dinning room when he walked in, normally she would dart the minute the door in the kitchen opens. She sorta sat there not sure what to do. He walked in stopped dead in his tracks, never knew I had 2 cats....he said usually you can tell with a multi cat - catbox, but didnt even know i had a catbox. He actually asked me where it was since he had never seen it. Low and behold, its in the DD's playroom LOL. oh, FYI, him and dustball are the best of friends now, I actually have to fight over attention with the cat when we're in the living room watching tv...the cats always on his lap the minute he sits down. So much for not liking adults! Even my mom cant believe it as she was this way at her house too!!

Brandy

 

[kayeandjim00]

The first time I smell a cat box, will be the last I'm afraid.

Brandy

That's a telling statement on your feelings for your cats

As to the OP - we have two and they only want to use one litterbox. We scoop once a day and put in the Arm and Hammer litter box formula in everyday. We use the litter from the pet store that you fill in containers yourself. I find that has a little less dust than others. I also put one of the Bath and Body Works wallflowers in that room and it seems to help as well. Do you keep the door open to the room or is it closed during the day? Just thinking if it was closed that might be making the odor worse? Good luck - the cats are well worth the litterbox smell. I'm sure you can find a litter that works best for your kitty!

 

[tiggger1]

This might not help totally but I saw this on tv and I love it. Go to a yard sale and get a small old cabinet.. take out the drawers or shelves if any, cut a hole in the side big enough for your cat to walk thru. paint and seal. when it is all done put the litter box inside on an piece of outdoor carpet, people think its just furniture but it hides the litter box and you can even add a deodorent thing to the inside of the cabinet to help with the smell. that why you can get the box out of you bedroom and no one will know it is there!

 

[mudnuri]

That's a telling statement on your feelings for your cats

Actually, considering it's me that cleans out the cat box, I guess it does tell ya what I really think.....if I didnt want them, 1st i wouldnt have them, and 2nd I have 2 dd's that are capable. My point was I clean it twice a day- so I dont have to smell it.

Brandy

 

[chyam]

This might not help totally but I saw this on tv and I love it. Go to a yard sale and get a small old cabinet.. take out the drawers or shelves if any, cut a hole in the side big enough for your cat to walk thru. paint and seal. when it is all done put the litter box inside on an piece of outdoor carpet, people think its just furniture but it hides the litter box and you can even add a deodorent thing to the inside of the cabinet to help with the smell. that why you can get the box out of you bedroom and no one will know it is there!

Wow that is a great idea! I think it would work best with a small cabinet that way you could open the doors and either put the pan in or take it out to clean it, then just cut a whole in one of the sides so the cat can go in or out! Some of the covered pans just aren't big enough for some cats and this as you said is like a piece of furniture, that no one would even guess is a "huge" cat box!

 

[Rhonda922]

Are you using the 'scoopable' litter? That stuff works pretty good because the urine puddles and clumps up so you can take the little shovel and get it out of there really easily. I've had cats since I was a kid and I wish this stuff was always around because it makes things so much easier. Actually I'm on my way to the ol box now to scoop it.

 

[Kim in TN]

Hello, everyone has given you great ideas so far, but I wanted to add, I would have the kitty checked for parasites and make sure you are feeding a
good quality of cat food (cheaper foods can cause odor and make for more waste). BTW I am a Veterinary Technichian, good luck!

 

[almacdonald]

We've tried a few different kinds of litters now (clay, crystals, balls....) but the most recent is made of barley. It's TERRIFIC!!!! It clumps unlike the crystal stuff so you can scoop the pee out which starts to smell after a while. It isn't dusty at all and the cat burries his jobs pretty good (unlike the crystals) which also cuts down the smell. A friend of mine has 4 cats and insists that each cat needs its own litter box, and hey, makes sense. Another friend has 2 cats and they use one for #1 and the other for #2, crazy eh? Maybe try an auxillary box if switching litter doesn't seem to help.

Wow, what a gross post!

 

[cherylp3]

Nature's miracle makes a cat litter deodrizer that you can sprinkle on.

Currently for litter we have changed to Feline Pine.

 

[Feralpeg]

You might consider a Litter Locker. I love this thing. It is a plastic container with a lid and a place for a scoop. Inside is a cylinder with a long plastic bag. You scoop into the top of the locker and close the lid. There is a handle on the side that you turn. It seals what you've scooped in the bag and leaves a fresh area of bag for the next time. When you can no longer turn the handle easily, you open the locker, cut and tie off the end of the bag. The whole sealed bag slides off and into a trash bag for disposal. It is the greatest thing I've found in a long time! I have two cats and it really doesn't smell.

Here is a link to one.

http://www.petco.com/Shop/Product.a...a=litterlocker&cm_ite=1346128&CMReferringUrl=

 

[gr8tpanther]

Thanks for all the great ideas... has anyone tried those litter boxes that automatically scoops the litter? The electric ones? Thinking about one of those, but not sure if they are worth the money...

 

[Chim Chiminy]

We use Feline Pine since it is supposed to be better for the cats, but honestly it drives me a little nuts.
It starts breaking down and we wind up with pine dust all through the laundry area and into the kitchen.
Our little kitty tracks it through...........
I just bought a covered pan also because she likes to dig in the box, and dig and dig. I always ask if she is digging for treasure! She really gets the litter all over no matter what we do.

DBIL's have a sifting pan that they use with feline pine and they both really like it. They also keep a jar of odor absorbing gel near the pan.

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

Thanks for all the great ideas... has anyone tried those litter boxes that automatically scoops the litter? The electric ones? Thinking about one of those, but not sure if they are worth the money...

Yes!!!! We do and it is totally worth the money. The only time we can smell the litter box is when the catch receptical is full and we need to change it. With only one cat, we normally change out the receptical once a week (on a garbage day). With multiple cats, you will have to change it more frequently.

One note though. It is designed that the self cleaning mechanism is triggered to go off 10 minutes after the cat finishes. Not bad, but it is LOUD especially if you are a light sleeper. Our litter box is in the master bath, and the 2am potty break for the cat will almost always wake me up!

 

[PrincessKitty1]

Change it every day, use a liner, and use a non-toxic spray cleaner on the inside of the litter box every day when you change it. I personally dislike scented litter of any kind--you can smell it as soon as you walk in the front door, and it smells like....litter. (I had to ask my mom to stop using scented litter when she moved in with me--she really thought it covered the scent of cat urine and poo--it doesn't!)

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Thanks for all the great ideas... has anyone tried those litter boxes that automatically scoops the litter? The electric ones? Thinking about one of those, but not sure if they are worth the money...

Yep I have one and I LOVE it. I think it is well worth the money. But make sure you get good litter. If not it gets all caught up in the rake thing.