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Easy Ways to Make Your Cat's Litter Box Smell Fresh

Nov 06,2024 | puaintapets

Keeping a cat litter box odor-free can be challenging, but it’s essential for maintaining a fresh and clean home. With a few strategic practices, you can control litter box smells and keep your cat’s space more pleasant. In this article, we’ll cover practical tips on how to make a cat litter box not stink, from choosing the right litter to daily cleaning routines and odor-control solutions.

stinky cat's litter box

Why Does Your Cat's Litter Box Stink?

1. Failure to clean the litter box in time

If the excrement in the litter box is not cleaned in time, it will breed a lot of bacteria, which will produce an unpleasant odor when decomposing the excrement. Cleaning the litter box at least once a day, replacing it with new litter once a week and cleaning the litter box regularly can effectively prevent odor.

2. Improper choice of cat litter

Different types of cat litter have different odor-absorbing abilities. For example, clumping cat litter and activated carbon cat litter can better absorb and block odors. If the deodorizing ability of the cat litter is poor, it may still have an odor even if it is cleaned in time.

3. Cat Diet

The structure of a cat's diet will affect the odor of its excrement. If the cat consumes too much protein or hard-to-digest food, it may lead to heavy fecal odor. It is recommended to choose high-quality cat food and avoid feeding too much grains and potatoes, which may cause your cat's feces to smell worse.

4. Location and ventilation of the cat litter box

A cat litter box placed in a poorly ventilated area will cause the odor to be difficult to dissipate. Placing the litter box in a well-ventilated area can help reduce the odor.

5. Cat health problems

If the cat's feces suddenly becomes unusually smelly or has other significant changes, it may be a sign of a health problem, such as a urinary tract infection or other disease. In this case, the cat should be taken to a veterinarian for a checkup.

How to Make a Cat Litter Box Not Stink?

I. Choosing the right cat litter

  • Deodorizing cat litter

Many cat litters have deodorizing features, such as crystal cat litter, which is better at absorbing urine and odors. The particles of this type of cat litter are larger, and the urine will be locked inside the crystals, reducing the odor emitted. There is also pine cat litter, which has some natural deodorizing ability of its own. The smell of pine can mask the odor of cat urine and feces to a certain extent, and pine litter breaks down into a powder when exposed to water, making it easy to clean up.

  • Litter that clumps well

Like bentonite clay cat litter, it clumps well. When the cat defecates, the litter can quickly encapsulate the urine and feces, sealing the odor inside the clumping. In this way, when cleaning, just shovel away the clumps, you can effectively reduce the odor in the cat litter box.

II. Placement and cleaning of the cat litter box

  • Location

Place the litter box in a well-ventilated place, avoiding small closed spaces or humid corners. For example, it can be placed on the balcony (if the balcony is relatively safe and suitable for cats to enter and exit) or in the corner of a well-ventilated room. Good ventilation will allow odors to escape in time rather than accumulate around the litter box.

  • Regular cleaning

Clean the litter box at least once a day to remove feces and urine clumps. If your cat uses it frequently, it may need to be cleaned multiple times a day.
Thoroughly change the litter on a regular basis, with the exact frequency depending on the type of litter and your cat's usage. In general, it is appropriate to change the cat litter thoroughly every week or every two weeks. When replacing the cat litter, clean the litter box thoroughly, you can use a mild detergent, then rinse and dry it before adding new cat litter.

III. Other supporting measures

  • Deodorizer use

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Deodorizers specifically designed for cat litter boxes can be used. These deodorizers are available in spray form and granular form added to the litter. Used after cleaning the cat's litter box or when adding new cat litter, they can effectively inhibit odors. However, be careful to choose deodorizers that are safe and non-toxic for cats and avoid products that contain harsh chemicals that can harm the cat's respiratory tract and other areas.

  • Double Litter Pan

If you are using dissolvable cat litter (e.g. pine litter), you can consider using a double-layer cat litter box. The upper layer holds the cat litter, and after the cat defecates, the urine will penetrate into the lower layer, separating the urine from the feces and reducing the odor.

Related:How to Make A Cat Litter Box Not Stink

stinky cat's litter box

How to Adjust Your Cat's Diet for Litter Box Stink?

The problem of smelly cat litter box can be related to diet, here are some ways to adjust your cat's diet to reduce litter box odor:

1. Choose high-quality cat food

High-quality cat food usually contains fewer fillers and additives that may cause your cat's feces to smell worse. Choose cat food that is high in protein and low in grains, as grains can be difficult for cats to digest and can cause feces to smell worse. For example, some cat food brands are specifically designed to reduce fecal odor, and these usually contain more meat and fewer grains.

2. Increase water intake

Ensuring that your cat has adequate water intake will help keep your cat's digestive system healthy and reduce constipation and dry feces. Dry feces usually have a stronger odor. You can increase your cat's water intake by providing fresh water, wet food or adding water to dry food.

3. Avoid foods high in salt and fat

Foods high in salt and fat may cause your cat's digestive system to become more burdened, resulting in more smelly feces. Choose low-fat and low-salt cat food, or consult your veterinarian for advice on a diet suitable for your cat.

4. Consider adding probiotics

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Probiotics can help regulate your cat's intestinal flora, promote digestion and reduce fecal odor. You can add some probiotic supplements to your cat's food or choose cat food containing probiotics.

5. Gradual transition of diet

If you are going to change your cat's diet, the transition should be gradual to avoid digestive problems caused by a sudden change in diet. You can gradually increase the proportion of the new food while decreasing the proportion of the old food over a period of a few days or weeks.

Dietary habits that lead to smelly stools in cats

  • Diets high in carbohydrates and fiber

A cat's gastrointestinal structure dictates that their natural dietary needs should be based on animal protein and fat. However, many cat foods need to have starches added for molding purposes, as well as carbohydrates and plant fibers such as vegetables and fruits and legumes. These ingredients are difficult for cats to digest and can hinder the intestinal tract's ability to digest and absorb nutrients, including protein. Prolonged intake of these foods that cannot be properly digested can lead to reduced digestibility of proteins and fats, and nutrients being utilized by intestinal bacteria and turned into raw materials for fermentation, which can lead to giant smelly poop being excreted.

  • Diets high in protein and fat

Although cats are carnivores, consuming too much protein and fat can also lead to smelly poop. High-protein meats contain high levels of sulfur-containing amino acids, which are fermented by microorganisms in the intestines and can increase the burden on the kidneys and even lead to problems such as soft stools and diarrhea.

  • Meat that is not fresh

Pet food that contains animal by-products and meat meal is more likely to come from 4D meat (sick, dead, violently dead, dying, disabled). Not fresh meat protein and fat easily deteriorate, greatly affecting the subsequent digestion and absorption, which also results in smelly stools or soft stools; and not fresh meat, even if the processing can kill bacteria, can not kill bacterial toxins, these toxins enter the cat's body through the cat food, it will irritate the intestinal tract.

Also Read: Why Does My Cat's Poop Smell So Bad

stinky cat's litter box

FAQs

Can I Put Baking Soda In a Litter Box?

Yes, you can put baking soda in your cat's litter box. Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a common household cleaner and deodorizer that has natural deodorizing and antibacterial properties, so it can be effective in reducing litter box odors.

The role of baking soda in the cat litter box

Deodorizing: Baking soda neutralizes acidic odors in the litter box, such as the smell of urine and feces. It reduces odors by converting acids into neutral or alkaline substances through a chemical reaction.

Antibacterial: Baking soda has some antibacterial properties that can inhibit the growth of bacteria and mold, keeping the litter box clean and sanitary.

Absorb moisture: Baking soda can absorb excess moisture in the litter box, which helps keep the litter dry and reduces the chance of bacterial growth.

Why Does My Cat Smell Like Pee After Using Litter Box?

There may be several reasons why a cat smells like urine after using the litter box.

  • If the deodorizing ability of the cat litter is poor, it is difficult to effectively mask the smell of urine. For example, some cheap cat litters may be simply sand and soil without the addition of specialized deodorizing ingredients.
  • When the amount of cat litter is insufficient, the urine may come into direct contact with the bottom of the cat litter box and cannot be fully absorbed and encapsulated by the cat litter. For example, if there is only a very thin layer of cat litter in the litter box, the urine will easily penetrate down and cause the odor to emanate.
  • When the cat uses the litter box many times, if it is not cleaned up in time, the urine will accumulate in the litter, and even cat litter with good deodorizing effect will have difficulty in withstanding the odor generated by the accumulation of too much urine.
  • Urinary tract infections are a more common condition, which can lead to changes in the composition of the cat's urine, producing an abnormal odor. Also, diseases such as diabetes may affect the odor of the urine. If the cat has frequent urination, difficulty urinating, or poor mental health in addition to smelly urine, it is time to consider a health problem.

Why Does My Cat's Litter Box Smell Worse Than Normal?

If cat litter is improperly stored and gets damp, its ability to deodorize and absorb urine will decrease. For example, if the cat litter is placed in a humid environment, like the bathroom, where there is high humidity, the damp cat litter will not be able to deal with the urine well, which will result in a stinkier cat toilet.

Cat litter has a shelf life, and expired cat litter may lose its original performance. For example, the chemicals in some deodorizing cat litters may break down after the expiration date and no longer effectively inhibit urine odor.

New diseases or infections may cause your cat's urine odor to worsen. Urinary disorders, like cystitis, can increase the number of bacteria or change the composition of the urine, causing the cat's litter to smell worse. Also, if the cat has other health problems such as intestinal parasitic infections, this may indirectly affect the odor of the urine.

In a warmer environment, the odor of urine is more likely to emanate. If the cat's litter box is placed in direct sunlight or near warmer temperatures such as a heater, the odor of urine will be more pronounced.

Conclusion

Over time, plastic litter boxes can absorb odors, even with regular cleaning. Replacing the litter box every 6-12 months can help keep odors under control. If you notice the box retains a smell even after thorough cleaning, it’s probably time for a replacement. Maintaining a fresh-smelling litter box takes consistency and the right products. By choosing high-quality litter, cleaning regularly, and incorporating odor-control methods, you can keep your cat’s litter box odor-free and create a more pleasant environment for both you and your pet.

You May Interested In:Why Does My Cat Smell Like Poop? Unraveling the Feline Odor Mystery

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