Joy at Home Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Well, we decided to give a home to the two abandoned kittens I posted about previously. They are male littermates, about six weeks old, and just perfect. We take them to the vet this week, but by all appearances they are happy and healthy and settling in nicely to their new home. Having never had cats before, my question is whether or not it's possible to have cats without, um, the cat smell? I notice that after just one day I already smell the litterbox. Can I ask what your best recommendations are for keeping a sanitary, less smell litterbox? Would a covered box be better? What's the best kitty litter? Any tricks to managing the litter would be sooo appreciated! BTW, their names are Mr. Darcy and Rosco :D. Blessings, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 What is it you are smelling? If it's urine, try changing the brand of litter (some just stink) or scooping twice a day. If faeces, that might get better once they're eating a steady and healthy diet and have been dewormed. Keep the box in a dry, relatively ventilated area. Hope you get your problem solved quickly. Enjoy your kittens. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 You have to clean the box at least once a day if you don't want any smell. Pls check out the tips here: http://www.catinfo.org/litterbox.htm The articles go over the various litters etc. But basically, if you didn't flush your toilet, it would get stinky. It's the same thing. In our old place we had the box in the bathroom because there was a little nook there & it got cleaned whenever I was 'using the facilities' just because it was right in front of me.... Now I clean once a day, twice if my cat is not well & I need to monitor output (she's an elderly cat with multiple health issues) Once a week I dump everything out, wash the pan & start from new. If my cat was not chronically ill & immuno compromised, I'd probably stretch the big cleaning to every 2 weeks. You also need two pans - the general rule is at least 1 pan/cat. Enjoy your kitties! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 For kitty health it is best to use clay litter or wheat. Clumping can be dangerous to their digestive system and lungs. Try using baking soda in a thin layer under the litter and scooping frequently. I scoop into a ziplock gallon bag so that between scoops the smell is contained. I use a thin layer of litter and after scooping, I wipe with an alcohol wipe. The box stays in our laundry room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontier Mom Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I have found that feeding my kitty Science Diet really makes the smell almost nonexistent. Changed food once because I ran out and bought it at the grocery store - whew!! Changed back the next day. I could definitely tell a big difference. I also agree, the litter makes a big difference. Some litters smell worse than the poop or urine. Find one you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 We have a Boodabox--have had it for years and years. It is covered and has a charcoal filter. No smell at all, really. I think the food does make a difference--the premium foods are going to cause less smell. Also put some kind of a mat under the box to help trap litter and smell. We just use a doormat, but I was at Petco today and there are all manner of box mats. I've always used clay litter, except once when I tried some kind of new-fangled pine litter or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 We bought litter deoderizer powder made by Arm & Hammer (we also like their Multi-Cat litter). But the best thing we did was buy a Litter Maid automatic litter box. It was well worth the money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Cat door. Litterbox in the garage. The only way I would have a cat. :D Ours gets scooped everyday, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KS_ Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Having never had cats before, my question is whether or not it's possible to have cats without, um, the cat smell? I notice that after just one day I already smell the litterbox. Can I ask what your best recommendations are for keeping a sanitary, less smell litterbox? Would a covered box be better? What's the best kitty litter? Any tricks to managing the litter would be sooo appreciated! BTW, their names are Mr. Darcy and Rosco :D. Blessings, Lisa We use wood pellets as litter (they're also sold as pellet stove fuel, but sometimes you can find them as pet bedding in a farm store). Alfalfa pellets also work well as far as smell goes, but my cat likes to eat them, so we don't use those anymore. But I find both of these as litters really keep the urine smell down (and I'm very sensitive to smells). You still have to scoop the solids and get rid of them, but as long as that's done, I don't smell the cat box at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I have a Boodabox also (for the past 20 years) and use Fresh Step cat litter. I only have one cat but I know with more than one cat you need to change the litter more often. Enjoy your new kids! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 it clumps well and there is no dust at all. It is more expensive but a bag lasts a really long time. An organic food will also help a lot - and make sure you get one w/ an ash content at 5% or lower - male kitties can get blocked easily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela H in Texas Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 USE CRYSTALS! Amazing stuff. I have a friend who was VERY sensitive to cat box smells (trauma from childhood). She couldn't even tell we had a cat! we did have a covered box also, but the crystals last weeks, not days (just scoop poop daily or as needed) and it didn't bowl ya over to change it after so long. The crystals are AWESOME. Better food will help also. You might check out the dog food thread currently running to get an idea how to research it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthyfamily Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 We use Feline Pine, the clumping kind and mix in about a 1/4 cup of baking soda each time we add new litter. The box gets scooped once a day and completely changed out and cleaned once a month. We love the Feline Pine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchel210 Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 We switched to Royal Cannin indoor 27 cat food. It reduced the smell and costs us less then IAMS. You feed them less food but it is a lot healthier. Then we switched litter to Ultra Pearls. I buy one bag for 7.99-9.99 but it lasts a month. I dont smell the litter boxes at all. My husband wont let me use the cheaper litter now and says it smells to bad. For my 2 cats...I purchase 2 bags a month and just empty once a month. I scoop it all the time...I have an old diaper pail to scoop into. It is odor free that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomLovesClassics Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 There is a box litter robot that cleans itself, but it is expensive. It is on my wishlist. Citrus Magic makes a litter box odor eliminator that works great, it is sold at Walmart. http://www.litter-robot.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 http://www.litter-robot.com/ I know a woman with five cats and one Litter Robot. She loves it so much, she'll start praising it spontaneously to strangers who mention they have cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 http://www.amazon.com/Tidy-Breeze-Litter-System-1-Count/dp/B001411SK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1251647376&sr=8-1 We have this litter system...and I am in love (well as must as one can be in love with a litter box.) I am very sensitive to litter smells...and I never smell the cat with this system. You only have to change the pellets every three months or so and we change the pads once a week. (With two cats, you may have to change it more.) We do have the kids, clean out the poop, as soon as we notice that the cat has gone...but it is a quick scoop and toss in the toilet. Another thing I love, is no gritty litter all over the place. Every once in a while, a pellet will get tossed out...but very easy to pick up. The only con: We have a Maine Coon cat...she is huge (20lbs). The litter box is really almost too small for her, I wish they made an extra large one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trixie Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 ... and high quality food. I find that one large box with a daily scooping and a monthly overhaul works fine for our elderly cat with CRF and our middle-aged cat. For the monthly overhaul, I clean the box with Nature's Miracle and give it a good rinsing. We haven't had good experience with covered boxes. Not all cats can turn around easily/comfortably in them, which can result in their not burying waste, and hence a bigger odor problem. Also, because cats ingest anything on their fur when they groom, they're ingesting all the perfumes and additives in scented litter. Enjoy your new babies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy at Home Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 USE CRYSTALS! Amazing stuff. I have a friend who was VERY sensitive to cat box smells (trauma from childhood). She couldn't even tell we had a cat! we did have a covered box also, but the crystals last weeks, not days (just scoop poop daily or as needed) and it didn't bowl ya over to change it after so long. The crystals are AWESOME. Better food will help also. You might check out the dog food thread currently running to get an idea how to research it. Pamela, what kind of crystals are these? THANKS, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Cat door. Litterbox in the garage. The only way I would have a cat. :D Ours gets scooped everyday, too. This is what we do as well. The kitten is still in my room because the dog still thinks she is prey so I keep a litter box in my room for her and I noticed a huge difference when I changed her from wet food to dry kitten food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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