Can I ask you a personal question? Do you like the smell of cat urine?
Didn’t think so. No one ever says yes to that question. Unfortunately, litter boxes are part of having cats, but that doesn’t mean you have to put up with the stink or risk your cat peeing on your floor because you fell victim to a product that will make your cat less likely to use the litter box. I’m here to help you keep your nose and your cat happy. Let’s get going so you can get cleaning!
The Most Important Thing You Can Do
While this may not be the most ground breaking or deep piece of advice, the most effective way to stop cat litter box odors is to scoop the litter box at least once a day. Twice daily is even better, but once a day is the minimum. This directly removes the source of the odor and keeps your cat using the litter box.
If you struggle do this, you may be tempted to get a self cleaning litter box, but these have downsides that you probably won’t like. A better solution is making it part of your routine and keeping your litter box in a place that is easily accessible so you’ll remember to scoop it. Building routines and habits is useful for a lot of things, but it allows you to go on autopilot when it comes to litter box scooping.
Another great solution? Make scooping easy with something like a Litter Genie. I talk about these all the time and they are one of my favorite cat products because you just scoop right into the pail which is kept right by the litter box. No need to haul waste off every single time you scoop the litter box.
Keep An Open Box (Seriously!)
The advantage of the Litter Genie is that it not only stops the cat litter box odor by containing it until you dispose of it, but it makes it so the barrier to scooping is low. This might seem counter intuitive, but for similar reasons you should skip covered or top entry litter boxes and ditch the litter box furniture (or repurpose it).
Litter box furniture isn’t great for senior cats and, according to research, cats generally prefer uncovered litter boxes anyway, but the problem here is that it makes you less likely to scoop the litter box. The odor will get out eventually and it will be even worse than a litter box that you’ve maintained better.
An even bigger problem? Cats may be less likely to use a litter box that is in an enclosure or that hasn’t been scooped on the regular. Now you’ll have the smell of the litter box all over your home. If you don’t keep up with cleaning the cat urine, the smell will be worse. It’s not worth it.
Pick The Right Litter
Not all cat litters are good cat litters. Some don’t contain odor as well as others or may have a strong odor (looking at you, pine litters). Generally, clay litters are good at controlling odors and clumping litters are better at controlling smell than non-clumping varieties. Non-clumping litters are harder to get all liquid waste out unless you completely empty all the litter, whereas clumping litters let you scoop the urine out.
Scoop Correctly
There is a bit of an art to scooping litter. The general steps for clumping litter are:
- Scoop under any visible waste and lift up.
- Gently shake the scoop so litter falls through. A little used litter will make its way through, but most will be removed.
- Scoop the edges of the box so that you scrape the sides of the box so urine isn’t stuck to it. Metal scoops may be slightly more effective for this.
- Place in a bag or litter containment unit like a Litter Genie.
- Scoop any areas of the litter that you didn’t already scoop under in case there’s buried urine or poop.
Non-Clumping Litters
Most non-clumping litters encourage scooping solid waste and stirring urine to mix it into the litter.
Well, I’m here to tell you that’s actually really gross unless you’re emptying the litter completely every day. That urine doesn’t just disappear. It gets absorbed by the litter and stays in the litter box. You might not be able to smell it, but your cat might. If it smells too much, your cat may stop using the litter box which is going to smell worse.
A better idea is taking a solid scooper like this set of scoops that are usually used for ice. Scoop under and around any visible urine spots as best you can. If you find any spots as you’re scooping, scoop as much as you can out. This won’t get everything, but it’s better than letting your cat have a urine soaked bathroom!
Skip (Most) Additives
Additives may mask the smell somewhat, but they may also combine with the odor of your cat’s waste to make a really nasty smelling combination of fresh linen and ammonia. Plus, your cat prefers unscented litter so skipping fragrances will keep them using the box.
This applies to using pre-scented litters, too. That clay didn’t come smelling like lavender!
More of a mix bag are baking soda additives. They might help somewhat and plain baking soda doesn’t have a strong odor, but it does have somewhat of a smell to it. Your cat, with their stronger nostrils, will pick up on it and may (wait for it) stop using the litter box. A small amount might be okay, but don’t overdo it.
One That May Help
The only thing I mix into my cats’ litter is a bit of activated charcoal. It doesn’t have an odor, it’s really good at absorbing odors, and it’s similar to what we used to use as litter before cat litter was commercially available. If you don’t overdo it, it won’t result in tiny black foot prints and can keep the odor to a minimum.
If you don’t want to mix activated charcoal into your litter, consider a charcoal satchel that can be hung near the litter box.
Consider An Air Purifier
Even with regular litter box maintenance, sometimes your cat takes a stinky dump. This will air out eventually, especially if you can open windows or turn on a fan, but that’s not always an option especially in the winter.
If you can’t open a window or want to help speed things up, an (with a few important caveats) air purifier is a great option. I use a big one from Levoit to keep fur under control and when there’s an extra smell poop? I can turn it up from my phone. It’s not very loud at all so I usually don’t even notice it running.
For smaller spaces, using an air purifier may be a bit too loud for your cat as they should be placed in the same room as the litter box, but not right next to it. A small air purifier will be even quieter and work just as well in that space while allowing you to keep it on the other side of the room. Keep it on the lowest setting and if needed, you can turn it up once your cat is away from the litter box.
Replace The Litter
Regardless of if you use clumping litter or non-clumping litter, you’ll need to replace the litter eventually. Even with activated charcoal and regular removal of waste, litter won’t last forever and you won’t get everything out. If the litter smells, dump it and replace the full thing. This gives you an opportunity to give it a good rinse, remove any lingering waste, and use an enzymatic cleaner to get rid of any urine.
Side note: You don’t need to use an enzymatic cleaner every time your clean. I usually use one once every two or three months, but I rinse and replace litter at least once a month.
Ideally, though, you should replace the litter before the stink sets in. Once a month is a good general rule though this varies greatly based on the number of cats you have and type of litter. If you have multiple litter boxes, you don’t need to clean them all at once. Do one a week on a rotating schedule so it’s less work each time.
Litter Boxes Don’t Last Forever
When was the last time you got a brand new litter box? If you can’t remember, it might be time to ditch it and start fresh. Litter boxes will accumulate tiny scratches that particles of litter, urine, and poop will get into as they get used. Unfortunately for our noses, cat litter box odor causing bacteria will have an absolute party in there.
Litter boxes should be replaced at a minimum every other year, but if you notice even after replacing all the used litter, using an enzymatic cleaner, and scrubbing the litter box things still stink or the stink is coming on quicker, getting a new box is a good idea.
I ran into this before I knew what I was doing with cats, actually. My very patient, sweet, and wonderful Zoloft had a litter box that I just couldn’t seem to get the odor down. We had been using the litter box that came with him when I adopted him and I had no idea how long it had been used for, but it was at least a year old at that point. I decided to replace it and suddenly his litter box didn’t start smelling by the time it came time for the monthly refresh. Replace your litter box, folks.
How To Get Rid Of Cat Litter Box Odor: It’s Easier Than You Think!
Litter boxes are not the best part of having cats, but honestly I’d take a litter box over having to let a cat outside or, worse, not having cats. It doesn’t mean your home has to smell like a litter box even if you have a small living space, but stopping cat litter box odor requires some work.
Don’t fall victim to gimmicky cat products and don’t cut corners. While some products might seem like a good idea and appeal to us, your cat ultimately has to decide to use the litter box. If something makes it less likely that your cat will pee in their litter box, your home will smell much worse.
