As a cat parent, you know there is more to cat care than pets and cuddles, and cleaning up after they do their business is the least desirable. A stinky litter box is unpleasant for you and your furry friend, and keeping the cat box clean is vital for a happy household. Learn how to make a litter box smell better in a few simple steps.
Even if cats have a bland cat food diet, they are notorious for dropping the stinkiest land mines, and there’s no mistaking the foul odor as it fills the room. Since their toilet is not flushable, it’s up to the cat owner to remedy the stench, which means rolling up your sleeves and grabbing the poop scoop.
However, sometimes scooping doesn’t remove the cat odor. While the best way to ensure the cat box smells fresh is to clean it and add new litter, there are other ways to remove cat pee and poo odor between cleaning.
Strategies to Get Rid of Litter Box Odors
Though your feline friends have adorable cat behavior, the litter box smell is not cute. Fortunately, there are simple ways to eliminate a foul litter box odor and keep your home smelling clean.
How to Eliminate Litter Box Odor by Scooping Daily
The simplest way to ensure that the cat box doesn’t stink is to remove the odor-causing cat pee or poop – this is easy if you use clumping litter and have a scooping tool. Discover how to eliminate litter box odor with a poop scooper.
While clay litter is cheaper and absorbs its weight in cat urine, clumping cat litter is ideal for scooping and removing cat litter smell. To keep your cat box from smelling, use a scoop to remove the urine clumps and cat poop, place them in a plastic bag, tie them shut, and discard them in the outside trash can.
Scoop at least once daily to control litter box odor and prevent your cat from having accidents in other areas of the house. If you prefer the litter tray to do the work for you, consider purchasing a self-cleaning box, like Cat Genie.
How to Get Rid of Litter Box Odor by Replacing Boxes
While you may not notice it, a litter box becomes scratched from your cat’s frequent clawing, giving bacteria a place to hide, grow, and cause odors. Explore how to get rid of litter box odor by replacing the cat box.
Always consider the size of your cat when choosing a new litter pan. The best cat litter box is at least as long as your cat, from the end of its cute nose to its furry tail end. Pick a box with one of its sides lower than the others to ensure your cat has easy access.
How to Make a Litter Box Smell Better
Many cat owners prefer to tuck their cat’s box in a confined area to hide the unsightly contents. Yet, this concentrates odors in a single location, making the smell even more substantial. Find out how to get rid of litter box odor through ventilation.
Cat Box Placement
Avoid plastic litter boxes with covers since the cover prevents ventilation and retains odors – your cat doesn’t like the smell any more than you do. However, some cats prefer a covered box, so if you decide to go this route, get one with an odor absorber.
Avoid placing the cats litter box in a closet, beneath a sink, or another small space. Instead, set it in a well-ventilated area that is not drafty, and your feline will thank you.
Quick Ways to Freshen a Litter Box
Try sodium bicarbonate to quickly get rid of cat odor. Learn how to eliminate litter box odor fast by absorbing the smell or masking it with a pleasing scent.
There are various scented cat litter products on the market, including Tidy Cat and Crystal Litter. They release a pleasing scent each time your cat paws at the surface, eliminating the cat litter box smell. Pine Litter is another option for removing cat litter box odor since it soaks up moisture and traps the cat urine smell.
Use baking soda for a natural approach to odor control. This natural powder absorbs all types of smells, including cat urine. Simply shake the soda over the kitty litter after you scoop out the mess or whenever necessary.
Clean the Litter Box to Remove Odors
Frequent cleanings are the best way to keep the litter box smelling fresh, but it takes more than dumping the soiled litter and replacing it with fresh litter. Discover how to properly clean the cat box to eliminate cat litter box odor.
Empty the used litter into a plastic bag, use the litter scoop to scrape away clumps and bits from the sides of the box, and set the tray in a large tub. Pour boiling water into the litter pan to kill microorganisms, and add a small amount of white vinegar.
Let it rest and cool for a bit, and clean the entire container with a scrub brush. Finish by rinsing the litter box with clean water, drying it completely with paper towels, and refilling it with litter.
Keep an accessible bottle of homemade cat pee smell remover spray like vinegar and water or a baking soda and water mixture handy for overpowering smells until you can clean the litter box thoroughly. You can also remove cat pee smell from wood chairs and other surfaces with this odor eliminator.
A stinky litter box is inevitable, especially if you have multiple cats. However, it doesn’t have to remain smelly, as long as you regularly scoop, clean the cat box, and use a scented litter or apply baking soda.
We hope that knowing how to make a litter box smell better keeps you and your furry friend happy, and we’d love it if you’d share our litter box deodorizing tips with the cat-lovers in your life on Facebook and Pinterest.