Cleaning out the cat litter is an unpleasant job. It takes a long time to scoop out the poop, and it makes a mess.
If you’re unlucky, and your cat had some wet food she didn’t agree with, her poop could clear a room after she’s done!
Some days the smell of the litter box is so foul; you need to pay someone living with you to do it.
No matter what you do to try to fight the smell, there’s no defeating the toxic fumes your cat leaves behind every time she goes to the bathroom.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
There are ways to fight the nasty litter smell. If it’s not time to clean the litter box yet, there are different materials you can use to hide the odor rising from your cat’s bathroom.
By the end of the article, you’ll know how to use these different materials to fight cat litter odor in each of these cases.
- sand odor eliminators
- charcoal
- baking soda
- odor-fighting tips
These materials will help neutralize cat litter odor along with practicing good cat litter hygiene.
Scooping poop out of the kitty litter every day and changing the litter box itself once a year are excellent ways to help keep the smell away.
Keeping your cat’s litter box clean will keep your cat and your family happy and healthy.
How can sand help fight cat litter odor?
Not only is sand an excellent way to fight cat litter odor, but it’s a cheap alternative to kitty litter.
Sand-based kitty litter naturally clumps in the same way as clay when it’s wet, but it doesn’t hold in the smell of cat urine.
If you’re not interested in changing out your regular kitty litter with sand, a little bit will help keep cat litter odors at bay.
Sprinkling a little bit of sand in your litter box will neutralize the urine smell and help clump the poop.
Cat litter odor eliminators.
With this alternative, you’ll need to be careful. Cats are incredibly particular about how their bathrooms should look and smell. A cat’s sense of smell is stronger than a human’s.
You might think the litter box smells fine, but the scent could be enough for your cat to decide they don’t want to use the cat litter.
Most stores and websites will sell odor eliminators and litter deodorizers, but they take a lot of trial and error. If a deodorizer is too strong, your cat won’t use the litter box.
If it’s too weak, your cat will be fine, but you won’t be able to stand to be in the room with the litter box.
When you find a deodorizer that works for both you and your cat, you’ll feel much better about the litter box.
Using charcoal litter to stop odor.
A more eco-friendly alternative is a charcoal liner. The charcoal absorbs the smells. They’re also more sustainable and last a long time.
One company sells a brand of litter liners that can last for months! It’s a natural alternative for controlling cat litter odor.
Using Baking soda litter to stop odor.
At some point in your life, you’ve used baking soda to get rid of the odor. If you haven’t used baking soda to get rid of unpleasant smells, you know someone who’s done it.
We don’t mean only cat litter odor. We suggest getting rid of smells anywhere in your house: the refrigerator, a suitcase, etc.
Baking soda is the go-to material for people who want to get rid of unpleasant smells fast.
Does baking soda helps get rid of cat litter odors?
Yes, it helps a lot!
Baking soda is non-toxic, meaning it won’t harm your cat if she comes in contact with it.
Sprinkling a little bit of baking soda in your cat litter will help absorb the cat’s urine smells fast.
If your cat has an accident outside of the litter box, you can use baking soda to clean up the accident site too.
If you regularly bathe your cat, you can use baking soda as a dry shampoo in between bathing sessions.
If you do this, though, you’ll want to make sure you get as much of the baking soda off your cat’s fur as much as possible.
Once you’ve finished shampooing your cat, the first thing they’ll want to do is lick their hair.
Baking soda isn’t toxic if a little bit is licked, but if they swallow a lot of baking soda, you’ll need to make a trip to the vet.
Other litter box odor-fighting tips.
While all of these different ideas are good odor-fighting alternatives. Here are some additional tips for making sure you maintain your stinky litter box.
Scoop out the litter box every day. As long as your litter box is scooped often, the smell won’t be too bad of an issue.
Cats are picky about how their bathrooms should look. If your cat’s litter box is too dirty or smelly, your cat won’t use it.
Replace old kitty litter every week. Some types of cat litter hold in smell long after you’ve scooped out the clumped up poop and pee.
It’s a good idea to change the litter every week so that lingering odors will leave.
Wash your kitty litter box every week. Before you put new litter in your cat litter box, wash out your litter box with unscented soap or a light bleach spray.
Wash it out with warm water, dry it, and then put in the new kitty litter.Replace your litter box every year.
No matter how many washes and litter changes, some odors won’t go away. When you replace the litter box, the smell goes away altogether.
Conclusion.
Some days, your cat’s litter box has a stench so overpowering you don’t want to go anywhere near it.
As much as you want to avoid the smell, it’s much worse for your cat. If something isn’t done about it quickly, your cat will stop using her bathroom, thinking it’s not up to her standards of clean.
With regular cleaning and any of the mentioned ideas, you can control what smells come out of your cat’s bathroom.