5 Tips to Reduce Litter Box Odors
As far as we can tell, there’s only one thing that’s crappy about owning cats: the litter box. This is really the only negative thing about owning a cat that cat owners can come up with. Thankfully, there are ways to help avoid your home from smelling like a litter box. Continue on to this list of five tips from The Refined Feline and start enjoying your clean smelling home.
Tip #1: Time for a Litter Change
Smells circulate from within the litter box, thus the litter may be adding to the funk in your home. Trying different litter brands in the box can give you an idea of what absorbs odors best. Plus, you can see which brands your cat gravitates towards, and what may work better than what you already have. If you have more than one box, you can try different litters all at one time. The results may vary, as your cat prefers one kind but it doesn’t trap odors very well. You can remedy this by combining brands into the box or alternating brands each time you fill up. Cats’ sense of smell is much more sensitive than ours, so extra scented litter may be too intense. If you end up switching litter brands, slowly transition to the new brand to avoid them disliking the new type. If your cat doesn’t seem to want the more perfume scented litter, unscented litter is an option. Even the unscented litter can do a great job at keeping odors back. Just as important to the scent is the level of litter in your cat’s box. Keeping the box full everyday can help trap the odors, even more so than the perfume qualities of the litter. This can help decrease all those stinky smells before they travel into the rest of your house. Without this proper layer of litter, the box won’t be able to keep up with all the extra refuse. And cats will want to bury their waste and not leave a smell behind either. But if the litter is too low, they may keep digging if they can’t cover their business.
Tip #2: Scoop, Scoop, Scoop!
The root of any odor problem from your litter box most likely revolves around the waste itself. Not letting the solids linger in the box can avoid the odors from continuing into the rest of your home. Scooping multiple times a day or whenever your kitty uses the box can help cut the smells. You can invest in a metal, state of the art scoop, or upgrade to an automatic cycling litter box. Through the use of a mechanical arm, the box collects solids in a separate area for later disposal. You can access this compartment that’s either at one end of the box or the whole bottom of the box. The automatic boxes will usually include timers, that way it’s consistently clean and as fresh as possible. The automatic litter boxes will have different models and styles to choose from. Most will focus on collecting the solids while there are a few styles that only actively collect liquid waste. Each model will usually have it’s own type of litter too. Ensure you buy the accompanying litter to avoid any mechanical issues.
Tip #3: Offer Your Cat Privacy
One easy change you can make is changing the location of the litter box. Having the box in an exposed place will allow the odors to travel to other areas of your home. If it’s in an open enough area, your cat may feel apprehensive going in to do their business. Putting the litter box somewhere the cat can have a sense of security is best. Using a wooden litter box cabinet gives you the best of both worlds. The Refined Litter Box Deluxe controls odors effortlessly while giving your cat an enclosed area. With a solid wood construction, the litter box enclosure is available in two sizes, large and x-large. These cabinets can easily fit your chonky cats at home, as well as some automatic litter boxes. The cabinets feature ventilation slots for charcoal filters, helping absorb litter odors, and a liner inside to help decrease messes. The litter box enclosure is customizable to purrrfectly fit your home! With four options of feet for the base, it also includes door styles such as farmhouse, modern, cottage and shaker. Available in four color options, you will have quality furniture that visitors won’t know is for the cat!
Tip #4: Replace the Litter Box
Even with fresh litter in your box, it may still seem a little stinky. When did you last replace the box? Even though you’re frequently scooping the box, you won’t scoop out every little piece that’s used, and some will remain. Ideally, dumping out the litter every week or two and replacing it with fresh litter is best. If your cats are very clean, the box could even wait for a month. Cat’s claws will tear away at the plastic over time, and this leads to it becoming harder to clean. Odors will lock into the plastic more easily and will eventually smell no matter how often you clean it. In these circumstances, getting a completely new box every year will help keep the box fresh consistently. In the interim, wash the litter box with warm, soapy water, rinse thoroughly, and allow it to air dry. Frequent cleaning of the box can help cut down on odors, but over time, the box itself will need replacing.
Tip #5: Clean Your Air, Don’t Mask It!
As soon as you hear your cat digging, your first instinct is to grab the air freshener, right? A few sprays of some perfume and that usually decreases the smells pretty well. But to be honest, it’s not really accomplishing anything, really only masking the odors. In order to truly “clean” the air, you’ll need the assistance of an air purifier. They work continuously to clean the air in your home, which also means tackling odors and not just masking them. The air quality in your home will improve dramatically. If you or other members have any allergies, this is another added benefit of using an air purifier. Air purifiers will work to decrease the amount of pollen and allergens in the air. This helps “upgrade” the air inside your home, making it easier to breathe for anybody inside.
Maintain your cat’s litter box by filling it with fresh litter everyday to continue combating odors. Daily scooping will eliminate odors in the first place, saving you a lot of hassle. Whether you use one or all five of these tips, your home will be fresh and clean in no time!
