Ammonia smelling urine

klunick

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I don't have a sense of smell so I can't verify but my husband has complained the last two days that either the litter boxes or the trash can that I throw #2 in really smells like ammonia. I don't use scoopable litter so I don't think it's the trash can. I've had Boone and Gracie since May 2020 and he has never said anything about it before. No idea why it's smelling now. Same litter I have always used.

I told him I would scrub the trash can and swap out the litter boxes for the ones that used to be downstairs. Not sure what else I can do. Any idea why their urine would be extra smelly? Should I be worried???
 

artiemom

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Do you think it could just be embedded in the box!
I guess et a new litter box, every year.

I wash the box twice, with Blue Dawn at each change.

I always put new litter in it.

Just my opinion., but I think non-clumping litter holds on to the urine smell.

How old is Boone? Even though male cats are beauty, I swear their urine does smell.
 
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klunick

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Do you think it could just be embedded in the box!
I guess et a new litter box, every year.

I wash the box twice, with Blue Dawn at each change.

I always put new litter in it.

Just my opinion., but I think non-clumping litter holds on to the urine smell.

How old is Boone? Even though male cats are beauty, I swear their urine does smell.
He is one and a half. Could be the box. I have been slacking on really scrubbing them when I change the litter weekly. I will give them a good scrub and change out the litter when I get home. Hopefully that is all it is. I am thinking about doing clumping but the one time I tried, both started eating it. :rolleyes:
 

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You don't need to use clumping, no need to risk those adorable tummies.

Before we started using clumping litter, each week we did a dump the litter, scrape the box clean, wash with detergent and rinse with baking soda. You can also put a layer of baking soda in the box before adding the litter.

Even if you're dumping the litter into a plastic bag and tying it off, don't put it in the house trashcan, tiny rips can send odors every where. Just take it right out to the outside trash can. If your outside trash can is available to neighborhood dogs it gets a little more complicated. You'll have to make the change the litter box day the one right before trash pick up. Put the bag with the litter in it in a separate covered bin. Then after you dump that in the outside trash can, rinse that bin out with white vinegar and let it air dry in the yard or if you have no fence, the basement.

Wow, that got a lot more complicated than I thought it would. Just don't let SO get near the trash bin with the litter bag in it and all should be well.
 

kittenmittens84

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I mean it could be the non-clumping litter, if little bits of pee soaked litter are getting left in the box because it’s hard to scoop every last bit when it doesn’t clump, they could start to smell more.

it also might be the box, as the plastic gets scratched slightly stuff can build up inside the scratches that doesn’t come out even when you clean it.
 

tabbytom

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Any idea why their urine would be extra smelly? Should I be worried???
Urine that smell strong with ammonia scents could be that your cat is dehydrated. If the cats are not drinking enough water, urine gets concentrated and concentrated urine has a stronger smell of ammonia. Get them to drink more water. Ammonia smell could also indicate UTI or some bladder infections and also could be due to the food they eat like chicken based proteins.
Best is to get them to drink more water.

Litter that are not changed and get mixed up with urine can cause ammonia smell as the ammonia gets concentrated and seep through the litter which cause a strong urine smell in the litterbox.

Never use bleach to clean litter boxes if there's strong trace of ammonia as these two chemicals cannot be mixed as once mixed, they gives off a toxic gas.
 

Heart For Cats

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He is one and a half. Could be the box. I have been slacking on really scrubbing them when I change the litter weekly. I will give them a good scrub and change out the litter when I get home. Hopefully that is all it is. I am thinking about doing clumping but the one time I tried, both started eating it.
Which clumping litter was that?

I have used Scoop Away, Fresh Step, Tidy Cat, and Dr. Elsey's (all unscented) litter. None of my cats ever sniffed it.

Tell your hubby urine is supposed to smell like ammonia.
 
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klunick

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Which clumping litter was that?

I have used Scoop Away, Fresh Step, Tidy Cat, and Dr. Elsey's (all unscented) litter. None of my cats ever sniffed it.

Tell your hubby urine is supposed to smell like ammonia.
It was S'wheat. My husband knows that. He is the cat person in the household. I only like Boone and Gracie because they like me over him. Otherwise I would have rather had a dog. :lol: But urine shouldn't have that strong of a smell if the box is taken care of. And we have had cats for over 20 years and he never mentioned the boxes smelling that bad. I wasn't scrubbing them every clean and it showed. Lesson learned and the smell is gone.
 

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You can use white vinegar to get rid of ammonia smells.

Ammonia is alkaline. Vinegar is acidic. Acidic substances and alkaline substances react with each other and form neutral substances. Simply put, they "cancel each other out."

Just wash out the cat box like you normally do then give it a rinse with vinegar then clear water.

Also, if your cat's pee smells strong...assuming no other medical problems...try to make sure that the cat is getting enough water.

More water in the cat's system will tend to dilute the urine and help it smell less.
 
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klunick

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I decided to start putting the poop in a paper bag and taking to the outside trash can to see if that helps in between cleanings. Plus it might keep raccoons out of our trash cans too. I am always worried about opening up the cans in the nighttime and finding a coon in there. Or I am completely wrong and a raccoon will take the bags out of the trash can, tear them open all over the garage apron and I will have a huge mess to clean up. 😖
 

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We used wheat litter for kittens who would taste it when they happened across it and for an elderly cat who lived two feet from her litter box and didn't walk off the litter on her feet. She would wash her feet. with the wheat litter the vet said it was okay to swallow some. Please note this was wheat litter that was available 8 years ago and was bought by another company and no longer exists. Ask your vet about the particular brand you buy.
 

Caspers Human

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I decided to start putting the poop in a paper bag and taking to the outside trash can to see if that helps
We do the same for Casper's box. All his deposits, Number-1 or Number-2, get scooped out and thrown in the garbage, outside.

It is mostly the urine that smells like ammonia. Fecal deposits don't smell like that, so much, unless they sit around.
Casper's box gets cleaned every day so that doesn't happen very often.

When it's time to give the box a good cleaning, we use soap and water, followed with a vinegar rinse.

As for cat excrement keeping raccoons away? I don't know. Maybe.
Probably the best way to keep coons out of your garbage cans is to use tight fitting lids that you have to snap on or off.

Around these parts of Pennsyltucky, most people use the old fashioned way... A regular, old metal garbage can with a metal lid and a rubber bungee cord over the top and hooked through the handles on the sides.

I've never seen coons, coyotes or 'possums get into an all-metal garbage can with the lid strapped down but bears will just rip the top clean off, tie-downs or not.

But, if you've got bears getting into your garbage cans and banging some old pots and pans together doesn't scare them away, you've got bigger problems than whether your kitty litter smells bad! ;) ;) ;)

I'd call the Game Commission and report it as a "problem bear" if that happened more than once or twice!
 
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