I'm interested in getting a cat, but I've heard that the litter boxes can really smell. I'd like to put the litter box on my balcony to disperse the smell outside. I can arrange to put in a little cat door. Is that possible, or would the cat not take to it? Thanks.
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Can cats be trained to use a litter box on a balcony?
- Thread starter whomp
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I wouldn't do that. Balconies are not safe places for cats. Use First Step litter - it doesn't smell at all, no matter how many times they use it. Well, maybe it smells a little like Febreeze.
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A litter box will not smell if you are scooping it properly and frequently enough - which you should do anyway, as cats are clean animals and a dirty litter box causes them stress and may eventually lead to litter box issues overtime (like going outside of it).
For some reason, many people think you can go 2-5 days and sometimes even a couple of weeks without scooping, then they complain about the smell (or guests do). But a litter box should be scooped once a day at minimum. Ideally, you would scoop it any time you notice a “deposit”, because again, a dirty box is stressful for a cat.
You shouldn’t seek to avoid, trap, or cover up litter box odors - the stank is there to tell you it’s time to scoop. Being clean animals, even scooping once a day is the equivalent of using a portapotty for a cat. If you can smell the litterbox, then consider how bad it is for your cat, given their keen sense of smell,
For some reason, many people think you can go 2-5 days and sometimes even a couple of weeks without scooping, then they complain about the smell (or guests do). But a litter box should be scooped once a day at minimum. Ideally, you would scoop it any time you notice a “deposit”, because again, a dirty box is stressful for a cat.
You shouldn’t seek to avoid, trap, or cover up litter box odors - the stank is there to tell you it’s time to scoop. Being clean animals, even scooping once a day is the equivalent of using a portapotty for a cat. If you can smell the litterbox, then consider how bad it is for your cat, given their keen sense of smell,
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I should mention, some litters are better performers than others when it comes to odor control.
Given that we often have many cats in the house since we rescue/foster (currently 16), we have tried every litter and type out there.
Personally, we stay far away from any clay litter, which is what most people use. There are many reasons for this, but we find them to be lacking in odor control of the tried 15+ brands of clay we’ve tried.
We’ve also tried every alternative litter out there too, and so far, Okocat (original, blue box) has been the best for odor and is primarily what we use.
But, this is subjective!
In the event you decide that you really want to go the balcony route, you will need to ensure to enclose it and make a “catio” of sorts (preferably with a mosquito net draped over it to prevent potential heartworm). Many cats die from High Rise Syndrome every year, and enclosing also helps to prevent escape and predators from coming in.
Given that we often have many cats in the house since we rescue/foster (currently 16), we have tried every litter and type out there.
Personally, we stay far away from any clay litter, which is what most people use. There are many reasons for this, but we find them to be lacking in odor control of the tried 15+ brands of clay we’ve tried.
We’ve also tried every alternative litter out there too, and so far, Okocat (original, blue box) has been the best for odor and is primarily what we use.
But, this is subjective!
In the event you decide that you really want to go the balcony route, you will need to ensure to enclose it and make a “catio” of sorts (preferably with a mosquito net draped over it to prevent potential heartworm). Many cats die from High Rise Syndrome every year, and enclosing also helps to prevent escape and predators from coming in.
Yes, clay litter is the worst. It smells to high heaven no matter how many times you scoop.
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Really? I let my cats go on the balcony all the time. One of them really loves it and will sun himself for hours and hours if the weather is right. We're on the 4th floor and have metal railings.
