Cat-Safe Odor Eliminators?

[fbl2555]

Hello!

I live in a basement apartment with my cat, Parker, and am in dire need of a good, cat-safe odor eliminator.

The main culprit is -no surprise- the litter box. I keep it in a little alcove in the bathroom near the back of the apartment (seems as if it was made for it), but that doesn't stop it from making the whole place smell like a monkey cage. I do have a window, but it is near impossible to open. 

I've tried litter with baking soda, but it doesn't seem to help. I thought about buying scented litter, but usually decided against it because my last cat didn't like them. Plus, the smell of scented litter is kinda gross. It's just a mask, really. Would rather not have the apartment smell like that. 

I have used Fabreeze once or twice, but am worried that it might not be good for the cat. I myself am having health issues, and am trying to cut back on products laced with chemicals. So if anyone knows of anything with natural ingredients, I'd much appreciate it.

I don't mind using something that has a scent, like, candles or whatever, as long as its not just a mask. 

Thank you!

 

[Primula]

The litter box should not smell at all. I remove poop as soon as I see it & scoop urine every morning.

 

[LTS3]

What do you feed your cat? What your cat eats may result in really stinky poop. Really poor quality foods make horrible stinky pooo while raw food makes nearly zero odor poop. Urine will always have an ammonia smell. A better diet may help lessen the litter box stink.

What litter are you using? Some litters may not be very good at odor control despite the claim on the label.

How often are you scooping? Scooping more often will remove the source of the odors.

 

[Primula]

With regard to windows, if you can open any window in the basement that should suffice to freshen the air. It's not good for anyone to live in a place where all the windows are closed.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I have found that food makes a difference in how bad my cat's poops smell.  Fish especially makes for stinky poops from Noodles. I try to keep them eating mostly grain free wet food; Fancy Feast Classics are affordable and have done ok for my girls.  They also get some dry; so I haven't been able to completely eliminate grain from their diet.  

Also keeping enough litter in the box makes a difference.  If it's not deep enough it can reach the bottom and its harder to keep clean. I try to keep 3" or even a little more in our boxes.  They have high sides because my girls like to pee right on the edge of the box.  Having it deep makes it much easier to get under the clumps.

 

[cocobutterfly]

Fabreeze is so toxic. Inhaling the vapor is toxic for humans, so you definitely should not have it around your cats as your cat will lick the residue and ingest the toxic chemicals. Always use non-scented litter without any deodorizers. I do agree with the others that smell of excrements start with diet. Litter boxes shouldn't really smell all that much. 

We use Dr. Elsey's Ultra, scoop multiple times throughout the day, change out to a clean litter box once a week (we have several in rotation) and also have little burlap media bags filled with activated charcoal bags hidden near the litter box, in the closet, shoe cabinet, kitchen counters, etc.

They're inexpensive, natural, non-toxic, and really absorb odors well. You can get a 40 oz. jar of charcoal (HERE), and it will last well over a year.

You can also get the media bags like these, but you can also go the homemade route and cut up old but CLEAN cotton t-shirts and tie up the charcoal in there. Whatever material you put the charcoal it, just make sure it's porous enough for the activated charcoal to "breathe" in and out of. That's what will help eliminate the odors. 

 

[sargon]

Filters and odor absorbign bags can help, but also several alternative litter systems to the old box can significantly reduce odor.

As long as you're willing to manually remove poop on a regular basis, then pellet litter helps a LOT with odor. it essentially eliminates the urine scent.

The litter breeze system is a great pellet option, but if you want to save a few bucks over time, you can just put a plastic liner in he bottom and use pine pellet litter ( please use pellet litter intended for animal use, and not stoves, as many stove litters include chemical additives)

If you aren't able/willing to manually remove poop ( I actually grab it with doogie poop pickup bags.), then you may want to try out an automatic litter box like the litter robot, or the scoop free.  Automatic boxes have occassional maintenance, and can be pricey, but they scoop the litter for you (mostly), greatly reducign odor.

A final option ( if your cat tolerated hooded boxes), is to DIY a fan onto the box and eithher blow the air through a good carbon filter, or out of the house.

or, if you do use a traditional box ( and don't intend to change), switching the littter to crystal or pellet litter may reduce the scent at least somewhat.

 

[thecatzmeow]

Interesting that you mentioned Fabreeze because that one made me sick as well. It was then that I finally said goodbye to clay based litters. I didn't realize just how bad they are for cats and humans alike, although some aren't as bad, like Dr Elsey's. Crystal/silica litters are bad too. I've switched to a corn based litter that is working out really well : World's Best Cat Litter Scoopable Multiple Cat Clumping Formula

 

[Willowy]

What kind of litter do you use, and how often do you change it? A clean litterbox shouldn't smell.