Where to put a litter box in a small house without it stinking up the place

[kristen58]

I've been thinking about adopting a cat (I haven't had a cat since I was a kid), but I have a concern that there's not a very good place in my small one bedroom townhouse for a litter box without it stinking up the place.  I just wanted to ask people's opinions on this, everyone I know with a cat has the litter box in a spare bedroom or bathroom that no one uses, so who cares if it stinks.  I don't have an extra room.  I was thinking either in the bedroom closet or the laundry room, but I was reading online about how cats don't really like their litter boxes to be in such closed off places like that.  But, I don't know where else to put it without it being gross.  I already have a rabbit that lives in a pen in my bedroom stinking up the place (even though cleaned often, the room smells like hay.)  There's a logical corner in my dining room for a litter box...but it seems gross to put a litter box in a dining room.  So, I just wanted to ask: 

How bad do litter boxes stink?  

Do you have any ideas on a good place to put it in my house?

Thanks!

 

[noracatowner101]

Hi, litter boxes actually don't smell if you clean them once-twice a day. My father thought the same thing. He wanted a cat but without a smell because he hates animal-smells. We actually ended up putting in an pretty wide area (about 5 by 8 feet long) in our living room. It does not smell. Other people who have came into my home do not smell anything If you can, try getting a scented litter IF your cat isn't irritated by it. 

Hope this helps

 

[margd]

Actually a litter box doesn't have to stink if you use a litter with good odor control, scoop it at least once a day and clean the box itself every 2 to 4 weeks.

Although the bathroom is a preferred location, you can get cat box furniture to hide a box so you can put it in more open places like a living room.

I agree with you about not using the dining room for hygienic reasons.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Good litter and a good diet help keep odors down.  You need to scoop at least once a day; but twice is better if it's in an open area.  

Our litter boxes are in what is essentially a deep laundry closet.  One is in front of the washer and one in front of the dryer.  At our old house we put it in the 2nd bathroom; which was small ans became "their" bathroom.

If you need to put it in a more open space; a room divider might be a good alternative.  

 

[LTS3]

A high quality diet can also help keep poop odors down. Cheap junky foods are filled with indigestible ingredients (grains, fillers, etc) that end up as stinky poop.

I keep the litter box in the bathroom.

I wouldn't keep a litter box in a laundry room. A cat may not want to use a litter box that is near a noisy machine.

 

[bestdayever]

I keep my kitten's box in the corner next to the living room couch. No one notices it and anyone sleeping there has commented they don't smell anything.

Good tips are to keep the litter 3.5 to 4 inches deep and to scoop daily. Also make sure your cat is well hydrated and eating a low carb/filler wet food diet.

 

[caesar]

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• caesar
• Jan 22, 2016

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• caesar
• Jan 22, 2016

I have two covered cat boxes. The small one in the Master Bathroom and the large carpet covered one in the Laundry room. I scoop once daily and never have an odor.

 

[2bcat]

Really the bigger problem might be where to put it that it doesn't look ugly.  It shouldn't stink.  We have two cats and two litter boxes in open and often-used areas of our home.  We scoop no more often than once a day, and they don't smell.  I think the key is probably diet; they are fed canned food and some freeze-dried raw that are nearly entirely meat with no grain and very little non-meat matter in them.  (The freeze-dried raw has a little bit of vegetable matter.)  Secondary is probably the right litter.  People always have their favorites, and mine is still Dr Elsey Precious Cat Ultra unscented.  It's a little dusty when poured out but not dusty in everyday cat use and it clumps really well and holds the odor in. The only time it might smell is if you're right next to the box WHILE a cat is pooping.  That's about it.

It's important to be just as careful with covered litter box enclosures, as while they may hide some smells for us it can be overpowering for kitty if there are odors trapped in there.  Their sense of smell is several times more sensitive than ours.  That said, if kept up well most cats are probably ok using a covered box, but some simply won't use them.  One of our boxes is in a small room that we sit in often, and rather than go to a covered box we have a triangular shaped one that goes in the corner, and then a solid fireplace screen to screen it from the room.  It sounds funny because most fireplace screens are mesh and meant to be used while the fire is going.  But there are "fireplace screens" that are designed to hide the fireplace in summer or whatever, made of solid MDF board.  Here is an example:  http://www.wayfair.com/Stupell-Indu...nel-MDF-Fireplace-Screen-FS-4500-VYH1006.html  (That's the one we actually have.  I attached some extra hinges to help keep it together since I move it every day.  The tiny original hinges really weren't made for that.)  A full height privacy screen is fine too, but these shorter fireplace ones might appear less confining in a small space.

 

[caesar]

My Kitties don't seem to mind the covered boxes, I do scoop daily, to make sure they don't deal with odors either. The Carpet covered box top is a favorite play area for my boys. This is an extremely well made box. I got it from Petsmart.com. It came assembled. I am planning a move in a few months and hope to get another one just like it then.

 

[xisare]

Ours use a huge covered one without problem. It is in a corner of the den and is pretty ugly, but there are no smells.

As everyone has said, scooping daily, lots of water and good food is the key. Our litter is the Tidy Cats performance unscented. It clumps great and has very good odor control. It is a bit dusty, but we transfer it from the box to a bucket when we buy it so that way we get rid of most of the dust.

 

[angels mommy]

I am in a 2 bedroom & don't have a big enough bathroom for the litter box. I can't put it in the spare room, because I still once in a while have clients, (massage & waxing), & that's where my "office"/ massage table is.

The only place I had was in the kitchen. It's in a far corner, beside the dryer. (no laundry room, so that's where the washer & dryer are). I have a small louvered door (used to be on an old kitchen bar at my parents) & it works well to give privacy, & hide the box. I scoop after every use, so don't have a smell problem.  (usually 2-3xs/day) whatever is there in the am. when I get home in the afternoon, & after use at night. 

 Usually, if  I have anyone over, we usually are eating at the coffee table, sitting on pillows on the floor, to watch a movie at the same time anyway.

If eating at the kitchen table, I will sit on the side the box is on, just in case it's visited during, but usually isn't. 

Here are some pictures to give you an idea.

I also used those long clear thumb tacks to hang up the scoop, & made a bag roll holder out of some wire. (I used to use grocery bags, but got tired of them having small holes the litter would fall out of).

You can get a pk of them at walmart, in the dog section, or if you have a Tuesday Morning store there, You get a bigger pack for a good price! 

I also use a hand vac once I sweep up the litter, it does a much better job than a dust pan!  (& yup, a night night too 

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• angels mommy
• Jan 22, 2016

  

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• angels mommy
• Jan 22, 2016

  My broom, mops, etc..are here between the wall & the fridge, so after he comes out, I can grab the broom, & sweep the "litter trail" from the doorway, to the box & vac it up, & scoop!  This way, I don't step in any of it. 

 

[sophie1]

Second the statement that good quality food is key to minimizing litter box odor.  I feed 100% raw and have never had a problem.

I'm also in a small apartment.  The (single) bathroom is not a good place if you're using clumping litter, because the moisture will be absorbed by the litter and reduce clumping ability.  I've had it behind a door in the bedroom, but in general the bedroom is not great because the kitty might wake you up at night with their enthusiastic digging.  I opted instead for the living room.  I disguise it under a piece of furniture (sewing table) but I love that fireplace screen idea.  Key factor is how easy it is to access the box to scoop.  Make it easy on yourself and you'll scoop more often, which is also key to preventing odors.  For example, I do not use a covered box.

 

[onirin]

I also agree with food!

Case in point our first cat's poo smelled AWFUL with the food from the shelter.

When we got our second cat the shelter gave us different food.  I never smelled a thing (Though we scoop everyday.)

We switched the first cat over the the second cats food and neither poo smells bad (unless they accidently forget the cover).

So yeah, good food + scoop 1-2 daily means there should be no smell.

 

[samus]

You could also get a plug in carbon filter to stick near the litter box (something like this: )

If you scoop at least once a day (and you have a litter that clumps well enough to really remove all the urine), the only smell to deal with will be right after the cat poops. And diet definitely can reduce that.

I had a one bedroom apartment where I had to keep the litter box in the dining room. It fits where it fits! Personally, I deal with the litter box better when it's something I have to look at frequently. When I had a place with and extra bathroom and stuck it in there, I would forget to scoop it until it was really gross. Now it's in a little area outside the bathroom and I have to see it every time I pee so it gets scooped much more frequently.

 

[angels mommy]

There are also a lot of great, creative ideas on Pinterest if you look on there. 

 

 

[artiemom]

I recently came across some litter box screens--I forget where, but if I see it again, I will let you know. They are pretty attractive.

Eventhoguh my guys is on high protein, low carb food; his poop still stinks.. not as bad as before, but more like human...once it is scooped, the smell is gone...

I scoop at least twice a day. You never smell the box or 'cat' in my apartment. That is the clue.. scooping... the more you scoop the happier your kitty will be, and the less smell you will have....That and being fastidious about washing out and changing the litter, periodically....use a good litter....and take it from there...

Good Luck!! let us know how things turn out. 

 

[stewball]

I have a small balcony where my washing machine and dryer are. Yheur box is kept out there. It's a covered box, shared by the two of them, scooped daily and has no smell. Occasionally in the really hot weather there maybe a slight smell so the litter is thrown, the box cleaned and all is right in the world

 

[misterwhiskers]

I just moved the litterbox from my utility room to my (only) bathroom, and am amazed at how little odor their is. It's in the space between my toilet and tub, and while it's a covered box, I removed the "door" because having it completely enclosed made the litter smell worse, and the cat constantly had that stinky dust on his head where he hit it to get in and out of the tray. It doesn't bother me at all, nor family who visits (including one who doesn't care for cats all that much.) I use Tidy Cat Instant Action, but Tidy Cat Small Spaces is good too. I find it kills odors even better than Dr Elseys and has almost no dust. Luvsomes litter is lightweight and effective on urine odors but not as much on poop smell, and ZERO dust.

I bought a cheap tub mat from Ikea to put in the bathroom, and combine that with old towels for next to the shower, and a Hartz litter collector mat for right outside the box. A nearly dust pan and brush to sweep litter crumbs daily. I shake the towel and mat into the toilet every day and flush any litter crumbs, and switch out the old towel on the floor as needed. I thought I'd be grossed out but it's actually been quite live able.

My only concern is you already state you are stressed over the rabbit litter. Are you sure a cat fits into your current lifestyle right now?

 

[samus]

The litter doesn't clog the toilet?

 

[donutte]

I've had a litter box in my bedroom that I keep very clean, scooping at least twice a day (sometimes more). So far, so good, in the smell department. The only time there was a smell was one morning when one of them had just gone and didn't bury it fast enough - and it reeked! But that's the only time.