Litter Box Odor

Any tips for limiting and controlling litter box odor? Post your ideas.

Answers:

Pet Doors

Install a pet door going out to your garage and put your litter box out there. Gets the smell out of your house. (02/23/2005)

By Tara

Litter Box Odor

I use the scoopable litter. Scoop the litter box daily. Use a deodorizer like Tidy Cat, or Arm and Hammer for litter boxes, or plain baking soda once a week to freshen up the box. Be sure to add fresh litter when the litter level gets low from scooping. I also burn candles to freshen up the litter box area. (02/23/2005)

Litter Box Odor

We bought the automatic litter boxes. They aren't cheap. But they are frugal in the end.

Our litter lasts longer and so do our backs! Very easy to clean. Plus we line the canister with a bag to catch the waste so that we can keep reusing the same canister. And at $15 for 12 of them and having to change them about once a week, that adds up quick! But with lining them, we have been using the same canister for about 4 months now. A big difference!

We have 4 cats and 2 of the large-sized boxes and no problems.

Heather (02/24/2005)

By Heather

Litter Box Odor

Charcoal is your answer. Put regular barbecue charcoal (not with fluid on it) in the cat box, and you'll flip. This works for anywhere they decide they feel like going, like carpets, couches, etc. and don't worry about the black, it cleans up with soap and water. I change the charcoal about once a week but it will last longer than that. (02/28/2005)

By Sherry

Litter Box Odor

I have discovered ZeroOdor. It works, period. (08/13/2005)

By Carrie

CAT BOX Odor is AMMONIA

Being a Biochemist, I have often wondered WHY in the world one is told to use Bicarbonate of Soda (Arm & Hammer Soda) in the cat litter.

I have used it myself and my cat litter box reeks of Ammonia. Chemically speaking, Bicarbonate would KEEP the Ammonia as a gas ( :NH3 ) due to Acid/Base reaction. Ammonia is a BASE!

It would make more sense to use Citric Acid Crystals which one can buy in all grocery stores (used for canning and for keeping Fruit & Vegetables from turning brown).

Citric Acid (being a non-harmful, biodegradable solid acid) should protonate the Ammonia, forming Ammonium ION (Ammonium Citrate) which cannot be volatile ( NH4+ ). Thus the Ammonia should be trapped.

Most "goodies" in cat urine, etc. would be basic in nature and Citric Acid should neutralize them making them Ionic in nature and thus not volatile.

I am going to try this since I nearly upchuck every time I have to change the litter box.

By the way, I use "Yesterday's News" cat litter. It is made from recycled newspaper and seems to absorb nicely. (12/26/2007)

By DoctorBill