Having a feline companion fills your home with joy, but no one enjoys having a stinky litter box room. Don’t worry, there are plenty of things you can do to cut down on litter box odor.
Evaluate your kitty’s health
First, take your cat to the vet to check for parasites or other health problems. Once your kitty is given a clean bill of health, ask about probiotics that can help cut down litter box odor.
Change your kitty’s food
Foods that are high in carbs and plant materials are not easily digested by cats themselves, which leaves the work to smelly bacteria. Feed a higher quality wet food to avoid this problem.
Change your kitty’s litter
You may be surprised how much more odor fighting ability you’d get for just a few more dollars. Arm and Hammer’s Clump n’ Seal, World’s Best, and Precious Cat #1 Long Haired Cat Litter are all excellent choices, made from clay, corn, and silica respectively.
Remember, it’s a good habit to periodically discard all of the litter in the cat box, wash it, and refill it with fresh litter. Depending the type, how often you should change the litter will vary.
Try odor absorbers
Zeoilite rocks and moso bamboo charcoal are both powerful, natural odor absorbers that do not use artificial fragrances or chemicals. Simply place them in the room with the stinky litter box, and then put them in the sun once a month to recharge their odor absorbing abilities.
Light a candle
You can buy special soy and soy blend candles that are made with enzymes that evaporate and help to break down foul smelling compounds in the air, but even unscented candles break down odors in the air by burning the oxygen to which bad odors are attached. As a bonus, beeswax candles emit negative ions, neutralizing the positive charge that keeps bad odors and allergens afloat.
Are you worried about your litter box becoming unweildly while you’re away? Book a Katie’s Kitty pet sitter for your trip, and you will return home to a happy cat and fresh litter box.
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Candace Elise Hoes is a pet sitter and blogger at Katie’s Kitty. She is a graduate of the MFA Writing Program at California College of the Arts.