Litterbox smell

[SingleWhiteFemale]

Unfortunately, my diabetic cat was diagnosed with chronic renal failure recently. We noticed this as there was more urine in the box (larger clumps) and sometimes his aim seriously lacked. He's continuing his insulin and is now recieving subQ fluids biweekly. Luckily, his prognosis is pretty good as he's extremely happy, friendly (which was no his demeanor a year ago before he was diagnosed diabetic), has a huge appitite and his numbers while bad were not extremely bad. The current guess is that he could have 2 happy, event-free years left.

There are 2 boxes in the finished basement's bathroom that are cleaned on a daily basis. However, I'm sitting in the family room at the top of the stairs (the litterbox bathroom is right off the bottom of the stairs), and I'm smelling the litterbox. I can sometimes sit down there and watch the bigscreen TV, but I'd rather not stay down there as the smell does get to one after a while.

Is there any airfreshener out there that will help to minimize the odor, maybe even absorb it (not just "cover it up" because that would be another strong scent on top of this one)? Or any tricks? I'm afraid that is I get a self-cleaning litterbox, that the motor will burn out (4 cats, 2 of which use those boxes regularly and one who splits his time at the upstairs box) quickly, and that they won't use a box with a rake that comes after them!

[greenbunny]

What type of litter are you using? It may be to time to try a new brand.

I like the Oust fan battery operated air fresheners. Glade makes fan fresheners that plug in, but I really feel like the Oust "absorbs" the odor more.

You can also add baking soda to the litter to absorb scent.

[MLA]

I swear by "SwheatScoop" litter. It's a clumping litter which is flushable and which definitely helps absorb odors. Also, there are these big air freshener things I've bought at Bed Bath and Beyond that seem to absorb odor. They're basically a plastic tub with a top that flips up. Inside is a sort of goo that smells like air freshener and which seems to absorb odors.

[KrissyCat7]

Could you try a covered litter box? Maybe it would help contain the odor?

[diam124]

Right now we use Tidy Cat Multiple Cat litter with our Littermaid and unless she just used the box, there is generally little to no odor. She likes to pee through the rake, so the rake doesn't get everything and there is still no odor. Before that we used Yesterday's News and it was fine in the winter but as soon as the room she was in started getting warm, the box would reek!

We also used to have a little Oust thing that you put on the wall and pressed on it to release a burst of Oust. When we moved DH took off a big chunk of drywall trying to take it off the wall, so keep that in mind if you decide to try it.

[EJH]

Don't have a cat but have a rabbit who is litter pan trained. We use Feline Pine for her and it's great great stuff. As long as you are changing it every day there's no smell.

[SingleWhiteFemale]

Could you try a covered litter box? Maybe it would help contain the odor?Unfortunately, we tried this when he was younger, the cats all refused to use the box. What a mess!What type of litter are you using? It may be to time to try a new brand.Usually Tidy Scoop clumping... they make a few kinds, all some sort of odor control formula, but we usually get the "long lasting" one. No one is better than the other, unfortunately. But we also have used Fresh Step, Arm&Hammer, and another (the name eludes me right now) clumping clay litter.

[greenbunny]

I really like Ever Clean litter. The only time there is odor is when our second cat defecates, because she doesn't bury it and it just sits there, so I have to attend to the box right away.

[Sue]

I second the baking soda. We have 3 cats and it's helped a lot.

[lawyerlee]

I like the Method Aroma Pill air freshners. We have the lavender + lemongrass scent, and it is really nice - it gives the room a nice smell, but isn't overly fake or anything.

Baking soda is a great suggestion, too. It helps so much with powerful odors.

I hope you're able to get some relief. It sounds like your kitty is doing well, despite his diagnosis, so it would be nice to find a solution to the odor issue! :)

[working_mom]

Plain old white vinegar :-)

[KaliLily]

I use deodorizing litter box wipes for a quick clean between litter/liner changes. They contain baking soda. For periodic "deep cleans" I use Simple Solution litter box cleaner & deodorizer spray. It uses natural enzymes to clean, sanitize & deodorize. If I remember correctly it has a nice green-apple scent.

You want to be careful in what you use to "mask" litter box odors near the boxes themselves. Cats have really sensitive noses and might shy away from their litter box if there is a strong "perfume" scent.

ETA: It might also just be time to replace the litter boxes.

[greenbunny]

You can also buy disposable litter boxes. I think they are made out of heavy recycled cardboard. Since you're dealing with a urinary illness, the odor might be too tough for conventional products and you might need to change the box (not the litter, but the entire box) more often.

[CindyLouWho]

Arm and Hammer litter box deodorizer works pretty well. I guess you could use just plain baking soda but this has a fresher smell, I think.

We have a diabetic too!

[jesvet]

Nature's Miracle makes a powder to add to the litter that works really well for us. Other than that, clean the box daily, and once a week empty out all the litter, and clean the box with dish soap.

I like Scoop Away, with the Nature's Miracle I found it was good at controlling odor.