While it's nice that cats are able to naturally relieve themselves in their neat, tidy box, it sure can smell up the house. No matter what corner of the house where you hide the litter box, chances are the smell will drift into your main living area and create a rather unpleasant and embarrassing situation. Since you don't want to be known as "the cat person" and don't want to get used to the pungent odor, it's imperative that you limit the smell off the box.
Instructions
Use a good clumping, odor-eliminating litter. Many litters use baking soda or other agents to help mitigate the issue of cat odors. Clumping action makes it much easier to clean up all the urine so that there isn't any left behind to cause lingering smells.
Sprinkle a little baking soda in the litter after cleaning. If you don't use odor-eliminating litter, you could essentially make it yourself by adding some baking soda regularly.
Clean up the litter box every time that you see there's urine or feces in it. Cleaning should be done at least once per day and more often if you're experiencing a smelly box. Every time you see a little present, scoop it into a bag and take it out to the trash. Avoid keeping it in a trash can in the home because it will eventually smell up the trash can and seep into the home. While nobody likes to clean up the litter box, this is really the best way to eliminate smells. The longer the box sits dirty, the more of a problem you have. Throwing litter over that little urine spot may save a couple of minutes, but it will hurt your nose in the long run.
Change the litter often. While cleaning the litter box up regularly will help to eliminate average odor problems, eventually you'll want to clean the litter box more thoroughly. Do this on a regular basis such as once per week or every 2 weeks to keep the litter box at its freshest.
Clean the box. If there's any excess litter or cat excrement on the litter box when you're changing litter, be sure to wipe it down with a wet paper towel or household cleaner.
Keep the litter box in a well-ventilated room. The smaller the room, the more quickly the litter box will stink it up. The garage works well for cats that have access to it. Otherwise, use a low-use room that is out of the way, has windows and can be closed off to prevent smells from wandering around the home.
Place an air freshener inside the room where the litter box is located. While you can try and try to eliminate all the odors, there's a good chance that the litter box will still smell after a recent drop-off by your kitty. An air freshener can help to mask those odors that you simply can't get to fast enough.