How to Get Rid of Bad Smells in a Cat Box

Cat waste odors often hit you in the face as soon as you open your front door. What goes in your cat must come out, but you can stop your litter box from overpowering your home. Control pet odors by maintaining your litter box, choosing the correct place to keep the pan in your home and keeping your cats on a healthy diet. Invest in additional ventilation and air fresheners to cut any leftover smells.

Things You'll Need

  • Litter
  • Cat food
  • Air fresheners
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Keep the litter box somewhere that is well-ventilated. You may want to put a fan or window unit in the room to keep the air flow fresh. Putting the litter pan in a garage, patio or other room that is not connected to the main part of the house will help prevent litter box odors from permeating throughout your home.

    • 2

      Try different brands of litter. You can find scented or odor-control litter in most grocery store pet aisles. Buy dust-free litter to prevent the chalky smell that fills the air after cats cover their waste. Buying a quality cat litter in 2010 often costs as much as $8 to $10 but may be worth the investment if you want to mask cat odors.

    • 3

      Maintain your cat's litter box. You must scoop at least once per day to keep the smell of cat waste from taking over your house. If you have more than two cats, you will need to scoop twice per day. Make sure you remove all of the cat waste when you scoop. If you use a generous amount of litter, you may have to dig through multiple layers to get all the waste out. Take the bag or container outside immediately. Leaving the waste bag in an indoor trash can may cause continued unpleasant odors.

    • 4

      Feed your cat healthy food. Your cat's feces may smell especially bad if you do not keep it on a balanced diet. Giving your cat food intended for human consumption, especially unhealthy treats such as fast food, may cause diarrhea or excessive bowel movements. Eating both canned wet food and dry food will help keep your cat's colon healthy. Although many pet owners frequently give their cats milk, too much milk, especially in kittens, can cause irregular bowel movements.

    • 5

      Use air fresheners. While aerosol can fresheners cut the litter box smell, you may want to use a stronger alternative, such as a plug-in. Plug-ins continuously release air freshening chemicals so that the cat odor smell has not already become overpowering by the time you use an air freshener. Burning scented candles also helps to keep the air around the litter box smelling fresh.