The worst litter box odors don't come from your cat's urine or feces on their own. They come from decomposition. As the chemicals in your cat's litter box begin to degrade, they turn into the perfect homes for odor-causing bacteria. Additionally, cat urine decomposes into compounds that contain ammonia, which makes your kitty's box even more pungent.
There are a few ways to manage this problem and make sure both you and your pets live in a stink-free environment.
1. Keep The Area Ventilated
Many cat owners hide their litter boxes in closets and under shelves, and many cats prefer having a sheltered space to relieve themselves in. This can often backfire, though: if a litter box has low airflow, the scents can accumulate quickly and even become overwhelming.
The best way to fix this is to make sure your litter box has some breathing room. Some tips to make this easier:
- If you have a covered litter box, make sure there's adequate air flow around the area.
- Turn on a fan or open a window when you can.
- Leave some room around the litter box. If it's in a small space like a closet, make sure the door is open enough to let the air around it move around.
2. Keep The Litter Box Clean
By far the best way to keep your cat litter from developing strong odors is to make sure it's clean. This doesn't mean you should follow your cats around with a scoop and a trash bag whenever they use the litter box, but there are some other points to consider.
- Scoop your cat's litter box out every day, preferably into a covered trash can.
- At least once a week, dump out the litter and replace it with new. Old litter is less absorbent and worse at preventing odors.
- Plastic litter boxes can accumulate scents on their surfaces. Consider wiping yours down with diluted bleach.
3. Break Down Odors With VentiFresh Cat Litter Odor Eliminator
Perfumes and other cat litter additives mask odors, but don't address their root cause. Since 2016, VentiFresh has been making odor eliminators that actually kill the bacteria that make the strongest scents.
Our cat litter deodorizers use UVA and UVC generators to kill bacteria in the air, and NASA-inspired technology to decompose the volatile organic compounds that make up the rest of the odors in your cat litter.
Shop for a VentiFresh air deodorizer so you (and your cat) can smell the difference for yourselves.