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I have one cat, almost 3 1/2 years old and very sweet. I scoop the litter box out twice a day (once in morning and once at night) and I change the litter completely, weekly, and wash the litter box in the bath tub with hot, soapy water.
I use Arm & Hammer Unscented Litter, which has worked great for me. (I hate scented ones because I think they smell too perfumey and are too strong. I really like the A&H, even though its ridiculously expensive (in my opinion). (It's just ground up clay!)
I live in a studio apartment, so my space is small. Even with all the scooping and cleaning I do, it's still not as fresh as I'd like it to be. I've tried sprinkling baking powder on the bottom of the box before I pour the litter and I've tried mixing it in with the litter.
I've tried using a hooded litter box with the filter on the top but my cat is rather large and rejected it. He didn't like going through the small door (and it was a large litter box. He's not fat, he's just big!
The litter box I use now is deep, but I still get litter thrown all over the place as he hops out of it. I wish there was a way to control this, too!
I've noticed that based on what my cat eats (table scraps, certain brands of food & especially moist foods & treats) he stinks up a room quicker and longer with certain foods.
There are 3 brands of catfood that keep his stink calm. And the odor of his dumps don't linger as long.
Just a suggestion. Good luck!
They sell sticky mats to put in front of the box to help catch the fly aways. We've put our box in a very small closet and leave the door cracked. We also installed one of those automated scented sprayers inside the closet. This has seemed to help tons too. The only time I smell the box is when the spray unit ran out. I'm very smell sensative so I'm highly aware too.
You could try mixing in some of those blue and white litter pearls. I tried using 100% litter pearls for a while, and I was really happy with the lack of smell because they completely absorb the urine. Unfortunately, eventually the kitties let me know that they were NOT happy and started going outside the box.
I went back to Fresh Step then. I don't like scented litter much either, but with once a day scooping, once a week washing, and a bigger place to live than your studio, I don't notice any litterbox odor. (And I too, have a very good sense of smell. It's a curse!)
The litter that finally killed the scent of my big old male was the litter with the carbon in it Fresh Step Scoop with carbon. He would stink up my whole house and like any male on earth didn't cover anything up, the female always did that for him. Go figure
The litter-catching mats never seem to wrok for me for some reason. I'm considering finding something to use instead of an actual litter box. Who says you can't just use a regular plastic container so you have a larger bottom? Litter boxes today have such small bases to them.
I like the idea of putting an automatic scent sprayer in the cat area, but, from my understanding, those chemical sprays and scented candles are not good for cats at all. Anyone else heard this?
EDITED TO ADD: Does anyone else use something else for a litter box, instead of an actual, store bought litter box?
The litter-catching mats never seem to wrok for me for some reason. I'm considering finding something to use instead of an actual litter box. Who says you can't just use a regular plastic container so you have a larger bottom? Litter boxes today have such small bases to them.
I like the idea of putting an automatic scent sprayer in the cat area, but, from my understanding, those chemical sprays and scented candles are not good for cats at all. Anyone else heard this?
EDITED TO ADD: Does anyone else use something else for a litter box, instead of an actual, store bought litter box?
I use these sterlite plastic storage bins you can get in walmart for a few bucks...I think the company is STERLITE. They are about as deep as a normal litter box..maybe a bit deeper...but they are much longer and a bit wider. It does help a bit with litter tracking but it will still find its way out of the box. I prefer these boxes as they are much bigger andthe cats have more room---even thouigh they still go right in the corners and occasionally miss the box a bit. Check these out. I do not even buy a regular litter box unless I have to isolate a cat for some reason and need a smaller box.
Does anyone else use something else for a litter box, instead of an actual, store bought litter box?
I use big black cement mixing tubs from Lowe's.
They cost about four or five bucks each and are big enough where the cats never miss and poop over the edge.
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