How to Get Rid of Cat Poop Smell and Mess At Home or In the Cat Litter Box?

Have you ever been irritated by the bad odor from the cat’s litter? I guess you now understand why everything has its downside, but you should never give up on your feline, a best friend, and a family member in your home when it comes to your cat.

If you are not ready to be lonely, do not banish her from your home because the odor sometimes could be triggered by many factors that were unknown to you. Hence, this article aims to highlight in detail the factors that may make your litter box have the odor and how to get rid of ithe cat poop smell and mess.

how to clean mess and odor

What Cat Mess You Will Encounter?

Feline is good to have a pet lover, however, they will tend to have few accidents or messes which you are supposed to be ready and willing to clean up. You need to ensure your cat’s environment is tidy for them to be comfy.

– Urine sprays and stains;

effective ways to reduce cat smell

Sometimes a cat fails to aim right on its litter box. It could be having some problems like bladder infections making it to mess on the floor or your carpet. Failure to clean up will make the waste to stink.

To avoid your cat marking that area and messing again Using a paper towel blot up the urine.

Avoid the use of ammonia-based products for cleaning they smell more of cats pee. You can use a dish detergent and water and soak the messed area for about 1 to 2 hours. Then rinse well with a wet sponge. You need to spray the same area the following day with an elite-odor feline or any other enzymatic cleaner.

Don’t let your cat into the area until it dries.

 

– Foul poop smell;

Although cat’s feces are smellier cleaning them off is easier.

Always wear gloves while cleaning this mess to avoid parasite contaminations.

Using a paper towel collect the poop.

Use clean water to rinse the area and let it dry.

Then use enzymatic and odor remover to ensure the area is left fresh.

 

– Vomit;

Cats, like any other human beings, do vomit and they do it at any place. In such a situation, you are supposed to get rid of the mess before smelling and forming stains. You need to do the following depending on the kind of vomits;

i) For a solid vomit; use a paper towel and collect it up. Then use a deodorizer safer for your pet to scrub the area thoroughly.
ii) For loose vomit; you use a plastic spoon to pile it than with a paper towel soap up that area properly. Ensure there are no stains left behind.

 

– Fur.

no matter the size of your cat’s hair cat’s shed off happens in the spring.

In that case, ensure you remove all loose fur secretly by brushing your cat. Long-haired cats need more of this than short-haired cats.

Consider vacuuming all possible areas of hairballs fly like coaches, upholstery, carpets, and more.

While getting rid of cat’s hair off your furniture and any other surfaces you can use masking tape.

 

Among these, the foul litter smell can be disturbing for cats who need to poop several times a day, and if you do not clean it in time, then your whole house will be filled with the smell all around.

So, why is cat litter so smelly and how to get rid of it effectively? Go on reading and you will find the answer.

 

What Makes Cat’s Litters so Smelly?

Smelly cat litter is horrible and the environment becomes uncomfortable. Despite cats hating water and failure to take baths, they are always clean. Therefore, stinking cat’s litter could be due to different reasons ranging from;

Diet sensitivity; certain diets can cause your cat’s litter digestive issues.
Anal glands infections; a cat with an infected gland duct releases a discharge with a foul smell.
Bacteria; when your cat eats bacterial infected food tends to have inflammation, diarrhea, or stinking feces.
Parasites
Hormonal changes
Digestive disorders

 

Apart From That, Cat Litter Box Will Be the Primary Reason Why the Litter Smell So Bad

 1. Why My Litter Box Smell So Bad? 

As for your smelly litter box, here are several reasons.

#1. Plastic container

The plastic litter box might be holding/retains the odor for too long, or you may have used it for more than a year. If you are using a plastic litter box, you should replace it after every year because they are prone to holding the cat’s waste odor for a long time.

#2. Lack of water

If you do not give your cat plenty of water, its urine will strongly concentrate, thereby releasing a strong, pungent smell that may make the litter box smells bad. So it would be best if you encouraged her to drink plenty of water, for this can go a long way in diluting the urine.

#3. Wrong types of litter

The type of litter also determines the strength of the odor from the litter box. Some litter boxes may have a poor property on urine absorption, making the litter box wet at the bottom, thereby producing the cat’s waste’s pungent smell. The solution to this is to use the best quality litter.

#4. The cat fails to cover poop

The litter box may be smelly if the cat does not cover her poop after attending the business. Covering the poop reduces bacterial growth, which is responsible for causing the odor.

 

 2. Choosing a Suitable Type of Litter Box to Solve the Problem 

The type of a litter box also plays a big role in controlling the odor and probability of the cat to use it through the following ways;

Did you know you should not use plastic litter box over a year?

True, this is because they are highly susceptible to holding the bad odor for too long, thereby discouraging the cat from using it. The stainless steel or ceramic litter box is a wise choice, for they are easy to clean after use.

If you do not like cleaning the litter box every day, or have no time doing that, then you may consider the electric or self-cleaning litter box with the odor control mechanism, they automatically eliminate bad odor and thus provides a conducive environment for the cat to use compared to those requiring frequent scooping, which sometimes might be forgotten for a long time without cleaning, discourages the cat from using it.

However, the downside of using the self-cleaning litter box is that it is far less convenient or pleasant when your cat is startled by the automatic litter box and becomes too scared to use it. Besides, it requires special litters and does not allow you to spot any changes in your cat’s poop and pees that could indicate a developing health concern.

 

 3. Keeping Your Litter Box Clean Will Effectively Reduce Foul Smell 

Want to know why? Here are reasons you must know!

  • It prevents the cat from looking for an alternate location to do their business.
  • Keeping the box clean provides your cat with a reliable, clean place to use, thereby preventing house soiling problems and defecation problems in cats.
  • A clean litter box helps keep the cat from refraining from urination, thus reducing your cat’s risks of developing urinary tract infections.
  • Cleaning the litter box prevents/ removes the bad odors in your house, leaving it smelling fresh and welcoming.
  • Cleaning the litter box also reduces the risks of contracting some diseases like toxoplasmosis from the cat, especially in pregnant women.

 

 4. Using Odor Control Litter Box to Free Your Hands From Cleaning 

Odor control litter box works efficiently, and there are many types of odor control litter box featured with a different mechanical system to control the odor. These include;

• Some use all in one system that divides urine from solid using an advanced non-clumping pellet system and a disposable pad that allows the liquid to pass through to the absorbent pad below. Thus, locking in moisture and fighting odor while solid stays in the grated tray for easy scooping and odor control.

• Others feature a self-cleaning mechanism system that automatically cleans itself after some minutes when it senses that the cat has left the litter box. Such litter box uses a unique crystal litter that absorbs the urine and dehydrates the solid waste, thereby controlling the odor. Its trays are disposable and leakproof, adding the advantage of controlling the odor.

• Others are advanced like CatGenie litter box uses washable granules litter. The litter box flushes itself after liquefying solid waste and uses hot air to dry each cycle’s granules thoroughly, thereby controlling the bad odor.

 

 5. Changing All the Litter Out Frequently 

You should at least change out all your kitty litter once or twice a week. However, it depends on your circumstances and the number of cats using the litter box.

Thus, a multiple cat litter box changing twice a week will be healthier, but if you are using clumping litter, you will need to change after every 2-3 weeks because you will be scooping the waste daily.

For a reminder, whenever you are changing the kitty litter, always wash and scrub the litter box using a mild dish detergent to clean it.

But you should avoid using products with citrus oil or ammonium because they are toxic to cats, thereby cutting them off from using the litter box.

 

 6. Don’t Forget to Keep the Litter Box in a Well-ventilated Area 

Sometimes the foul odor in your house might be caused by hiding the cat’s litter box in an area where there is no supply of enough air, thereby leaving the house smelling bad.

Therefore, you should not make the mistake of hiding it, instead keep the litter box near a well-ventilated area to help get rid of the foul odor because of enough air supply.

 

8 Other Ways to Effectively Get Rid of Cat’s Poop Smell!

Cats are always cute and adorable however when they accidentally mess and you fail to note immediately you may regret having any. To avoid this, ensure you do the following to reduce your cat’s litter box messes;

5 ways to reduce foul odor

#1. Daily scoop

Always check your cat’s litter box and remove any stinking stuff.

You can clean up your litter box once or twice a day depending on the kind of litter using.

In case you or your cat got breathing issues like asthma it’s necessary to consider using clumping litters. This kind of litter is more effective and easier to do cleaning and it also contains low dust litter.

 

#2. Baking soda

In case of strong odors make sure you sprinkle some baking soda at your litter box bottom. This will assist in absorbing foul smells. Baking soda is recommendable because it contains non-irritating smells to your cat.

 

#3. Enzyme Cleaner

Cat litter boxes do develop a pungent odor, and when it comes to this situation, you will need to scrub down the whole container to get rid of this smell. To clean it, place it in the wash, wipe it down with an enzyme cleaner and warm water to get rid of the odor, and air dry it.

 

#4. Use a homemade cleaning spray

Homemade cleaning spray is also effective in removing the foul urine odor on surfaces. Cats’ urine is strongly concentrated, and the more it dries, the odor also gets concentrated.

To make a homemade cleaning spray, add ½ cup of white vinegar, one tablespoon of detergent, and 2 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol, then mix well and funnel into a spray bottle.

Before spraying, remove all the stain on the surface, spray with warm water, and blot with a dry paper towel. Then saturate the stain with cleaner and sprinkle with baking powder and vacuum the surface when it is dry.

 

#5. Mix baking powder in your cat’s litter

Baking powder effectively absorbs ammonia gas. Since cat’s waste is much concentrated with ammonium, it would help if you try to mix the cat’s litter with baking powder to absorb the ammonium, thereby containing the cat’s foul odor litter box from spreading. Baking powder in this situation acts as a deodorizer.

 

#6. Choose your furniture wisely

Did you know that the material used for making furniture also plays an important role when it comes to cat’s odor? This might sound weird, but it is the truth this is because leather and metal are pet friendly and easy to clean compared to fabric furniture, which strongly absorbs the odor.

 

#7. Use kitty wipes

Did you know that old cats do behave like humans? Often, the elderly cat becomes a little lacking in grooming skills; thereby, her body releases an odor that you might not withstand.

Therefore, it may help if you assist with grooming by using kitty wipes, which will help keep your cat clean and smelling good.

 

#8. Use a Skouts Honor

Most of the air fresheners mask the foul odor with perfumed scents that fade faster; then, the offending odor remains still concentrated in the room. You will be relieved if you purchase Skouts Honor, which is formulated to eliminate urine odor from the cat for prolonged hours. Just spray the air to destroy unwanted odor.

 

Conclusion

As mentioned several times in this article, cats behave like a human when it comes to hygiene standards. Therefore, you should take a keen interest in her since anything petty can trigger her off from using the litter box, thereby leaving a lot of mess in your home, which is also not good. Besides, you should also check her waste to determine if she may need Vet attention; she might be suffering from kidney or digestive tract complications that may result in a smelly odor.