TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Care & Grooming › My apartment stinks!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

My apartment stinks!

post #1 of 14
9/21/10 at 6:04am
Thread Starter 
UGH. I never had a problem with litter box stink before. I had one box for two cats, and used regular Tidy Cat non-clumping. I didn't even scoop it, just changed the entire thing once a week. I never smelled it until it was time to change it.

As soon as I got Romeo, the box STUNK. His main hobby appears to be pooping, and he doesn't bury it. It's awful. I switched to Arm & Hammer clumping (the new kind), then used chicken feed (which didn't control the odor well at all), and now I'm using Fresh Step. It's super dusty and two of them sneezed a bit at first, but it's been the best thus far. However, it can't help much if the cat won't bury his poop .

We have two boxes now and I scoop them daily (or as soon as I smell something awful), but I still feel like there's an odor that hangs around my apartment, and it drives me crazy. My husband says he can't smell anything, but his sense of smell isn't great. I'm cleaning constantly, opening the windows, and have about five of those glade plug-in things in various locations. I hate the thought of breathing in all those chemicals, though. My sense of smell is definitely keener than most, but I'm afraid that someone is going to come over on the spur of the moment, when I haven't cleaned like crazy, and my apartment will smell like cat . My apartment is about a 1,000 square feet, so it's not tiny, either.

How do you guys who have lots of cats do it? Do you just get used to it? Or is there some secret?
Reply
post #2 of 14
9/21/10 at 6:44am
What are you feeding him? Sometimes that will have a lot to do with how badly they stink. I have a cat that doesn't seem to know how to bury her poop in the litter box. Usually her sister will come along and do it for her but until then it reeks! I also picked up this device called "CatMouse Electronic Litter Box Odor Eliminator" at Petsmart, I don't know if they still have them but I found it did a surprisingly good job of getting rid of most of the smell when I lived in a small apartment.
Reply
post #3 of 14
9/21/10 at 7:28am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by kittiei View Post
What are you feeding him? Sometimes that will have a lot to do with how badly they stink. I have a cat that doesn't seem to know how to bury her poop in the litter box. Usually her sister will come along and do it for her but until then it reeks! I also picked up this device called "CatMouse Electronic Litter Box Odor Eliminator" at Petsmart, I don't know if they still have them but I found it did a surprisingly good job of getting rid of most of the smell when I lived in a small apartment.
I'm feeding him Taste of the Wild. You know, I do remember reading that the higher quality, grain free foods tend to make their poop stink more. I hadn't thought of that. I checked the prices of the non-grain-free Wellness and Blue Buffalo but they're more expensive than the TOTW. Maybe I'll try switching them to Nutro. It looks like it's slightly cheaper per ounce than I'm paying for the TOTW.
My kitten gets a can of Friskies every day, too, but I don't think that he's the problem stinker, lol.

I'll check out the electronic odor eliminator, too, thanks!
Reply
post #4 of 14
9/21/10 at 8:50am
Try switching out the friskies for a better canned food first. That may be his problem.

I'm surprised you can smell anything with all of the plug-ins going. Be careful over using products like this. Someday either you, your husband, or even one of your cats could turn up seriously sensitive to these. I would be concerned that the litter makes the cats sneeze.
Reply
post #5 of 14
9/21/10 at 5:36pm
My first thought was add 2 more litterboxes and scoop daily as you are doing. Then I thought about food. Also I would add baking soda to each box. Each time you clean the box daily use a spray to neutralize odor around that area.
Reply
post #6 of 14
9/21/10 at 6:17pm
Poop smell really shouldn't linger longer than a few minutes after you scoop the poop out.

Five plug ins air "fresheners"? I would not be able to breathe in your house! I think those plug ins are vile. Just thinking about them makes me irritable.

I have a sensory intolerance disorder and gag if I walk into a house with even one of those things going, and considering that a cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than the average human (though my sense of smell is not average) I don't think they are very nice for cats either.

Are the boxes near a window? Put a fan in the window, facing so it sucks air out, and run it any time you are scooping or adding litter. That will suck out any lingering odor.
Reply
post #7 of 14
9/21/10 at 7:59pm
How old is Romeo? It seems like all Tumbles used to do until the past week was eat, poop, play, sleep, poop, and play some more! And it was STINKY!! I think we've finally got things under control and now, at about 19 weeks, he's pooping only twice a day and it's not as stinky. We scoop at least twice a day, sometimes more if I'm home during the day.

I suggest you increase scooping as well as adding at least 2 more boxes.
Reply
post #8 of 14
9/21/10 at 8:09pm
I have had great success with the following setup, and some or all of it may work for you. The results are fantastic, as literally there is no longer any signature "cat smell" in my house.

I setup litter stations in two decent size closets. The doors are closed, with cat-doors installed at the base.

For litter, I am using a 50/50 % mix of World's Greatest and Multicat Swheat Scoop. The Sweat is more cost effective better at odor absorbing including absorbing the "dry cornflakes" smell of World's Greatest, and the World's Greatest has awesome performance with its finer texture combined into the more coarse grain Swheat scoop.

Both can be flushed down the toilet, so work great together. Mixing the two isn't exact and is very easy, as I use a few of the Omega Paw rolling litter boxes ($35) which I like for being enclosed as well since it ensures less probability of a "miss" or kicked out litter (although they still track plenty, so I keep a coarse giant welcome mat in the closet that catches it).

The other possibility would be to use an automatic litterbox. The only decent one I know of though is the Litter Robot LRII, and its around $500.... yeah, chaching!!!!!!
Reply
post #9 of 14
9/21/10 at 9:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Five plug ins air "fresheners"? I would not be able to breathe in your house! I think those plug ins are vile. Just thinking about them makes me irritable.

I have a sensory intolerance disorder and gag if I walk into a house with even one of those things going, and considering that a cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than the average human (though my sense of smell is not average) I don't think they are very nice for cats either.
No kidding. I'd go into one of my coughing fits. The vet clinic I use has two plug ins in the waiting room and one in each exam room to try to counteract the cow smell that slips in the back (I'd prefer to smell cow! ).
I come home reeking of the stuff and usually have to change my cloths, if I've been there too long I have to shower to get it out of my hair. The last couple of times I've been there for over a couple hours I had to go outside because it was setting off a coughing attack. DH hates going to the clinic because he always has an asthma attack.

I think I might know what the OP is smelling. I have a very sensitive nose and a very good olfactory memory. I can usually recall smells very very well (to the point of being able to copy recipes later by recalling what I smelled). The downside of this is I can smell something bad and still think I'm smelling it later if I think about it.
Recently it was an acorn squash that was starting to go bad on my counter. I sorted it out of the pile of squash, tossed it out, scrubbed the counter and washed every squash, yet I swore I could still smell it several hours later if I thought about it. The smell was gone, it was just me obsessing over having something stinky in the house.
Reply
post #10 of 14
9/21/10 at 10:09pm
Since it sounds as though Romeo is a new addition to your home, I do have a couple of questions for you. I see many people have already given you sage advice, but it may be something more "obvious," so to speak.

1. How old is Romeo?
Some kittens are stinky. Like Stephanie said, many of them eat, drink, poop, sleep, and play. And, that lends itself to causing litter boxes to smell more quickly than when used by adult cats or older kittens.

2. Has Romeo been neutered?
I know it's widely known that intact male cats' urine smells more than that of females or neutered males, but their BM's can also have a stronger odor.

3. Has Romeo been to the vet? Has he had a fecal exam?
Some parasites can make for very stinky kitties. Just off the top of my head, coccidia and giardia can cause diarrhea and a very strong odor. I know other parasites can do the same. And, typically, coccidia and giardia is more difficult to find in a single fecal float or smear. If you have a concern, the vet is the first place to go.

4. What does Romeo's stool look like?
Is it firm, moist, wet, or liquid? This should be lumped into the above question, but I just want to point out that stool consistency can be a good indicator of what's going on in a kitty's GI tract.

5. How long has Romeo been on his current diet?
If he's changed food recently, it could be due to that. Also, it could be that, even if he has been on a particular food for a while, he has developed an intolerance to it. Many allergies and food intolerances can come about rather quickly. Also, it is possible that the food is too rich for him. But, again, this should all be discussed with your vet.

6. Are you sure it's Romeo that is causing the problem?
Despite his not covering his poop, it may be that there is another cause for the increase in smell. If you have other cats, it could be that something has changed for them and, if so, all of the above could still apply -- just open the questions up the whole group as opposed to just Romeo.

As far as what you're doing to help cover up the scent (ie. the plug-ins), I would change directions. The plug-ins only mask the odor, they do not fix or change it. Also, in that number, they can hardly be healthy for the cats (or the humans) in the home. Try scooping as much as possible and also do frequent complete litter changes. I'd also recommend scrubbing the boxes and letting them sit a while before putting them back in use. Baking soda is a good odor reducer and there are many quality litters on the market that aren't overly dusty or scented so that the cats do not develop respiratory issues. But, most of all, this is something that should be discussed with your veterinarian. The suggestions offered so far in this thread are excellent, but will never replace the advice from your vet. Even if this has always been the norm for Romeo, it is not necessarily normal. A vet visit could make all the difference.

Good luck to you, Romeo, and the other kitties and humans in the home. Please keep us updated with how everything turns out. I hope you can find a reasonable solution that is mutually beneficial for all involved.
Reply
post #11 of 14
9/22/10 at 10:41am
Thread Starter 
Wow, thanks to everyone for the replies! I'll answer them individually:

Quote:
Originally Posted by cococat View Post
My first thought was add 2 more litterboxes and scoop daily as you are doing. Then I thought about food. Also I would add baking soda to each box. Each time you clean the box daily use a spray to neutralize odor around that area.
I do add the Arm & Hammer litter box deodorizer occasionally. I feel bad about using it too often because that litter is really perfumy and dusty and I worry about them breathing it in. Maybe I will switch over to plain baking soda.

Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Five plug ins air "fresheners"? I would not be able to breathe in your house! I think those plug ins are vile. Just thinking about them makes me irritable.

I have a sensory intolerance disorder and gag if I walk into a house with even one of those things going, and considering that a cat's sense of smell is 14 times stronger than the average human (though my sense of smell is not average) I don't think they are very nice for cats either.

Are the boxes near a window? Put a fan in the window, facing so it sucks air out, and run it any time you are scooping or adding litter. That will suck out any lingering odor.
No, they're not, there isn't really room for them near a window, unfortunately.

It sounds like a lot of plug-ins, but I think that the scent I use isn't very strong (it's Glade...the apple cinnamon ones). If I use vanilla, even one plug-in is too strong for me, but I can barely even smell these. My mom's coming over tomorrow, I'll ask her opinion about the smell.

I have sensory issues myself, but mine center around clothing and itchiness. When my husband wears a wool sweater, I have trouble paying attention to things because I keep having sympathy itchiness .

Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Try switching out the friskies for a better canned food first. That may be his problem.

I would be concerned that the litter makes the cats sneeze.
Romeo doesn't eat the canned food (he's really picky). I was concerned about respiratory issues with the clumping litter, too, because my old cat couldn't handle it. But after a few initial sneezes, they seem to be fine now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by stephanietx View Post
How old is Romeo? It seems like all Tumbles used to do until the past week was eat, poop, play, sleep, poop, and play some more! And it was STINKY!! I think we've finally got things under control and now, at about 19 weeks, he's pooping only twice a day and it's not as stinky. We scoop at least twice a day, sometimes more if I'm home during the day.

I suggest you increase scooping as well as adding at least 2 more boxes.
Romeo is 5 or 6, and he barely moves . I thought about adding another box, but I don't really have a place to put it. I might try to squeeze one in somewhere else if I can't get the smell under control, though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
For litter, I am using a 50/50 % mix of World's Greatest and Multicat Swheat Scoop. The Sweat is more cost effective better at odor absorbing including absorbing the "dry cornflakes" smell of World's Greatest, and the World's Greatest has awesome performance with its finer texture combined into the more coarse grain Swheat scoop.

Both can be flushed down the toilet, so work great together. Mixing the two isn't exact and is very easy, as I use a few of the Omega Paw rolling litter boxes ($35) which I like for being enclosed as well since it ensures less probability of a "miss" or kicked out litter (although they still track plenty, so I keep a coarse giant welcome mat in the closet that catches it).

The other possibility would be to use an automatic litterbox. The only decent one I know of though is the Litter Robot LRII, and its around $500.... yeah, chaching!!!!!!
I tried using chicken feed as litter, which I read is basically the same as the World's Best Cat Litter, and it didn't work that well for us. The WBCL and Swheat scoop are so expensive, too.

Whoa, $500! I've seen some that are around $100. I wonder if they make any that are covered, because two of mine love to go into the box and dig around like fools, scattering the litter all over the place .


Quote:
Originally Posted by Alison Joy View Post
Since it sounds as though Romeo is a new addition to your home, I do have a couple of questions for you. I see many people have already given you sage advice, but it may be something more "obvious," so to speak.

1. How old is Romeo?
Some kittens are stinky. Like Stephanie said, many of them eat, drink, poop, sleep, and play. And, that lends itself to causing litter boxes to smell more quickly than when used by adult cats or older kittens.
He's 5 or 6. We also have a kitten, but I do think Ro is the problem, because it started as soon as he came (about a month before we took the kitten in).

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alison Joy View Post
2. Has Romeo been neutered?
I know it's widely known that intact male cats' urine smells more than that of females or neutered males, but their BM's can also have a stronger odor.
Yep, he's fixed.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alison Joy View Post
3. Has Romeo been to the vet? Has he had a fecal exam?
Some parasites can make for very stinky kitties. Just off the top of my head, coccidia and giardia can cause diarrhea and a very strong odor. I know other parasites can do the same. And, typically, coccidia and giardia is more difficult to find in a single fecal float or smear. If you have a concern, the vet is the first place to go.
He has been to the vet, but didn't have a fecal done. He definitely doesn't have diarrhea, though, so I don't think that's the problem.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alison Joy View Post
4. What does Romeo's stool look like?
Is it firm, moist, wet, or liquid? This should be lumped into the above question, but I just want to point out that stool consistency can be a good indicator of what's going on in a kitty's GI tract.
It's firm, very normal looking poop. It's definitely larger in size than my other cats, but he weighs several more pounds than any other cat I've had, so it might just be normal for him.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alison Joy View Post
5. How long has Romeo been on his current diet?
If he's changed food recently, it could be due to that. Also, it could be that, even if he has been on a particular food for a while, he has developed an intolerance to it. Many allergies and food intolerances can come about rather quickly. Also, it is possible that the food is too rich for him. But, again, this should all be discussed with your vet.
He's been on the Taste of the Wild dry food for about two months now. I'm thinking about changing them over to Nutro anyway, so maybe that will help if he's not tolerating something in his food.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Alison Joy View Post
6. Are you sure it's Romeo that is causing the problem?
Despite his not covering his poop, it may be that there is another cause for the increase in smell. If you have other cats, it could be that something has changed for them and, if so, all of the above could still apply -- just open the questions up the whole group as opposed to just Romeo.
That's a good point. My cat Scarlett was on the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic food, and Oscar ate that as well. As soon as she died, I switched him over to TOTW, and got Romeo a few weeks after. Maybe that food is causing both of them to leave stinkier deposits.


Thank you to everyone again for the suggestions! I think my first step will be switching them to the Nutro to see if that makes a difference, and then go from there. I would prefer to use a litter that isn't clumping (or at least is a more 'natural' clumping option), so I hope that I can switch soon. And maybe I'll try to break my addiction to the plug ins . I do have incense and have thought about making stove potpourri, both of which are more natural options.
Reply
post #12 of 14
9/22/10 at 12:26pm
We live in an RV with 8 cats. We have room for three litter boxes. I have allergies and asthma, and I cannot deal with dusty scented litter.

This is how we manage it.

1) Scoop at least once a day! (We scoop a minimum of two, but you only have three cats)
2) We use unscented litter and have no smell. Chumley eats the same food all the other kitties do, but his poop is smelly. Thankfully he buries it, and because I scoop twice a day, the smell lingers for a few minutes at most (though I often just scoop it out as soon as he's done LOL). The way we control the smell is with a product called Nok Out (http://www.nokout.com). We use it for all kinds of cleaning, but every time I scoop, I spritz a light coat over the top of the litter, then "respread" it around a little bit. It does NOT clump, and helps absorb any smells collecting in the litter. Keeps everything really fresh!

I'm really not sure that just changing the litter in its entirety weekly is enough. I think scooping inbetween will do the trick, really!
Reply
post #13 of 14
9/22/10 at 12:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post
We use it for all kinds of cleaning, but every time I scoop, I spritz a light coat over the top of the litter, then "respread" it around a little bit. It does NOT clump, and helps absorb any smells collecting in the litter.
I hadn't thought of a light spray of nokout (or another cleaner) on the litter like that. I'll have to try this.

Another thing, and people constantly do this, is do not stash the litter boxes in a closet. Wood and drywall can absorb smells in a small area. Wood is particularly bad about doing so - if you've ever walked into a home that used to have smokers in it, but hasn't for several years, you can still smell it in the wood. (on a related note: would nokout possibly take out old lady perfume/musty smell from cabinets where baking soda has failed?)
Reply
post #14 of 14
9/22/10 at 12:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
^I hadn't thought of a light spray of nokout (or another cleaner) on the litter like that. I'll have to try this.
It works GREAT. I think any enzyme cleaner would do the same thing - we just happen to use Nok Out for just about everything LOL.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Care & Grooming
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Care & Grooming › My apartment stinks!