Reducing Cat/Litter Smell For Chemo Patient

pippen

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I have a large neutered male cat who has good litter box habits in the winter months, and goes outdoors during warmer weather.  I've known we've had a cat odor in the laundry room where his box is, but didn't realize how bad it was until a monthlong hospital stay with a child who is undergoing cancer treatment. The hospital rooms have some serious HEPA ventilation systems, and odors disappear quickly, so coming home the cat odor really is pronounced.

I've been using Arm & Hammer Dual Duty and had thought it was okay, but not super great. I just tried the new Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal with the 7 day odor-free guarantee and I'm taking the other box back because the smell is much worse.

My cat eats Evo dry and canned turkey and chicken. He has (controlled) asthma and I have allergies so I'd prefer to not deal with scented litters, but could do so if needed. The laundry room is adjacent to my child's room and he comes home very sensitive to odors.

I really don't have time or money to trial a lot of litters, so would appreciate a few ideas to try first.
 

random gemini

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Swheat scoop unscented. It's dusty, but only when you're scooping it, there is almost no odor from this litter when used as directed on the bag. 
 

di and bob

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I started using Tidy Cats clumping formula and noticed a big improvement in the odor issue. Make sure you scoop often or it does tend to smell worse, no matter what you use. Good luck!
 

random gemini

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I used Tidy Cat years ago and had no luck with it, but our previous cat was declawed (before we knew better) so I couldn't use a clumping litter with him. I used the regular old, non-clumping clay stuff. 

Is it that the clumping litters are more effective at removing odor? I'm loving the stuff I'm using now compared to what we had before. This stuff is awesome! 
 

silverpersian

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I use Dr. Elsey's and have zero odor if I clean the box twice a day. I don't find it dusty. It is unscented. It clumps really well, so virtually nothing with odor remains in the box. I spot-clean with Lysol any parts of the box that come in contact with a urine ball. That happens very infrequently if I keep enough litter in the box. I haven't felt a need to dump the litter over the past six months, because it doesn't smell at all and it seems wasteful to dump it.

I wish your child a speedy and full recovery. I know that it may be harder on you than it is on him. I am sending every warm wish your way.
 

peaches08

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Would it help to thoroughly clean that room?  Wash walls down, etc.? 

Is the smell a urine smell?  If so, check out the article here at TCS for encouraging your cat to drink more water.  Cats are not good water drinkers and dehydration makes for stronger smelling urine.

Lastly, is there a machine you could borrow or rent to help clean the air?  The hospital or cancer society might can help with this.

I'm sending warm vibes for a speedy recovery and remission for your child.

ETA link:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/tips-to-increase-your-cat-s-water-intake
 
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lamiatron

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I would recommend getting a new litter box. if the litter box is over a year old.

litter boxes need to be changed out on a yearly basis anyways. When kitties scratch and dig through litter, sometimes they makes scratches on the litter box itself, which just becomes a breeding ground bacteria, and bacteria = odor. 

i myself have used this litter and have LOVED IT. i am currently using Dr. Elsy's Ultra, and I'm not as happy as i was when i was using nature's miracle. Please see link below that i've left on TCS regarding my fave brand of litter:

http://www.thecatsite.com/products/natures-miracle-intense-defense-clumping-litter/reviews

also please take a look at amazon reviews on Nature's Miracle Intense Defense Clumping Litter from others:


I scoop once a day, but sometimes i'd go 2-3 days without scooping. I simply forgot the litter box was was even in my BEDROOM (yea, that's where i have to keep it) because this litter has amazing odor control.

Since you keep your box in the laundry room, it could be that the smell is much worse due to the fact that its in a tiny room. I would suggest getting an odor absorber. i keep one by the litter box. i buy the ones from home depot. they're heavy duty ones and they work great and last up to 2 months.

these are the ones i usually buy:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/OdoBan-14-oz-Liquid-Sunshine-Solid-Odor-Absorber-9735K01-14Z/203112958

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Natural-Magic-14-oz-Brushed-Cotton-Odor-Eliminator-Gel-2444/203163805  (this one, i get in the citrus scent, the best one, but i can't find it online for you i'm sorry)

i've used arm and hammer litter in the past, 2 different kinds, as we all know they have so many different varieties to choose from, and i was seriously disappointed with them all.

one thing to remember, whichever litter you choose to go with, please do a gradual change of litter. and also, it's good to clean the box out often. even if it's once a day. most odor issues can be caused by not cleaning the littler properly. so even if you get the best litter out there that works for you, if its not cleaned out properly, then you will continue to have litter odor issues.
 
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pippen

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Thank you for all of your thoughts and good wishes.

I went down and did more investigating and found both the litter box (which was maybe a month old) plus another area in the room where the strong odor areas were. It turned out someone had scooped out a small amount of litter into a plastic bag and left it on the laundry room floor behind a box and the odor had been absorbed into the concrete. I hightailed it to Petco and picked up some Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer--the cat formula--and used it on the floor. It did wonders for the intense odor on the floor, but I still have some lingering cat smell in the room.  We run the furnace fan all the time in the house, so even though it's a small room, there is continual air flow.

I did consider the possibility that my cat might have peed on the floor around the left-behind bagged up litter. I can't rule out anything but I don't think that was likely. Would I see stains on the concrete?

Since my absence has been so disruptive to my cat's life, and since another two month absence (for a bone marrow transplant) could start any day now, I think I'd better do a reset with his old litter box and the litter he's used to. I'm sure there's a better litter out there for him and will try some of these suggestions, but it might be best to do a litter change gradually when I know I'll be around. For now, I'm going to focus on these other ideas--water, cleaning, air filtering, etc.

Thanks for the help!
 
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