My kittens litter box smells like ammonia. It stinks! I live in a studio apt. so this stench is not an option for us! Is this normal? Why all of a sudden? I've been introducing new food, slowly, could that be the cause? any insight???
If you're not going to use that litter - no way you can tough through that smell at all, you could try asking your local shelter if they would like it. Surely they would appreciate the donation.Originally Posted by JandM
Figures, I just bought 10, 30lb bags! Ughh!!
You can buy a blacklight, available at many pet stores. The urine will glow in the dark.Originally Posted by JandM
is there anyway to find out if t is outside of the box? I plan on during a thorough cleaning tonight..in,out, behind,under, you name it!! Any recommended cleaning products???
I wouldn't bother. The gravy presumably makes the food more palatable and it does represent an intake of liquids, which is always a good thing. At least with the gravy you can easily see the amount that they are consuming.Originally Posted by JandM
I wonder if the new food, which has lots of gravy, is deterring them from drinking as much water. I guess I should drain a little out of their food to see if that makes a difference.
A lot of people here (myself included) have done just that, with pretty good results, so I would always recommend doing this.Originally Posted by JandM
I was also thinking about getting a fountain to hopefully entice them a bit more.
Any litter with CLAY in the title probably isn't true clumping litter which means if you let it go a whole week and you have two cats peeing a lot it's gonna smell. If you have tons of the litter and want to use it then I suggest at least dumping the entire box twice a week cleaning it throughly once a week. Otherwise, do as someone suggested and donate the litter to a shelter and buy litter that specifically says "Clumping" on it.Originally Posted by JandM
I see that is clumps together a bit, but it always fall apart before and sifts through before I can get it out. AM I buying crappy litter? TIDY CATS CLAY MULTIPLE CATS -
I have to agree. I have no love of any clay litter whatsoever. I find they hold odours and can be pretty nasty. I love my WBCL.Originally Posted by twstychik
Any litter with CLAY in the title probably isn't true clumping litter which means if you let it go a whole week and you have two cats peeing a lot it's gonna smell. If you have tons of the litter and want to use it then I suggest at least dumping the entire box twice a week cleaning it throughly once a week. Otherwise, do as someone suggested and donate the litter to a shelter and buy litter that specifically says "Clumping" on it.
I think what she was probably trying to say was that clumping litter isn't very safe for little kitties. If the litter is dusty (like most clays) they can inhale the dust and it acts the same way in their bodies as it does in the litter tray - it attracts the moisture and clumps which in small kitties can form a ball in their intestines or even the lungs and be very dangerous. I stay away from those myself. I was using clay and then switched to Swheat Scoop when Bijou was little and every time he went to the litter he started sneezing. That's when I changed to World's Best. I like the WBCL because it isn't dusty and although it clumps in the litter pan, it is made of corn so if the kitty ingests any it will pass through just as their poo does. Even though WBCL costs more, I find it also lasts at least twice, if not three times, longer than any other litter I've ever used so I do save money in the long term.Originally Posted by JandM
Thanks everyone, lots of useful advice! I WILL (and have) NOT drained the liquid from their food. and I will definitely be getting a new litter, but it really messes up my budget!!! I wonder why the woman I adopted them from told me to use clay litter, she claimed it was the only safe kind of litter for kitties. And me being a newbie I just did what she said. Live and learn. In the meantime, can a add a little bit of the new stuff to the old stuff, will that make any difference?
I agree with this- my only problem is that it's very dusty when you're pouring new stuff in, or even just stirring it around to find clumps. Also, the "unscented" still has a little fragrance. Add this to the dust and I can't breathe.Originally Posted by saya
yep. crappy litter.
I use "scoop away" which is the tightest clumping litter I've been able to find. Gets everything out whole, little to no breaking.