I just got a second cat and the litter box is horrible! How do I mask the smell?

Question

I have always used fresh Step cat litter and never had a smell problem. This new cat has the most foul poo smell ever! He was a stray, could he just be getting used to the new food? I scoop it everyday and change the litter every three days. How do I cover-up the smell?

This cat has the worst most foul smelling poo ever! I have a covered litter box, and scoop it daily. I change the litter completely every 3 days(I use Fresh Step). I have taken the new kitty to the vet for a check up and everything is ok. He has an appointment to get neutered next week. He was a stray and maybe he is getting used to his new food. I am not sure. Please help me get rid of the smell!

Answer 1

Smelly poo can be the result of a digestive or other medical problem, gingivitis or other tooth problems, worms, past diet living as a stray........eating mice, frogs, bugs, etc. For this cat, I'd start with a medical check up with your vet.......possibly including a blood workup to make sure it isn't carrying any fatal diseases that your other cat may catch......possibly too late by now if it is a carrier of anything serious. Stray cats also have bad eating habits.........they will gulp down, rather than chew their food, because they are accustomed to fighting other cats for whatever is available, and they eat like it may be the last morsel they will ever see........gulping down whatever, before another cat is able to scavenge it away from them....hence....digestive problems. It will take the cat a little while to realize that whatever food you are giving it belongs to them and that they may eat it without a fight and it will be forthcoming in abundance. If you are feeding cheap cat food, the smellier the poo as well......a higher grade premium food is better absorbed and digested and retained by them and less passes away as waste. Eating better quality premium grade food is cheaper in the long run because they are not as hungry as often, because they retain most of what they eat.
Also, rule of thumb is this........have one more litter box than the number of cats you have......you would need three litter boxes. There are some cats who will not poop in the same box they pee in, or in a box another cat has soiled in........there are some cats who will not bury their waste. Keep your litter boxes cleaned out on a daily basis........this will help eliminate diseases caused by germs, fleas, and worms, and of course........odours. If at all possible, scoop twice daily.........morning and at night. No other cat wants to wade through the droppings of another cat, just as we don't like to use potty after someone else hasn't flushed.
Bottom line, have cat vet checked, and give it good food, and time to adjust both in diet and environmentally until it gets into a more relaxed, comfortable routine and pattern.
<>

Answer 2

Like so many others mentioned...i sprinkle the 'cleaned' litter box with baking soda at the bottom... pour a half gallon of 'fresh step' into the litter box (using an empty clean half gallon milk jug to measure the litter). I also clean the litter box once daily as I have two cats. One other thing I do is eliminate giving my cats table food and only treat them with some can food once in a while as this seems to cause horrible odor.
Hope this helps.
Betty

Answer 3

A comment on the covered litter boxes.... If you aren't cleaning the litter box every day, which I'm sorry that's what it sounds like, I don't recommend this option. Cats have VERY sensitive noses and if it smells to you it definitely smells worse to them and covering it might make the cat not want to go in and use it, meaning it will find some place else to.

Answer 4

Since the vet says the stray is healthy, it probably is the food. The stray is used to eating whatever junk he can find, and good food all of a sudden is probably a shock to his system.

Try adding baking soda to the litter. Also- and don't quote me on this- I think there might be some foods that will help control the odor from the kitty's insides, if he doesn't settle down soon.

Good luck!

Answer 5

maybe since she was a stray and probably has got parasites.her organism is undergoin a througly cleanse up.hence the foul odour.also avoid givin milk and much fish in the time beein feed her,more dried foods, instead,try to change the litter every 2 days,but scoop the poop, every day and spray air refreshner i got 1 adult female cat with 2 kitten,which is not yet litter trained.also 2 young cats,and all the 3 of them are sharing a same litter box with a cover and filter,but i do clean it up regularly and spray throughly through it,the reason i do not use much litter box is becos am living in a flat and theres regulation on how many litter i shud have.as for those hurtful comments.abt certain smart jokers in here?i wish there wud be a law agaisnt animal abusers,as they have for humans.who wud at least fine those ,,jokers.who out of intolerance threaten to harm animals.if one likes animals..be it a cat a dog or rabbit.its their sole responsability we got no rights to throw nasty harmful remarks.

Answer 6

As he was a stray and you have no way of weaning him off his old food which is what should be done when normally changing food. The new food is probably a bit rich compared to the junk he's used to. Give it 2 - 3 days to settle down before you worry. If he is still eating then there isn't really a problem. Try to give only dried cat food as this is best for him. If it lasts longer than 3 days take him to a vet. Good Luck and good on you for adopting one of the thousands of strays out there!!!!

Answer 7

It may be the food especially if it is canned. You may have to feed them seperate types of food or change to another that wroks for both. Litter is expensive and we have two cats and I only change every two weeks. I scoop in the morning and before bed and sprinkle with the arm and hammer litter deoderizer every time. I use the Tidy Cat Crystals Blend and have no odor problems even at changing time unless someone has had an upset tummy.

Answer 8

YOu might try getting a new kind of litter. When I got my second cat I ran into the same problem. I switched to the natural pine litter and it works great. There is almost no smell at all. In fact the only time I smell it is when I'm leaning over it to change it. Plus the pine is better for the cat's urinary tract. And you don't have to change it as often. I love the stuff.

Answer 9

Smelly poo can be from a change in diet, stress, illness, worms, or from a kitty that doesn't cover his poop all the way. Offer another box or two, and try a litter that has fine, scoopable, grains. It seems to cover poop better. Take him to the vet, he may pass something to your other kitty. When someone finds a stray, unless you live at a farm, you should really take the cat to the humane society or animal control to see if a family may be missing him.

Answer 10

I have found Frest Step to be very good litter, which I have used with multiple cats in my home and had no problem. I would say give the new kitty a week or two to adjust to the food you are feeding him, and in the meantime get him to the vet for a checkup and vaccinations, which you should do anyway.