Anything that would help with litterbox smell??

Question

I have a kitten, about 10 months old, who doesn't cover her poopie when she uses the litter box. It smells worse than anything I have ever encountered in my life. Is there something I could give her, a supplement or vitamin that could take away some of the smell. Or would changing her food help?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Note: she was rescued from a parking lot were someone dumped her and her sisters in a box. I brought her home and we had her fixed and vaccinated, but she is Feline Leukemia positive and HIV positive. She is in relatively good health now, she eats and plays and is very loving. So I don't think the diseases have started to harm her yet. I know she will die one day and I try not to think about it. At least she has a loving home and a roof over her head, and isn't struggling to survive in a parking lot.

I mean it is a really bad smell, not just your normal stinky kitty litter. This is a smell that wakes me up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night.

I have had her about 6 months now, and it has been an ongoing thing, the smell. I tried the teaching her to cover it thing by taking her paws and showing her how to cover it, now she just paws at the side of the litter box, and not in the litter.

She eats Iams kitten and I have also tried ONE kitten, Nutro kitten and Hills science diet (the hills made it worse)

Answer 1

Hey, I've got the best solution for eliminating the odor for good, go out and get a couple of the FRIDGE-IT activated carbon odor absorbers - little purple cube.only costs $2 - $3 dollars each. Totally unscented so it actually eliminates odor rather than covering up with some nasty fragrance and totally safe to use.
I've used these for worst smells than that including spoiled fish in car and for closets, fridge, etc. Also have two cats and use these on litter box - they are FANTASTIC> Just clip one on to each litter box and forget about it. No spills or chemicals to worry about. You can buy these for around 2 - 3 dollars each in kitchen gadget stores or just go direct - contact them at [e-mail] and ask for order form. You get it right away.
Definitely the way to go. try it.
Good luck

Answer 2

Using the scoopable litter that has finer granules makes it easier for them to cover. Also, when you scoop the box make sure you don't level off the surface of the litter. Craters, hills and valleys are more attractive to the cat.

Changing her food to an indoor variety of dry food (I use IAMS) will make the poo much less stinky. You can also get a deodorizer/cleaner called "X-O" at janitorial supply stores or cat shows. This is a concentrated cleaner so it isn't as expensive as it seems. I spray this over the litter when I scoop and then in the air afterwards. It is a better idea to have more than one litterbox so you can switch them when you change the litter. You can clean the box with a bleach solution or Lysol or something like that. Also, if it is a plastic box they absorb odors over time, so if it is an old one with a scratched surface it is probably better to replace it. I also use a litterbox with a hood because that contains the odor better. Make sure you're changing the litter frequently enough, too. It's better to get rid of the source of the odor than to cover it up.

I place the litterbox on an angle facing the corner, far enough away from the corner so kitty can get in. (If the box has a flap, remove it.) Then kitty can jump on top of the box and then jump down and in. This also helps keep the odor in one place rather than all over the room.

Answer 3

How long have you had her? I'm wondering if this is something temporary brought in from the street that will clear up once her digestion settles out. Beyond that possibly experimenting with her food some might help.

Also, you mentioned that she's Feline Leukemia positive. Do you have any cats in the house that are negative? If so I would talk to your vet about that situation. I was in the same boat not too long ago. (Fortunately it worked out for all concerned.) FIV positive and negative cats can live together with minimal risk, but as I understand it Leukemia is more contagious.

Finally, if you have any questions about Feline Leukemia cats I might be able to help some. I've had them in my life for the past roughly two years now. I think it's great that you are giving this girl a chance. (So few people will) I'm not exactly an expert on the subject but I'll happily pass along what I know.

Answer 4

One of my cats doesn't cover her stuff either...so my suggestion for you is this:
My cats have had smelly poop in relation to what I am feeding them. I find lower quality cat food often causes a rank odor (and gas!), but so does Wellness brand cat food (high quality). Now I am feeding Annova & change the litter box morning & night & that makes a dramatic difference. You might have to play around with what works for your cats, but start with higher quality stuff from private owned pet stores. They usually carry better quality food then Petsmart & Petco type chains. Also, use a liner, disinfect the box (water & bleach) when you replace the litter, & try to replace it at least every 2 weeks. Sweat scoop cat litter is pretty good...Arm & Hammer, & Tidy cat don't do anything as far as odor control!!!! Remove the feces as soon as possible, as often as possible. I keep plastic grocery bags & the scooper right next to the box & clean it as often as possible-makes it much better when I clean it out twice a day. It has no time to sit & fumigate. Also, try a covered litter box, I have one of those big ones that has a tiny stairway that curves into the box, so that my dogs can't get into it either (it's a dome shaped litter box). It's big, but holds the smell in better then the basic covered box, & keeps them out too.

Answer 5

I would maybe talk to your vet (supposing that you haven't already..) just to make sure it's not a sign of something going on internally. I would get an Air WIck or something similar in the same room with the litter box as well. Does the litter box have a lid? Can you move it somewhere else? Keep a window open some? If all else fails....start feeding her roses...LOL

Answer 6

Try some arm and hammer carpet fresh in the bottom of the box when you change it and once a week use some diluted bleach and warm water to throughouly clean the box and let air dry before re filling it...purina one for kitten is a good diet for kittens

Answer 7

You didn't say what she eats, but if it smells that bad, you could try changing brands of food. Her poop will smell worse when she eats canned meats, instead of dry food. Also, you might ask your vet if there's something related to either of her diseases that might be causing this. You could take a sample of her poop and have a fecal test run on it. She could have some intestinal parasite causing this problem, too. Also, you could try mixing some Arm/Hammer baking soda w/her litter. That might help w/smell.. Good luck....

Answer 8

When one of my cats did that, I took him to the box and moved his paws over it to show him to cover it. It has worked, he covers it now.

You could also try a strong air freshener or get a littermaid box, it will cover and remove the poo for you and put it into a box that you empty every day, there is no smell then.

Answer 9

Well try not to give it milk ONLY WATER because milk + cat = a lot of poopie and for the smell try air fresheners, open a window, or some candles would do.

Answer 10

I was just curious...do you have a self cleaning litter box?

It may help b/c after it scoops the poop & pee the lid closes over the waste container?