Yuck. No one likes the smell of kitty litter. But no matter how many times we dump their poop it STILL manages to smell horrid. So how does a pet owner stop their kitty litter from smelling so bad?
Why Does it Smell?
The first question to ask is, why does the litter smell so bad? Even though we pet owners clean their litter, unpleasant odors still linger.
The main culprits of a bad litterbox odor is:
- Cat urine: naturally breaks down into ammonia, one of the primary causes of strong litter box odor.
- Waste: When waste remains in the box for extended periods, bacteria multiply and intensify the smell.
Scents build up over time, it doesn’t happen instantly. However, the reason your litter still smells is because odor is not simply about cleanliness, it’s about habits, setup and maintenance. Neglecting these key ideas is why your pet’s litter smells awful.
Pet owners should know that:
- Infrequent cleaning
Cleaning does not simply mean dumping your cat’s excrements. It also means changing your litter regularly and cleaning your cat’s litter box periodically. This helps prevent bacteria growth, a major contributing factor to smelly litter.
- Poor ventilation
The placement of your kitty litter is important. Poor ventilation means smelly odors have nowhere to evacuate. Leading to lingering smells.
- Low-quality litter
Not all litter is effective at controlling odors. Low quality often has poor absorption allowing urine to spread and linger, does not clump well, leading to exposed waste, or lacks odor-neutralizing capabilities.
All contribute to foul smelling litter. These three key factors should be addressed by cat owners when trying to eliminate smelly odors.
Prevention methods
As mentioned previously three factors contribute to smelly litter, infrequent cleaning, poor litterbox set up and low quality litter. The key actions we propose to pet owners to reduce foul smelling kitty litter addresses each of these factors.
Pet owners should:
- Rethink cleaning habits
Rethinking cleaning habits can help make your litter smell less. There are two main habits that pet owners should change:
- Clean More Often Than You Think
Your litter needs to be cleaned up more often than you think. Litter needs to be scooped at least once or twice daily. This helps prevent ammonia build up as urine has less time to settle. You should also change your litter fully every week, meaning replacing all the old litter with new litter. This stunts bacteria growth as litter is changed regularly.
- Wash the Litter Box Properly
Pet owners should regularly wash their pet’s litterbox. The steps to cleaning your litter box are:
- Empty completely
- Wash with mild soap
- Dry thoroughly before refilling
Avoid cleaning with strong chemical cleaners as cats are very sensitive to smells. Any residue found is probably the source of the odor.
By cleaning more consistently and regularly, cat owners can reduce the odors emitted from their kitty’s litter.
- Change location and set up
The location of your litter is key. To reduce foul odors, you should consider:
- A well ventilated area
You should avoid enclosed and humid areas when placing kitty litter. Bathrooms can work well if they are properly ventilated. However, small enclosed spaces may trap odors more easily than open, well-ventilated areas. As we have stated previously, ventilation eliminates any lingering odor in the air. Making it an important factor to consider when placing litter boxes.
- Multiple litterboxes (in homes with multiple cats)
This means less build up in a single litter box, meaning less smelly litter boxes.
- A quiet low traffic space
A quiet, low-traffic area encourages regular litter box use and helps reduce stress for your cat. The benefit is for the cat, not for reducing the smell.
Strategically setting up and placing litter boxes can help reduce foul odors in the house improving overall comfortability for both pets and owners.
- Choose the right litter
Poor quality litter is a major contributor to smelly litterboxes. Pet owners should consider using the right litter for their cats. There are many types of cat litter, each providing their unique benefits:
- Clumping litter: Forms tight clumps around waste, making it easy to scoop and contain odors.
- Silica (Crystal) Litter: Made from silica gel crystals that absorb moisture quickly and trap odor inside the crystals rather than masking it.
- Natural Plant-Based Litter (Corn, Wood, or Paper): These litters use natural materials that offer good absorption and mild odor control without harsh chemicals.
Pet owners should look out for litter that mentions any of these terms in general, strong odor control, low dust, good absorption. The better the litter, the lower the odor. There are also habits pet parents should adopt when pouring litter such as maintaining proper litter depth depending on the litter.
While we mentioned that there are only 3 key actions to deodorize kitty litter, there actually is a secret, fourth and underrated prevention method, pet owners often overlook.
Your Pet’s Diet: An Underrated Prevention Method
What comes in, affects what comes out. Your pet’s diet is an underrated prevention method to smelly litter. To understand how a balanced nutrition helps reduce odors in cat litter, we need to understand why your pet’s diet could contribute to pungent smells.
- How diets can lead to smelly stool
The smell coming from the litter box is directly influenced by how well your cat digests its food. Cats that are unable to digest properly do not fully break down food. This leads to waste containing more undigested compounds, which results in pungent odors. Common causes include:
- Poor-quality ingredients
- Diets that are harder to digest
- Imbalanced nutrition
A poor quality diet often leads to frequent, inconsistent and foul smelling stool. These signs mean your cat’s digestive system is working twice as hard as it should to digest these nutrients.
- How a balanced nutrition helps reduce odors
Highly digestible diets allow cats to absorb nutrients more efficiently, leaving less undigested material to be excreted. This can contribute to firmer stools and less noticeable litter box odor over time. Choosing a complete and balanced diet, such as premium formulas developed by KEOS, can support digestive health and contribute to better litter box conditions.
- Firmer, more consistent stools
- Reduced waste volume
- Less intense odor
Over time, this doesn’t just improve litter box condition, it also supports your cat’s overall health and comfort. This highlights the importance of a quality diet.
Furthermore, certain commercially prepared diets offer nutrients that help reduce stool odor.
Essentially, the quality matters more than the quantity of food. Pet parents wishing for a long-term solution to foul smelling litter should look into shifting to higher quality diets.
This is where companies such as KEOS come in. Preparing high quality feed formulated to ensure complete and balanced nutrition. This helps support your pet’s daily wellness, reducing unnecessary strain on the digestive system and contributing to a more stable, manageable litter box conditions over time.
Smell less, through our simply good kibbles.
